Geisinger College of Health Sciences Magazine 2023

Geisinger College of Health Sciences

Where teaching, learning and research converge to make better health easier

A message from the president and dean

Welcome to the first edition of our Geisinger College of Health Sciences magazine. In these pages, we’ll introduce you to the overarching academic umbrella organization for Geisinger that we launched in September. We brought together the innovative research enterprise and additional health profession education and training programs at Geisinger with our thriving medical school at Geisinger Commonwealth. The synergy such union creates is already reaping benefits — particularly for learners and patients.

Our vision for our academic enterprise is one that is accountable to community and is aligned with today’s needs while leading future innovations. Geisinger’s rich research tradition, coupled with a curriculum informed by our system’s unique strengths in health system science and value-based care, is the perfect environment for learners to understand and practice medicine that prizes wellness. In short, we celebrate medicine meant to make better health easier.

Friends of our School of Medicine will be energized and proud of how the seeds our community planted back in 2007 have grown. Then we dreamt of our own medical school. Today that school is the cornerstone of an entire academic enterprise dedicated to putting its communities first.

Geisinger College brings Geisinger’s health professions education, research, and the entire continuum of medical education under one banner. We have begun an exciting journey — join us as it unfolds! We need you to help move us forward. Thank you for supporting us as we meet our missions together.

A publication by the Department of Marketing and Communications

Elizabeth Zygmunt

Marketing and Communications

Strategist and Geisinger College

Magazine Editor

Heather M. Davis, MFA

Director of Marketing and Communications

Erich Lenz

Marketing and Communications Strategist

Board of Directors

Virginia McGregor, Chair

John C. Bravman, PhD

Benjamin K. Chu, MD, MPH

Pedro J. Greer Jr., MD

V. Chris Holcombe, PE

David B. Nash, MD, MBA

Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, Geisinger President and CEO (Ex-Officio)

Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, Geisinger Commonwealth President and Dean (Ex-Officio)

Geisinger Health Foundation

Nancy Lawton-Kluck

Chief Philanthropy Officer

Robin Endicott, CFRE

Vice President of Philanthropy

Jane Kanyock, MBA, CFRE

Director of Major Gifts

Chris Boland

Director of Alumni Relations

Dorothy Williams

Administrative Assistant

Introducing

Geisinger College of Health Sciences

Julie Byerley, MD President and Dean, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Geisinger

On the cover: Eshiemomoh Osilama, MD ‘24, MBS ‘19, helped honor our past and embrace our future as Geisinger College of Health Sciences was announced on Sept. 7.

Geisinger’s MyCode Community Health Initiative reaches milestone

Geisinger’s precision health project, MyCode®, has enrolled 325,000 participants — a significant milestone for the program. And with DNA sequencing and health data available on nearly 185,000 of these participants, MyCode is the largest healthcare system-based study of its kind.

The MyCode Community Health Initiative was one of the first programs to return clinically actionable results to patient-participants through its Genomic Screening and Counseling Program (GSC), pioneered by Amy Sturm, MS, and Adam Buchanan, MS, MPH, of Geisinger’s Genomic Medicine Institute. To date, more than 4,000 participants who are at increased risk for potentially life-threatening conditions like hereditary breast and colon cancers, familial hypercholesterolemia and heart disease have received genomic risk results. These results allow patients to work with their care providers to prevent or detect disease in its early stages, potentially leading to better health outcomes.

As part of the MyCode GSC program, DNA samples are analyzed to look for changes in genes known to increase the risk of developing more than 30 health conditions. These include the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes known to increase risk for breast and ovarian

cancer and genes for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), which can cause early heart attacks and strokes. The program also returns genomic risk results for Lynch syndrome, which can cause early colon, uterine and other cancers, and several additional heart conditions, including cardiomyopathies and arrythmias.

The project has also explored the return of clinically relevant results for other medical conditions, such as neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. While not always clinically actionable, learning these results can provide patients with valuable information about probable genetic causes for their neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions like autism, epilepsy, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Analysis of MyCode data has contributed to a number of groundbreaking discoveries, including a rare genetic variant that protects against obesity. Geisinger researchers have recently received several grants to study the impact of genomics on health, including a study of the genetics of cancer, improvements in the diagnosis of FH and development of a tool to diagnose genetic disorders in real time.

Opportunity

to work

with MyCode a major draw for this Abigail Geisinger Scholar

Tyler Schubert had an ideal medical school application — a degree from Franklin and Marshall College, experience working in a hospital and exceptional research credentials from labs at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Washington University in St. Louis. So, when he went looking for a medical school, he had options. He chose Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine for two reasons.

“The Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program was the No. 1 thing that attracted me to Geisinger. I like that the health system is serious about solving the physician maldistribution problem. But MyCode was the second reason,” Mr. Schubert said, referring to the system’s MyCode Community Health Initiative.

Now accepted to both the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program and the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s Medical Research Honors Program, Mr. Schubert is working on a National Institute of Health–funded study on familial hypercholesterolemia. The genetic condition affects one in 250 people and can cause early onset of coronary artery disease if not sufficiently treated.

Laney Jones, PharmD, MPH, is co-principal investigator for the study. She said she’s happy to have Mr. Schubert working on the project, helping the implementation science team analyze and synthesize qualitative data from clinician interviews and direct observations. “From our talks, I know Tyler really wants to do medpeds and incorporate genomics into his practice. Geisinger is one of the best places to do this kind of work. And because he is an Abigail Geisinger Scholar, our study directly relates to the work he’ll do,” she said. “He’s making great connections here and learning how we use genomics right in the electronic health record. It all seems like a perfect fit.”

Schubert and Jones

Researchers discover genetic changes that protect against liver disease

Using data from Geisinger’s MyCode Community Health Initiative, researchers have discovered genetic changes associated with protection against liver disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. The discovery was published in The New England Journal of Medicine

In the largest sequencing study to date on the genetic basis of liver health, scientists at Regeneron Genetics Center and Geisinger sequenced the exomes of more than 540,000 people across five ancestry groups and multiple cohorts, including MyCode and the UK Biobank. Analyzing this genetic data along with deidentified health records, researchers found that people with loss-of-function mutations in one of two copies of the CIDEB gene had an approximately 53% reduction in the risk of nonalcoholic liver disease and approximately 54% reduction in the risk of nonalcoholic cirrhosis. The study also found that CIDEB mutations had greater protective associations in people with obesity or Type 2 diabetes, who are traditionally at higher risk for NASH, compared to people without these conditions.

