Quillen Magazine - Summer 2023

QUILLEN MAGAZINE

Dr. Brian Noland

ETSU President

Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. William A. Block, Jr. (’92)

Vice President for Clinical Affairs

Dean, Quillen College of Medicine

Dr. David Linville (’00)

Senior Associate Dean and Chief of Staff, Associate Vice President for Clinical Affairs

Editors

Melissa Nipper University Marketing and Communications

Kristen Early

ETSU Health Marketing and Communications University Advancement

Pam Ritter

Vice President of University Advancement

John King

Associate Vice President of University Advancement

Whitney Goetz

Executive Director, ETSU National Alumni Association

Contributors

Jennifer Hill

Brendan Ogden

Jonathan Roberts

Joe Smith

Graphic Designer Taylor Campbell Biomedical Communications

Principal Photography

Ron Campbell

Matthew Carroll

Larry Smith

Charlie Warden

The past year has been a season of expanding opportunities at Quillen College of Medicine. New programs and initiatives have created pathways for prospective and current students, paving the way for us to strengthen our commitment to our mission of educating future physicians, especially those with an interest in primary care, to practice in underserved rural communities.

In this issue of Quillen Magazine, you will read about some of these pathways. From the introduction of a new accelerated M.D. program that we are calling Tri-TRAILS to the official launch of a program designed to assist high school and college students who are interested in a career in rural medicine, Quillen continues to find innovative ways to fulfill its mission.

We are strengthening the educational and student experiences on campus with the introduction of a new systems-based curriculum called TRAILS (Team-Based Rural Applied Integrated Learning System). And we continue to cultivate our learning communities, which provide a vital social and academic support system for our students.

In addition to spotlighting the good work taking place on campus, this issue contains stories about Quillen’s impact across the country and the globe. For example, you will learn about how the Department of Surgery’s global surgery fellowship program is paving the way for partnerships in hospitals around the world.

We also will follow in the steps of some of our alumni, who are doing amazing things in their field. You will read about Dr. Timothy Powers, who traveled an unconventional path to Quillen through his love for music. I am grateful that Dr. Powers has remained committed and connected to his alma mater, serving as past president of the Quillen Alumni Society.

While the majority of the students at Quillen are studying to become physicians, impactful work is also taking place in the research arena at Quillen and in our Biomedical Sciences program. In this issue, we feature Dr. Christopher Daniels, a Ph.D. graduate who now serves as the Senior Director of Laboratory and Scientific Operations for Medpace, a clinical research organization.

Our alumni are going to great places and doing tremendous work along the way. Whether you are still practicing or have retired, I encourage you to look for students, resident physicians, or others who are beginning their journey in medicine or research. Encourage and mentor them along the way.

I am proud of the work of our alumni, and I am honored to be part of the Quillen family.

Dr. William A. Block, Jr. Vice President for Clinical Affairs Dean, Quillen College of Medicine

Pictured on the cover: Quillen students Janika Raynes, Joseph Dossett, and Anisha Dash on a pathway on nearby Buffalo Mountain.

Cover Photo by Matthew Carroll

Paving New Pathways

Quillen launches accelerated M.D. program: Tri-TRAILS

Quillen College of Medicine has developed a new program for students to complete their medical degree in less time and with less cost. Tri-TRAILS, a three-year directed pathway, also provides participating students an opportunity to match into one of five residency programs.

“This new approach to our curriculum allows highly qualified candidates to complete medical school in a three-year period,” said Dr. Bill Block, Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Dean of Quillen College of Medicine. “This helps them to limit the cost while it provides our region with an increase in well-trained and talented physicians.”

Students participating in Tri-TRAILS will complete the first three years of the TRAILS (Team-based Rural Applied Integrated Learning System) curriculum with students in the four-year program. It includes the integration of basic and clinical sciences with opportunities for early clinical experiences, state-of-the-art interprofessional training and simulation, and multiple service learning and community outreach opportunities.

The directed pathway includes an additional eight weeks of clinical experience between the first and second year, and the opportunity to complete the pre-clerkship preceptor experience with faculty within a chosen residency program. Students will be matched into one of five residency programs: internal medicine, pediatrics, or family medicine in Bristol, Johnson City, or Kingsport.

“As a prior Quillen graduate of a grant-funded, three-year program, I can attest to the benefits this accelerated track will offer for select students preferentially committed to a career in a primary care specialty,” said Dr. Beth Ann Fox, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at Quillen. “It afforded me reduced student debt and an earlier advancement into family medicine.”

After students have completed their clerkships, they will take the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 CK Exam, participate in a keystone experience, and complete the required sub-internship and intensive care unit experience to satisfy all graduation requirements. Although students will participate in commencement at the end of their third year, they will not complete all the required coursework until after graduation.

Students in the Tri-TRAILS program must still register with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and enter the match process. Residency training will not differ from that of other students. Students interested in the program must first be accepted to Quillen prior to applying for the threeyear directed pathway. In 2023, a maximum of nine students will be accepted into the program: six students planning to enter family medicine, two students planning to enter internal medicine, and one student planning to enter pediatrics.

Pictured left to right are: Ansam Qaddoumi, Michael Sedhom, Cassidy Pham, Eric Beecham, and Tia Shutes.

M1 students Michael Sedhom and Tia Shutes walk across campus.

Innovation in Academics

New curriculum shapes the next generation of Quillen physicians

In July 2022, Quillen College of Medicine implemented a new curriculum that would positively benefit the learning outcomes of students completing their medical education at ETSU. This new and robust curriculum is designed to prepare students to graduate as professional, capable, and compassionate physicians and to provide students with the best possible experiences.

“Our systems-based curriculum allows students to acquire the necessary medical knowledge and apply their learning to clinical situations earlier in their training,” said Dr. Beth Anne Fox, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs. “The clinical application reinforces their learning and develops their critical

thinking and problem-solving skills much sooner in their training.”

The TRAILS (Team-Based Rural Applied Integrated Learning System) curriculum boasts significant updates to academia while providing earlier and more frequent opportunities for active learning. Among the key changes are an 18-month preclerkship phase, which includes the integration of basic and clinical sciences throughout all four years of medical school; opportunities for early clinical experiences; state-ofthe-art interprofessional training and simulation; and multiple servicelearning and community outreach initiatives.

Spearheading the new curriculum is the Class of 2026. While it has been a

year since the implementation of the new curriculum, students are already benefiting from its structure and opportunities.

“I chose Quillen because of the new curriculum,” said Tia Shutes, Quillen Class of 2026. “Thanks to early clinical experiences, I’ve been able to pair up with a local cardiothoracic surgeon and sit in on open-heart and bypass surgeries.”

This new addition to the curriculum encourages medical students to step out of the classroom and to identify ways to make an impact in regional communities. In March 2023, the four learning communities donated $150 from each of their budgets to purchase supplies such as socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hats,

M1 students have a group discussion during orientation in Stanton-Gerber.

hairbrushes, toys, and more. The supplies purchased through this service-learning effort were used to make birthday baskets for people in Dawn of Hope, families in low-income housing, or families in need through nonprofit organizations.

“Shopping for the birthday baskets was incredibly uplifting because it gave us a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose,” said Kari Byrnes, Quillen Class of 2024. “A separate but critical piece of this experience was the opportunity to work alongside faculty outside the classroom. Overall, we accomplished the worthwhile goals of service and mentorship, both fundamental reasons for the initial creation of learning communities.”

