LECOM Connection Fall 2017

THE

LECOM

ONNECTION

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

The mission of the Lake Erie College of FALL 2017

Osteopathic Medicine is to prepare students to

become

osteopathic

physicians,

pharmacy

practitioners, and dentists through programs of excellence in education, research, clinical care,

and community service to enhance the quality of TH life through improved health for all humanity.

The professional programs are dedicated to serve

ANNIVERSARY all students through innovative curriculum and the development of postdoctoral education and

EDITION

FEATURING THE FIRST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF LECOM HISTORY

Before we begin the storied retrospective of the LECOM heritage in the Fall 2017 magazine, we first take a moment to mark the lessons and legacy of our past.

proudly into our grand institution of higher learning that embodies and holds high the values that made this nation peerless among all others.

For its historical guidance and founding principles, for its educational pillars and its proud traditions, the past is a manifestly valuable place to visit. Indeed, one must venerate it – both as it applies to our nation and to our alma mater. For there is little that is more important for an American citizen to know and for a student of medicine to embrace than the history and traditions of this great nation. This history and tradition extends

At the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), we recognize an incandescent virtue in historical memory as it crosses the broad spectrum of experiences – from education to politics, from literature to medicine, from administration to research. For it is clear that without knowledge of history, one stands uncertain and defenseless before the world, knowing neither the origin from whence one has derived nor the direction

toward which one is moving. With such knowledge, one stands not alone; rather one draws strength far greater than one’s own - strength culled from the cumulative experiences of the past and blended with a summative vision of the future. Yet, in advancing the vision of that purposed legacy, the past has never been a place to make a permanent residence; for it is from the lessons of the past that we move forward with purpose.

The LECOM history has been a story of a remarkable American educational institution; one set upon a mission to build the future

of health care that it sees possible – to offer hope where there may exist only anxiety, to offer solutions in a world too often focused upon impending challenges, to educate and to inculcate at a superlative level.

Today, serving as a pinnacle of profound and penetrating academics and educating on the cutting edge of medical innovation and excellence, LECOM reminds readers that the road to this auspicious place was formed by the lengthy and arduous journey of its medical predecessors.

Since its founding in 1992, LECOM has played a key role in defining the educational excellence, purposeful service, and economic growth in each community in which it has come to lay a cornerstone. From its inception in Erie, Pennsylvania to its expansion to Bradenton, Florida and to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and now, to its sweeping and scopic place in comprehensive health and wellness as LECOM Health – the only osteopathic health center in the nation – LECOM has set the standard in quality education.

Some may suggest perhaps that history serves no further use than to provide satisfaction for the quintessential historian. Yet, it is the profound awareness of our historical roots, both those nationally and those campuswide, that define us as a people, that establish us within the foundation of medicine, and that delimit us as health care professionals.

Knowledge of history – both that of a nation and that of an institution – entails a sense of responsibility. It is a responsibility to the past and a responsibility to the future, a responsibility to those who came before us and who struggled and sacrificed to pass on to us our precious inheritances of freedom and knowledge, and a responsibility to whom we leave the endowment of new strength and substance.

Regardless of origin, of geographic locale, of occupation, of social status, of religious creed, of political commitment – we are united by our history.

Defining the role of the past in preparing students to meet challenges of the future has long been at the fundamental core of the LECOM approach. As the field of health care faced a decade of uncertainty, LECOM provided a stable and secure harbor of education that was wholly prepared to weather the storm. Now, as the seas portend perhaps a more favorable horizon in view, LECOM stands ready with courage and with all of the exhilaration and optimism involved in the conquest of a frontier and in the expansive view of its future.

There is little doubt that history serves as the collective memory of a gathered people, be they a people who comprise a nation or form an educational institution. Just as memory enables the individual to learn, to select objectives, to pursue aims, to avoid repetition of errors, so too, it is history by which an educational institution arises out of its past.

Indeed, it is the history of the college that underpins the values, hopes, and goals that have forged all that has preceded this moment and all that is yet to come.

Today, the comprehensive pursuit of LECOM is as it was at its beginning – to usher in a better world of medicine through providing excellence in education, affordable and accessible training, innovation, and community service – to make certain that our best days are still to come.

At LECOM, our common purpose unites us to create the history that decades from this day will continue to be – the legacy that is LECOM. Now, with a quadrancentennial fully upon us in our college history, our legacy continues – for America, for LECOM, and for all who strive to create a better tomorrow.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine 1858 West Grandview Blvd.

Erie, PA 16509 (814) 866-6641 • www.lecom.edu

John M. Ferretti, DO President/CEO Marlene D. Mosco Chair of the Board of Trustees Silvia M. Ferretti, DO Provost, Senior Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Hershey Bell, MD, MS (MedEd) Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Pharmacy Mathew J. Bateman, PhD, DHEd Dean of the School of Dental Medicine Robert George, DO Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Bradenton Mark Kauffman, DO, MS (MedEd), PA Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Pierre Bellicini Institutional Director of Communications and Marketing Eric Nicastro Assistant Institutional Director of Communications and Marketing Stephanie Bruce Communications and Marketing Specialist Nick Blake Public Relations Specialist Joel Welin Communications and Marketing Specialist, Bradenton Rebecca A. DeSimone, Esquire Chief Writer/Editor-in-Chief The LECOM Connection invites you to contribute to our publication. If you have news of alumni achievements, research or student activities, please contact the Communications & Marketing Department, at (814) 866-6641, or e-mail communications@lecom.edu.

John M. Ferretti, DO - President/CEO 04 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

A Glorious Epoch Launches

New Era for LECOM Welcome to the 2017-2018 Academic Year as we celebrate the Glorious Epoch – the quadrancentennial of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM).

This Message connotes a very special moment in our LECOM history as it commemorates a quarter century of leadership in medical education; a quarter century of preparing and supporting the success and growth of our communities; a quarter century of ensuring that our local economy is strengthened; a quarter century of inspiring individuals to achieve; and of improving the quality of life for every person in each community in which we have come to lay the LECOM cornerstone.

During the past 25 years, we have graduated over 10,000 students and we have changed countless lives for the better. We have touched almost every family, every business, and every organization in Erie County. We have extended our reach to the Sunshine State and beyond. From our programs and services, we have set the scene to create new businesses; indeed, we have saved businesses. We have brought families together and we have inspired generations to raise their sights and their dreams to the pinnacle of attainment in pursuit of one of the noblest of callings. Through our very existence, LECOM has instilled purpose and promise in our progeny; and through our programs we have been directly and indirectly responsible both for changing and for saving lives.

LECOM was born of the 1980s – a time very different from that which we now experience.

It was a time of hope and of purpose, of American exceptionalism and of unabashed strength of spirit. It is no surprise then, that at that same time, a group of prescient individuals set out to implement the course of a purpose-driven vision to improve the community and to fill a vital need.

Indeed, it was with a clarity of purpose, the passion of our objectives, and the savvy of our collaborative that we set out to create a new medical college when naysayers discounted its necessity. Implementing innovative ideas, taking well-considered and calculated risks, and committed to eliminating the barriers to affordable medical education, LECOM emerged as a vanguard in the field.

Almost immediately, people began paying attention to this small, but steady voice – not because we were creating another college, but because of the particularly salient insight and mission that underpinned our very being.

It is a truism that to furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is the greatest benefit that can be conferred upon mankind. It prolongs life itself and enlarges the sphere of existence.

LECOM was achieved with a Board of Trustees comprised of some of the best leaders, administrators, faculty, and staff in the nation.

It was because of this vision, the boldness of the challenge, and the uncompromising focus upon excellence that we searched out and hired the best people ever assembled to transform a community.

These individuals were solving problems, innovating, and creating solutions as they toiled long hours to build the facilities, create the needed systems, develop a high quality approach to education, and design the programs and curricula.

As I offer this message today and as I reflect upon 25 years of history, I am humbled and inspired. Much has changed over the past 25 years.

Yet in many ways, nothing has changed, for we continue to build up from our rich and powerful heritage – ever transforming our institution as we embark upon our next 25 years. Just as we did a quarter century ago, we will meet the needs of changing communities, of a new economy, as we inspire a new generation of students.

From the time of our founding, LECOM earned the trust of our community, of our employees, of our students and alumni through integrity, honesty, open communication, and perhaps most important, through self-awareness.

Our Glorious Epoch allows us to see the future in the past. Through the pedigree of history we embrace the richness of imagination, not to follow simply in the slipstream of success, rather to boldly shape our destiny.

With the celerity and skill of a practiced surgeon, LECOM never has wavered in its quest to move forward into the broad sunlit uplands of attainment and purpose. Its real generosity toward the future lies in giving its all to the present.

My life's aim has been to serve as I might, towards those ends. Your loyalty, your confidence in me has been my abundant reward.

I continue to take up my task in buoyancy and determined optimism. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men for I feel entitled at this juncture, at this momentous time to say, come then, let us go forward together with our united strength to welcome the next Glorious Epoch.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 05

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURE

05

Message from the President

08 Walk With Us

Through LECOM History

07

Making of a Legacy

12

25 Years of Forging the Future

14

Health and Wellness Through Leadership

16

Credos of Our Calling - Vision

DEPARTMENTS

17

LECOM Health Summit

28

18

White Coat Ceremony

20

Curtain Up on LECOM Stage at the Playhouse

21

Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation Establishes Scholarship for LECOM Students

22

Answering the Call – Students Rescue and Serve During Hurricane

24

Ever Ahead of the Curve - LECOM Introduces New Programs

26

London Calling

Community is Our Campus

30 Student, Faculty, and Alumni Notes

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is to prepare students to become osteopathic physicians, pharmacy practitioners, and dentists through programs of excellence in education, research, clinical care, and community service to enhance the quality of life through improved health for all humanity. The professional programs are dedicated to serve all students through innovative curriculum and the development of postdoctoral education and interprofessional experiences.

06 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

MAKING OF A LEGACY The Medical College that Revolutionized – Even Created –The Modern Osteopathic Health Care Paradigm There is something epistemological about storytelling. It is the way in which we come to know one another, the way in which we come to know ourselves, the way to know the world around us. Our words, our stories, are possessed of the power to touch, to teach and to transcend, to illuminate, and to inculcate.

As we commemorate and celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the LECOM Connection will relate to you the story of LECOM – and the Glorious Epoch evinced by a quarter century of unbounded educational success and attainment.