“These relatively rare genetic variants found to be protective against liver disease may help guide treatment for a larger population with fatty liver disease, which is the leading indication for liver transplantation,” said Christopher D. Still, DO, director of Geisinger’s Obesity Institute and a co-author of the study. “This is another example of data from our MyCode Community Health Initiative contributing to discoveries with the potential to improve care.”

CIDEB gene had an approximately 53% reduction in the risk of nonalcoholic liver disease and approximately 54% reduction in the risk of nonalcoholic cirrhosis.

Geisinger researchers awarded funding to study familial hypercholesterolemia

Geisinger researchers have been awarded two grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study risk factors associated with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and ways to improve screening, diagnosis and communication with patients.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is a common genetic disorder that causes abnormally high cholesterol levels and affects about one in 250 people. Left untreated, FH can lead to vascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke and arterial disease. Early diagnosis and treatment can dramatically reduce the risk of arterial disease and improve health outcomes.

Matt Oetjens, PhD, assistant professor at Geisinger’s Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, was awarded $3.7 million for a genetic investigation of FH and its intersection with health disparities related to age, sex, race/ethnicity and rural environment. His study will determine how to use genetics to assess risk, improve care and develop effective ways to communicate risk information to patients and providers.

“This study is an important step toward translating new genetic findings about the causes of FH into improved patient care,” Dr. Oetjens said.

Laney Jones, PharmD, and Samuel Gidding, MD, both with Geisinger’s Department of Genomic Health, were awarded $3.3 million to design and conduct a clinical trial to improve the diagnosis of FH in the primary care setting. The trial will assess the effectiveness of several strategies for improving FH diagnosis, including universal screening for specific age groups using diagnostic tools like lipid panels and genetic testing, initiating early treatment and studying patient health outcomes.

“An FH diagnosis is often made too late, many times after a premature heart attack,” Dr. Jones said. “Diagnosing FH in the primary care setting would optimize treatment for these people early in the course of the disease. Our long-term goal is to create an effective FH diagnosis program that is practical and sustainable in the real-world setting.”

As of February 2023, the team is implementing the trial over a two-and-a-half-year period in all Geisinger primary care sites.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine named a Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Academic Clinical Research Center

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine has been certified as a Medical Marijuana Academic Clinical Research Center (ACRC) by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as part of the state’s medical marijuana research program.

Through this state-certified program, Geisinger will partner with Story of PA CR, LLC, and receive a minimum of $30 million to fund medical marijuana research over the next 10 years. Geisinger’s research expertise in addiction medicine, pharmacy, epidemiology, behavioral sciences, data science and genomics will support this research, and potential studies will focus on patient and provider perspectives and knowledge of medical marijuana, influence on traditional medication use and delivery, and patient outcomes. Geisinger will have full independent oversight of all research studies and publication of results.

Pennsylvania was the first state to include research as part of its authorization of medical marijuana use, and Geisinger Commonwealth joins Pennsylvania’s eight other medical schools that were previously certified. Designation as an ACRC does not change Geisinger’s medical marijuana policy. Geisinger does not permit prescribing or dispensing of medical marijuana at any of its facilities and does not advocate its use for any medical condition.

“As a healthcare system, Geisinger recognizes the changing landscape of the use of medical marijuana by our patients and has a responsibility to assess and understand the impact on our patients’ care,” said Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, Geisinger Commonwealth president and dean. “As a Medical Marijuana Academic Clinical Research Center, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine has the opportunity to contribute to the small but growing field of research on medical cannabis use and the potential outcomes for patients. This research partnership will enhance our curriculum to prepare the next generation of physicians to best care for their patients given the increasing number of patients using medical marijuana.”

MyCode, new research avenues, promising partnerships

Clinical research has been a part of Geisinger’s vision since its founding more than 100 years ago. Harold Foss, MD, Geisinger’s first chief surgeon and superintendent, had a mission to “provide medical care, education and research to the Danville community, the upper Susquehanna River Valley and beyond,” and he encouraged staff to stay at the forefront of medical progress by “constant study, research and investigation.” These words, emphasizing the importance of integrated efforts for clinical care, education and research, still resonate with our vision for the future.

As we begin a new year, I’m excited that we have aligned our research and education initiatives under the newly established Geisinger College of Health Sciences. Within this new structure, the Research Institute is organized in five departments: Autism & Developmental Medicine, Bioethics & Decision Sciences, Genomic Health, Health System Sciences and Population Health Sciences. In addition, our four research centers foster collaboration across our system in Community Environment and Health, Kidney Health, Obesity and Metabolic Disorders and Pharmacy Innovation and Outcomes.

One of Dr. Foss’s early goals was to “use creative research and work together to find better ways to conquer disease as observed among our patients.” Why is this type of clinical research so important? It allows us to turn hypotheses into health by learning from every patient to maximize better health for all. Through this learning health system model, we have built a robust research foundation as evidenced by our success: more than $53 million in external funding, more than 1,400 ongoing research studies (including nearly 300 clinical trials) and more than 1,000 publications (2022).

We continue to focus on Geisinger’s groundbreaking work, especially in precision health. Our MyCode Community Health Initiative uses genomics to identify risk for disease and prevent it, detect it earlier or treat it better. With DNA information on approximately 185,000 participants, MyCode remains the largest healthcare system-based

research study of its kind. Importantly, about 1 in 30 MyCode participants receive a clinically actionable result — related to an increased risk for conditions like cancer or heart disease — and this knowledge helps inform conversations with their clinical providers to modify their care plans. MyCode’s growing bank of data is also allowing researchers to discover innovative ways to keep our patients healthy or treat their diseases better.

The coming year marks the beginning of several new and exciting research initiatives. In 2022, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine was certified as a Medical Marijuana Academic Clinical Research Center by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Through this research program, Geisinger is partnering with Story of PA CR, LLC, and will receive a minimum of $30 million over the next 10 years to fund medical marijuana research.

We are also developing new partnerships with Lehigh University, Jefferson Health and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, building on the success of our longtime partnership with Bucknell University to maximize collaborative opportunities with each institution.

But the importance of research at Geisinger is best illustrated by our patients. Jeff Mylet, a MyCode participant, decided to have his thyroid removed in 2021 after being notified that he had an increased genetic risk of thyroid cancer.

“And it’s a good thing I did,” he said in a recent interview. “Once it was out, they found cancer. If it hadn’t been for MyCode, I never would’ve known.”