In addition to many of the key changes, students enjoy a nine-week

break in June and July between the M1 and M2 years, and six weeks of dedicated United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 1 study time. During the final two years, students will complete 12 months of core clerkships and 14 months of senior clinical courses and electives, including the necessary time to prepare for the Step 2 Exam.

The TRAILS curriculum sets a new standard to surpass the institutional educational objectives set forth by the Quillen College of Medicine. Institutional educational objectives encourage the lifelong acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors.

“In Northeast Tennessee, where there are rural and underserved populations, it is vital to create

outstanding physicians who will continue their hard work and dedication to advance the practice of medicine for years to come,” said Dr. Bill Block, Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Dean of Quillen College of Medicine.

The TRAILS curriculum is the new standard across all M.D. programs at Quillen, including the M.D./ MBA, M.D./MPH, and Tri-TRAILS programs. Tri-TRAILS is a three-year accelerated M.D. program that is now being offered to students. This option not only provides students the opportunity to complete medical school in less time and with less cost, but also the ability to match into one of five residency programs: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics or Family Medicine in Bristol, Johnson City, or Kingsport.

M1 student Evann Fowler speaks during orientation.

Dr. Katherine Kazen, a Quillen resident, surveys available equipment on an operating room table in St. Joseph’s Kitovu Hospital in Masaka, Uganda.

Dr. Catherine Lewis, a Quillen fellow, teaches three interns at St. Joseph’s Kitovu Hospital in Masaka, Uganda, the landmarks to perform an inguinal hernia repair.

Quillen College of Medicine’s Surgery Department is refining a global surgery fellowship program that will open a pathway for better partnerships and increased capacity at host hospitals within low- and middle-income countries.

While the college has many times offered month-long service trips, a new SEAL Global Surgery Fellowship places a fellow onsite for a year or more. SEAL stands for Surgical, Education, Access to care and Leadership.

The program has already graduated one fellow, Dr. Nick Carter, who served at St. Boniface Hospital in Haiti. The second fellow, Dr. Catherine Lewis, concludes her term in July after a year and a half of service at Kitovu Hospital in Uganda.

Under the new model, the program builds capacity at the host hospital, rather than limiting what is accomplished to the finite time that Quillen surgeons are present to complete surgeries.

“The model is education based on long-term capacity building, access to care by supporting the local system, and leadership: empowering local leaders,” said Dr. Michelson Padovany, Global Health Advisor for the fellowship program. “It needs to be culturally acceptable, so we work hand-in-hand with local partners and under the guidance of the local team.”

Dr. Padovany and Dr. Luther Ward, Quillen’s Global Surgery Director, have each personally experienced the suffering that results from a lack of access to care. While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, Ward saw several students die after a car accident. As a result, he went to medical school and developed his passion for global health.

In Haiti, delayed care caused Padovany’s mother to lose her leg and spend more than three months in the hospital after a traffic accident.

“I was 6 or 7, and I said to myself that I needed to work in the medical field,” Padovany said. “As a surgeon today, I realize that we could have

saved her leg if we had a better care system.”

When Padovany was a surgeon at St. Boniface, he and Ward successfully brought capacitybuilding improvements to the hospital. Through their initiative, they grew a residency program and cross-trained surgeons. This improved patient access to care and resulted in better outcomes. Now, they are working together at Quillen to build capacity in low- and middle-income countries through the fellowship.

“By the fellows staying long term in places, they get a deeper understanding of the issues, which then allows them to come up with deeper solutions that tend to work in long-term capacity building,” Ward said. “That’s the biggest benefit that I’ve seen – the synergy that you see between the fellows and the host hospitals, and what that synergy brings about. It often brings about things that you don’t expect, but it is almost always good and deep and thought provoking.”

Monze Mission Hospital in Zambia will be a key focus of the program in the future, according to Dr. Brad Feltis, Chair of Quillen’s Surgery Department.

The program opens opportunities not only for fellows, but for residents who choose to participate during their fourth-year elective month, and even for medical students, who will spend at least a month helping to gather research data to shed light on issues facing the host hospital.

The new model opens more opportunities for faculty. Because a fellow is present for at least a year, faculty can schedule a trip to help train Monze’s surgical staff about their areas of expertise at their own convenience. This allows more faculty to visit, and opens the door for allied health professionals to travel to Monze to train, or for the Monze medical professionals across multiple disciplines to come here to teach students and residents about their experiences.

Dr. Sufyan Ibrahim, Monze’s lead surgeon, will be the first to come to Quillen through the program. He will lecture for medical students and residents, teaching them how to work in low-resource environments that are applicable to rural America. “He’s going to be a tremendous asset to come here from Zambia and teach us all he knows, and we’ll be able to help train him with advanced procedures,” Feltis said. “Almost every university has a department of global surgery, but very few are actually doing the kind of things that we’re doing – supporting a full-time fellow, supporting multiple faculty, and building up different divisions.

“It just opens up so many avenues of thought and growth and education,” Feltis added. “Ultimately, the sky’s the limit. Perhaps one day we’ll have an ETSU Zambian campus.”

For more information, visit: etsu.edu/ com/surgery/global-surgery.php.

Pathways into Rural Medicine

Program for students from rural counties

Launched in 2022 by East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine, EQUIP (Extending Quillen to the Underserved through an Integrated Program) is designed to create more pathways for high school and college students who are interested in careers in medicine to serve rural and underserved communities.

“Quillen College of Medicine has an exceptional history of increasing access to health care, specialty care, and medical knowledge for our region,” said Dr. Tom Kincer, Associate Dean for Rural and Community Programs. “EQUIP is an exciting continuation of that mission, allowing Quillen to attract a more diverse student body and create a pathway that brings broader medical care coverage to all.”

Rising seniors or recent graduates have an opportunity to participate in the week long Rural High School Medical Camp on ETSU’s campus, and rising juniors can participate in Docfor-a-Day a single-day event focused on introducing students to medicine

EQUIP enhances the student’s ability to successfully navigate the process for medical school admission. An integral portion of the program is the opportunity to develop relationships with Quillen’s faculty, staff, and medical students.

“EQUIP harnesses two of Quillen College of Medicine’s greatest strengths – its faculty and its long commitment to serving rural and underserved communities – to literally equip future physicians to serve where they are needed most,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The program also includes the Appalachian Preceptorship

four-week summer experience for rising junior and senior college students, which includes one week on Quillen’s campus. During that week, students are in Quillen’s classrooms, simulation labs, and the state-of-the-art anatomy lab. The remaining three weeks take place in the community, working alongside a physician and developing a community engagement project.

College students one and a half years prior to their anticipated application to Quillen who are from one of 29 designated counties of Tennessee, Virginia, or North Carolina, are eligible to apply for the EQUIP program. Students who complete EQUIP are granted a guaranteed interview or a guaranteed acceptance based on academic performance and other preset parameters when they apply to Quillen.

“In 2022, we had more than 3,900 applicants to Quillen College of Medicine, so a guaranteed interview is a strong start for students who participate in this program and dream of a career in medicine,” said Dr. Bill Block, ETSU Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine. “EQUIP is yet another way for Quillen to fulfill its mission and give prospective students the tools they need to reach their goals.”

There is no cost to be a part of EQUIP, nor to attend any EQUIP-sponsored activities, thanks to the program’s sponsors, Tennessee Center for Health Workforce Development and Ballad Health. Camp space is limited to 20 high school students with EQUIP pathway program seats set to 12 college students at each year level. To learn more, visit etsu.edu/equip.

Speaking at the EQUIP launch were Emma Hynson, Joshua Loveday, John Smith, Dr. Tom Kincer, Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle and Dr. Bill Block.

