THE
LECOM
ONNECTION
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine SUMMER 2017
TEAMMATES
IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS
LECOM.edu
A seminal theme of this issue of the LECOM Connection is centering upon the endeavors of exceptionalism in our 25th year. It is unequivocal that none of the countless achievements and successes of LECOM has been the result of undertakings attained in the absence of such excellence.
For decades, LECOM has advanced its educational standard and it has led the charge; and in so doing, LECOM has relied upon the indispensable attributes of its graduates as they make their way into the world in answer to their calling and for the betterment of mankind. Our stalwart mission to educate, to serve, and improve healthcare has taken us into ventures that
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 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
broaden and nurture the osteopathic principles upon which this institution was founded. This issue will highlight recent alliances that underscore the link between sports and wellness and that elucidate the parallels between scholar and athlete.
We welcome you, the reader, to peruse these pages as we congratulate our learned scholars going forth into the calling of their lives; as we highlight our triumphs and alliances with like-minded community, regional, and national partners; and as we step forth into the cusp of a new era for LECOM.
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
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
LECOM Mission of Exceptionalism and Wellness
Welcomes New Teammates What is it that shapes us into the people whom we are to become? Some posit that this answer may be found in DNA, others suggest one’s surroundings are the determinative factor; perhaps it is by luck?
that the test score has borne out numbers that disappoint, each individual has learned the way in which to rise and to try once more; for to the athlete and to the scholar, failure is never an option.
Rather, it is each day, striving to give the best of oneself, offering the devotion of heart, struggling for every gain, realizing that each success entails overcoming challenges and trials.
By now, you, the reader, may have surmised that my message to you in this LECOM Connection serves to illustrate the close parallel and almost inextricable link between sports and education as we explore the intestinal fortitude of men and women who strive together for the same goal.
Whether one endures 90-degree heat to toil through long hours of practice or whether one pours over tomes in concentrated study, each learns not to quit. Whether one suffers the pain and strain of physical endurance and seemingly endless training on the field, court, or course or whether one dedicates countless hours and sleepless nights to probative intellectual inquiry, understanding, and the pursuit of knowledge, one learns that such pain often is the only path to excellence. Whether at the end of the contest, one finds that the scoreboard or the leaderboard is less than one would have wished, or whether one learns
The lessons of all sports carry over from the actual playing field into the arena that is life. For this reason, coupled with the undeniable focus upon wellness, preventive medicine, whole-body health care, and the mind, body, spirit nexus that underpins the comprehensive principles of osteopathic medicine, LECOM has entered enthusiastically into an array of partnerships. With the Pittsburgh Pirates, LECOM announced its naming-rights agreement for spring training in Bradenton, Florida. As part of a 15-year naming-rights agreement, the former McKechnie Field is now LECOM Park. This estimable undertaking emphasizes a shared mission with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in allegiance to hometown roots, in commitment to community, and in an unflagging devotion to health and wellness. Both LECOM and the Pirates hold in common a mission to develop young people into highly-trained professionals who will flourish in the pursuit of their calling.
From baseball, I turn to golf, where LECOM is equally enthralled to be sponsoring the LECOM Health Challenge, bringing the PGA Tour to our region. As we reach into our community to promote healthful lifestyles that lead to longer and more fulfilling lives, sports fitness provides an essential component in maintaining wellness. Many will recall that LECOM opened the most advanced and innovative fitness and wellness center in the Western Pennsylvania region, that our premier sports medicine and orthopedic group provides medical services for the professional basketball team, the Erie BayHawks, as well as for Mercyhurst University and Mercyhurst High School sports teams, and for the Corry School District, and that LECOM boasts some of the finest sports medicine physicians in the nation. It is no surprise then, that the LECOM Health Challenge serves as an exemplar for those seeking health and wellness as a way of life. Like our superlative medical students, LECOM Health Challenge golfers commit their extensive time and effort to achieving their career goals. In addition to the foregoing, this year, one will find the Cleveland Browns prominently sporting our LECOM logo on the front shoulder of every player’s practice jersey. As part of a new LECOM/Browns partnership, Browns fans across the Mid-Atlantic region will come to recognize the luminous rays of our LECOM sun. For each of these teams, for all of their players, and for each and every one of our students, may you find, whether on the field of competition or in the classroom, those priceless moments during which you strive to be your very best, racing with destiny to attain your highest dream. We at LECOM are delighted to support that mission. For success on the field of competition and in the practice of medicine requires heart, pride, and teamwork. Success in life requires the same.