Before the students and scholars, the practitioners and professionals, who, in their academic explorations, and in their daily work stir the people of their communities to feel as one; before the imposing edifices, the economic impact and the changed landscapes brought

about by an ever expanding mission, there was a vision. That vision, conceived and nurtured by the LECOM Founders, gave birth to the dedication and commitment of a noble calling.

For those familiarizing themselves with the school for the first time, consider this magazine a narrated rotogravure of LECOM achievement.

For those already acquainted with the LECOM reputation, consider the period which is just drawing to a close as the first stage of our national reception, as we prepare ourselves to venture forth worthily in the marvelous design of countless future generations, the completion of which Providence has reserved for a fortunate age.

For this moment, LECOM achievements belong to the ages; the decades of which have merited the applause of the profession. Our progeny have made great conquests in their fields

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and they will conquer still, because they are prepared with the training and skills that benefit the health and welfare of generations.

To this wonderful page in our LECOM history, another more glorious still will be added, and the educated physician, pharmacist, and dentist will show needful communities the sharpened skilled, the honed training forged from the superlative gifts of a profound and purposed education.

Let timid doctrinaires depart from among us to carry their servility and mediocrity elsewhere.This is an institution of its own making – vibrantly thriving in its Glorious Epoch – this is LECOM.

Founded by Millcreek Community Hospital; Silvia Ferretti, DO, named first woman dean of an osteopathic medical school

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 07

WALK WITH US THROUGH

LECOM HISTORY 08 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

FEATURE

receipt of a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Charter in December 1992. The Charter Class began on August 9, 1993 at a new campus on West Grandview Boulevard in Erie. With the graduation of the LECOM inaugural class on May 24, 1997, the College received full accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association.

VISION AND LEADERSHIP THE EARLY YEARS 1992 – 2001 Throughout history, legacy creating, innovative decisions have distinguished between leader and follower; between insight and apathy; and ultimately, between success and failure. Such is the case with the history that has come to form the heritage of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

As the 20th Century drew to a close, those in governance of Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH) in Erie, Pennsylvania, were faced with a problematic decision. In an era during which it was becoming increasingly difficult to attract new physicians to the calling, this small community hospital sought to maintain its position of leadership within the field of health care. The dilemma was dissected by the group of visionaries at MCH who, through their astute prescience and vigilant observations, made a decision to open a new school of medicine.

At a time during which much of the medical community did not see a need for additional medical colleges, much less the need for physicians, the MCH Board saw it differently.

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First class welcomed

The hospital existed in an area within close proximity to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo; an area under served by physicians.

The establishment of a medical college in Erie had the intended effect of allowing the hospital to train needed new doctors and to accommodate the open positions at MCH and at other hospitals throughout the region.

The journey began in September 1988, when the Board of Trustees of Millcreek Community Hospital conducted a major strategic planning retreat. Attendees at the planning session established a new hospital mission that emphasized the need for educating osteopathic physicians to provide medical services to the medically under served areas across Northwestern Pennsylvania.

In March 1989, the Board of Trustees assembled an Osteopathic Medical School Task Force that began to explore the feasibility of founding a new osteopathic medical school. The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine was established as the 16th college of osteopathic medicine in the nation with its

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The founding President, Joseph J. Namey, DO, was an acclaimed general practitioner and a tireless advocate of osteopathic medicine.

A longtime Erie resident, Dr. Namey has been credited with enhancing the image of osteopathic medicine across the country.

John M. Ferretti, DO, succeeded Dr. Namey, becoming the second President of LECOM. Dr. Ferretti is a Board Certified Internist who was among the College founders and who is a nationally recognized leader in osteopathic medicine. Under Dr. Ferretti’s guidance, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine has gained national prominence and it has realized unprecedented growth.

In 2000, LECOM experienced an intensity of rapid growth as a small group of first-year medical students arrived as pioneers in a new learning pathway. LECOM would be the first of its kind to introduce an effectively innovative approach to medical education – Problem Based Learning (PBL). By working in small groups through a paradigm of self-directed study, PBL students are tasked to think clinically and to solve problems in the same way in which a physician diagnoses a patient.

The College, the estimable Millcreek Community Hospital, and Medical Associates of Erie, the clinical practice network of physician offices located in Erie County, now formed the core of this highly innovative medical education and patient care system.

John M. Ferretti, DO, named president & CEO

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 09

enrollment of the Bradenton Class of 2011, LECOM became the largest medical college in the nation. In 2007, the School of Pharmacy also expanded to Florida, offering a traditional four-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree curriculum and graduating the first class from LECOM Bradenton in 2011.

In keeping with its proven tradition of leading the field in medical education, LECOM initiated the Masters of Science in Medical Education Degree Program at the Erie campus in 2005.

This postgraduate course became the first distance education program at LECOM and it trains physicians to become teachers and leaders in the clinical education of future physicians.

To further the education of potential medical, pharmacy and dental school recruits, the College also offers the Masters of Science in Biomedical Sciences Degree, a Masters in Medical Science Degree, and the Health Sciences Post Baccalaureate Certificate.

THE EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH YEARS 2002 – 2012 By 2002, College growth and enrollment required LECOM to triple the size of the original medical school building, adding another 100,000 square feet of modern teaching, learning, and research facilities.

With the acquisition of the neighboring LORD Corporation property in 2011, the College expanded along West Grandview Boulevard, where a park-like, 53-acre campus boasts an excellent view of Lake Erie.

A continually growing medical and wellness campus also stretches along Peach Street in Erie as the College and community engage in the whole-body wellness paradigm that has become the only health system with an Osteopathic Academic Health Center in the United States.

Augmenting the noteworthy educational advancements, LECOM has been ever cognizant of its role in community enrichment, service, and the promulgation of health for all.

With the 2009 opening of the John M. and Silvia Ferretti Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, the College founded a medically integrated wellness center that not only serves the fitness and medical education needs of LECOM students and employees of LECOM, but also provides a facility that offers

to the populace of Erie County an opportunity to pursue a better quality of life through prevention and wellness. In 2011, LECOM expanded its community offerings in Erie by opening the Coffee Culture CafĂŠ and Eatery to provide a relaxing study space for students and an attractive venue for the public to enjoy coffee or a light fare.

True to the College mission, to provide primary health care to Northwestern Pennsylvania, LECOM achieved another milestone with the addition of its School of Pharmacy. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania approved the LECOM School of Pharmacy in May 2001 with its unique three-year, accelerated curriculum. Classes began in September 2002, and LECOM held its first pharmacy school graduation in June 2005. Following that commencement, the LECOM School of Pharmacy received full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

In addition to the original campus in Erie, Pennsylvania, LECOM has continued its role in the vanguard of national leadership in osteopathic medicine by developing a branch campus in Bradenton, Florida. LECOM Bradenton welcomed its first class of medical students on September 13, 2004. With the

10 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

Seeking to quickly and effectively fill the need for more physicians, LECOM added two accelerated programs in the medical college: the Primary Care Scholars Pathway (in 2007), and the Accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway (in 2011). These Programs allow qualified students to complete the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree in just three years.

The vision of LECOM continued in 2009, with the extension of LECOM Erie to the campus of the private liberal arts institution of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

LECOM at Seton Hill added an additional 104 medical students to the first-year class.

In July 2012, the LECOM School of Dental Medicine welcomed students in Bradenton, establishing yet a new era in the betterment of healthcare education. The first class of dental students, was graduated in 2016.

These scholars undertook three years of academic and basic clinical training at LECOM Bradenton. They completed their fourth year of study at community-based dental outreach offices in DeFuniak Springs and in Erie. These sites were chosen, in part, because of the enduring LECOM commitment to provide care where it is most needed.

Proving that the finest eloquence is that which gets things done, it was now clear that LECOM was established as an undeniable protagonist in shaping and in advancing the pivotal essence of medical education and health care.

FEATURE health care programs for older adults. As part of the LECOM commitment to wellness for this growing age group, LECOM purchased Parkside Senior Living Communities comprised of three independent living and personal care apartment complexes, located in Erie, North East, and Millcreek.

In 2015, the Millcreek Health System added a familiar name to a health care and educational delivery system with more than a half-century of commitment to care, compassion, and community. Millcreek Health System became LECOM Health.

CONTINUED GROWTH BLOSSOMS INTO LECOM HEALTH 2013 – PRESENT Ever vigilant to marking innovative trends in education, LECOM added two Distance Education Pathways in 2014. The School of Pharmacy Distance Education Pathway is one of only two online-distance education programs in the nation for pursuing the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree. The online classes for the Masters in Health Services Administration have provided the highly sought after opportunity for professionals aspiring to take leadership roles in the administration of hospitals, clinical practices, and in other health care facilities.

In keeping with its unremitting mission of service and its unflagging goal to promote improved health for all, LECOM – in 2014 – became the lead agency for the Safe Kids Erie Program, which previously had been administered by the Erie County Department of Health. Safe Kids Erie strives to educate families and to raise awareness of the fact that the vast majority of injuries to children can and should be prevented. LECOM leadership of the Program also has created additional opportunities for students at the College to serve the community.

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Also in 2014, LECOM incorporated LifeWorks Erie into its family of health and educational services. The affiliation with LifeWorks Erie, which offers programs, services, and lifelong learning opportunities for individuals age 50 and older, has complemented and enhanced the ability of the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging to serve the growing elderly population throughout the region.

In 2015, as LECOM wholly recast the very paradigm in comprehensive patient-centered health care, the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging opened the 138-bed LECOM Senior Living Center adjacent to Millcreek Community Hospital. The welcoming and homelike environment, coupled with a skilled nursing facility marks the next generation of innovative, compassionate, and comprehensive health care designed specifically for older adults.

Ever aware of changing community needs, LECOM recognized the disproportionately growing senior population in Erie County by adding a multifaceted component to its

First class graduated; AOA accreditation earned

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For decades, Millcreek Health System had reinforced a powerful and purposed health care mission. LECOM had been solidly at the epicenter of that mission, championing the vision of healthful living, and advancing the educational and medical core of a growing and ever-expanding network of medical exceptionalism. The Millcreek Health System had been the seminal delivery system for health care in the western Pennsylvania region and LECOM was its educational stalwart. LECOM Health coordinates the full complement of its academic health system – with hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, health plans, governments, and employers – to improve the countless lives that it touches.

LECOM Health encompasses the full breadth of provider organizations to navigate the health and wellness journey, imbued with powerful insight, cutting edge expertise, and solutions that convert health education into healthcare intelligence. Whether enabling treatment protocols, empowering collaborative care, or providing new services – such as the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging, the LECOM Institute for Advanced Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, the Transitional Care Unit, or the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, LECOM has become the recognized name in health care.