Grant Provides for Expanded HIV Services

East Tennessee State University can expand clinical services to provide support for individuals with HIV in the region due to a grant awarded in 2022.

Dr. Jonathan Moorman, co-director of the ETSU Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Diseases, and Immunity and vice chair for Research and Scholarship in the Department of Internal Medicine, received a notice of award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The Ryan White HIV Center of Excellence (COE) has received Ryan White Part B funding from the Tennessee Department of Health for more than 20 years. The COE

provides an interdisciplinary, teambased approach focusing on HIV testing and treatment, primary care, mental health services, case management, and assistance with food, transportation, and medication. In addition, services such as prevention and education, harm reduction, and the opportunity to participate in research are provided in partnership with community and university organizations.

The COE can expand its services thanks to the award of Ryan White Part C funds. The Ryan White (Part C) Early Intervention Services grant awards $975,159 over the course of three years and allows the COE to establish a new clinical site in Sullivan

Noted scientist delivers Health, Equity, and Inclusion Lecture

Quillen College of Medicine cosponsored a guest lecture by noted scientist, physician, and administrator Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, who spoke at East Tennessee State University on Oct. 13, 2022.

Hildreth, President and CEO of Meharry Medical College, delivered a lecture titled “An Immunological Paradox Explained: HIV as Trojan Exosome,” which was sponsored by the university’s Black American Studies Program. It is also part of the ETSU College of Public Health’s Leading Voices in Public Health Lecture Series serving as the second annual Health, Equity, and Inclusion Lecture, which is co-sponsored by the Quillen College of Medicine and Office of Equity and Inclusion.

Hildreth is known as a world-class infectious disease expert and emerged as a respected national figure in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was appointed to the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee in September 2020, and in February 2021, he was named to President Joe Biden’s Health Equity Task Force.

Hildreth is leading the technological, academic, and clinical transformation of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, one of the nation’s oldest and largest historically Black academic health science centers dedicated to educating physicians, dentists, researchers, and health policy experts.

Before joining Meharry Medical

County in conjunction with the division of Infectious Diseases at Quillen College of Medicine.

“This funding supports new providers and space for our patients in Sullivan County and adjacent rural areas, making it easier for these patients to get state-of-the-art HIV care, primary care, and mental health services,” Moorman said. “We are excited about a new site in Kingsport.”

The Johnson City Ryan White HIV Center of Excellence and ETSU Health Infectious Disease clinic is located at 615 North State of Franklin Road in Johnson City, Tennessee. Updates will follow when the Kingsport site opens to receive patients.

College, Hildreth was Dean of the College of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Davis. He also spent 23 years at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as a student, post-doctoral researcher, professor, and associate dean. His research on HIV resulted in international recognition for several key discoveries, including identifying the critical role of cholesterol in HIV infection.

In addition to his M.D. degree from Johns Hopkins, Hildreth holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University and a B.A. from Harvard University. His many honors include membership in the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame and being named among the “50 Most Influential Clinical Executives” for 2021 by Modern Healthcare.

Bridging Team-Based Care

New Integrated Health Services Building planned

The roots of ETSU’s interprofessional education initiatives trace back to the early 1990s when the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded its first grant to the colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and (then) Public and Allied Health, to launch the interdisciplinary Community Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program.

Those roots flourished. Today, the university is regarded as a national leader in interprofessional education (IPE). One of the most recent advances at the institution was the opening of Bishop Hall on the VA Campus. This state-of-the-art facility serves as a hub for collaboration among ETSU’s five health sciences colleges. Interprofessional health care teams enhance the quality of patient care by lowering costs, decreasing length of stay, and reducing medical errors.

The next chapter – the creation of a major Integrated Health Services Building – will be a game changer,

taking the IPE model from the classroom to the clinical setting. This new project will bring the skills and teamwork developed in the simulation lab to the clinical setting and serve as the capstone of ETSU’s commitment to interprofessional education between its health sciences colleges.

“Creation of this new clinical building will allow for alignment of our practice with our teachings by delivering top quality, team-based care, in a state-ofthe-art facility,” said Dr. Bill Block, Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Dean of Medicine. “Previously delivering similar care within legacy clinics has prepared us to take the next step in care integration and remain the leader in the region.”

According to Block, this $43.9 million facility will deliver best-in-class health care to the community in addition to offering students an authentic training environment. Providing students with a clinical setting to work as a team in real-world conditions will help them become exceptional clinicians in their

respective disciplines.

“The building will promote synergies and partnerships, leading to improved community health and workforce development,” Block said.

The Integrated Health Services Building will be uniquely designed to support the team-based care model. The facility will have spaces allowing for collaboration and discussion while maintaining patient privacy. Services provided in the Integrated Health Services Building will include Family Medicine, Addiction Medicine, Diabetes Management, Physical and Sports Medicine, Dental Hygiene, and Social Work.

The 60,155-square-foot facility is currently in the design phase. Though the State of Tennessee has awarded some funding of the project, the college must raise $3.5 million. To learn more, or to discuss making a gift to the project, contact John King, Associate Vice President for University Advancement, at (423) 439-5933.

Expanding Opportunities

BucSports opens new clinic on ETSU’s campus

BucSports and Dr. Ralph Mills are familiar names to many medical students and residents who have passed through Quillen College of Medicine and to many East Tennessee State University athletes.

For years, the clinic operated out of ETSU’s Ballad Health Athletic Center (the Mini-Dome), offering sports medicine services to athletes and even the general public. Residents rotated with the attending physicians, and medical students and residents alike enjoyed lectures from Mills on a variety of topics relevant to sports medicine.

In 2022, ETSU Health invested in expanded sports medicine services and held a grand opening for a new location on campus, BucSports Medicine, at 1043 Jack Vest Drive. The new facility boasts improved parking, modern clinic rooms, state-of-the-art equipment, a leading-edge concussion management program, and onsite physical therapists through a partnership with ETSU’s Physical Therapy program.

Quillen College of Medicine residents from Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine now enjoy a richer rotation

experience thanks to these investments, according to sports medicine physicians Dr. Mills and Dr. Jay Johnston, who joined ETSU Health just before the clinic opening.

Interested residents have the opportunity to participate in a one- to four-week rotation at the clinic and have frequent opportunities to shadow Mills and Johnston as they provide sideline coverage at large sporting events, where they learn how to evaluate injuries, work with emergency medical services, and work with high school and college trainers. Thanks to the investment in high-end ultrasound and X-ray equipment at the new location, those experiences are richer than ever, Mills said.

“I think it’s massive for them, because we’ve got full X-ray there,” Mills said. “We’ve got all the extra amenities. At that clinic, they’re able to go with us, see the patient, walk right back to the X-ray, see the X-ray or see the ultrasound that we do – it’s the highest of the high end.”

Johnston said that the increased exposure is making the rotation more competitive, because it is so beneficial to residents’ résumés – especially for those who might have a future interest in sports medicine.

“The goal within the next year is to create a sports medicine track for interested residents,” Johnston said. “We would identify any who may want to become a sports medicine doctor and get them on track to be really competitive for a fellowship.”

He added that the college has a goal to bring a sports medicine fellowship in the future and already has the assets to form a competitive program thanks to partnerships with ETSU Athletics, local sports teams, and ETSU’s other strong health science programs, including Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy.

Drs. Ralph Mills, left, and Jay Johnston serve at ETSU Health’s new BucSports Medicine location.

Music and Medicine

Powers witnesses Quillen history from first graduating class thanks to music

Choosing a medical school by way of marching band may not be the conventional route to becoming a physician, but that’s exactly what ophthalmologist Dr. Timothy Powers did.