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NE
IN THIS ISSUE 12
Credos of Our Calling
FEATURE
13
Michael P. Rowane Named Associate Dean of Clinical Education
14
Mathew J. Bateman Appointed Dean of LECOM School of Dental Medicine
07 Teammates in Health and Wellness
15
Dare to Have a Dream
16
Commencement 2017
20
Recipients of the John M. Ferretti President's Award for Distinguished Service
24
From South Beach to South America
25
Back to the Future
27
Pirates Ball Girl Catches Pharmacy Degree
34
Three Physicians Appointed to the Clinical Practices of LECOM
DEPARTMENTS 28
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.
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FEATURE
LECOM AND PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Announce Bradenton Ballpark Naming-Rights Agreement The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) have announced a naming-rights agreement for spring training at a familiar ballpark in Bradenton, FL. As part of a 15-year naming rights agreement, the former McKechnie Field is now known as LECOM Park. As the largest medical college in the nation, LECOM, with Millcreek Community Hospital and the clinical practices of Medical Associates of Erie, forms the only osteopathic Academic Health Center in the United States. With campuses in Erie and Greensburg, PA, as well as in Bradenton, FL, LECOM evinces a stalwart commitment both to Western PA and to the City of Bradenton. The shared mission makes LECOM a natural partner with the Pirates in Bradenton.
will enable high definition video replays, active batting line-ups, display pitch velocity, and a plethora of other statistical data.
opened the newly renovated one-story 22,500 square foot clubhouse as part of a major capital improvement project to LECOM Park.
The Pirates also announced that the recently constructed home clubhouse at LECOM Park will now be known as the Bill McKechnie Home Clubhouse to continue to recognize and to honor the beloved Pittsburgh-area native, former Bradenton resident, and Hall of Fame Manager, Bill McKechnie. In 2015, the Pirates
Pirates spring training has taken place at in Bradenton every year since 1969. Only the Detroit Tigers have trained at its current spring training facility for a longer period. In addition to spring training, LECOM Park is home to the Bradenton Marauders, the Single-A Pirates affiliate in the Florida State League.
“LECOM Park is our organization’s southern home and we are proud to announce this agreement with a respected and established brand that has roots in Western Pennsylvania and one that has quickly become a leader in education in the Bradenton area,” said Pirates President Frank Coonelly. “LECOM shares our mission to help develop young people into highly trained professionals so that they can pursue their dreams. LECOM also shares our commitment to community and we look forward to partnering with LECOM to continue to invest in improving the lives of others in our Bradenton community,” Coonelly stated. “The need to bring new health care professionals to Florida drew LECOM to Bradenton where we found a welcoming community spirit that included the Pittsburgh Pirates,” noted LECOM President and CEO, John M. Ferretti, DO. “This is an opportunity to encourage wellness and health in this community as we prepare a new generation of physicians, pharmacists, and dentists to meet the growing healthcare needs in Florida and across the nation,” affirmed Dr. Ferretti. As part of the announcement, the Pirates unveiled the new LECOM Park videoboard. The new videoboard, which has an active screen size of 25.2 feet high by 45.6 feet wide, is yet another step that the City of Bradenton and the Pirates have taken together to enhance the fan experience at LECOM Park. It
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FEATURE
LECOM TO SPONSOR
PENNSYLVANIA GOLF ASSOCIATION 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
Like similar LECOM sports sponsorships, the chance to promote more healthful lifestyles through fitness activities reigns supreme in the latest undertaking by LECOM as it serves as Presenting Sponsor for twelve Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) amateur events. Hundreds of amateur golfers from across Pennsylvania will be introduced to LECOM at these events and they will learn about the College on the PA Golf Association Web site.
golfing community as it assists them in promoting, advancing, and enjoying the game. Rich is the man who, if only for a short time, feels the glory of his body in peak condition, the bond of sportsmanship, the sweet joy of victory and the lessons attendant to defeat. While the memories of such a time fade as one grows older, the wisdom that one gleans from the experience will echo throughout life.