Today, achieving health and wellness requires a leader who can power modern health care by linking technology with expertise and by melding education with advancement.

Welcoming patients with competent care, offering limitless hope, and warm acceptance

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Post Baccalaureate Program developed

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 11

25 YEARS

OF FORGING THE FUTURE

12 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

The 25-year legacy in landscape created by the founders of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has served to transform not only each region in which LECOM has come to lay its cornerstone, but a far larger economic arena as well.

Hearken to recall some two decades past.

The setting is Erie, Pennsylvania and a casual observer is met with the sense of a once thriving city, sadly now teetering upon the brink of desolation and despair.

Glancing about the landscape, the well-known Peach Street offers a viewer the scene of a vast decaying auto-yard. Further on, various vacant properties overrun with weeds are strewn with litter.

A few sundry turns about the town and empty buildings dot the once bustling Little Italy.

Another jaunt just south and west of the city reveal formerly humming corporate offices, now darkened by joblessness, their parking lots empty.

Flash forward to 2017 – and a town virtually rebuilt and reborn by LECOM. A multimillion-dollar Health and Wellness Center offers an imposing and visually stunning landmark where once, the scraggly rubble of ruptured concrete formed the only remnant of Porreco Motors. The John M. and Silvia Ferretti Health and Wellness Center now serves the entire Erie community with a facility replete with abundant fitness, health, rehabilitation, and wellness offerings.

The thriving fitness hub has revitalized a decaying corner. Indeed, its very presence has developed tentacled offspring such as the well-received and equally well-patronized, Coffee Culture Café and Eatery. The expansive economic growth and renewal has spread along Peach Street like springtime in blossom; reversing the blighted landscape, replacing it with activity and energy and a fiscally sound infrastructure of stability.

In the heart of Little Italy, LECOM insightfully repurposed vacant buildings with a new health clinic that serves the economically disadvantaged and the aged. The same repurposing of unused structures has been

00

undertaken throughout the city, as LECOM gave new birth to its very genesis, planting its educational roots in the former home of the GTE Building on West Grandview Boulevard.

Expanding farther west along the same street, the empty LORD Corporate Headquarters building was refitted to serve the needs of the ever-expanding medical college. A now transformed West Grandview Boulevard has become a medical and educational oasis, nourishing the housing market and the surrounding merchants with the sustenance of its economic outgrowth.

Midtown eastside buildings in the city of Erie have been revamped and restored by LECOM and its amalgam of associates to serve the health care needs of thousands. Through such focused leadership, the Eastside Medical Center completed refurbishments to the landmark health facility that began operations in the 1980s.

Millions of dollars of LECOM revitalization has transformed the Eastside into a cutting-edge 21st century health corridor. Still in its original location on the corner of 26th and Parade Streets, the building now houses physicians from Medical Associates of Erie – a network comprised of physicians and specialists, with additional physician office locations serving the community throughout Erie County.

The assemblage is an affiliate of LECOM Health, which boasts Millcreek Community Hospital; LECOM; LECOM Senior Living Center, the long-term care and skilled nursing facility; the John M. and Silvia Ferretti Medical Fitness and Wellness Center; and the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging, which includes an interdisciplinary team that provides clinical services to serve the growing elderly population throughout the region.

LECOM wholly recast the very paradigm in comprehensive patient-centered health care when the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging opened its 138-bed LECOM Senior Living Center adjacent to Millcreek Community Hospital.

LECOM recognized the disproportionately growing senior population in Erie County by adding a multifaceted component to its

Problem-Based Learning Pathway offered

01

health care programs for older adults. Parkside Senior Living Communities, comprised of three independent living and personal care apartment complexes – located in Erie, North East, and Millcreek – now serves the wider region.

In keeping with its unremitting mission of service and its unflagging goal to promote improved health for all, LECOM became the lead agency for the Safe Kids Erie Program, which educates families and raises awareness of the fact that the vast majority of injuries to children can be prevented. LECOM leadership of the program also has created additional opportunities for students at the College to serve the community.

LECOM Health acquisitions, including Corry Memorial Hospital, LECOM Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, and the Visiting Nurses Association of Erie County are prodigious undertakings that further solidify LECOM as the seminal provider of a healthful and proactive nexus of comprehensive services that afford older adults independent decisionmaking options wherever they may reside.

The LECOM investment into the transformation of the landscape of the Western Pennsylvania region reminds the entire populace that LECOM stands ever-ready to respond to the needs of the community through growth and renewal. LECOM has been a stalwart perpetuator of community betterment with its unabashed and unremitting mission of community service emblazoned into its enduring mission.

Refurbishments and upgrades, repurposed buildings, and an ever optimistic view of the possible have persisted throughout the ensuing decades and they have given rise to a remarkably improved Erie.

However, the Erie County region is not, under any circumstance, the sole beneficiary of the LECOM vision. As is ever the case in creating forward-thinking projects, LECOM has attentively responded to community need for increased access to medical services in underserved areas, affecting the betterment of

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Independent Study Pathway offered

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 13

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

THROUGH LEADERSHIP Recently, the LECOM Connection caught up with LECOM President and CEO, John M. Ferretti, DO, to discuss with him the way in which LECOM remains consistently in the vanguard of exceptionalism in health care education.

LECOM Connection: This is a grand touchstone year for the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary.

During most of that time, you have been the CEO and President of LECOM. What changes and advancements have you witnessed over the years?

JMF: The past 25 years have been truly transformative and I feel fortunate to have been a part of it. At the outset, we designed a model to serve the needs of the community and to educate at an

exceptional level. That model has remained steadfast throughout the decades. Unequivocally, our focus has been upon the students.

We are very proud that LECOM offers a superlative medical education at the second lowest tuition rate in the nation.

Ever vigilant to marking innovative trends in education, LECOM developed the StudentCentered Pathway Paradigm that educates the student based specifically upon the individualized learning style of the student. The School of Pharmacy Four-Year Pathway

14 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

has grown to allow students to take courses online. That Pathway offers one of only two online-distance education programs in the nation for pursuing the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The first online class of the Masters in Health Services Administration provides the highly sought after opportunity for professionals aspiring to take leadership roles in the administration of hospitals, clinical practices, and in other health care facilities.

LECOM Connection: LECOM has grown exponentially

over these years; when we speak of growth what comes to mind?

JMF: Our mission of education, community service, and compassionate care underpins our growth; it nourishes it.

Through this purposed mission, LECOM has grown to include three medical college campuses, a School of Dental Medicine, a School of Pharmacy and four master’s degree programs.

LECOM is nationally recognized as an innovator in medical education and it is not only the largest medical school in the

United States, but it is the only osteopathic academic health care center in the nation. The College has taken to heart the concept that the community is our campus.

To promote fitness and wellness for the betterment of the community, LECOM opened the John M. and Silvia Ferretti Medical Fitness and Wellness Center. To answer the need for better oral health care, the College opened the LECOM Dental Offices on West Grandview Boulevard.

With the senior population of Erie County now approaching one-out-of-four residents, LECOM added further components to its health care programs for older adults with the acquisition of three residential communities, the adoption of LifeWorks Erie, and the construction of the Senior Living Center.

I have always believed that healthful living does not happen by itself or overnight; it requires work every day.

LECOM Health now coordinates the full complement of its academic health system – with hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, health plans, governments, and employers – to improve the countless lives that it touches.

LECOM Connection: What is new at LECOM in terms of strategic planning?

JMF: The continually transforming healthcare climate in the nation has allowed us to use challenges

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as opportunities. Transitioning to a value-based health system is disruptive to traditional healthcare models. While the objectives of value-based care are clear, the road to achieving it can be uncertain for many.

LECOM Health now encompasses the full breadth of provider organizations to navigate that journey successfully, imbued with powerful insight, cutting edge expertise, and solutions that convert health education into healthcare intelligence.

Whether enabling treatment protocols, empowering collaborative care, or providing new services – such as the Center for the Aging, the Advanced Wound Care Center, the Transitional Care Unit, or the Rehab Center, LECOM has become the recognized name in health care. The pursuit of health care begins from the moment that we take our first breath; yet health and wellness does not happen in a vacuum.

From the smallest detail to the boldest goals for healthful living, LECOM Health believes that a single life can be made better by many others.

LECOM Connection: What have you learned as your position with LECOM has progressed through the years; how do you adjust to each role and the demands of leading such an august institution?

JMF: I've learned to adapt. When it becomes obvious that a goal

LECOM building expansion in Erie, PA; School of Pharmacy opened

cannot be reached, I never adjust the goal, I adjust the action and the steps to achieve it. Nothing great in the world ever has been accomplished without passion.

There are a host of ways in which one may achieve an end, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built upon an unshakable purpose, a respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, a rejection of mediocrity, and a grateful heart to the Author of Life. Productivity is never accidental; rather it is always the direct result of a commitment to excellence, wellconceived planning, and focused effort.

Ultimately, I find enjoyment in the purpose of a great mission. Albert Einstein once said, “an idle man does not know what it is to enjoy rest.” I get that.

LECOM Connection: What is your top priority at this moment?

JMF: Oh my, that is a very difficult question – there are so many priorities! At the top of the list always are our students. Of course, working on the ways that we can best respond to community needs; advancing and perfecting the ways in which we can continue to provide highquality health care; developing ways to advance our osteopathic medical mission – those are all top priorities. Our goal is to make a difference; to stay true to our mission; to educate at the highest level; to benefit the community and to address the needs that

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they have today as well as the needs that they will have when we celebrate our second 25 year anniversary.

LECOM Connection: Can you offer a few words about the 25th LECOM Anniversary?

JMF: When one turns 25, one might be expected to look backward more than to look ahead. Not so for the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. The 25th Anniversary of LECOM is a splendid milestone.

At the same time, it is but a first step into a future filled with limitless possibilities. We have created the foundation upon which to build for decades to come. There is a well-known adage: “The stars we are given; the constellations we make.” I have always believed that finding success entails more than simply doing nothing wrong, rather it entails doing something right.

At LECOM, we have done things right.

At this glorious moment, LECOM celebrates its 25th year by honoring the many alumni and faculty who have made extraordinary contributions to the school, to the medical community, and to the world the at large. This group of notable men and women represents the best of the LECOM story, both past and present.