Christa Lese Martin, PhD, FACMG, DABMGG Chief Scientific Officer, Geisinger Vice Dean for Research, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Professor and Director, Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute

Geisinger College of Health Sciences

officially launched at Geisinger Commonwealth Day ceremonies

The college will serve as the “umbrella” institution uniting Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Geisinger School of Nursing and Geisinger School of Graduate Education under a single entity. The new entity will oversee the expansion of the School of Nursing from a diploma-granting institution to one that will bestow an associate degree. The new organizational structure also paves the way for future health professions programs needed in Geisinger’s service area.

“Geisinger Commonwealth Day is a celebration we created to honor our past and embrace our future,” Dr. Byerley said. “There was no better forum than a setting uniting our founders, our community and our health system leadership to celebrate this next step in the life of local medical and health professions education.”

“The evolution of our nursing program has been a goal for some time, and we’re thrilled to see it come to life — especially now, when nurses are needed most,” said Janet Tomcavage, executive vice president and chief nursing executive at Geisinger. “This step forward will help even more people begin a rewarding career in nursing.”

Dr. Byerley noted that the medical school will keep the name Geisinger Commonwealth — and the school’s commitment to its founding mission hasn’t changed. “Our school will remain focused on serving our community, providing opportunity and advancement for local learners and leveraging the discoveries of our research team to improve health and well-being.” The college will organize a continuum of education from graduate, medical and nursing students through residencies and fellowships to the continuing education and professional development that mature practitioners require. The new structure will create more synergy and opportunities for interprofessional learning and, because it will work closely with the Research Institute, it will elevate Geisinger’s academic profile under the umbrella of the college — providing an academic identity for the innovative work done at Geisinger.

“It’s a win for our learners and our scientists,” Dr. Byerley said. “Our community will reap the benefits of our integrated, cooperative approach to educating the healthcare teams of the future.”

Opening a Geisinger blue umbrella and holding it aloft, newly installed President and Dean Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, announced the formation of Geisinger College of Health Sciences.

Champion of health equity has one goal for her Geisinger College DEI work: joy

“the absolute best job in the world. It’s difficult and demanding and emotional, but there’s never a day I don’t wake up and feel blessed and privileged. I take pride in doing a job where I help save babies’ lives.” On a personal note, as a native Georgian and sister of an alum, she is a Georgia Bulldogs fan and has followed their football season even while working as faculty at The Ohio State University.

Geisinger Commonwealth has added Valencia P. Walker, MD, MPH, as vice dean for health equity and inclusion. Dr. Walker is a highly regarded neonatologist, noted champion for the elimination of health inequities and an expert in intersectionality, microaggressions and anti-racist praxis.

In addition to her impressive CV, what’s most striking about Dr. Walker is her philosophy. “I want to bring joy to the work,” she said. “Many people often think DEI work has to be filled with difficulty and disagreement, but I want people to experience the joy. I want them to know we can do this work together. I want people to know that they will be seen, heard and valued.”

Her infectious positivity infuses the conversation. On the professional side, she finds significant rewards in her work as a neonatologist, which she describes as

Dr. Walker’s enthusiastic and unflappable approach might come in part from her educational experience in the BIONR program at Florida A&M University (FAMU), which she describes as “an incredible experience.” She treasures “amazing friends and networks from BIONR and FAMU” to this day. The grant-funded BIONR doesn’t exist anymore, but Dr. Walker speaks with admiration for the people who went through it and their subsequent successes. Designed to encourage and support underrepresented-in-medicine students interested in healthcare professions, BIONR provided opportunities to do research in college and connect with other students who loved the sciences and medicine as much as she did. More importantly, Dr. Walker highlighted the amazing and inspiring teachers they had, and “That’s how I understood the importance of caring for students and helping them realize their success with just a little guidance in a positive, supportive environment.”

That concern for students keeps Dr. Walker in academia. “I want to ensure everyone has a fair and equitable educational experience,” she said. Motivated by incidents in her own career, she decided to seek formal training in the DEI space. “There was a flashpoint for me,” she said, “but I think I was always this person. I recently found a paper I wrote in seventh or eighth grade about how unfair the levels of poverty were in Nicaragua. I felt something should be done about it. So, I think applying concepts like health equity have just been the way I’ve always seen the world.”

Walker

She went on to serve as an inaugural assistant dean of equity and diversity inclusion for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and most recently as associate chief diversity and health equity officer for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “I was an assistant dean at UCLA for two years, and my primary job was to advocate for students. Additionally, I was championing faculty development and creating a continuum of awareness and action. I recognized the huge impact faculty have on students and trainees. Then, my time at Nationwide Children’s Hospital allowed me to engage in DEI work for the health system. As much as that work excited me, Geisinger was an attractive opportunity because

I missed working with students and in the medical education space. Plus, it’s amazing to have a woman leader like Dr. Byerley who is so well regarded in academic medicine. I am especially looking forward to joining a young, vibrant medical school that remains connected to community and to partners who believe in and are engaged in this work.”

At Geisinger, Dr. Walker will still devote some of her time to working in the NICU. For the most part, however, she said she plans to do one simple thing for the first few months: Meet people. “I want to learn what folks are most proud of about what it means to be at Geisinger,” she said. “I am excited to be a part of the terrific team that exists here.”

Meet Dr. Walker

Before joining Geisinger, Dr. Walker was the associate chief diversity and health equity officer for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She held joint appointments as associate division chief of health equity and inclusion for the Division of Neonatology and vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

As a neonatologist, she champions the elimination of health inequities for pregnant people and their infants. And as a physician leader within organized medicine, Dr. Walker is a member of the Executive Committee for the AAP’s Section on Minority Health Equity and Inclusion and was the central region representative for the AAMC’s Group on Diversity and Inclusion.

Dr. Walker completed her undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University, a HBCU (historically Black college or university), and received her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. She finished a pediatrics residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a neonatology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Walker also earned a Master of Public Health in Health Policy from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

When

There are a few things universally recognized as both worthy and grueling. Marine Corps training and medical school are two good examples. When she graduates from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in 2026, Marina Hierl will have done both.

service motivates you, you can push through just about anything

She says motivation is key to undertaking physically and mentally difficult tasks. Without a clear purpose to drive you, even the fittest or smartest person can flounder. Ms. Hierl said her strength comes from an authentic desire to serve.