The twelve LECOM sponsored amateur golf events, scheduled between May and October 2017, will be held at some of the foremost country clubs and golf courses in the Commonwealth, and the tournament schedule will offer a wide array of golf play options such as: The 104th Amateur at White Manor Country Club, the 101st Open at Gulph Mills Golf Club, the 24th Mid-Amateur at Fox Chapel Golf Club, and the 58th Senior Amateur at St. Clair Country Club. Additional championship venues include: the Senior Match Play at Lebanon Country Club, the George Dressler Memorial at Indiana Country Club, the Four-Ball at Moselem Springs Golf Club, the Senior Four-Ball at Williamsport Country Club, the R. Jay Sigel Match Play at the Country Club of Scranton, the Junior (Boys and Girls) Tournament at Hershey Country Club, and the Art Wall, Jr. Memorial at Chartiers Country Club. The Pennsylvania Golf Association is the authoritative body of amateur golf in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In that role, PAGA promotes growth, preserves traditions, and protects the integrity of the game, in accordance with the rules adopted by the United States Golf Association. To fulfill its purpose, the PAGA conducts state championships and offers other relevant services, both to its members and to the
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Forging character has been the pursuit of LECOM since its inception. LECOM is delighted to participate in this venture as such worthy athletic endeavors perpetuate wellness and whole-body health. Character-building, health-focused objectives will continue to be accomplished through sponsorship and support of such noteworthy and worthwhile amateur events.
LECOM Patches It Up! As part of a new partnership between the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and the Cleveland Browns, the LECOM logo now will be prominently displayed on the front shoulder of every player’s practice jersey. The LECOM/Browns partnership will provide significant media exposure for the LECOM brand as the noted NFL team enjoys the support of a very large and loyal fan base in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and across the nation. Last year, LECOM announced a partnership with the Browns that is intended to assist in further expanding the LECOM mission throughout Ohio and beyond. With fans of the Browns peppered throughout the country, and with an abundance of prospective and current students and healthcare practitioners who support the Browns in a variety of locales, LECOM enjoys the added benefit of widely disseminating and actively promoting its osteopathic philosophy. The whole-body wellness and prevention message will be carried far and wide through this purposeful alliance with the world class athletes of this NFL team. Throughout the season, the LECOM logo will be featured on ticket promotions. The logo also will be found on team injury reports, on high school football programs, and on the main scoreboard in FirstEnergy Stadium (in Cleveland) during home games.
Recently, LECOM and the Browns ran a joint promotion with Discount Drug Mart stores. The special offer provided two free tickets and $20 worth of Browns Bucks – good for concession items at FirstEnergy Stadium – to the first 50 college students to display their student IDs at each home game. The promotion resulted in 532,492 social media impressions; and 500 students received free tickets to a Browns home game. The Browns, in conjunction with LECOM, also sponsored the Cleveland Browns High School Football Game of the Week, which invited fans to vote for their choice among high school team matchups in northeast Ohio. The winning team in the weekly matchup was awarded $2,500 for its respective football program. Nearly 1.2 million votes were cast over the course of the high school football season, with nearly 1.2 million pageviews on the Cleveland Browns website. Additionally, LECOM presented the Weekly Injury Report, which is a key piece of statistical information for football fans. LECOM also presented an educational video entitled: Anatomy of a Player, which showcased several Browns players and the science behind their ability to run, jump, catch, and tackle.
The LECOM logo was featured throughout these events and promotions, as well as on signage at FirstEnergy Stadium. Both LECOM and the Browns share a great enthusiasm about this new partnership; and LECOM looks forward to its continued successful reception.