With a solid foundation beneath us and companioned by a venerable past, we look boldly ahead. I see very bright skies indeed.

LECOM branch campus opened in Bradenton, FL

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 15

CREDOS OF OUR CALLING With the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) twentyfifth anniversary year now fully underway, it seems particularly fitting to highlight a credo that is, itself, endemic to all that has underpinned the grand success and attainment of this august educational institution.

Across the span of a vast history, richly purposed, innovative undertakings and enterprising,intrepid decision-making have distinguished between leader and follower; between acumen and apathy; and ultimately, between success and failure.

Indeed, a culture is created by its articulate vision.

Vision without action is but a dream; action in the absence of vision is simply the passing of time; however, action combined with vision makes a positive and powerful difference.

One is limited, not by one's abilities, rather by one's vision, for vision is the art of seeing that which is invisible to others. Successful leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.

Visionary leaders know that it is important to control one's own destiny, for if one fails to do so, someone else will exercise that control. Sage leaders know also that it is essential to face reality as it is , not as it was or as one may wish it to be.

Vision•

They understand the importance of changing strategic plans before one is compelled to do so. One's ability to learn and to translate that learning into action is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Leaders possessed of vision instill in people self-confidence, knowing that upon that confidence they will act. The insight to select the right people and to give to them the opportunity to spread their wings is a key element of vision.

It is important to cherish and to nurture one's visions and dreams, for they are the blueprints of one's ultimate achievements.

It is a truism that most champions of accomplishment have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. It is equally true that one can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. A keen visionary will know that one must not wait, for the time will never be just right. Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat.

Vision looks inward and becomes duty - a duty to self and a duty to others. Vision looks outward and becomes aspiration - an aspiration to serve and to climb. Vision looks upward and becomes faith - a penetrating knowledge that there is a Truth that surpasses all understanding. A vision is not simply a picture of that which could be; it is an appeal to one's better angels.

Vision calls upon one to see the future in the past; to embrace the pedigree of history with a richness of imagination.

One does not merely fall into the slipstream of success. Visionaries understand that one of the greatest and simplest tools for learning more and for growing is doing more – to take up a task in buoyancy and hope and to feel sure that one's cause will not be suffered to fail among men.

From its creation to its crescendo, vision and visionary leadership has been the keystone of LECOM success. In this Commemorative issue, LECOM highlights an attribute of its character central to its core.

Thus, for this reason, the all-encompassing word Vision as a Credo of Our Calling.

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The only thing worse than being blind is having sight, but no vision. ~ Helen Keller

LECOM HEALTH SUMMIT

Focus on Wellness In presenting strategies for attaining and maintaining wellness, the speakers addressed the need of the individual to be aware, engaged, and committed to making lifestyle choices that facilitate good health.

Nearly 1,400 people attended the five informative and revealing presentations offered at the Jefferson Educational Society gathering. LECOM physicians, Patrick Leary, DO; Gregory Coppola, DO; James Lin, DO; Joshua Tuck, DO; and Keynote Speaker, Ivan Rusilko, DO, a LECOM graduate who practices integrative medicine at a clinic in Miami Beach, Florida, highlighted the event as the esteemed featured lecturers.

In the midst of its 25th Anniversary celebrations, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) partnered with the Jefferson Educational Society of Erie, Pennsylvania to present the LECOM Health Summit - Focus on Wellness. The comprehensive program offered a deeply probative insight into the interaction of mind, body, and spirit; examining the way in which that interaction fundamentally dictates one’s health and wellness.

The lectures presented during the event were possessed of an important and common theme, that of whole body wellness.

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First class graduated from School of Pharmacy; Master of Science in Medical Education offered

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The strikingly current and relevant theme – that of the way in which one may best confront aging – proved enlightening.

By making positive and healthful changes in lifestyle and by embracing various treatments, one may gain more life from one's years.

From dietary adjustments to stem cell therapy to surgery, options abound to improve health and wellness. The event programs, all of which were free and open to the public, celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the founding of LECOM – the largest medical school in the nation and its only Osteopathic Academic Health Center – one unequivocally committed to the mission of osteopathic whole body health.

Recognized as nation’s largest medical school

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 17

TRADITION LECOM ERIE, LECOM AT

There are few events that give rise to heartswelling delight and pride as does that of the Annual White Coat Ceremony. The event venerates one of the highlights of the college year as a commemoration of achievement.

The White Coat Ceremony is a time-honored tradition at medical schools that serves as a ceremonial rite of passage – a pronouncement of a psychological contract that creates a bond between professionalism and empathy in the study and practice of medicine.

With that noble end in mind, more than 150 pharmacy students in the Class of 2020 and 270 medical students in the Class of 2021 marked a major milestone on September 16, 2017, with the receipt of their white coats at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) White Coat Ceremonies.

The jubilant occasion, held at the Erie Warner Theater, completed the annual rite for the first-year students who, with the donning of their white coats, marked the transition from preclinical to full clinical, hands-on training.

LECOM pharmacy students received their white coats in the first ceremony of the day; and they were addressed by Keynote Speaker, Benjamin Vroman, PharmD, LECOM School of Pharmacy Class of 2011 alumnus and faculty member at LECOM. Dr. Vroman stressed the vast responsibility to uphold the profession that is borne by the student doctors and he emphasized their unquestionably profound impact upon their patients. “I hope to take time this morning to shed some light upon all that this transition means. I believe it can be best summed up simply with a single word: responsibility,” asserted Dr. Vroman. “By that, I do not mean simply being a responsible person. A clinician voluntarily accepts the responsibility for the safety and well-being of human life,” pronounced Dr. Vroman.

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OF EXCELLENCE CELEBRATED SETON HILL STUDENTS RECEIVE WHITE COATS

Following Dr. Vroman’s Keynote Address, Zachary Heeter, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy Residency Education and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice; Douglas Smith, PharmD, Director of Experiential Education and Professor of Pharmacy Practice; and Randall Heemer, PharmD, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice placed the white coats upon each of the students as they processed across the stage.

The students were then cloaked by Robert Evans, DO, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Osteopathic Principles and Practice; Carmine D’Amico, DO, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Cardiology; Jan Hendryx, DO, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Osteopathic Principles and Practice; Michael Rowane, DO, Associate Dean of Clinical Education; and Regan Shabloski, DO, Assistant Dean of Clinical Education.

Following the formal presentation of the white coats, the students recited the Pledge of Professionalism, avowing their commitment to the pharmacy profession.

In addition to receiving their white coats, the medical students were also presented with their stethoscopes, which were distributed by Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA) President, George D. Vermeire, DO.

During the second ceremony of the day, the medical students were addressed by Ivan Rusilko, DO, a member of the Class of 2009.

Dr. Rusilko’s list of accomplishments and endeavors is a lengthy and impressive one.

He has been a Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist, and he was co-owner of a professional consulting service that specialized in fitness training, advancing general health, and nutrition counseling. Advancing the osteopathic field in which he was so adroitly trained at LECOM, Dr. Rusilko specializes in creating healthful lifestyles that support longevity and improved quality of life.

Dr. Rusilko addressed the white coat recipients by focusing upon the indispensably important osteopathic principles. He reminded the student doctors that they must treat the whole patient and that the body is possessed of an innate ability to heal itself.

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The students were then led by Silvia M. Ferretti, DO, Vice President, Provost, and Dean of Academic Affairs, in reciting the Pledge of Commitment, promising their commitment to medicine and to the osteopathic profession.

The LECOM at Seton Hill ceremony was held on October 21, 2017, at the SHU Performing Arts Center in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and it featured an address from Class of 2013 alumnus, Martin Bolinger, DO. Dr. Bolinger, a hospitalist with Conemaugh Health System in Johnstown offered the Keynote Address.

He was a member of the very first LECOM at Seton Hill Class in 2009.

to attend medical school and you are to be congratulated for making it through the highly competitive process to reach this moment.

You are becoming part of a community of osteopathic physicians, and under their guidance you will gain the knowledge that will enable you to heal your patients.” averred Dr. Bolinger Following the Ceremony, nearly 100 students, family, and friends attended the Fourth Annual White Coat Banquet to benefit the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund. The event was held at the Lamplighter Restaurant.

The White Coat Ceremony heralds the celebration and the culmination of a triumphant experience for all of the first year pharmacy and medical students who have prepared themselves academically and mentally for the challenges that lay ahead. It signifies a readiness to embrace a calling – the great calling of medicine.

Although the event may serve as a capstone at LECOM to a year of hard work, sacrifice, and success, it is also a new beginning to commence with the total immersion of heart, mind, and self into one of the noblest professions on earth.

Dr. Bolinger emphasized the significance of receiving the white coat and he highlighted the important journey of the young student doctors. “You have selected an excellent place

School of Pharmacy opened in Bradenton; Primary Care Scholars Pathway developed

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Branch campus opened at Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 19

Curtain Up

on LECOM Stage at the Playhouse

“Like the field of medicine, all art requires courage, and where the spirit does not work with the hand, there can be no art.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci As the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine celebrates its 25th Anniversary – one replete with accomplishments marked across this great nation – it must be noted that LECOM has always enjoyed a profound and enduring connection to the Erie community. Erie is the place from which the LECOM genesis illuminates the medical and educational futures of generations to come.

Having given generously for visions, causes, programs, and buildings, LECOM stands as a beacon, endeavoring always to support the place that it calls home.

Truly, the art of the Erie Playhouse is a glimmering star in our shared humanity, providing entertainment to the community. It is the forum to which we come to explore that which it means to be alive in all of its depths of sorrow and joy.

Albert Einstein once remarked that, "The arts and sciences are branches of the same tree, for all of these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, toward lifting it from the sphere of a mere physical existence, and toward leading the individual toward freedom.”

This spirit is one evidenced by LECOM, for we see that art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.

It enables us to find ourselves and to lose ourselves at the same time.

shoulder with the arts community ensuring that the illumination of our community remains forever bright,” stated Dr. Ferretti as he announced the LECOM sponsorship.

The $1.4 million renovation project began this summer in anticipation of the opening of the 101st season. The LECOM Stage at the Playhouse began its second century of arts excellence with the hit musical, Mamma Mia as LECOM now shares center stage with one of the best community theatres in the entire nation.

With this credo in mind, LECOM was profoundly proud to support and sponsor the Erie Playhouse by entering into a 25-year naming rights agreement beginning with the 101st Erie Playhouse Season. The stage upon which so many talented men and women have launched careers and entertained locals and visitors alike will now be referred to as LECOM Stage at the Playhouse.