A native of Clinton, Tennessee, Powers played euphonium in the nationally recognized Clinton High School band and happened to meet a tuba/euphonium professor from East Tennessee State University named George Jones at a national meeting. Upon hearing of Powers’ interest in medicine, Jones encouraged him to come to ETSU, which had a “dynamic” new band director named Joe Hermann and a brand-new medical school at the time. Powers followed his advice and attended ETSU with a Floyd Cramer Friends of Music Scholarship, enjoying not only marching band but also concert band.

During the three-and-a-half years it took for him to earn his bachelor’s degree, being in band gave Powers a front-row seat to witness the graduation of the first class of Quillen College of Medicine. “I remember those guys were like superstars on campus,” he recalled. “I saw their composite pictures all over campus, and we played at graduation and honors convocations. I learned a lot about the medical school

as it developed. I had that desire to do medicine and be a part of ETSU, and I really wanted to stay in Johnson City, so it was wonderful that it worked out that I got to stay there eight years.”

Powers, who graduated with the Class of 1988, believes the quality of education students received from the fledgling medical school was excellent. “The school really wanted to make sure we were well-trained both in basic sciences and our clinical education,” he said, “because when students from a new school applied for residencies, they would get this –‘We’ve never had a resident from this school.’ But we studied under these ‘giants of medicine,’ extraordinary educators who knew their craft well and knew how to share it with us. And as fantastic as our education was then, it’s even better now. Residency programs that have had Quillen grads now say, ‘We want these people.’”

A high point for Powers in his career was returning to Clinton as an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon. He practices eye surgery with The Eye Centers and is on the medical staff of The Eye Surgery Center of Oak Ridge and Methodist Medical Center.

This 1981 photo of the ETSU Marching Band performing during halftime at an Atlanta Falcons game features Dr. Timothy Powers (center) on baritone horn. At left on trumpet is the late Dr. Jane Raulston, a Quillen alumna and faculty member who taught pathology and microbiology. (Photo contributed by Dr. Timothy Powers)

“For me, coming back to my home county and hometown, taking care of a lot of my old teachers and family friends, was a huge honor,” he said. “When people put their trust in you to take care of their health, that’s probably the greatest honor.”

Powers enjoys continued involvement with the school through the Quillen College of Medicine Alumni Society, of which he is a past president. He has been gratified to see attendance at college reunions grow from three to 15 people in the early years to hundreds today, and he believes in the importance of the society’s work in the areas of planned giving and supporting the college.

“In some groups, we’re all getting a little gray,” he said. “The school is doing that too, and that’s a good thing. Support is

an important part of the maturation of the school, the ‘graying of Quillen.’ When I was in high school, the talk was, ‘Should there be a medical school in Johnson City?’ Now, you can’t measure it. The lives that have been touched and made better by this place, regionally and worldwide, are too numerous to count.”

Powers and his wife, Billy, whom he met in high school band, have been married for 33 years and have two children. He remains active in music, playing euphonium in two community bands in the Knoxville area. Their son, John Paul, is a doctoral candidate in music, and his wife, Hannah, is a music educator. The Powers’ daughter, Grace, who is studying elementary education, is a ballet dancer and dance teacher.

Dr. Timothy Powers and his son, John Paul, had the opportunity to perform together with the Tennessee Wind Symphony at Carnegie Hall on Father’s Day of 2017, an occasion the elder Powers calls a highlight of his musical career. (Photo contributed by Dr. Timothy Powers)

From left-right: Dr. Tim Powers enjoys catching up with friends from Quillen College of Medicine during a reunion, including Doug Taylor, Associate Dean for Admissions and Records; and Drs. Doug Davis (Class of 1985) and Bob Elder (Class of 1984), both of Knoxville.

A Career in Science

Biomedical alumnus oversees clinical trials worldwide

When Dr. Christopher Daniels first began his journey at East Tennessee State University, he didn’t plan on pursuing a doctoral degree.

During his undergraduate studies, Daniels began doing research under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Schoenberg studying chlamydia trachomatis reinfections. That helped spark his love for science, and inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences.

Daniels credits his time at ETSU, and the mentors he found along the way, for helping him get to where he is today.

“I would have to say my work doing undergraduate research in Dr. Robert Schoenberg’s lab really turned the tide for me wanting to go into science and pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences,” Daniels said. “That was really a turning point for me.”

Daniels (Class of 2014) is now the Senior Director of Laboratory and Scientific Operations for Medpace, a clinical research organization based out of Cincinnati – Daniels’ hometown.

“I think the size of the program at ETSU, the Biomedical Sciences

Program, allows the faculty to have close interaction with their students on a mentor level,” said Daniels, who spent his time at the Quillen College of Medicine working in Dr. Krishna Singh’s lab.

When Daniels first joined Medpace, he did so as the Associate Director of Clinical Laboratories doing clinical studies with a team of scientists, and said the freedom afforded to him to work through issues during his studies was huge and something he carried over to his career.

“Dr. Singh was very involved,” Daniels said. “She wanted us to do well and succeed, spending time with us and taking the time to help if we had issues with an experiment or couldn’t figure something out.

“She was an excellent mentor who allowed us to have a little bit of freedom to try different experiments of our own to see if they would succeed or not,” he continued. “I think that’s a big advantage compared to some of the bigger universities that have a huge number of doctoral candidates in their graduate programs.”

Singh is proud of Daniels’ accomplishments at Quillen and beyond.

“Christopher Daniels was one of

the best graduate students in my cardiovascular research laboratory,” Singh said. “I still remember that he used to be the first one to come to the lab every morning, and the last one to leave the lab in the evening. He was a self-motivated, sincere and hard-working student. It gives me a wonderful sense of pride to know that Dr. Daniels has done so well at Medpace Reference Laboratories, climbing up to a senior leadership position in a short time.”

Daniels now heads a large team of scientists, technicians, and researchers supporting clinical trials for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across the globe. In fact, three of those he’s hired to his team

are also graduates of Quillen College of Medicine.

“We have around 40 people with doctoral degrees on my team, and they come from all over the globe, and to get three people hired from ETSU, from the Ph.D. program at Quillen, that’s pretty cool,” Daniels said. “They’ve been very good employees, and excellent scientists.”

In total, Daniels spent nine years at ETSU – time he looks back on fondly.

“I think sometimes, you know, faculty at smaller universities are underrated but, man, there is stellar faculty at Quillen,” Daniels said. “I think it really prepared me for a career in science.”

Learning and Networking

Quillen students, faculty attend regional surgical conference

Quillen College of Medicine’s Department of Surgery was well-represented at the Southeast Surgical Congress (SESC) 2023 Annual Meeting, which was held in Savannah, Georgia, in February.

A number of medical students, surgery residents and faculty attended the conference, with many more represented as coauthors of various projects.

“Attending this conference gave me an opportunity to see some of the strong research being done by my fellow medical students and trainees at every level of medical education at Quillen,” said Allen Archer, a medical student who recently completed a one-year term as the student representative to the ETSU Board of Trustees.

Three representatives of the Department of Surgery either gave or served as discussants for podium presentations, including faculty Drs. J. Bracken Burns and Keelin Roche, and resident physician Dr. Matthew Heard.

Several members of the ETSU delegation were involved in presentations at the conference, some of which were published or selected for publication in The American Surgeon, the journal of the SESC. Co-authors of these projects who attended the conference include Quillen students Archer and Jake Cartwright; resident physicians Heard and Drs. Neil Horsley, CeCe Kim, Liz Mannino, and Mary McBride; and faculty members Burns, Roche, and Drs. Christy Lawson and Trevy Ramos.