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FEATURE
SUPPORTING Continuing to support and to advance the passion to be great, LECOM Health stands proudly as the title sponsor of the new PGA and Web.com Tour event at Peek’n Peak Resort in neighboring Western New York. The highly-publicized event will again take place during the first week of July, 2017. The Tour propels the purposeful role of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) as an unabashed leader in advancing the powerfully healing principles of osteopathic medicine while simultaneously blending its mission-driven objective of benefiting its Student Scholarship Fund. Once again this year, the internationallytelevised event will foster collaboration among notable partners from New York and Pennsylvania to emphasize the significance of health and wellness in the field of sports. The LECOM Health Challenge highlights the full spectrum of health and wellness through the multifaceted sporting event that garners international media coverage as it benefits the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund. At LECOM, great pride is taken in its heritage and in its unparalleled ability to recruit, to educate, and to train first-rate osteopathic physicians and healthcare professionals; those whose competent, compassionate, and holistic approaches to clinical, didactic, and other professional responsibilities are prepared for the health care and scientific environments of the 21st Century. The LECOM Student Scholarship Fund serves as an integral instrument in assisting students to accomplish these noble goals. Two-thirds of the proceeds raised at the estimable charitable event benefit the Scholarship Fund. The LECOM Student Scholarship Fund assists deserving students who may not otherwise afford the burdensome cost of a medical education. Even though LECOM boasts the second lowest tuition cost in the nation, students still come away with indebtedness.
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“There is no greatness without a passion to be great, be it the aspiration of athlete or artist, physician or scholar.” ~ Winston Churchill
G THE PASSION TO BE GREAT The Scholarship Fund has allowed countless scholars to attain a life's dream in the calling of medicine. Proceeds from the LECOM Health Challenge also benefit Mikey’s Way Foundation (MWF). MWF received its vision from its founder, Michael “Mikey” Friedman. The group seeks to enrich the lives of children suffering with cancer and with other life-threatening illnesses. Another LECOM Health Challenge beneficiary is The First Tee, an international youth development organization that introduces the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. Through after-school and in-school programs, The First Tee helps to shape the lives of young people, from all walks of life, by reinforcing values of integrity, respect and perseverance through the game of golf. Rounding out the designees of the charitable proceeds from the LECOM Health Challenge is the United Way - an organization that improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. The LECOM Health Challenge will again be played at the Peek’n Peak Upper Course as it boasts a weeklong schedule of events that will include a Pro-Am play session, followed by four official rounds of tournament competition. Last year, PGA TOUR officials noted that the first few days of tournament play surpassed all of the other Web.com Tour events offered in 2016. The event enjoyed a successful inaugural year, boasting more than 20,000 spectators, 400 volunteers, and more than 90 sponsors. The tournament featured a weighty schedule of activities, including a Junior Clinic and a Pro-Am, followed by four official rounds of competition from which – after a thrilling four-
man playoff – Rick Lamb emerged as the 2016 LECOM Health Challenge champion. The event was such a resounding success that it was awarded Rookie of the Year status by the Web.com Tour. Matched against six other new Web.com Tour events, the LECOM Health Challenge was recognized as the best new event for the 2016 season. Golf Channel will again televise the event in the United States; and the tournament will be viewed in almost 200 countries and territories, having a potential reach of 93 million households via PGA TOUR international broadcast operations. “We continue to be delighted to partner with the PGA TOUR and the Web.com Tour to encourage health and wellness,” affirmed John M. Ferretti, DO, President and CEO of LECOM. “There is no better example to highlight wellness than with the young Tour professionals, who, like our LECOM students, commit themselves to an extraordinary amount of work to achieve their career goals,” he averred. “These young professionals mirror the passion to be great; a passion evidenced by our fine LECOM scholars. For like the athlete, the scholar commits the whole of himself or herself to the calling of a lifetime,” he continued. “We have united with our team partners to advance the LECOM mission to aid our students and to give strong philanthropic support to them,” noted President Ferretti. “While LECOM offers one of the most affordable tuitions in the nation, we deeply value the LECOM Health Challenge pledge to help these students by providing scholarship dollars from the tournament proceeds,” concluded Dr. Ferretti. LECOM Health is committed to promoting healthful lifestyles that lead to longer and more fulfilling lives. Sports and fitness
provide a large component of maintaining wellness, whether one is a weekend warrior or a professional athlete. To promote this healthful mission, LECOM opened the most advanced and innovative wellness and fitness center in the region. Through the premier sports medicine and orthopedic group, LECOM provides medical services for many of the area sports teams - both amateur and professional. The fine young golfers share a common passion with LECOM medical students, for each individual, from player to scholar, is devoting extraordinary time and effort into achieving his or her career goals. LECOM greatly appreciates that among the Chautauqua County and Greater Erie qualifying charities, the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund will benefit from the net proceeds of the tournament as well. LECOM will again work with the PGA and with Scott Enterprises and the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation to provide enthralling golf action as the Tour attracts spectators and national attention to the vibrant Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania Region. The Web.com Tour is the path to the PGA TOUR, with all 50 PGA TOUR cards for the following TOUR season passing through the Web.com Tour annually. LECOM is again expected to reach a worldwide audience through Golf Channel interviews, player comments, news media articles, and through the sheer excitement of watching the tournament live. From vendor exhibits, skybox participation, to overall tournament operations, the entire event is poised to repeat the resounding success that it enjoyed in 2016.