The comprehensive project included extensive stage renovations; sinking the orchestra pit and building an under-the-stage Green Room; installing new digital stage lighting; adding a handicapped restroom on the stage level, installing a new HVAC system, and updating the patron facilities in the outer lobby and lower rotunda.

“LECOM is ever eager to advance community betterment and to develop our local economy by expanding the tangible and intrinsic benefits of the arts to our students and citizens alike,”explained LECOM President, John M. Ferretti, DO. "We stand shoulder-to-

The new sign bearing the LECOM moniker above the marquee will long remind Playhouse patrons and visitors to downtown Erie of the generous LECOM support of the arts and of its enduring commitment to a vibrant community theater in the heart of the city.

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SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED for LECOM Students

The Mahoning Valley Hospital (MVH) Foundation has pledged $58,000 to establish the Ned Underwood, DO - Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation Endowed Scholarship at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM).

The annual Scholarship will provide financial assistance and tuition support for third- or fourth-year students attending LECOM, with a preference for students who are Ohio residents of Trumbull or Mahoning Counties.

The Scholarship will further support the LECOM mission to provide primary and specialty care services in underserved communities across the country.

LECOM is deeply grateful to the grand commitment of the Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation to further students’ dreams of practicing osteopathic medicine and to advance the aspirations of qualified LECOM scholars.

Michael S. Senchak, President and CEO of the Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation, stated that, “much of the Mahoning Valley Hospital success was because of Dr. Underwood’s

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support, leadership, and guidance;” noting further that, “Dr. Underwood has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to all of those involved with the organization.”

In addition to his clinical expertise and his unyielding dedication to treating patients at the hospital, Dr. Underwood was a long-standing member of the Mahoning Valley Hospital Medical Executive Committee, a member of the Hospital Board of Trustees, and he continues as a member of the Foundation Board.

After being graduated from the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Dr. Underwood began his medical career at the Youngstown Osteopathic Hospital. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Underwood also has been instrumental at the Youngstown Osteopathic Hospital. For two decades, he led the Department of Internal Medicine where he also served as Chief of Staff.

with St. Elizabeth Hospital, Northside Hospital, and the Mahoning Valley Hospital, all located within the Greater Youngstown Ohio area. Dr. Underwood retired from the active practice of medicine in 2014.

Dr. Underwood has been involved in numerous osteopathic medicine initiatives throughout the country and he serves as Emeritus of the American Osteopathic Association and of the Ohio Osteopathic Association.

In December 2008, Mahoning Valley Hospital was sold and the remaining funds from the sale were used to create the Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation. The Foundation primarily focuses upon health, wellness, education, and alcohol and drug abuse challenges in the Ohio counties of Mahoning and Trumbull.

LECOM shares with MVH the profound and passionate pledge to advance the osteopathic mission of whole body care.

In addition to the Youngstown Osteopathic Hospital, Dr. Underwood has been affiliated

Accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway added

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School of Dental Medicine opened in Bradenton

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 21

ANSWERI LECOM Students Rescue The news agencies were reporting repeatedly that Hurricane Irma, the largest and most powerful Atlantic hurricane in decades, was going to carry just the “outer bands of its massive storm” to the Jacksonville area. This forecast somewhat bolstered Josh Patton, a third-year student at the LECOM College of Medicine, who is undertaking his rotations on the east coast of Florida.

“No one was expecting that great of a storm surge,” student doctor Patton commented, noting that his elevated optimism quickly plummeted. “On Monday morning, September 11, 2017, the storm passed decidedly through Jacksonville,” he continued. “I live about two streets from the St. Johns River. I walked to the next street and I could see water for the entire block. I spotted a person with a kayak and I asked him if anyone needed help,” the LECOM scholar further explained. The reply was an unequivocal yes. Rising water had trapped people inside of their homes and assistance was needed everywhere.

“I ran home to get my kayak and two life jackets and I carried them back to the street where I spent the next six hours paddling through the neighborhood to help wherever I could do so,” he elaborated. Student Doctor Patton canvassed the streets, pulling about 15 people to safety, including a family of five.

“Earlier in the day, I paddled to a house occupied by an older gentleman who did not wish to leave his home,” the LECOM student related, but as the water level rose with the tide, the man was ready to go,”he stated.

The tenacious scholar realized the extreme danger that was engulfing his neighborhood.

He watched couches, washing machines, air conditioners, and cars floating in neck deep water. “The water was so high that a Toyota Camry was fully submerged,” he emphasized.

“It was hard to stand still because there were waves and a current,” he added.

To add to an already dreadful situation, the drenched student returned to his home to find awaiting him more than a dozen 22 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

ING THE CALL and Serve During Recent Hurricane Crisis telephone messages from his parents.

“My parents live in Naples (near Hurricane Irma’s second landfall). With about two feet of water throughout the entire house, they lost everything. So I finished in Jacksonville Monday night, packed up, and drove down to Naples where I spent the rest of the week helping my parents salvage as much as we could.”

Josh Patton returned to Jacksonville on the following Sunday, delving directly into his Monday morning rotation. Focused, determined, passionately dedicated to community and compassionate care, student doctor Patton reflected the spirit that is LECOM in his unflagging efforts to help his fellow citizens.

Similar stories inextricably linked to LECOM and to its selfless scholars abound.

Back in Bradenton, LECOM student, Fabio Rodriguez, was of tremendous assistance in the preparation of a local clinic in advance of Hurricane Irma. Dr. Dan Buffington, PharmD, of Clinical Pharmacology Services, Inc. voiced his delight to have students, such as Fabio Rodriguez, to assist with the emergency preparations. In addition, the LECOM pharmacy student tracked storm conditions and he served professionally under exceptionally stressful circumstances.

Fourth-year LECOM Pharmacy student, Jeffery Then, was performing his rotation at Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Hospital in Pinellas Park, Florida when Hurricane Irma approached the state. As a member of the National Guard Unit in Pinellas Park, the LECOM scholar was immediately activated to help others prepare for the storm. “I remained in Pinellas Park in

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case anything was to have happened locally.

Others in my company were dispatched to Miami to assist with disaster relief in South Florida,” he explained.

“The storm engulfed the entire state. As the eye approached, we monitored its path, trying to determine where we could move people to safe locations before the storm hit,” he related.

The Pinellas Park area was evacuated and Jeffery Then, as part of the Rear Team, prepared to distribute food and water.

Thankfully, Pinellas Park escaped the brunt of the storm, while Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the Orlando areas were severely flooded.

Fellow National Guard members were in each of those areas in advance of the deluge to assist and rescue.

“I have learned to prepare for the worst and to hope for the best. If one is prepared with extra food and water, and one does not need to use it, one will have extra food and water. It is better to have it, than not to have it and want it,” the scholar averred.

“I live in Sarasota, but I grew up near Tampa; having been through Hurricane Charley (in 2004) I can say that hurricanes are not anything new to me,” the dedicated Guardsman stated.

Hurricane Irma was a strong and expansive storm to be sure; and even seasoned hurricane veterans, like Jeffrey Then, found it frightening.

LECOM training and military discipline have forged a supremely prepared and capable community servant in the personage of Jeffery Then. His dedicated service during a time of statewide calamity underscores the very real character of the students who hold high the LECOM standard.

Not for Oneself, but for Others – it is the credo patently reflective of the noble LECOM touchstone and one that is particularly evident in times of crisis.

Josh Patton, a third-year student at the LECOM School of Medicine is pictured in his kayak as he rescues neighbors from the rising storm surge.

Safe Kids Erie and LifeWorks Erie incorporated into LECOM family of health and educational services

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Millcreek Health System becomes LECOM Health; LECOM Senior Living Center opens with three independent living communities

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 23

EVER AHEAD OF THE CURVE LECOM Introduces New Programs The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) established its venerable place in medical education through a multiplicity of attributes. For decades, the College has shown unparalleled vision in addressing the needs of the educational arena as well as those of the community. One of its most noteworthy LECOM offerings focuses upon its studentcentered learning pathways. LECOM became one of the first institutions to present its curriculum in multiple learning styles designed to address the specific educational needs of its students. This relentless pursuit of furthering and deepening educational advancement has been part of the timeless mission of the College. In keeping with that mission, LECOM has, yet again, implemented new programs - programs that not only answer a definitive need, but that also further enhance its commitment to excellence and to expanding the educational paradigm.

LECOM Doctoral Anatomy Education Program (DAE) In the United States, a shortage of Anatomy Educators holding advanced degrees has led to an increased need for qualified educators to teach anatomical sciences at an undergraduate or doctoral level. As senior PhD faculty members move into administrative roles or retire, and as the number of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools and Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Programs increase, the demand for Anatomy Educators will continue to increase as well.

This demand demonstrates a pronounced need for Doctoral Level Anatomy Educators.

Despite this need, a deficient number of programs provide such doctoral level training in Anatomy Education, with only three such offerings existing in North America. These programs will be unable to sufficiently keep

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pace with the burgeoning need for PhD Anatomists. Given the noted shortage of appropriately trained faculty, the need for effective teaching is acutely evident.

LECOM Erie immediately recognized this need. The consistently prescient understanding of the educational paradigm evinced by LECOM, prompted the College to offer the LECOM Doctoral Anatomy Education Program (DAE). The DAE Program is a four-year program in Anatomy Education centered upon three goals.

The student shall: Develop mastery in the knowledge of anatomical sciences; develop mastery in the skills of anatomical education; and develop the positive attitudes and professional behaviors of a competent anatomy educator.

The Program provides doctoral-level curriculum in the anatomical sciences.

Students are required to complete teaching practicums and to conduct original research in anatomy education. Graduates of this Program will be highly knowledgeable and skillful Anatomy Education Specialists who will be well equipped to train the next generation of healthcare providers. As a result of this training, graduates will be highly marketable and sought after in the field.

The DAE wholly aligns with the LECOM mission by providing excellence in education.

Anatomy educators trained in this Program will contribute to the further education of student doctors in the LECOM medical, pharmacy, and dental schools, and in educational research; the result of which will position them to obtain faculty teaching positions throughout the United States.

LECOM MS in Biomedical Ethics Program (MSBE) A new generation of healthcare professionals are encountering cultural and social attitudes, values, and beliefs that may differ from their own experiences and traditional perceptions.

It is increasingly necessary that anyone engaged in healthcare delivery be possessed of a strong understanding of these differences and be able to deal effectively with them to provide the best patient outcomes.