Ms. Hierl was the first woman to pass the rigorous Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course and to lead a Marine Corps platoon. Now she’s a first-year medical student and an Abigail Geisinger Scholar excited by the possibilities of primary care. She sees remarkable parallels in both endeavors.

“One common trait I saw in people who were most successful in the Marine Corps was their motivation — how genuine their passion and dedication to their purpose was,” she said. “We all did it to become good leaders for our Marines. They deserve good leadership. When that’s your motivation, physically and mentally you can push through much more than you think you can. On day one, we were told to write on the cover of our notebooks: It’s not about me. If you didn’t already feel that going in, you were probably starting off on the wrong foot. It’s the same for medical school.”

“Lots of preparation went into those hikes,” she said. “Making sure I had the proper nutrition and hydration. Making sure the pack was packed just right. It was like an exact science to give me the best chance of success. Then, when you are actually doing it, you have to kind of dissociate because of the pain. My mindset helped. I knew I wanted to be an infantry officer more than anything, so falling back was not an option. I told myself this is temporary, so I could do the thing I really wanted to do. There was also the team aspect. I had a lot of really good friends; my male peers supported me. During hard moments, when I thought my body was at its limit, I had friends who said, ‘No, get up there. Get in front of me.’ They wanted to see me graduate.”

Hierl

For most women who’ve entered the Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course, the miles-long hike carrying a pack that could weigh more than 150 pounds has been too much.

Ms. Hierl sees many similarities to medicine. “The purpose and the teamwork — that’s what drew me to medicine. I had a Marine who got very sick. I felt limited, as his leader, to help him. I saw doctors helping in ways I just couldn’t. What doctors do for their patients is very much like what I wanted to do for my Marines,” she said. “Now I am dedicating myself to my studies — not so I can learn, and I can feel accomplished — but to become a proficient provider and be able to help people. That’s how I see my studies. It’s about my future patients.”

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Class of 2022 celebrates successful Match Day

In March, fourth-year students at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine learned their residency placements during the National Resident Matching Program’s “Match Day,” an event at which all fourth-year MD students around the country simultaneously open their envelopes to learn where they will spend the next three to seven years training in their chosen specialty. Most residencies began in July.

“We are proud of the success of our Class of 2022,” said Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, president and dean of the Geisinger Commonwealth and executive vice president and chief academic officer, Geisinger. “Our students matched into excellent local residency programs, as well as some of the most competitive and prestigious programs and specialties in the nation. I am pleased that nine students matched at Geisinger. I’m also happy to note that the nine Abigail Geisinger Scholars in the Class of 2022 matched

— and all nine will eventually work as Geisinger physicians serving our communities. And with 40% of our class matching into Pennsylvania residency programs, we’re confident our school will expand the number of alumni who return to care for our neighbors.”

Dr. Byerley noted that 38% of the Class of 2022 matched into primary care fields and 8% into psychiatry. She also observed that Geisinger Commonwealth applicants matched into some of the most competitive specialties in American medicine, including dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopaedics, neurosurgery and plastic surgery. In addition to the large number of Geisinger Commonwealth students who are training at leading community-based programs, many students are in residencies at highly competitive teaching hospitals, including those associated with Yale, Johns Hopkins and Walter Reed.

For our Class of 2022 match list, visit geisinger.edu/matchday.

White Coat 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed but could not derail to joy the Class of 2024 experienced at their belated White Coat Ceremony. As the pandemic raged, the students voted to postpone the traditional start-of-first-year event to the end of their second year. It was a celebratory send off to the clinical phase of their education.

MD Commencement Congratulations, Class of 2022

Dr. Steven Scheinman, former president and dean, honored at portrait unveiling

With his hand resting on his book, Genetics and Chronic Kidney Disease, and sporting his trademark bow tie, Steven J. Scheinman, MD, will permanently smile down on faculty, staff, students and visitors crossing Geisinger Commonwealth’s busy Medical Sciences Building lobby, thanks to a portrait unveiled last summer.

Dr. Scheinman, who served as president and dean from 2012 to 2022, was the guest of honor at a ceremony to unveil his portrait and honor him as a “transformational” leader.

Dr. Scheinman was “instrumental to the integration of the medical school into Geisinger,” said Geisinger President and CEO Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD. “By embracing this strategic partnership, tremendous advances were made on behalf of the students and this community — which will live on for generations to come,” Dr. Ryu said.

Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, who succeeds Dr. Scheinman, said, “The integration with Geisinger would not have happened without Steve’s adept leadership. Because of this visionary, bold move, record numbers of our students now pursue research, many in Geisinger’s innovative programs. A growing number of our graduates match to Geisinger residency programs. Hundreds of Geisinger physicians now have faculty appointments at the medical school. And each year, more and more of them become actively engaged in teaching our students. We are all so grateful.”

Geisinger Commonwealth’s new 3+3 Accelerated Program welcomes first cohort

Geisinger Commonwealth’s new 3+3 Accelerated Program welcomed its first cohort at the class of 2026 White Coat Ceremony last August.

Abigail Geisinger Scholars accepted to the program complete medical school in three years, followed by either a three-year Family Medicine Residency at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, a three-year Internal Medicine Residency at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center or a three-year Kistler Family Medicine Residency at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre.

Among the new 3+3 scholars is Helen Guo of Gibsonia, Pa. She said she was attracted to everything about the new program — including the fact that she’ll be working for Geisinger. “I knew Geisinger was the right school for me because of the focus on community-centered health, preventive medicine and primary care,” she said. “I’m passionate about partnering with communities and patients to promote healthy living. I want to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives and their health.”

Community focus is also important to scholar Michelle St. Omer Roy of Mechanicsburg, Pa. “I love that the school was founded both by the community and for the community,” she said. “In the future, I plan to work in community health in the realm of health education. I wanted to attend a school that holds the community at the center of everything they do.”

Scholar Alexandra Angheloiu of Lancaster, Pa., cited support and mentorship as important factors in

choosing the 3+3 Program. “In addition to academic excellence, I chose Geisinger Commonwealth because of the opportunities it offers outside of the classroom. I’ll soon participate in the clinical setting and learn about resources I can offer my patients by volunteering at places like the Fresh Food Farmacy,” she said. “The program also appealed to me because of the mentorship from physicians and faculty, such as Dr. Wasique Mirza. It’s exciting to begin building relationships with the healthcare professionals I‘ll be working with during residency.“

Ms. St. Omer Roy added, “This will allow me to begin making a positive impact in my community sooner.”