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CREDOS OF OUR CALLING
Zeal•
The characteristics and traits of enduring use and relevance that we, as medical professionals hold close, explicitly inform our virtue. They provide our personal compendium of great moral literacy. The traits of character that we most admire are key to the high and noble calling of the medical profession and they develop and enable virtue in all pursuits. Such virtuous character is propelled forward by zeal; the feeling of strong eagerness and tireless devotion, which, under specific circumstances, drives an individual to make meaningful, conscious decisions in new as well as in obscure situations. Zeal is the vigorous mechanism of character; that ardor which bubbles within one such that it may be harnessed for the good of the individual and of the society. Famed author, Kahlil Gibran, described zeal as "a volcano, the peak upon which the grass of indecisiveness cannot grow."
Noted statesman, Joseph Addison, proved that zeal as a virtuous characteristic crosses all professions and pursuits. He explained that “there is no greater sign of a general decay of virtue in a nation, than a want of zeal in its inhabitants for the good of their country.” President Theodore Roosevelt echoed Addison's esteem for the attribute. “Far better is it to dare mighty things with eagerness, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” Indeed, ideas are born of the zeal found within one's intellectual life, and they bring forth grand results. For this reason, and for all who answer the call to action, the LECOM Connection highlights Zeal as a Credo of Our Calling.
Physicians long have understood that laboring for others must be undertaken with the same zeal as if it were for the benefit of one's own self. Through zeal, knowledge is attained; through lack of zeal, knowledge is lost. Some may even posit that success may be due less to ability than to zeal. There is little doubt, however, that the combination of the two attributes creates a formidable result.
RICH TRADITION CELEBRATED
“Zeal will do more for one than will knowledge,” noted the English writer and philosopher, William Hazlitt. Zeal is a vitality, an intrinsic energy, an intellectual quickening, that is translated into action. The vitality of innate zeal within an individual shows in not only the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over and to resist defeat.