In addition, a number of ETSU representatives gave

“Quickshot” oral presentations, including Quillen students Cartwright, Landon Armstrong, Mary “Mae” McCrory, and Payton O’Quinn; and residents Horsley, Kim, Mannino, and McBride. Also attending were medical students Noah Rutherford and Fiona Whitaker and faculty member Dr. Lou Smith.

“This regional conference is an incredible networking opportunity,” Archer said. “I was able to meet and talk with residents and attendings currently training and working at many of the programs I’m interested in pursuing. Opportunities to share research projects and ideas across programs and showcase my current work increases the chances of matching at my top-choice program in just a few short years.”

“The biggest thing I took away from the conference is how much variety exists in surgery today,” McCrory said. “It was amazing to see all the possibilities of change, unique case studies, and how different specialties work together to help patients. This conference got me more excited for my potential future in surgery. I gained confidence in my presentation skills and learned about techniques and diseases I had never heard of. Just being in a place surrounded by people with similar passions and goals is always refreshing.”

The SESC aims to serve as “the premier regional surgical organization for general surgeons and sub-specialists” and “is dedicated to the presentation, evaluation, and dissemination of current knowledge and research” in the field.

Among those attending the Southeast Surgical Conference 2023 Annual Meeting were (from left-right) Drs. Mary McBride, Cecilia “CeCe” Kim, Keelin Roche, J. Bracken Burns, Matthew Heard and Neil Horsley and Quillen medical student Allen Archer.

A Perfect Match

Class of 2023 enjoys 100% match rate

Members of Quillen College of Medicine’s class of 2023 enjoyed a 100% match rate. Graduates matched into 15 specialties in 20 states and the District of Columbia. This is the second year in a row that Quillen’s graduating class has received a 100% match rate.

Of the 73 students in the class of 2023, 49 are remaining in the Southeast, and 10 will remain in East Tennessee across six specialties. Twenty-three students will remain in-state, while nine others are going to residency in North Carolina. Five students will complete their residency training through military service.

More than half of the class will train in primary care specialties such as family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. Five students matched into anesthesiology programs; four each in surgery, diagnostic and interventional radiology, and psychiatry; three in orthopedic surgery; two in anatomic pathology; and one in otolaryngology.

“It’s a great day, one you should remember” said Dr. Bill Block, Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Dean of Quillen College of Medicine. “It’s an exciting time, and a big move for you and your families.”

Congratulations, Class of 2023

Quillen College of Medicine celebrated commencement on Friday, May 5.

“While many members of the Class of 2023 will spread out across the nation to complete their residency training, we know they will represent Quillen well wherever they end up,” said Dr. Bill Block, ETSU Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Dean of Quillen College of Medicine. “This is a special day for our graduates and their families, and we are excited to see what the future holds for them.”

Dr. Ryan Stanton, a member of the class of 2003 who was named one of the college’s Outstanding Alumni in 2022, was the guest speaker.

Stanton attended emergency medicine residency at the

University of Kentucky, graduating in 2008. He is board certified in emergency medicine and emergency medical services. He currently works in a community emergency department in Lexington, Kentucky, with Central Emergency Physicians and is the medical director for Lexington Fire/ EMS and GMR Motorsports, which includes NASCAR, IMSA, SRX, and USF.

One member of Quillen’s Class of 2023, Jarred Millard, was inducted into the ETSU 1911 Society, which honors the university’s most distinguished graduates who embody ETSU’s original mission of improving the quality of life for the people of this region as exemplified through academic excellence, service, and leadership.

Student Awards

More than 20 members of the Class of 2023 were awarded for their work and activities during their time at Quillen. They are:

DR. JARRED MILLARD received the Leonard Tow Humanism Award

DR. RYAN KING received the Dean’s Distinguished Student Honor Award

DR. EVAN BAIRD received the Dr. Clay Reister Award

DR. JENNIFER LYNN DAVIS received the Ronald S. McCord M.D. Rural Family Medicine Award and H. Cowan Moss Family Medicine Award

DR. SARAH ASHLEY FERRONI received the Humera B. Chaudhary Memorial Award

DR. REBEKAH BLACK LEACH received the James Christopher Corbin Award in Psychiatry

DR. HANNAH GRACE GERSCH LOBO received the Kevin Swabe Memorial Award

DR. REBECCA BLAIR received the Glasgow-Rubin Achievement Citation

DR. HALEY NICOLE BRADSHAW received the Cheryl L. McLemore M.D. Memorial Pediatrics Award

DR. MEGAN GAYE BURNHAM received the Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians Scholarship Award

DR. STEPHEN ALEXANDER CROCKETT received the Dillard M. Sholes Award

DRS. ISABEL GUHDE and KALEY HANKINS received the Ann Tranum Hawkins Award for Excellence in Women’s Health

DR. WILLIAM MILLER received the Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award

DR. WESTLEY ALAN ONGTENGCO received the Department of Internal Medicine Award

DR. DEVYN HOPE HAYES received the Department of Pediatrics Award.

DR. HADDON CLAUDE HILL received the Philip John Hinton M.D. Career in Surgery Award

DR. CHRISTINA BAILEY KLOUDA received the Outstanding Performance Junior Surgical Clerkship Award.

DR. RILEY REAGAN PARR received the Dr. Jay and Mina Mehta Family Award in Preventative Medicine

DRS. CHRISTOPHER PEARCE and ANDREW WIGGER received the Merck and Company Award

Honoring Their Service

Six graduates receive U.S. Military promotions

Quillen College of Medicine hosted a military promotion ceremony for six members of the Class of 2023.

The following students were commissioned as officers during the ceremony on May 5, which took place a few hours prior to the college’s commencement ceremony:

• Samantha Nicole Courtney, of Medina, Tennessee, U.S. Air Force. Courtney will complete her residency in psychiatry at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

• Sean Morgan Davis, of Gainesboro, Tennessee, U.S. Navy. Davis will complete his residency in family medicine at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.

• Haddon Claude Hill, of Rockwood, Tennessee, U.S. Navy. Hill will complete his residency in surgery at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.

• Nina Yong Porter, of Los Angeles, U.S. Air Force. Porter will complete her residency in diagnostic radiology at David Grant U.S. Air Force Medical Center.

• Alexandra Madsley Rose Proctor, of Nashville, U.S. Army. Proctor will complete her residency in family medicine at the Womack Army Medical Center.

• Coleman Duke Woody, of Brevard, North Carolina, U.S. Air Force. Woody will complete his residency in family medicine at Eglin Air Force Base.

In addition, two veterans, Porter and Evan Baird, were part of the Class of 2023. Baird, of Knoxville, will complete his residency in dermatology at the University of Louisville (Kentucky) School of Medicine.

Quillen has a strong reputation for being “military friendly,” and boasts one of the highest percentages of enrolled veteran and military students in the nation.

Pictured from left: Haddon Hill, Sean Davis, Nina Porter, Coleman Woody, and Samantha Courtney. Not pictured is Alexandra Proctor, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

Removing Barriers to Rural Health Care

Jennifer Davis of Rogersville was drawn to Quillen College of Medicine for its emphasis on rural health care. After graduating in May with a dual M.D./MPH degree through Quillen and the College of Public Health, she looks forward to her family medicine residency at Texas A&M to give her even more tools to achieve her goal of being a “one-stop shop” that eliminates some of the barriers to health care in rural communities.