The program offers:

• Accelerated training, allowing students to earn their medical degree in three years

• Early immersion/orientation with staff/faculty and residency programs

• Longitudinal clinical experience at participating residencies early in the curriculum

• Scholarly summer immersion program with participating residencies

• Longitudinal integrated clerkship during clerkship in either family medicine or internal medicine

Advantages to choosing the 3 + 3 Program:

• Medical school completion in three years

• Rigorous, efficient, robust programing advising and mentoring by primary care physicians and residents

• Peer collaboration and fellowship

• Direct progression into the Family Medicine Residency at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, the Internal Medicine Residency at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center or the Kistler Family Medicine Residency at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre.

Abigail Geisinger Scholars receive warm welcome

Abigail Geisinger Scholars from Geisinger Commonwealth’s Class of 2026 were welcomed into the family by their mentors and system leaders, including Geisinger President and CEO Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, at a dinner and ceremony in August.

Kim Kovalick, DO, assistant dean of primary care and assistant chair of family medicine, described the evening as “inspirational.”

“We viewed a slide show highlighting each scholar personally. The experiences so many of these students bring with them is amazing,” she said. “I feel very connected to them already. I was also impressed that my colleagues who are to serve as mentors traveled — some of them for two hours — just to meet their student.”

Anja Landis, MD, director of the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program, fixed a special pin on the scholars’ white coats during a ceremony before dinner. Afterward, the guests dined in the lobby of the school’s Medical Sciences Building. At every table, system leadership joined students to answer questions and acclimate them to Geisinger.

Dr. Kovalick said seeing the connections students were making with their future colleagues was gratifying. “When I left in the evening, the socializing hadn’t stopped. Dr. Ryu was still sitting at a table with 10 students. It was wonderful.”

Geisinger Commonwealth students receive awards at Summer Research Symposium

In July, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) held its annual Summer Research Immersion Program symposium, featuring GCSOM student research. Three students were recognized with awards of distinction.

Carly Sheffer, class of 2025, is interested in pediatrics. That’s why she was attracted to a research project that examined “polypharmacy”

in young patients.Tyler Bielinski, class of 2025, is particularly interested in vascular neurosurgery and conducted research within Geisinger’s Neurosurgery department. Student McKinley Carey’s project investigated both the clinical and pathologic data of patients who tested positive for one of several variable penetrance genes that increase susceptibility to breast cancer.

SCRIP 2022 is here!

What is SCRIP?

Scholarly Research in Progress (SCRIP) is the journal for Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine student research. It is a peer-reviewed journal that promotes and disseminates student scholarly activity. The journal also serves as a venue to support students’ development of scientific writing skills and writing confidence.

To view the latest issue, visit go.geisinger.edu/scrip22

From left: Tyler Bielinski, McKinley Carey, and Carly Sheffer received Excellence in Research Awards for their outstanding abstract submissions at the 2022 Summer Research Symposium.

Geisinger Commonwealth launches West Campus

During a night of celebration last July, 11 Geisinger Commonwealth students were welcomed to the new West Campus headquartered at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital.

West Campus Regional Associate Dean Julie Xanthopoulos, MD, greeted the audience, which included the students, regional and school leadership and several Lewistown area community leaders. “The new West Campus will improve patient care by training future physicians uniquely suited for the complexity of care in rural settings. Faculty and staff will also gain opportunities to work in teaching roles and aid local recruitment efforts,” she said.

Kirk Thomas, chief administrative officer of Geisinger’s Western Region, said the newly arrived medical students will benefit from Lewistown’s rural setting. “Geisinger is a system that values diversity — and that

includes diversity in the clinical venues available to our students,” he said. “This is simply another step toward making better health easier for our patients and community, right here.”

President, Dean and Chief Academic Officer Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, noted that the campus is another addition to a thriving educational center in Lewistown. “At Geisinger, we see workforce and education as inseparable partners that ensure the long-term well-being of communities — physical and mental wellbeing, yes, but also well-being in terms of the life and vitality of our neighborhoods,” she said. “Geisinger Lewistown Hospital has long had an outstanding nurse education program. And with residents and now medical students, the hospital is a hub of scholarship and learning — something very attractive to young people. That’s why, when I think of Geisinger, I think of communities healthy in every possible way.”

MBS Commencement ceremony held

June 25

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine conferred Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) degrees upon the 45 students of its MBS Class of 2022. Commencement ceremonies were held virtually on June 25.

Rachel Silverstein, MD ’15, MBS ’11, delivered the keynote speech. Dr. Silverstein is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in pediatrics and sports medicine. During a special ceremony honoring first-generation-to-college graduates, faculty member, Michael Sulzinski, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, offered a reflection on the particular challenges these students face.

Sheream Reed, MBS ’18, now a student at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, welcomed the new graduates to Geisinger Commonwealth’s growing Alumni Society.

Geisinger leaders host Korean health education officials

Delegates from the government of South Korea and members of the Council for University College Education met with Geisinger leadership to discuss efforts to address the shortage of healthcare professionals worldwide, especially in nursing. They were guests of Marywood University, which is hosting 25 South Korean nursing students. The students will complete their clinical rotations at Geisinger Community Medical Center and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.

“It was an honor to meet these representatives of Korean higher education and exchange ideas about increasing the number of people choosing careers in healthcare,” said Geisinger President and CEO Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD.

For more than six years, the laboratory of William McLaughlin, PhD, contributed to the Protein Structure Initiative Knowledgebase, which was part of the “next step” project that followed the Human Genome Project.

The initiative’s work, launched more than a decade ago, was to use the knowledge revealed by the Human Genome Project to study the structures and functions of proteins. The result has been an extraordinary explosion of knowledge housed in a variety of databases. Efforts have been underway to help integrate the associated data sources to have them better operate and communicate with each other. As student Sergey Gnilopyat, ’23, explains, “There are a lot of resources online about proteins. UniProt is a huge database of just about every protein that’s been discovered. Then there are databases regarding drugs. And databases of gene information. And all the diseases affected by proteins.” “We had the data,” Dr. McLaughlin said. “So, if someone sits down and wants to know all of the proteins related to a selected disease, we should be able to provide that.”

With Mr. Gnilopyat’s help, Dr. McLaughlin, his laboratory team and others have made that possible.

They’ve introduced a tool called Pharmacorank that integrates data from a variety of databases and prioritizes (ranks) proteins in order of how strongly correlated to a disease they are. The medications associated with the proteins are prioritized as well.