To this end, LECOM has developed an MS in Biomedical Ethics – a distance education program that answers the call for better prepared healthcare workers. This Program of applied ethics education seeks to move learners beyond knowledge acquisition and skills development to the integration of behavioral changes that result in the delivery of excellent patient-centered care.

Deepened with relevant ethics knowledge and its critical application, providers are able to enhance care delivery and to improve patient satisfaction.

Modern health professionals are expected to adequately develop and to hone their interprofessional skills. Working collaboratively

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and cooperatively is critical, not only to maintain the integrity of their professions, but also to ensure the best treatment outcomes for their patients. The LECOM MS in Biomedical Ethics is designed to provide flexibility for busy working professionals and for students who can complete the degree in as few as 18 months. The competency-based learning Program is delivered in an interactive online environment, combining multiple methods of instruction. Individual courses use various teaching methodologies driven by adult learning principles: interactive scenarios; PowerPoint presentations; podcasts; assigned readings from textbooks and from other recommended sources; self-assessments; forum discussions; guided role plays; teamwork activities; chat rooms; as well as live discussions.

The Program is useful for physicians, researchers, physician assistants, nurses, chaplains, clergy, educators, social workers, and healthcare advocates of all sorts.

Individuals earning this degree will be placing themselves into high demand for palliative care and for end-of-life care positions, as these are the very caregivers who accompany family members through the difficult final moments.

This Program also will benefit those seeking higher education to prepare for health care compliance and patient-care management/ research careers.

Whether students are preparing for, or continuing, a career in healthcare, science, law, chaplaincy/church ministry, education, social services, advocacy, or management, the MS in Biomedical Ethics will provide the ethical understanding required to confidently approach their respective disciplines armed with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and mindset.

LECOM recognizes that leaders and professionals in the vanguard of health care carry a particular responsibility for improving patient-centered care. The MSBE Program will help to assure that the care provided is ethics-based, respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values; and that clinical decisions are guided by the patient’s values.

Corry Memorial Hospital, Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County and LECOM Nursing and Rehabilitation Center join LECOM Health

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Understanding and supporting patientcentered care is a fundamental value of LECOM Health.

LECOM MHSA Nurse Executive Track Program The LECOM MHSA Nurse Executive Track Program is a two-course series that covers a broad range of topics and that demonstrates the interconnectivity of finance, economics, governance, ethics, and staffing. This course also offers the aspiring or practicing nurse administrator an acute focus upon the financial impact of administrative and management decisions across hospitals and healthcare organizations. Upon completion of this session, students will have gained a multiplicity of competencies, becoming adept at understanding the way in which communication, collaboration, and autonomy affect the organization. Program participants will gain competency in effective communication. Scholars also will examine the American Hospital Association (AHA) Report from a volume-based environment to a value-based environment by utilizing and analyzing healthcare data. Students will then recommend marketing approaches by using and applying the training and knowledge garnered from this Program.

LECOM offers the MHSA Nurse Executive Track Program as part of its unremitting commitment to serve as the premier provider of lifelong, whole person, health care that attends to mind, body, and spirit.

As evidenced by these, indeed by all programs at LECOM, the College mission and values underscore, support, and advance healthcare practitioners in every stage of training as they acquire and apply the necessary, wellinformed knowledge and skills that advance total patient care.

LECOM celebrates 25th Anniversary; LECOM joins with the Pittsburgh Pirates to announce namingrights for LECOM Park in Bradenton

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 25

Photography Credits: Marcus Maschwitz Photography

London Calling

LECOM Alum Takes Band to Abbey Road Studios Some have said that music is medicine for the mind; therapeutic, restorative, indeed inspirational. Perhaps few better personify this belief than does John Fetchero, III, DO, a 2011 LECOM Erie College of Medicine graduate who completed his family medicine residency at St. Petersburg General Hospital in Florida in 2014.

The penetrating preparedness and depth of skill that Dr. Fetchero gained while in study at LECOM and during his residency have fashioned a medical professional par excellence. With all of the pressures associated with the onerous responsibilities of practice, there arises a need for that mental medicine and therapeutic restorative.

Some may recall that several years ago, the LECOM Connection featured Dr. Fetchero and his musical band of brothers, Fetch. As one follows the band into the present day, one finds Fetch rocking their way along Abbey Road in London.

Dr. John Fetchero along with his two brothers, Dominic and Chris formed Fetch in the early part of the decade. Professionals all – drummer, Dominic is enrolled in the Florida Coastal School of Law and, simultaneously, he is pursuing a master's degree in public policy at Jacksonville University; Chris (on electric guitar, bass guitar, and backup vocals) is a

26 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

graduate of the Thomas Cooley Law School in Tampa. Youngest brother, Victor, also has joined the band as the bass player. A recent FSU graduate, he hopes also to attend law school.

Dr. Fetchero is the lead vocalist and guitarist, and he writes the majority of the songs. The family hails from Jacksonville.

Dr. Fetchero attributes much of his success and opportunities to those skills developed and nurtured while at LECOM. “LECOM leadership and the LECOM faculty were very supportive in helping me to make it through the medical program,” pronounced the grateful doctor.

“LECOM is a great school and I am proud to say that I was graduated from there. There was no other school that I have ever attended that was so invested in me." furthered Dr. Fetchero.

The former Chief Resident of the St. Petersburg General Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Fetchero was elected to oversee approximately forty-three traditional rotating interns and family practice residents. “It was a great experience,” recalled Dr. Fetchero, “and I would not have made it there without the support of LECOM,” he concluded. Dr. Fetchero now specializes in family medicine at Family Practice Associates of Orange Park in Fleming Island, Florida.

When the doctor is not steeped in the rigors of practice, he may be found tunefully tarrying in the musical group that he founded with his siblings. In 2001, he and his two younger brothers assembled the three-piece band. At first, the group covered the music of other artists while playing for family and friends. As the unique musical style of the band developed, they began writing and recording their own music. In the summer of 2003, Fetch played their first show.

Almost fifteen years later, they are still going strong – in fact, they may even be considered a force in the music scene with many of their songs requested and played on Top 40 radio.

The band has been featured in radio interviews, festivals, political campaigns, and even in charity fundraisers, such as the LECOM Student Scholarship Auction Gala in Bradenton, where the band again appeared this year.

Turning to the recent London experience, Dr. Fetchero explained that "the idea for recording at Abbey Road Studios came to me when my girlfriend and I were on vacation in England last year. I have always been a devoted Beatles fan, so I wanted to play tourist and walk across the zebra crossing,” stated Dr. Fetchero, recalling The Beatles pose on the cover of their album, Abbey Road. “While I was standing outside of the studio gates, near the readily recognizable crosswalk, I imagined just how fantastic it would be to record there. I determined to find a way to do it," averred Dr. Fetchero.

Realizing such an opportunity would not be the same without his brothers, Dr. Fetchero committed himself to arrange this challenging international endeavor.

Indeed, it was a challenge to organize.

The brothers' assortment of demanding professional and school schedules dominated the planning; but after a few months of careful orchestrating, the band booked two days at the famed studio.

"We booked Studio 2 for the live recording of the band. Arguably, the most famous studio chamber in the world, it was the room in which most of The Beatles songs, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon, were recorded.

Most of the 1960s vintage equipment that was used to record The Beatles and Pink Floyd was still operational and in use at the studio. Dr. Fetchero recorded his vocals with the same U48 microphone used by The Beatles to record so many of their hit songs.

"I even recorded using the very same piano that they used to record hits such as A Day In The Life, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Paperback Writer, and others," elaborated Dr. Fetchero.

"Since this was a distinctively unique trip, we endeavored to ensure that all of the music that we recorded in London would remain special in the years to come. We decided to write a song in honor of our beloved late father (the esteemed John Anthony Fetchero, Jr., DO); and we recorded a cover of Eric Clapton's Cocaine, our dad's favorite song," Dr. Fetchero beamed proudly.

The group is working to create a complete album that will include those specific songs and others. "We will lay down the remainder of the songs here in the states, and hopefully, we will release the album next year," postulated the musical medic.

Dr. Fetchero noted that well-known musician's photographer, Marcus Maschwitz, photographed the band, adding an extra dimension to the experience. Maschwitz has photographed many of the most highlyrenowned and respected performers in the music industry.

Noting a somewhat metaphysical and perhaps, otherworldly nod to the Fetchero brothers’ musical adventure, the band happened into Yusef (formerly known as Cat Stevens) at their hotel. The famed rocker graciously offered the Fetchero brothers detailed directions to the Abbey Road studio. Remarked Dr. Fetchero, "It was a surreal encounter, considering his (Cat Stevens) songbook was the first one that I had ever received when I started playing guitar. My uncle, who gave me my first guitar, included the Cat Stevens' Greatest Hits Songbook in the guitar case."

"It well may be that our uncle is looking down upon us and guiding our way," mused Dr. Fetchero.

There is no doubt that with heaven-sent support and heavenly sounds, Fetch seems to be making its mark in the music world.

LECOM congratulates Dr. John Fetchero and his tuneful band of brothers on this noteworthy endeavor as they bring joy to many listeners and lovers of new and classic rock.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 27

COMMUNITY IS OUR CAMPUS

Bradenton School of Pharmacy Health Fair

JUMP! Back to School

Out of the Darkness Walk 2017

Presque Isle Clean Up

The LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy Florida Society of HealthSystem Pharmacists - Student Chapter participated in a health fair at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA. These future pharmacists are advancing the betterment of their community.

LECOM Erie student doctors and faculty wore blue as they participated in a walk to raise awareness about the physician suicide rate. The Out of the Darkness Walk 2017 raised over $20,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

28 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

Fourth-year LECOM School of Dental Medicine students participated in the WQLN Education Program – JUMP! Back to School. Students provided dental screenings to children, offered oral hygiene instruction, and distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste to event attendees.

In an effort to keep Erie beautiful, LECOM students spent a September Saturday cleaning up Presque Isle. The students collected and removed 65 pounds of trash from the beaches along the peninsula.

COMMUNITY IS OUR CAMPUS

LECOM at Seton Hill SGA Picnic

Bridging the Gaps

Bradenton Sports Physicals

Erie YMCA Mentoring

The LECOM at Seton Hill SGA hosted the Annual Back to School/Club Picnic at Twin Lakes Park in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The collegial event allowed first- and second-year students to mingle as the new students collected information from the various clubs on campus. As an added bonus, many students brought along their furry friends!