Knowledge without zeal is fire without light. ~ Ovid 12 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2017 | LECOM.edu
Michael P. Rowane, DO
NAMED ASSOCIATE DEAN OF CLINICAL EDUCATION For as long as the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has been educating students at the pinnacle of medical excellence, Dr. Michael P. Rowane has been working in the field of medical education. For half of that time - serving as Professor of Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine - he has helped to prepare LECOM medical students for their professional careers. In undertaking his new position as Associate Dean of Clinical Education, Dr. Rowane is tasked with guiding LECOM students through their clinical education from their very first day on campus until the time of their graduation. “I hope to be a reliable and worthy resource for the regional deans who work with the students at the hospital campuses,” commented Dr. Rowane. Dr. Rowane served previously as the Director of Medical Education at University Hospitals Regional Hospital and as the Director of Osteopathic Integration for the University Hospitals Osteopathic Consortium in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to his work in that post, he served as the Family Medicine Residency Director at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Rowane is a 1989 graduate of Des Moines University, from which he also completed a predoctoral fellowship in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Following his residency in Family Medicine at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, PA, Dr. Rowane participated in faculty development fellowships at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed a postdoctoral Master's Degree in Family Medicine at CWRU and he completed a fellowship with the National Institute for Program Directors. “LECOM has been an innovative curriculum model. While at University Hospitals (in Cleveland), I had experience working in a beta-site for the core clinical rotation model. LECOM is constantly looking to reinvent teaching models and to be on the cuttingedge of medical education. This aspect of my experience will be a valuable resource
upon which I can draw to aid in that regard,” furthered the new Dean. “Health care continues to change and we need to demonstrate our ability to adapt medical education as medical knowledge changes. We must train our students to thrive in that fluid environment,” he remarked. The dedication to the osteopathic approach to health care exhibited by LECOM is unparalleled. As the current President of the American Academy of Osteopathy, Dr. Rowane shares that unique osteopathic perspective; one that he can adroitly convey to LECOM students. Dr. Rowane received the honor of Fellowship of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) in 2003. Currently, he is the President of the AAO and he has overseen their Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Program Director Workshops and co-directed their faculty development programs. Among many other estimable positions held, Dr. Rowane is the Past-President of the Cleveland Academy of Osteopathic Medicine. He is the Past Chairperson of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institute and he has served on multiple committees for the AAO, Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, Cleveland Academy of Family Physicians, and the Cleveland Academy of Osteopathic Medicine. The captivating recounting of a deep restlessness toward life and education has propelled Dr. Rowane ever forward with celerity and skill. In reflecting upon the many accomplishments that LECOM has achieved in only two short decades, it is clear that the institution is possessed of an undeniable ability to advance its educational excellence through its assemblage of highly skilled educators and academic leaders such as Dr. Michael P. Rowane.
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Mathew J. Bateman, PhD, DHEd
APPOINTED TO DEAN OF LECOM SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE Trustees that Dr. Bateman’s unparalleled skills and expertise made him an ideal candidate to fill the role of Dean,” Dr. Ferretti averred.
served as site coordinator for the College as part of the Nebraska Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence Program.
Dr. Bateman has served as LECOM Assistant Dean of Curriculum, Evaluation, and Faculty and is the Institutional Director of Planning, Assessment, Accreditation, and Research, overseeing institutional strategic planning, accreditation for all of the LECOM programs, grant applications, and institutional research. As one may discern from the foregoing litany of responsibilities, his tasks have been complex and his work highly regarded at LECOM.
Dr. Bateman joined the LECOM faculty in the summer of 2006 after teaching for three years at a small, undergraduate college. In 2002, Dr. Bateman earned his PhD from the University of Iowa, College of Medicine in the area of Anatomy and Cell Biology. While at LECOM, he taught anatomical sciences in the College of Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, and the School of Dental Medicine. During his time with LECOM, Dr. Bateman returned to school to complete a second doctorate in health education, which he received from A.T. Still University School of Health Management in 2009. After completing the second doctorate, Dr. Bateman participated in the LECOM sponsored Masters in Medical Education teaching leadership and curriculum courses.