“We use an algorithm like Google, that ranks things by how many other things link to it. Your homepage comes up first in a search result because all other pages that mention you link to it,” he said. “We used a similar idea. Of the hundreds of proteins involved in a disease, such as Alzheimer’s, we ask, ‘Which have the most common functions?’ We can essentially reveal the proteins that are pointed at as being the most important — or most ‘guilty’ — by all the proteins involved in the disease and then develop the corresponding priority scores. The proteins can then be mapped to medications they interact with, and medications can be prioritized as well.”

Dr. McLaughlin was able to use his tool to address about 25,000 unique proteins. However, the heavily used UniProt/SwissProt protein database lists approximately568,000 proteins. Dr.McLaughlin needed to make his Pharmacorank tool sift through all of them. Enter Mr. Gnilopyat, who has a strong coding background, including a minor in computer science as an undergraduate. He wrote code for software that allows data from the disparate sources to interact and makes Dr. McLaughlin’s Googletype algorithm work through it all to rank proteins according to their function and the known clinical applications of drugs.

Read the journal article here: mdpi.com/2218-273X/12/11/1559

Access the Pharmacorank search tool here: protein.som.geisinger.edu/pharmacorank/index.jsp

When data speaks: Proteins can talk to researchers, physicians, thanks to student’s coding

McLaughlin Gnilopyat

Geisinger residency training programs awarded grant to promote a more equitable healthcare system

Geisinger has received a Building Trust and Equity in IM Training grant from leading internal medicine organizations to improve the quality of its Internal Medicine and Medicine/Pediatrics Residency training programs. The award was presented by the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the ABIM Foundation, the American College of Physicians and the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

These organizations co-sponsored the grant program to support projects led by faculty in internal medicine education and training that are intended to promote trust and create a more equitable health system by incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into the fabric of internal medicine education and training. Interprofessional projects incorporating members from across the care team were preferred.

Thomas W. Davis, MD, Medicine/Pediatrics Residency program director, said the grant will be used to develop a unique DEI training thread in the resident training programs for internal medicine in the northeast and for the internal medicine and medicine/ pediatrics programs in Danville. Involving more than 100 residents and a wealth of data, the goal is to improve care quality metrics for minority and LGBTQ+ patients who visit the resident clinics.

“We want to be certain our residents are getting complete training, and that includes the skills necessary to care for all patient populations,” Dr. Davis said. “Minority and LQBTQ+ populations are growing across our system, especially in the northeast. Our residents need to be aware of their unique health needs.”

The training will take a twofold approach. First, it will focus on sharing a national perspective with the residents. Using multimedia sessions, including TED Talks and other lectures by prominent international leaders, residents will get the big picture about the state of DEI in medicine and have the opportunity

to discuss it in small groups. Next, learners will apply those lessons to the local population by using Geisinger-specific data to track and change their own behavior.

“We’ll look at our Cerner and Epic data to determine how good we are at providing quality care,” Dr. Davis said. “Our residents will see the national data but will also examine their own metrics so they can ask, ‘How can I make a difference? How will I change my practice?’ We’ll end the training with sessions with standardized patients representing the LGBTQ+ community, where residents can grow comfortable with asking about pronouns and obtaining an accurate history to determine appropriate screening. It’s about building trust and long-term relationships.”

The hope is to build a sustainable training program and expand it to other specialties. “We want to branch out to surgery, OB-GYN and family practice and really see it take off and improve our metrics,” he said. “We want everyone to feel comfortable here and receive quality care.”

Quality metrics to be tracked include things like colonoscopy screening, mammograms, A1c levels, hypertension and measures for diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy.

“We’re talking with the informatics team for help in breaking down the data to generate individual resident quality report cards,” said Dr. Davis. “They’ll be easy to access and available daily for them to check their progress. We’ll say, ‘Let’s look at your quality metric data and see — have you grown your minority population patient base? Are you making better health easier by stripping away some of the anxiety that comes with a doctor visit?’ We want to make a big difference for these patients, so they tell everyone what great care they receive at Geisinger. That’s how we’ll strengthen the health of our local communities.”

Patients benefit from new Geisinger residency and fellowship training programs Patients benefit from new Geisinger residency and fellowship training programs

Emergency Medicine program at Geisinger Wyoming Valley will accept residents in 2023

Studies show that graduate medical education programs — residencies and fellowships — are good for patients, good for communities and good for local healthcare. That’s why Geisinger is celebrating the latest expansions in its residency training programs.

In the last two years, Geisinger has added nine new programs in everything from child neurology to vascular surgery. One of them is an emergency medicine residency at Geisinger Wyoming Valley headed by Keith Willner, MD. The program will welcome new residents beginning in August 2023.

The Geisinger Wyoming Valley-based EM Residency Program was established because emergency rooms at that hospital, as well as at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, had significant rises in number of cases and acuity.

“Geisinger recognized the potential for Geisinger Wyoming Valley to be an EM training site, the markers being high-acuity patients — patients who are very sick and need to be hospitalized — and patients who have complex diseases and present with two or three concurrent problems,” Dr. Willner said. “Geisinger was also in a good position to start the program because all its ER staff is residency trained and boarded in emergency medicine.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is looking for enough patients, the right kinds of patients, a rich learning environment and a spirit of scholarship, which means research and other learners. With surgical, internal medicine and pharmacy learners, as well as medical students, Geisinger Wyoming Valley was the right place.”

In the past 24 months, Geisinger has added the following residency and fellowship programs:

Child Neurology, Geisinger Medical Center

Emergency Medicine, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center

Vascular Surgery – Integrated, Geisinger Medical Center

Infectious Diseases, Geisinger Medical Center

Sleep Medicine, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center

Colon and Rectal Surgery, Geisinger Medical Center

Orthopaedic Surgery, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center

Surgical Critical Care, Geisinger Medical Center

Interventional Radiology, Geisinger Medical Center

Geisinger Wyoming Valley

was ranked No. 9 on the Fortune/Merative’s 2022 “25 Top Teaching Hospitals” list. The rankings are based on public data sets and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Geisinger Wyoming Valley residencies generate research opportunities for medical students

pulmonary embolism — a life-threatening condition that requires immediate intervention. The standard procedure for a suspected pulmonary embolism is a CT scan. However, with pregnant patients, it’s preferable to avoid such scans, which expose the patient to some radiation. Some physicians use an adapted version of the proven algorithm, called YEARS, for pregnant patients. The objective of the study was to measure the potential avoidance of CT utilization if the pregnancy-adapted YEARS algorithm was applied more broadly. While more data is required, initial results are promising.