Davis first felt called toward a career in rural medicine in her youth. “Looking back, it was a mentor I found in high school through the health science program in Rogersville who exposed me to the depth and breadth of rural medicine.”

Davis grew up in a rural, blue-collar environment. Her mother is a retired elementary school teacher and her father, a truck driver, has been a farmer and factory worker. When she was in the eighth grade, she had to make a life-changing decision and pick a career track for high school. Health science stood out to her.

Soon, Davis attended Quillen’s Rural High School Medical Camp, which is designed for students and recent graduates of high schools in rural or underserved areas interested in becoming primary care physicians. And, she had the opportunity to work with Quillen Rural Primary Care Track (RPCT) students in a free clinic in Rogersville.

In addition, she earned the Tennessee Rural Partnership STAR Award. This scholarship from the Tennessee Center for Health Workforce Development allowed her to shadow with her local family physician, Dr. Mark Dalle-Ave, then a Quillen faculty member, who became her mentor.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Davis was drawn to Quillen because of its commitment to serve the rural communities of Appalachia. She participated in the RPCT, which allows students to take their case-based learning component out of the classroom and into the rural communities of Rogersville or Mountain City, Tennessee. There, they work with community physicians and upperclassmen, precept, and apply classroom knowledge in real-life situations. RPCT students also develop and conduct a community-based research project during their second year, as well as complete both a 12-week primary care rotation and a collaborative community project addressing local health problems during their third year.

“There are a lot of social determinants of health in Appalachia that pull at my heartstrings a little bit,” Davis said. “I was fortunate to get a higher education. Now I have an opportunity to go back and to serve rural communities. And all of those things that I’ve seen – those struggles, those challenges, those hardships – now I have a platform to do something about them.”

Davis said she chose to focus on community health. She aims to combine what she has learned in the classroom with being able to mobilize and connect with resources that can better serve her patients, forming “an extra tool in her toolbelt” to use throughout her career.

“A big thing for me is not having my patients drive 45 minutes for care, but they can come to a family practitioner and get everything they need and have someone who’s going to get out in the community and be there at events, who’s going to advocate for their needs and just be present.”

An Innovation in Surgical Training

Dr. Tom Kwasigroch has been with the Quillen College of Medicine since chapter one. Serving as the gross anatomy instructor for every medical student, he has witnessed many milestones and advances – not just at ETSU and the medical school but also within the field of medical education as a whole.

This next chapter promises to be something epic.

Kwasigroch is overseeing the creation of a state-of-the-art Center for Surgical Innovation and Training at Quillen. Located near the current gross anatomy laboratory, the center will be a training site for medical students, residents, and other health care professionals that integrates clinical anatomy with surgical disciplines such as general surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, gastroenterology, ENT, trauma, OB/GYN, and other procedural specialties.

The center will utilize anatomical donors prepared with a unique soft-tissue embalming procedure that provides a realistic opportunity to teach surgical skills and techniques for various other physical exams and procedural skills.

“ETSU will set the national standard through this center,” Kwasigroch said. “Participation in these types of training programs is mirrored by positive learning outcomes such as lower surgical mortality, improved post-surgery outcomes, better medical technical skills, and enhanced team performance.”

The center will also include a virtual reality learning area and a large debriefing room for students and faculty to observe procedures, reflect on techniques and interactions, and

offer feedback.

Kwasigroch said this initiative is designed to promote the concept of lifelong learning across the continuum utilizing interprofessional education and the latest technology and equipment to connect medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health care professionals, and industry professionals to Quillen faculty members and to world-class experts.

In reviewing recent Quillen graduation data, Kwasigroch estimates that approximately 45% chose medical/surgicalrelated specialties. In the last three years, 90 out of 202 members have gone into surgical specialties. He also says the center will benefit Quillen’s continuing medical education program for practicing physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals.

Examples of programs include Applied Anatomy and Surgical Procedures presented quarterly with nearly 80 attendees per year, EMS-XLTS conference for first responders, and cardiothoracic and spinal surgery simulated sessions to train physicians on new medical devices.

In addition to teaching medical and physical therapy students, Kwasigroch served five years as assistant dean for Academic Affairs and 16 years as associate dean for Student Affairs before focusing full time on getting the Center for Surgical Innovation and Training up and running. He also was a member of the committee to establish the new integrated TRAILS curriculum.

Cultivating Researchers

Students, faculty participate in substance use research

Quillen College of Medicine faculty and students participated in East Tennessee State University’s second cohort of the ETSU Mentored Substance Use Research (EMSUR) training program, designed to train substance use researchers across multiple disciplines in order to improve health outcomes in Central Appalachia.

A total of 14 ETSU graduate and undergraduate students were selected for the second cohort and were paired with a faculty mentor to train them in substance use research. Five of the participants are Quillen students: Sai Dwarampudi, Kali Hart, Olivia Knoll, Shane Richey, and Noah Rutherford.

Seven faculty members, including Dr. Brooke Schmeichel, Assistant Professor in Quillen’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, participated as mentors in the program. EMSUR is led by Dr. Manik Ahuja, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services Management and Policy in the ETSU College of Public Health.

Ahuja, a trained substance use researcher, spearheaded the EMSUR program at ETSU after he was selected as one of five faculty members from across the country to attend New York University’s Substance Abuse Research Education and Training (SARET) Visiting Mentor Development Program.

SARET, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), trains future professionals in substance use disorder (SUD) research. NYU’s Visiting Mentor Development Program prepares faculty to create similar programs at their home institutions.

Ahuja partnered with ETSU’s Addiction Science Center in the College of Public Health, putting out a call for applicants in 2022. Students were matched with faculty mentors based on their interests. In addition to doing mentored research over 12 weeks during spring 2023, they completed a modular, web-based curriculum through NYU, which prepares them for SUD-related

research careers.

Third-year Quillen College of Medicine student Olivia Knoll applied and was accepted into the EMSUR cohort. She was mentored by Schmeichel.

“So many mothers in our Appalachian Highlands region struggle with addiction, and it can impact entire families in terrible and long-lasting ways,” said Knoll. “My goal as a future OB/GYN is to empower patients to find meaningful recovery from substance addiction and give their babies the best possible start in life. It’s exciting to participate in the research that Dr. Schmeichel is doing with animal models to better understand neonatal abstinence syndrome. Her mentorship, plus spending time with colleagues from other disciplines combating the opioid epidemic, is helping me develop skills I’ll use throughout my career to empower patients to break their cycles of addiction.”

Dr. Brooke Schmeichel mentors Quillen student Noah Rutherford in the lab.

Building comradery and encouraging service Meet the Learning Communities

The four learning communities at Quillen College of Medicine have been making strides in supporting rural communities.

Named for popular outdoor locations in the region, the learning communities (Hartsell Hollow, Cloudland, Iron Mountain, and Laurel Falls) were established to bring students and faculty together to focus on wellness, career development, and service projects.

Every year, the learning communities have maintained a social and academic support system, and they build onto it with every new class that is welcomed into the Quillen family.

“Learning communities are an emerging trend in medical education,” said Dr. Deidre Pierce, Associate Dean of Student Affairs. “We started with our first ‘draft’ into learning communities two years ago, and last year we were able to integrate it into the orientation class of our new curriculum.”

Service-learning projects have played a crucial role in the students’ lives and the community. These projects are pivotal in training new and compassionate physicians in rural Appalachia as there are many underserved populations that are affected by the social determinants of health. As part of

a service-learning opportunity, each group chose one social determinant and created actionable projects that would make a difference in the lives of those in need.