LECOM Bradenton College of Medicine students participated in the Manatee Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program to offer free sports physicals to student-athletes. The event was held at Lakewood Ranch High School.

Bridging the Gaps medical student-participants spent seven weeks developing and implementing a project to benefit local community sites.

Many students plan to continue their project throughout the school year.

The College of Medicine Mentoring Club visits the Erie Heights YMCA Kids Club every week to engage children in constructive activities.

Pictured above: Tie-Dye Night, a favorite among the youngsters.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 29

NOTES

STUDENT NOTES

College of Medicine Erie Campus

Kristin Day, OMSIII, was featured in an article published in the Clearfield, PA newspaper, The Progress. Kristin is completing her core rotations at Penn Highlands Healthcare in DuBois, PA. Tatiana Fech, OMSI, co-authored a research paper entitled: Characterization of the Superior Olivary Complex of Canis Lupus Domesticus, which was published in Hearing Research.

Stephen McKinney, OMSII, created SOMA Suppers, where each month, medical students visit two local low-income housing units within Erie for a family-style dinner designed to discuss various health topics.

Brandon Shute, OMSIII, was featured in an article published in the Clearfield, PA newspaper, The Progress. Brandon is completing his core rotations at Penn Highlands Healthcare in DuBois, PA. Kate Selva, OMSII, was appointed Vice President of the National Student Society for the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Kaitlyn Spinella, OMSII, started a new program at the LECOM Senior Living Center. In addition to participating in the monthly bingo games, students now are able to visit with residents on the second Wednesday of each month. Kaitlyn hosted a manicure night for the residents; many of the ladies enjoyed having their nails painted and some of the men had their nails trimmed.

Jeri Lynn Watson, OMSIII, was featured in an article published in Clearfield, PA newspaper, The Progress. Jeri Lynn is completing her core rotations at Penn Highlands Healthcare in DuBois, PA.

College of Medicine Seton Hill Campus Ken Walls, OMSI, received a scholarship award from the National Health Service Corps.

Max Jacobs, OMSII; Alexander Porter, OMSII; and Ron White, OMSII, competed in the Toughman 70.3 Triathlon in Utah. While successfully completing a triathlon is a remarkable accomplishment in itself, each of the gentlemen finished within the top ten for their age group.

The trio represented LECOM during the race and they raised over $500 toward the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund.

School of Pharmacy Erie Campus Relindis Mbah, P1, is an advocate with the United Nations-based organization, Nothing But Nets. Recently, she met with 100 other advocates from 27 states for World Malaria Day. The event was held in Washington, DC, with the main goal of advocating for $174 million for the President's Malaria Initiative and $1.35 billion for the Global Fund.

Christina Schuler, P2, was installed as the 2017-18 Student Director, West, during the 2017 Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association Annual Conference held at the Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center in Pocono Manor, PA.

School of Pharmacy Bradenton Campus Aakash Gohel, P4, and Bobby Sheridan, P4, won the local American Society of Health System Pharmacists Clinical Skills Competition in Bradenton, FL. They will represent LECOM as they compete against more than 160 teams at the national competition in Orlando in December of 2017.

Ashleigh Beachy, P2, Mark Johnston, P2, and Shelby Swartzenruber, P2, placed second in the Florida Pharmacy Association Annual Over-theCounter Quiz Bowl.

Rawan Ottallah, P4, presented a poster at the Florida Pharmacy Association Annual Meeting.

Alexandra Riviera, P3, served as a summer intern at the Americorps Vista. There, she worked with Manatee County organizations to provide education to the public about opioid abuse in Florida.

FACULTY NOTES College of Medicine

W. Richard Chegwidden, PhD, was elected to a fellowship of the Royal Society of Biology.

Randy Kulesza, PhD, co-authored a research paper entitled: Characterization of the Superior Olivary Complex of Canis Lupus Domesticus, which was published in Hearing Research.

Santiago Lorenzo, PhD, co-authored a research paper entitled: Ten Days of Repeated Local Forearm Heating Does Not Affect Cutaneous Vascular Function, which was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

30 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

Amanda Vancura Mason, DO, was elected to the Lisbon David Anderson Athletic Hall of Fame for her track and field career at David Anderson High School in Lisbon, Ohio. Dr. Mason is a member of the DAHS Class of 1998.

School of Pharmacy Kimberly Burns, RPh, had a continuing education lesson entitled: Pharmacy Law – Regulatory Updates Affecting Pharmacy Practice, published in Rx Consultant.

Marcus Campbell, PharmD, provided a continuing medical education session for the St. Petersburg General Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program entitled: Anticoagulation Rundown.

Frank Etzler, PhD, co-authored a book entitled: Adhesion in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Dental Fields.

Kristen Gawronski, PharmD, received a $100,000 grant from the Erie Community Foundation to conduct medication therapy management related to cardiovascular disease prevention in collaboration with community primary care physicians.

Erica Pascale, PharmD, presented a roundtable discussion entitled: Use of Simulated Electronic Health Record (EHR) for Active Student Learning, at the Annual American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Meeting.

Kelly Scolaro, PharmD, co-authored a manuscript published in the Journal of Student-Run Clinics entitled: Assessing Medication Pick Up Rates at Student-Run Free Health Clinics.

Katherine Tromp, PharmD, was promoted to Associate Dean at the LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy.

Julie Wilkinson, PharmD, was installed as Vice Dean for Accreditation, Assessment, and Student Success at the LECOM School of Pharmacy.

School of Dental Medicine Prasad Dalvi was the co-author on a research study published in InTech. The piece was entitled: Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes: Two Sides of the Same Coin!

Joel Felsenfeld, DDS, was inducted into the American College of Dentists.

Donald Millner, DDS, received the 2017 Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition Award presented by the Academy of General Dentistry.

NOTES School of Graduate Studies Jonathan Coffman, PhD, presented his poster entitled: NGS and Selective Culture: Isolation and Quantification of Enterococci in Avian Excreta, at the Second American Society for Microbiology Conference on Rapid Applied Microbial NextGeneration Sequencing and Bioinformatic Pipelines, in Washington, DC. Tim Novak, MSA, was nominated for the Drug Free Manatee Champion of Prevention Award for Higher Education Sector. His and other community champions' efforts enable Drug Free Manatee to implement initiatives to reduce substance abuse and to promote healthful lifestyles.

Richard Terry, DO Named Educator of the Year

The American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) has named Richard Terry, DO, as the 2017 recipient of its W. Douglas Ward, PhD, Educator of the Year Award. The estimable distinction is one of the highest honors in the profession.

The Educator of the Year designation recognizes osteopathic teachers who display not only the highest standards of excellence, but also an unwavering dedication to the tenets of osteopathic medicine and a true passion for passing on those tenets to future generations of osteopathic physicians.

Recipients have had a significant impact upon the academic advancement of osteopathic students and they have made long-standing contributions to the profession in the academic arena.

Dr. Terry is an Assistant Dean of Regional Clinical Education at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also serves as the Chief Academic Officer of the Lake Erie Consortium for Osteopathic Medical Training (LECOMT), where he develops regional campuses and training sites that combine undergraduate medical education with graduate medical education training. He is intimately involved in the teaching of the osteopathic philosophy to students and to graduate physicians.

LECOM proudly hails Dr. Terry’s grand achievement!

ALUMNI NOTES Class of 1998

Kristin Matteson, DO, received the Kenmore Mercy Hospital (Buffalo, NY) Doctor of Distinction Award for 2017. Nominations, which are made by hospital staff, volunteers, and fellow physicians, as well as by patients and their families, spoke of the way in which Matteson exemplifies the mission and values of Kenmore Mercy through her compassion and respect for others.

Class of 2001 Gary Mirone, DO, joined Cape Regional Physicians Associates in Cape May Court House, NJ, as a urogynecologist.

Kenneth Molinero Jr., DO, joined Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carrol Township, PA, as an orthopedic surgeon.

Class of 2002 David Bradley, DO, joined the Pain Medicine Department at the Essentia Health – 32nd Avenue Clinic in Fargo, ND.

Class of 2004 Michelle Bradley, DO, a family medicine physician, joined the Essentia Health – 52nd Avenue Clinic in Fargo, ND. Brian Vaske, DO, joined the Wheeling Hospital pediatrics staff in Wheeling, WV. Kristin Shaneyfelt, DO, was welcomed to the International Association of HealthCare Professionals with her publication in The Leading Physicians of the World.

Class of 2005 Rami Ahmed, DO, was awarded the American College of Emergency Physicians National Emergency Medicine Faculty Teaching Award.

Class of 2006 Duangnapa Cuddy, DO, joined St. Luke’s Vascular Surgery Associates in Hibbing, MN.

Class of 2007 John Bacha, DO, has been named Medical Director of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Class of 2008 Ariane Conaboy, DO, was named to the Top 40 Under 40 Physicians in Pennsylvania based upon her quality of providing care, patient satisfaction, and leadership in medicine and medical education. The honor is bestowed upon worthy physicians by the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

She also was named one of the Top 20 Under 40 Young Business Leaders by the Northeast Business Journal.

Kevin Martin, DO, was selected by the Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons as the 2017 Young Emerging Leader. Dr. Martin also was selected by the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society as the American representative for their annual international traveling fellowship.

Thomas Slokan, DO, joined the Heritage Valley Medical Group Trinity Family Practice in Chippewa Township, PA.

Class of 2009 Jeffrey Fowler, DO, joined the University of Pittsburgh at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, as Assistant Professor of Medicine.

Dr. Fowler is an interventional cardiologist.

Vikram Palkar, DO, joined the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ, as an associate vascular and general surgeon. Dr. Palkar completed his surgical residency at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, NY, and he recently completed his vascular surgery fellowship at Deborah Heart and Lung Center.

Class of 2010 Peter McCarthy, DO, joined the Conemaugh Physician Group Ligonier Practice in Ligonier, PA. Ryan Melchior, DO, joined Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists in Midlothian, VA, as an interventional cardiologist.

Christopher Morgan, DO, joined the cardiology team at Heritage Valley Medical Group and the Heart and Vascular Center in Beaver, PA.

Class of 2011 Adrienne Asschmetat, DO, joined the medical staff at Spectrum Health Big Rapids and Reed City Hospitals in Big Rapids, MI. B. Allyn Behling, DO, joined Michigan Lakeland Health System as Director of Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation. Dr. Behling also established the Lakeland Physical Medicine Practice at the Paw Paw Lake Medical Center in Coloma, MI.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 31

NOTES Timothy Busian, DO, joined the family medicine practice at Alexandria Clinic in Alexandria, MN.