“I am honored to be offered this opportunity and I look forward to working with the LECOM faculty, the LECOM community, and with those whom they serve,” Dr. Bateman commented. Mathew J. Bateman, PhD, DHEd. has been named as the Dean of the Lake Erie College of Medicine (LECOM) School of Dental Medicine (SDM) in Bradenton, FL, where he has served as Interim Dean since the summer of 2016. In announcing the appointment, Silvia M. Ferretti, DO, LECOM Provost, Senior Vice President, and Dean of Academic Affairs stated: “The LECOM administration was confident in choosing Dr. Bateman for this position because of his many successes, his outstanding service to the LECOM community, and, in particular, his role as a member of the administrative team that made possible the establishment of the SDM community outreach clinics in Erie, Pennsylvania and in DeFuniak Springs, Florida." Dr. Bateman has been an integral part of the LECOM team, working with the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) in obtaining and maintaining the accreditation for the SDM. His knowledge of the operations, academic structure, and plans for the dental school make him ideally suited to serve as Dean. “Although LECOM initiated a national search for a new Dean of the SDM, it was apparent to the President and to the LECOM Board of
While serving as Institutional Director of Planning, Assessment, Accreditation and Research for the past three years, Dr. Bateman worked closely with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, both in maintaining accreditation for LECOM and in serving on several site teams, compliance teams, and as a periodic reviewer of other colleges and universities. He is also a site inspector for the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the accrediting body for colleges of osteopathic medicine nationwide. Dr. Bateman completed his undergraduate education at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. His qualifications as an anatomist were earned during his doctoral program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, where he served as a teaching assistant for several Dental Anatomy courses and where he also studied Histology within the Iowa School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Bateman became a postdoctoral fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and upon completion of that program, he became an Assistant Professor at Chadron State College in Nebraska, where he taught Anatomic Sciences, conducted research, and
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He served as the Assistant Director of the LECOM Lecture Discussion Pathway in Erie, PA, helping to oversee medical students’ pre-clinical education. Dr. Bateman was later named Assistant Dean of Curriculum, Faculty and Assessment, at which time he developed a new approach for the Problem-Based Learning Pathway that was implemented at the LECOM Seton Hill campus and that was subsequently adapted to the dental curriculum. Dr. Bateman has continued his professional training by attending the Harvard Macy Institute. There, he focused upon a systems approach to assessment in health profession education and he also attended the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Institute. Dr. Bateman’s work offers great meaning for LECOM. He looks forward to performing his new charge as he continues to be an integral part of the LECOM family. Likewise, LECOM welcomes this indispensable specialist to his official position SDM Dean.
Dare
to have a
Dare to have a dream for dreamers make the miracles, dreamers right the wrongs, and dreamers shape the world. Sacrifice for your dreams, for one will not gain from a dream too easily reached; and above all, believe in yourself – for upon that your dream depends.
In our 25th year, this Commencement Issue recapitulates our 2016 Message to the Graduates with the foregoing prescient prose. It is perhaps most aptly offered to our readers this year, for it sets forth a readily observed parallel of vision. For as we reflect upon the birth of a now grand institution, we recall that it too began as a dream, wrought with sacrifice and nurtured upward through persistent fortitude. Could the founders have foreseen the power of their mission at such an early stage? Could they have known that their collaboration would bloom and blossom into the largest medical school in the nation? Would they have had even an inkling that their conception would create the only osteopathic academic health center in the nation?
Indeed, Makers of Miracles were these founders, for they brought about health care through health care education for countless men and women.
This is the lesson of the quarter century of attainment. The dream is never too great where there is purpose, passion, and a willingness to risk oneself in the doing.
Doubtless the fruits of their labors have saved lives and have been the miracles sought by families for their loved ones. Guided always through Providence, these pioneering founders laid bare their plans. Many sacrifices beset them, obstacles were overcome and entanglements unwound.
The noble calling of medicine is as a beacon for those who seek a better tomorrow for our world. There are those who would dampen the aspirations of the dreamers of dreams. Heed not the words of naysayers and pessimists, rather set your course for the possible. Our great American century has been led by dreamers.
Just as the LECOM founders dared to have a dream, a hopeful vision brought to reality through their careful planning, comprehensive understanding of community need, and an insight infused with purpose and promise, so too do our new graduates venture into their calling with a grand dream, fully prepared and eager to shape their world.
As you, our 2017 graduates, depart these hallowed halls, skilled, highly-trained, profoundly educated in the rigors of the medical arts and sciences, may you carry with you something far less tangible, but perhaps equally important – the passion to dream; for in these dreams rests the world that you will create.