• Hartsell Hollow – Hunger

• Cloudland – Equity

• Iron Mountain – Education

• Laurel Falls – Housing

Students participated in major projects starting with the food drive to collect canned goods for those in need. The drive was completed on behalf of Good Samaritan Ministries in Johnson City to distribute non-perishable donations to those experiencing food insecurity in the region.

Next was making birthday baskets for families in lowincome housing and families in need through non-profit organizations. For this to succeed, learning communities dug into their own operating budgets and allocated $150 each to purchase everyday necessities to include in the baskets.

“As we were gathering toiletries, toys, and accessories, it was difficult not to think about the items I take for granted in my life,” said Kari Anna Byrnes, Quillen Class of 2024. “Projects like these open my eyes to difficult realities that

Representatives of the four learning communities pose for a photo: (left to right) Sara Myers (Laurel Falls), Rebekah Leach (Cloudland), Divya Agarwal (Hartsell Hollow), and Hassan Syed (Iron Mountain).

many of our future patients face. This was a beneficial reminder that the help I can provide goes beyond treating an illness or prescribing medications.”

Learning communities have also taken part in a friendly competition to raise money for the ETSU Global Health Ecuador Brigade. The brigade is a team of medical students, pharmacy students, local physicians, and a pharmacist who will travel to Guangaje, Ecuador, to serve rural communities. The groups held multiple fundraisers throughout the year to raise funds for over-the-counter medications, organizational supplies, travel expenses, and more. The program coincides with the ETSU Global Year Program, an endeavor aimed at moving the university toward greater international influence. The students gain much of their comradery from serving in their community, team-building exercises, career development, and hanging out after hours. This year, students participated in the campus ropes course and

basketball court exercises. Both required students to think collectively as a team to achieve their overall goals and accomplish a task. Students have gone to dinner and ice skating, and more recently went head-to-head in a dodgeball tournament at the ETSU Basler Center for Physical Activity.

Throughout the semester, the Office of Student Affairs hosted various Lunch and Learn events where students gained valuable career and professional development experiences. These sessions provided the opportunity to develop additional skills, nurture professional identity, provide career advice, and encourage wellness skills beyond the science of medicine for the benefit of the Quillen community.

In the future, officials hope for a dedicated building for the learning communities to call home and host events. There will also be an added benefit with a career development class that will be integrated into the curriculum.

Each pin represents a learning community at the Quillen College of Medicine: (left to right) Hartsell Hollow, Cloudland, Laurel Falls, and Iron Mountain.

Learning community members begin orientation with fun team-building exercises at the campus ropes course. M1 students navigate an obstacle course on campus.

Center for Interprofessional Collaboration

IPE program continues to grow, celebrates 10 years

When Quillen College of Medicine students complete their interprofessional education program at East Tennessee State University’s Center for Interprofessional Collaboration, they don’t just graduate – they’re deputized. “We mean that sincerely,” said Dr. Brian Cross, Assistant Vice Provost and Program Director. “Now, when you see something that needs to be changed, with love and grace and respecting hierarchy and power as it exists in the current structures, make the influential changes that you have the ability to make starting tomorrow.”

Interprofessional education (IPE) is rooted in students learning and practicing team-based collaborative care to improve health outcomes for patients.

On March 8, 2023, at the Carnegie Hotel, the center “deputized” its largest class since its inception 10 years ago with 161 students – 76 of whom were College of Medicine students. During the ceremony, students recited the oath of

an interprofessional health professional, one refined at ETSU in 2020, and were presented with a white cord to wear at their formal graduation ceremony.

“It symbolizes all these students from different programs with their own identities, coming into a clear understanding that you cannot do this by yourself,” Cross said of the cord. The ceremony was a proud moment for the Center, and a timely reminder of the importance of the work it is doing as the program approaches its 10th anniversary.

“I think with these kinds of endeavors, you have to believe that this is work that must be done as this is still not the standard in clinical education or practice,” Cross said. “And so, when you look out at a room like that, it’s validation that, at an institutional level, we seem to be making a difference.”

ETSU began its formal approach to IPE 10 years ago, and moved its programming into a permanent home

at Bishop Hall (Building 60) on the VA campus in 2018. It serves as a hub for collaboration among the university’s five health sciences colleges, which include the Quillen College of Medicine, Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy and the colleges of Nursing, Public Health, and Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences.

ETSU currently has two models of IPE engagement for students: a two-year longitudinal program that students complete together in-person in interprofessional teams and a one-year asynchronous program that students complete online.

“There are few other institutions across the country that could say they offer the depth and breadth of training in the health professions that ETSU does,” said Cross. “I think we need to be seen. I think we need to be tooting our own horn in the region a little bit to say, ‘If you’re thinking about a career in health care, this is where you ought to come.’”

In Memoriam

Dr. John W. Ralston; MD ’03, BS ’99

November 20, 2022; Eagleville, TN

Dr. Ralston was a brilliant scientist and highly respected forensic pathologist. He was a fellow of the American Society of Clinical Pathology and of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, holding medical licenses in Tennessee, Illinois, Texas, and Kansas.

Dr. Cheryl Engles Coleman; MD ’83

September 10, 2022; Maryville, TN

Dr. Coleman began her career at the age of 27, at Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, Tennessee where she became the youngest anesthesiologist practicing in the state of Tennessee. She quickly became a respected member of the medical community, and in the years to come, served as the President of Maryville Anesthesiologists, President of Blount County Medical Society, and Chief of the Medical Staff at Blount Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Francisco Orlando Avila; MD ’88, RES ’89

June 1, 2022; Lebanon, TN

For over 33 years, Dr. Avila practiced emergency medicine and aided thousands of patients throughout his career. To this day, patients have referred to him as one of the most kind and caring doctors they have ever met.

Dr. Jeffery Milam; MD ’85

July 15, 2022; Gulf Breeze, FL

Dr. Milam spent his medical career in cardiac anesthesiology. He was a compassionate, curious doctor who made it his business to help each and every patient for whom he cared.

Dr. Manette Monroe; MD ’05

August 8, 2022; Kissimmee, FL

Dr. Monroe served as Module Director at the University of Florida Medical Center and was responsible for developing the objectives, content, and assessment for the module. She specialized in anatomical and clinical pathcytopathology.

Dr. William J. Fry; MD ’99

August 27, 2022; Seymour, TN

Dr. Fry was a Summit Partner physician, a member of the Sevierville Masonic Lodge, a member of the Seymour Breakfast Rotary Club, and on the Board of Directors for the Smokey Mountain Boys and Girls Club.

Dr. Martha Louise McGraw; MD ’86

August 30, 2022; Fredericktown, MO

Dr. McGraw was the director of the Emergency Medical System and served in this capacity for over 13 years. During this time, she aided in getting a new facility for housing the ambulances as well as a training area and exercise room for the crew.

Dr. Carolyn Genevieve Newton; MD ’82

May 29, 2021; Kenosha, WI

Dr. Newton was a medical doctor, flight surgeon, retired United States Air Force Colonel, a flight attendant at the United States Air Force Museum, and the founder of Kindred Kitties, Kenosha, WI.

Dr. Christopher Alex Wiltcher; MD ’91

October 18, 2022; Gallatin, TN

Dr. Wiltcher practiced medicine for over 30 years, being board certified in his specialty. Once retired from private practice, he was known for maintaining a locom tenens practice in several areas of the country.

In Memoriam (cont.)