Class of 2015

- Continued From Page 13

Travis Swartz, DO, joined the Essentia Health St. Mary’s-Detroit Lakes Clinic in Detroit Lakes, MN, as a general surgeon.

Michael Harris, DO, presented a tutorial entitled: Obesity with Cardiovascular Disease as part of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point A-Fib Month. The event took place in September of 2017, in Hudson, FL.

health and wellness in each area of its focus.

Thanks to LECOM and to the full complement of its resources, the mission and purpose that it began decades ago - to constantly improve access to health services and to ensure community service - places LECOM squarely in the forefront of pinnacle care and community development in multiple regions across the nation.

Beth Webber, DO, joined Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, IN, as an anesthesiologist.

Class of 2012 Paul Aschmetat, DO, joined the medical staff at Spectrum Health Big Rapids and Reed City Hospitals in Big Rapids, MI.

Class of 2016 Martha Acton, DMD, recently opened a fullservice family dental practice called Buck Creek Family Dental in Alabaster, AL.

Angela Barnes, DO, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Catholic Medical Partners in Buffalo, NY. Tyler Wallen, DO, was the recipient of the Philadelphia Mercy Health System 2017 Alan and Delores Gustafson Grant to study nutrition and outcomes in humanitarian cardiac surgery. Dr. Wallen also was named the 2017 Mercy Catholic Medical Center Department of Surgery Resident of the Year. Additionally, Dr. Wallen was the recipient of the Richard Clark Memorial Paper, awarded to the highest scoring abstract at the Society of Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting.

Class of 2013 Kimberley Hoenecke, DO, joined ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah in Neenah, WI, as a psychiatry hospitalist.

Ryan Nemunaitis, DO, and Laurel Meteer, DO, were married on Aug. 11, 2017.

Class of 2014 Logan Dellinger, DO, was appointed to the active medical staff at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in Jasper, IN. Ryan Donnelly, DO, joined the medical staff of the Hudson Headwaters Health Network Indian Lake Health Center, North Creek Health Center and West Mountain Health Services in Warrensburg, NY. Erica Shatara, DO, joined the family medicine team at the Guthrie Medical Group Southport Offices in Elmira, NY. Sarah Skelly, DO, joined the Santa Rosa Medical Group Navarre Medical Office in Navarre, FL.

32 LECOM CONNECTION | FALL 2017 | LECOM.edu

Bryan Sweeney, DO Outstanding Resident of the Year in Obstetrics and Gynecology The American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) and the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOOG) have named Bryan Sweeney, DO, as the 2017 Outstanding Resident of the Year in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Sweeney is Chief Resident of the OBGYN Residency at Midwestern University/ OPTI: Presence Resurrection Healthcare Consortium, where he serves as an exemplar of aptitude and achievement. He was graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) at Seton Hill in 2014, and he was named Intern of the Year during his PGY-1 year. Indeed, colleagues have noted that his character and kind demeanor set him apart from the rest.

The Outstanding Resident of the Year Award recognizes the best and brightest DO residents in postdoctoral training programs across the country. These stellar trainees demonstrate a unique amalgam of clinical promise, leadership, dedication, and commitment to osteopathic patient-centered care. Many such award recipients distinguish themselves as national and world leaders in healthcare or research.

LECOM heartily congratulates Bryan Sweeney!

That same commitment to excellence evidenced in Erie extends to the LECOM impact upon Bradenton and DeFuniak Springs, Florida where the LECOM schools of medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry have established yet a new era in the advancement of healthcare education. Dental scholars, completing their fourth year of study at community-based dental outreach offices in DeFuniak Springs carry forth the enduring LECOM commitment to provide care to the communities where it is most needed.

Greensburg, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region also have experienced the uplifting influence of LECOM where the extension of LECOM Erie to the campus of the private liberal arts institution of Seton Hill University has infused the local community with the benefits attendant to health care, medical education, and all of its economic derivatives.

Indeed, Erie has found rebirth, in large part, due to the prescient vision of the college founders and concomitantly, as a result of the laborious efforts of an administration and of a Board of Trustees that recognizes an exceptionalism that can be brought about by a commitment to excellence and through an unyielding persistence to achieve the possible.

From the heartland of Pennsylvania to the Florida coast, that very LECOM commitment to excellence and to community service has benefited countless lives, changed futures, and transformed the landscape.

There is work yet to be done, for always there are battles to be won and challenges to be vanquished. Yet, LECOM stands triumphantly welcoming the next undertaking with the passion to serve that has been its hallmark for a quarter of a century.

FEATURE - Continued From Page 11 at every level of physical, emotional, and even financial health, indeed defines and underpins the true application of health care. LECOM Health places the emphasis upon whole person wellness at every center that carries the LECOM Health name. With its highly trained medical professionals – people concerned with wellness as a way of life – LECOM Health is the new imprimatur of the venerable luminary in health care.

The year 2016 began with multiple LECOM Health acquisitions, including Corry Memorial Hospital, LECOM Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, and the Visiting Nurses Association of Erie County. The prodigious undertaking further solidified LECOM as the seminal provider of a healthful and proactive amalgam of comprehensive services that afford older adults independent decision-making options throughout each part of the continuum of care.

The beginning of all promising enterprises, undertakings, or accomplishments begins with an idea. With that idea usually follows a set of circumstances, which, in retrospect, appear to have forecast a prophetic outcome. Now in

its 25th year, under the continued guidance of its second President, John M. Ferretti, DO, LECOM has developed an unassailable reputation as a leader in medical education and patient care, with its graduates highly sought after in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry. LECOM also has set the standard for affordable education in a private medical college setting where graduates achieve outstanding board scores and journey forward to make a difference in the field of health care.

The College established its venerable place in medical education through a multiplicity of attributes; one of its most noteworthy offerings focuses upon its student-centered Learning Pathways. LECOM became one of the first institutions to present its curriculum in multiple learning styles designed to address the specific educational needs of its students and it accorded to them a choice of three- or four-year programs.

Coupled with its superlative curriculum, the character of those who practice their noble profession is at the heart of a LECOM education. Those in leadership understood that a physician embodies honor, professional appearance, purposeful action, and responsible

behavior. The College adopted an honor code, a dress code for classroom and clinic, and professional policies that inculcate respect for the faculty.

The visionary leaders of medicine who founded LECOM sought to develop the core attributes of that which defines a healthcare professional: the credo of the calling; the intrinsic purpose of the healer; and the foundation of that which carries a physician to seek the best version of himself or herself – for each defines the future of medicine.

Much has transpired in two-and-a-half decades all within the prophecy of a prescient body of educators and physicians whose idea of the possible triumphed over doubt.

The founders of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine knew that their actions would inspire, their mission would bring purpose, and their commitment to a vision would result in a better tomorrow, not only for the generations of scholars who have crossed the threshold of a great institution, but also to the communities and to the larger world that they will serve in the calling of a lifetime.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 33

Peek’n Peak Resort, Clymer, NY

•

March 1-4

Presented By:

Conference Information Primary Care 2018 offers a unique learning experience for physicians and health care professionals seeking to learn the latest information about medical advancements and treatment options. LECOM faculty and guest lecturers will present topics pertinent to primary care physicians as well as specialists.

The conference will focus upon health problems commonly seen in the offices of primary care physicians.

Topics for this years conference will include two hours of opioid training; pain management, the identification of addiction and the practice of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. Along with clinical lectures, topics presented will be related to women’s health, sports medicine, gastroenterology and much more! Primary Care 2018 will also devote up to five hours to the mandated patient safety and risk management requirements.

Pre-Conference Workshop The Lake Erie Integrated Geriatric Health Team (LIGHT) is supported by a $2.2 million Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) grant which supports the development of a health care workforce that improves health outcomes for older adults by integrating geriatrics with primary care, maximizing patient and family engagement, and transforming the health care system.

This pre-conference workshop will consist of continuing education sessions for all levels of licensed health care professionals and will prepare them for certification in geriatrics through the certifying body for each discipline. The workshop will be held on Thursday, March 1 from 12-5pm.

Fees and Credit Hours

Conference Schedule

Physician Registration - Up to 20 Credit Hours: $375.00 Allied Health Professionals - Up to 20 Credit hours - $250.00 Students, Residents, Interns - Up to 20 Credit Hours - $150.00* Thursday Pre-Conference Workshop - Up to 5 Credit Hours: $100.00**

Thursday, March 1: 12:00pm-5:00pm Friday, March 2: 7:00am-5:30pm Saturday, March 3: 8:00am-5:30pm Sunday, March 4: 7:00am-11:00am

*Students must be current medical, pharmacy or dental students. **The Thursday Pre-Conference Workshop is an add-on and is not included in the Physician or Allied Health Professional registration.

Register Online at LECOM.edu/CME Early-bird registration ends February 1, 2018

As the year draws to a close and 2018 approaches, this LECOM Christmas Message is offered to friends both far and near as we take time to reflect upon the blessings in life – our families, our friends, our situations, our good relationships with one another – upon those special and elemental aspects of life that matter most. Whether you are reading this message in anticipation of snow and sleigh-bells, or if your holly-boughs and garlands welcome warmth and sunshine in the winter sky above, Christmas – the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year – is fast approaching!

Effervescent with enthusiasm, we wish to all a Merry Christmas!

The glad greeting is a pledge of peace and love, bringing the gift of Christ's birth to our needful world. This special time calls to mind tenderness for the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future. It offers a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.

The promise of this glorious season lifts our hearts and warms our homes as we keep our centuries-old appointment with Christmas. May the holiday season rekindle our awareness that it is not joy that makes us grateful, rather it is gratitude that makes us joyful.

We at LECOM wish to all within our voice, abundant health, a glowing hearth, an America united, and peace throughout the New Year.

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NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID ERIE, PA PERMIT NO. 968

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1858 West Grandview Blvd. Erie, Pennsylvania 16509 (814) 866-6641 www.lecom.edu

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SHOW YOUR LECOM PRIDE! LECOM License Plates Now Available in Pennsylvania

LECOM alumni and friends of the College can now display their LECOM pride wherever they drive. A purchase of a LECOM license plate supports the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund.

Standard plate: $125.* Personalized plate: $230.*

VISIT LECOM.EDU/ALUMNI/LICENSE-PLATE TO ORDER YOUR PLATE

* Price includes PA license registration and production fees and a tax-deductible donation to the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund.

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