The new Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center is set to accept residents in 2023 — which means more research activity. And the chief beneficiaries will be patients and Geisinger Commonwealth medical students.

Under the mentorship of Program Director Keith Willner, MD, second-year Geisinger Commonwealth medical students taking part in the Summer Research Immersion Program are researching a wide range of topics. For student Alden Mileto, the research he’s undertaken, called “Reduction in Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) Utilization in Pregnant Patients Suspected of Pulmonary Embolism via Pregnancy-Adapted YEARS Criteria,” has opened his eyes to the complexity of evidence-based care. Mr. Mileto reviewed charts of pregnant patients who presented to the Emergency Department with complaints that indicated

“I’ve done research before, but it wasn’t clinical, and I’ve never collected and analyzed the data myself. It made me understand it and appreciate it. Someone’s done an entire research dissertation on one line in our textbook,” he said. “Thanks to this experience, I’m interested in research. And even though I haven’t done all my rotations yet, I think I want to continue in emergency medicine.”

The students’ mentors praised the work. “Having an excited crop of students has really breathed some new life into my budding research career,” Dr. Willner said. “I’ll be delighted to take on future students.”

Dr. Ronald Strony, chair of Emergency Medicine for the Geisinger Medicine Institute, agreed. “My colleagues have shared how rewarding it’s been to work with such a motivated and resourceful group of students,” he said. “I’m glad our program contributed to their learning.”

Mileto Willner

Innovative dashboard delivers data residents can use to improve patient outcomes

Michelle Thompson, MD, Ali Chittalia, MD, and Stephanie Jones from Geisinger’s Graduate Medical Education team presented a poster about their innovative Community Medicine Residency Scorecard at MedBiquitous 2022, a conference for health professions educators and technology innovators held by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Dr. Thompson, Geisinger’s chief education officer and vice dean for graduate medical education and designated institutional official, said the scorecard is a dashboard that gathers and presents data from a variety of sources in a way designed to improve patient outcomes.

Geisinger’s Graduate Medical Education and Business Analytics teams collaborated to develop the easy-to-read dashboard to display a snapshot of a resident’s patient panel size, fill rate, no-show rate and average number of days between the date an appointment was made and the date the patient was seen. Residents can filter the data based on gender and/or age to identify population care gaps. Quality measures, including breast cancer screenings and

hypertension control, show the proportion of patients with documented screening within a specified registry compared to the national benchmark. By applying principles of population health, residents can better manage their patient population in the value-based care delivery model, which favors quality over quantity.

“The data will help each resident better understand the type of care being provided and lead to changes that positively impact patients,” Dr. Thompson said, adding that the scorecard has been deployed in Geisinger clinics that employ primary care residents in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and MedicinePediatrics. “This live dashboard is under continuous review for improvement and ease of use,” she said.

MedBiquitous, the AAMC’s standards development program, establishes a common language understood by people and machines that facilitates data and resource-sharing across organizations in health professions education and credentialing. This common language creates an infrastructure that supports education administration, quality improvement, research and lifelong learning.

Thompson

Chittalia Jones

School of Nursing celebrates Class of 2022 nurse graduates

Fifteen students from the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing graduated on Aug. 12, earning their diploma in professional nursing. Upon completion of a national board exam, at least 11 of these graduates will continue their journey with Geisinger as registered nurses. The others

Test anxiety is real.

secured jobs with other organizations. The Geisinger Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing gives students a solid knowledge base and exposure to the clinical area to produce competent and high-quality graduate nurses who are ready to practice in today's challenging healthcare environment.

New School of Nursing admissions process recognizes that.

Geisinger School of Nursing has changed its admissions guidelines to make sure every qualified candidate has a chance to advance their career and serve the public.

The school no longer rejects potential students based on standardized test scores — recognizing that test anxiety is real, and results don’t necessarily reflect a person’s potential.

The change was based in part on student Hannah Leach, a Geisinger Lewistown Hospital patient care

assistant who excelled at her job and wanted to be a nurse — but whose test anxiety repeatedly prevented her from scoring high enough on the timed exam.

“I really wanted get into the RN program, but I just could not pass that test,” Ms. Leach said. “The fact that it was timed gave me anxiety. I took it two or three times and I’d get 57%, 54%— but I needed 60%.”

Ms. Leach’s Geisinger supervisor knew she would be an excellent nurse and repeatedly advocated for her with the nursing school’s director, who agreed.

Today, Ms. Leach is a nursing student, on her way to providing outstanding patient care. And the exam results are part of the admissions review process, but not a barrier if the candidate shows potential, like Ms. Leach.

Leach and Jerzerick

School of Nursing gets its own building in downtown Lewistown

Geisinger School of Nursing announced the purchase of property at 111 E. Market St. in downtown Lewistown, according to Kirk Thomas, chief administrative officer for Geisinger’s Western Region. The facility, a former Bon-Ton department store, will be renovated and house the School of Nursing, with a planned opening in 2024.

“Our School of Nursing is a point of great pride for our community,” Mr. Thomas said. “We are pleased that, by providing students and faculty with accommodations dedicated solely to the school, we’re underscoring our commitment to education and to building a health professions workforce pipeline in our region.”

“Nursing serves as the key foundation for healthcare systems and is fundamental to providing access to high quality care,” said Janet Tomcavage, executive vice president and chief nursing executive for Geisinger. “The nursing shortage is well known, and with this announcement, we highlight our continued commitment to offering a pathway to the profession through a program that is regularly recognized for its high quality.”

Beth Finkbiner, MSN, RN, director of the School of Nursing, said, “We’re excited to create a true campus feel for our learners and improve services in a space that provides optimal educational experiences, as well as faculty and administrative offices.”

School of Nursing awarded $2.5 million grant for building renovation project

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced that Geisinger College of Health Sciences was awarded a $2.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant for a School of Nursing renovation project. The funds will be used to renovate and repurpose a vacated building in downtown Lewistown into a fully functional, stateof-the-art facility to house the school.

The new expanded facility will allow the school to increase the number of nursing graduates to serve both Mifflin and Juniata counties, as well as the Commonwealth, while providing additional space for the growth of the School of Nursing in the future.

Helping others through others’ hands:

Last October, educators from across the Geisinger system gathered to celebrate the launch of the Geisinger Academy of Educators, which, according to Chief Academic Officer Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, will “enhance relationships built around teaching in the complex environment of health professions education.”