Dr. Tom Townsend; August 29, 2022; Bristol, VA

Dr. Townsend served at ETSU Health Bristol Family Medicine, spending nearly 50 years sharing unmatched skill in both the science and art of medicine. He also served as an ambassador to the National Health Service Corps and on their first National Advisory Council.

Dr. Frank Michael Shepard; August 2, 2022; Jonesborough, TN

Dr. Shepard served as the chairman of the Pediatrics Department at Quillen College of Medicine. In addition, he established three neonatal intensive care units and ran the university’s pediatric clinic.

Thank You to Our Generous Donors

Quillen Donors - Jan. 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023

Dr. David W. Allen

Mrs. Toy Allen

Dr. & Mrs. Bob Alley

Jonathan D Allred MD PC

American College of Physicians

Ms. Tacoma Anderson

Dr. Don C. Arwood & Dr. Jana M. Arwood

Ayco Charitable Foundation

Dr. & Mrs. Philip C. Bagnell

Drs. Raj & Gayathri Baljepally

Dr. & Mrs. Vince Ball

Dr. & Mrs. Michael B. Baron

Dr. Heather M. Barrow & Mr. Andrew Sager

Dr. & Mrs. Mark R. Bateman

Dr. Max M. Bayard, III & Ms. Deanna W. Bayard

Ms. Margaret M. Bays

Dr. Caleb Daniel Bazyler

Dr. Anne C. Beaver

Dr. & Mrs. W. R. Beaver

Mr. George W. Bell

Dr. & Mrs. Bruce C. Bennard

Dr. Stephen V. Bennett

Dr. Veronica A. Beverly & Dr. Clinton S. Beverly

Dr. Jeffry D. Bieber & Dr. Virginia L. Bieber

Alicia Billington Plastic Surgery LLC

Dr. & Mrs. Collin Crutcher Bills

Bimm P C T Holdings LLC

Dr. & Mrs. Barry Bingham

Dr. Reid Blackwelder

Dr. & Mrs. Bill Block, Jr.

Dr. Matt Blue

Ms. Mayme Bolt

Dr. Jennifer Nicole Bowman

Mr. Richard S. Brady

Dr. & Mrs. William A. Bridgforth, Jr.

Dr. I. William Browder

Dr. & Mrs. M. Ryan Buckley

Dr. Steve Bucy

Mr. Carl Butler

Mr. John M. Byrnes

Dr. Kristin G. Cardona

Dr. Matthew D. Carpenter

Mr. Kenneth B. Carter

Dr. Scott O. Caudle

Dr. Kanishka Chakraborty & Dr. Debalina Das

Dr. Yolando M. Chatman & Dr. David M. Chatman

Dr. Sirmad Bashir Chaudhary

Dr. Irina Chelnokova

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Dr. Kathy Clark & Mr. Charles Clark

Dr. & Mrs. Tom Clary, III

Dr. Liz Clemens & Mr. Robert J. Clemens

Dr. Ivy A. Click & Mr. Charles Click

Mr. & Mrs. John P. Cock

Dr. Jim Cole, II

Dr. & Mrs. Sidney W. Collins

Dr. & Mrs. Kyle T. Colvett

Dr. & Mrs. Josh Combs

Commonwealth Vascular Institute

Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Connelly

Joan C. Coogan Revocable Trust

Dr. Emilie Victoria Cook

Ms. Jennifer Cook

Dr. Gary L. Cooper

Mrs. Mary C. Corbin

Dr. Michael A. Corbin

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Corbin

Dr. & Mrs. James L. Craig

Dr. & Mrs. G. Giltz Croley, II

Dr. & Mrs. Howard L. Curlin

Dr. Mark J. Dalle-Ave

Dr. Ian A. Darling & Dr. Brenda R. Darling

Mr. Kramer Darragh

Dr. & Mrs. Gary Davis, III

Dr. Marylee Davis

Dr. Mary Beth Deering

Dr. Anthony J. DeLucia

Dr. & Mrs. Don Dewey

Dr. & Mrs. Jan A. DeWitt

Dr. Kelly L. Dewitt

Ms. Linda N. Downard

Mr. & Mrs. Randell O. Drayne

Dr. Sarah M. Edwards & Dr. Gaurav Bharti

Elixir Enterprises PC

Dr. James Andrew Ellzy, II

Dr. Jeff Elrod

Mrs. Sally Emerson

Dr. & Mrs. Tony R. Emison

Mr. Luke Erdoes

Dr. Anita S. Everett & Dr. Allen D. Everett

Dr. David W. Fanning

Dr. & Mrs. Raymond Feierabend, Jr.

Dr. Margot G. Feintuch

Dr. & Mrs. Brad Allen Feltis

Dr. & Mrs. John D. Fenley

First Bank and Trust Co

Ms. Robin Fischer

Ms. Tracy A. Fleenor

Dr. & Mrs. Joseph A. Florence, IV

Dr. Carlos Floresguerra

Dr. Candice W. Foley & Mr. John F. Foley

Dr. Beth A. Fox

FRX Foundation

Dr. C. Chris Gable, III & Dr. Joann E. Warwick

Dr. Israel D. Garcia & Dr. Maria Carmina Garcia

Dr. Mary Jane Gibson-Valk & Mr. Leendert Valk

Dr. & Mrs. Mitchell H. Goldman

Ms. Elizabeth P. Goodwin

Dr. Connie Gowen-Hiers & Mr. Bill Fritz

Ms. Ruthie S. Gray

Dr. & Mrs. Dwayne Greene

Dr. Bo Griffey, III

Mr. Stephan Guy

Dr. & Mrs. John W. Hale, Jr.

Dr. & Mrs. Eric W. Harman

Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Harvill

Mrs. Ann T. Hawkins

Dr. Jane E. Hayden

Dr. James R. Hayman & Mrs. Sara Davis-Hayman

Dr. Amy L. Haynes & Mr. Anthony Haynes

Dr. Kim Helms & Mr. Kevin Helms

Dr. Bryan S. Helsel & Dr. Shasta L. Helsel

Ms. Alison Hewson

Mr. Morgan A. Hillenmeyer

Ms. Margaret Hinton

Dr. B. Mark Hoffman

Dr. & Mrs. Phil Hoffman

Dr. Jessica D. Hommel & Dr. Gabriel J. Hommel

Dr. Leann Horsley & Mr. Wade Horsley

Dr. Margaret W. Hougland

Dr. & Mrs. Benny C. Houston

Dr. Jonathan R. Hughes

Mr. & Mrs. Todd Hunley

Mr. & Mrs. David Huntley

Mr. & Mrs. Michael D. Hurt

Dr. Joey A. Ibrahim

Mr. & Mrs. John F. Idol

Dr. Erin W. Jackson

Dr. Devapiran Jaishankar & Dr. Gayatri Bala Jaishankar

Ms. Amelia O. Jarrard

Dr. Abby L. Jennings Martin

Dr. & Mrs. David A. Johnson

Dr. Haley K. Johnson & Mr. Schyler Johnson

Mr. Paul Johnson

Dr. Mark A. Jones & Dr. Rachel A. Houchins

Dr. Jodi P. Jones & Mr. Steven T. Jones

Dr. Jon W. Jones

Dr. & Mrs. K. Bruce Jones

Dr. & Mrs. Stephen C. Jones

Mr. Cliff Joyner

Dr. David K. Kalwinsky

Dr. Herb Kantor

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PO Box 70721

Johnson City, TN 37614-1710

East Tennessee State University is a public institution governed by its Board of Trustees. East Tennessee State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of East Tennessee State University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

ETSU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University: etsu.edu/universitycounsel/compliance/. ETSU-231550-A-23