For Academy Leadership Council Chair Rob Cooney, MD, MSMedEd, the evening was the realization of a long-standing “pipe dream.” “We often talk about the triple threat of an academic clinician — one who is skilled in research, patient care and teaching. But incentives really support our clinical work more than teaching. People have asked me, ‘Is this academy a club?’ and I say, ‘Not really... but kind of.’ The Academy of Educators will create a community of like-minded people who love being educators and can innovate together, learn to be better teachers, and support each other.”

All 213 members of this new community were inducted in a ceremony held during the inaugural event. Nicole Woll, PhD, MEd, vice dean of faculty development, will serve as executive director of the academy. She said the new inductees reflect the inclusivity embedded in the academy’s mission. During her remarks, she noted members come from nursing, pharmacy and research, as well as each Geisinger institute. They hold degrees ranging from BSN to PsyD, are responsible for hundreds of publications and are at varied stages of their careers.

The academy will create an inclusive community of health professions educators by supporting professional development, innovation and excellence in teaching and scholarship. Through the work of the academy and its committees and members, the mission will be to champion the educator role at Geisinger. The initial work has already started, with 21 founding members who have been helping

Geisinger Academy of Educators provides community for those who love to teach

Geisinger Chief Academic Officer Julie Byerley, MD, MPH speaks at the launch of the Geisinger Academy of Educators on October 12.

The event’s keynote speaker was Ming-Jung Ho, MD, DPhil, associate director for the Center for Innovation and Leadership Education and the Director of Georgetown University’ Medical Center’s Teaching Academy for the Health Sciences.

to shape the mission and vision of the academy for the past year. Their insight and dedication to this new endeavor has had a tremendous impact on the success of the academy thus far.

“I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of everyone there,” Dr. Woll said. “There was excitement around people coming together as Geisinger educators — people dedicated to teaching those who follow them and educating in ways that prepare the future workforce.”

The academy has been several years in the making, according to April Morgan, MEd, director of continuing professional development and leadership council vice chair. She said discussions began as early as 2017. Larger institutions like Harvard and

Georgetown have academies, and Ms. Morgan said Drs. Woll and Cooney knew Geisinger would benefit from establishing one. “Then the pandemic hit and put a wrench in our discussions,” she said. Things changed when Dr. Byerley arrived. “It really gained momentum once she got here,” Ms. Morgan said. “She wanted it and gave us the support and resources necessary, and it’s finally happened.”

For her part, Dr. Byerley said she understands the importance of recognizing people who dedicate themselves to teaching. “It’s inspiring to be around them,” she said. “They’re helping others through others’ hands — meaning their work has a ripple effect and its rewards are sometimes a generation removed. It’s a pay-it-forward act. The academy will support that.”

Seated from left: April Morgan,MEd; Nicole Woll, PhD; Rob Cooney, MD. Standing from left: Halle Ellison, MD; Brytanie Marshall, MD; Kristi Shirk, Daniel Longyhore, PharmD; Thomas Davis, MD; Rebecca Hoffman, MD and Jodie Reider, MD.

2022 honorees

Community

NEPA Health Care Foundation

Well-Being

Friends of the Poor

Founders

Afghani Roshan, MD ’13

Black Ties for White Coats returns

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine held its Black Ties for White Coats Gala in November to raise money for student scholarships. The annual event is a community tradition and one of the most highly anticipated events of the year.

School President and Dean Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, said she was “impressed with the kindness and warmth” of community members. “Our Gala is special,” she said. “It means a lot to us to provide for

our students and inspire them to stay in the area and to go into high-need disciplines.”

Medical student Rachel Simon said she was thankful for money available to medical students, especially those who planned on staying in the area. “The community honoree was the NEPA Health Care Foundation and I’m a recipient of that scholarship,” she said. NEPA Health Care Foundation gives two scholarships to medical students every year for $40,000 a year for four years.

Sanofi invests in successful Geisinger Commonwealth

REACH-HEI program for Monroe County

Sanofi, the global healthcare company with a campus in Swiftwater, recently made a gift of $60,000 to bring Geisinger College of Health Science’s successful Regional Education Academy for Careers in HealthHigher Education Initiative (REACH-HEI) program to students in Monroe County.

Sanofi’s grant is being used to identify and admit students in the Stroudsburg Area, Pocono Mountain East and Wallenpaupack Area school districts with the goal of introducing students to biomedical research and the varied careers associated with the life sciences.

“As the second-largest employer in Monroe County, we are dedicated to elevating our communities and encouraging our promising young people to explore the rewarding careers available in pharmaceuticals, research and medicine,” said Philip St. James, Sanofi’s Corporate Social Responsibility & Community Relations Lead. “We know that REACH-HEI has

a proven track record of keeping disadvantaged students on the path to college.”

The new program enrolled 44 students this fall. In addition to hands-on activities at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, the students will receive an introduction to biomedical science and embark on a year-long research project to gain experience in scientific observation, data collection, critical thinking and small-group and public presentation. They have also been paired with a mentor who will assist with college and career planning.

“Best of all,” Mr. St. James said, “to offer students further career guidance, staff at Sanofi has stepped up and volunteered to share their career journeys. The students have already had the opportunity to interact with Sanofi vaccine scientists and biochemists.” He added that shadowing opportunities with these professionals is also part of the program.

Geisinger College of Health Sciences

Abigail Geisinger Scholar Spotlight

Jessica Fanelli, MD Class of ’25

Hometown: Lenoxville, PA

Abigail Geisinger Scholar grateful for opportunity to work and learn in her own community

Jessica Fanelli grew up in the rural community of Lenoxville, Pa., and saw firsthand how difficult it was for her neighbors to access healthcare. “When I was in college, I worked at a pharmacy in my hometown, and we were used like a triage. The nearest hospital is 30 minutes away in Scranton, so people would come to us in emergency situations,” she said.

“I chose Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine because Geisinger gives me the opportunity to train and work where I grew up. I feel that’s something not many people get to do,” she said. “And this is the patient population I want to work with. As an Abigail Geisinger Scholar, I know I’ll be placed in Geisinger’s footprint, and that’s where I want to be.”

Besides the chance to work and learn in her own community, Ms. Fanelli said the program’s stipend was a great gift. “Coming from a middle-class family, having a job while in medical school would have been challenging. I worked all throughout my undergraduate years, but it’s impossible to work in medical school — there’s just no time to have a job.”