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COMMENCEMENT 2017 WITH THE CELEBRATION OF 25TH YEAR UNDERWAY, LECOM GRADUATES ITS LARGEST CLASS
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Students Awarded Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Dental Medicine, and Master's Degrees As the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) celebrates its 25th Anniversary year, the College punctuated its milestone of attainment by graduating its largest class to date. LECOM conferred 1,075 degrees as Erie held its 21st Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 28, 2017, at 1 pm, at the Erie Insurance Arena and LECOM Bradenton held its 10th Commencement Ceremony a week later at the Bradenton Convention Center in Palmetto, Florida. For 25 years, the LECOM imprimatur has served as a mark of excellence in medical education. Its graduates have carried the LECOM standard into practice around the globe. This 25th LECOM Anniversary Class continues along this noble course. LECOM Erie conferred 562 degrees. During the Erie Ceremony, 261 students from the Erie campus and 101 students from the Seton Hill campus received the Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine Degree. In addition to the medical graduates, 141 Doctor of Pharmacy Degrees were awarded to the graduating scholars, and 27 students received the Master in Health Services Administration Degree. Additionally, 27 students received the Master of Science in Medical Education Degree; and another five scholars were awarded the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Degree. Among those graduated from the LECOM Erie College of Medicine was Amy Goodrich-Harris, whose ties to LECOM are a family affair. Goodrich-Harris, a former Physician Assistant, is following in the footsteps of her brothers. Her older brother, Rich Goodrich, D.O., earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from LECOM in 2008; and her younger brother, Eric Goodrich, D.O., was graduated from LECOM with his medical degree in 2014. Rich is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and Eric, currently is wearing the colors in service to our nation.
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Taking the next step in her career to become a physician is a momentous occasion for Goodrich-Harris. “It truly is an honor to be joining both of my brothers as LECOM alumni,” beamed Goodrich-Harris. “I have witnessed them transform into competent and caring physicians. From their very first years as medical students, to their becoming U.S. Naval surgeons, I have always admired their expertise in osteopathic manipulative medicine. For me to acquire a similar expertise from LECOM was quite an accomplishment,” she averred. LECOM Bradenton celebrated a decade of commencements as it held its Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 4 at 1 pm, at the Bradenton Convention Center in Palmetto, Florida. LECOM Bradenton was proud to have the members of its inaugural class of Master of Medical Science (MMS) receive their degrees, along with 100 Doctors of Dental Medicine, 138 Doctors of Pharmacy, 188 Doctors of
become professionals here at LECOM and elsewhere. I feel proud that we, as a class, started this journey together. I am confident that this opportunity has honed us to become more successful as professionals.� LECOM is the largest medical college in the nation and is part of LECOM Health, the only Osteopathic Academic Health Center in the United States. Its programs and offerings are thorough and well-conceived and the graduates of each discipline take their training and skill into the world with the confidence and surety that they have been well-taught. Graduates of the College of Osteopathic Medicine will continue their postgraduate training at hospitals throughout the nation, with thirty percent of these graduates continuing their learning in Florida and Pennsylvania. LECOM graduates more primary care physicians than any other medical school in the U.S. Graduates who received the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Degree will begin their careers at community and clinical pharmacies across the nation and an increasing number of them elect to continue with postgraduate specialized residency programs.
Osteopathic Medicine, and an additional 18 Master of Health Services Administration graduates. The newest MMS Degree Program graduates numbered 68 - a significant and laudable number of recipients. The MMS Program was implemented last year at LECOM Bradenton to provide an educational option for students who require more time to prepare to qualify for professional healthcare degree programs. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania native, Logan Rutch, explained that the new MMS Program offered to him the opportunity to gain an advanced degree and that aspect was key to attracting him to the Master of Medical Science. Rutch, who has been accepted into the LECOM School of Dental Medicine explained that: “This inaugural MMS class has set the standard for many students to begin their journeys to
Amy Goodrich-Harris, DO
School of Dental Medicine graduates are now prepared to provide oral health care to communities with a need for more dentists. After dental school students spent three years studying at the LECOM Florida campus, including one year of clinical training at the LECOM Bradenton Dental Group practice, they complete a final year of clinical practice in dental offices in the under served areas of DeFuniak Springs, FL, and in Erie. LECOM Master of Medical Education and Masters in Health Services Administration graduates are planning to use their new skills at teaching hospitals and in leadership roles at healthcare facilities around the country. Indeed, the passing of each year inscribes into the history of LECOM those indelibly etched memories and achievements of the scholars who have held high the bar and who have borne the standard of all that is LECOM. This 21st class to graduate from LECOM leaves upon its legacy a mark of excellence and of outstanding achievement. The campuses represent not only a network of scholarly aptitude, but a unified and resounding voice of purposeful service. Comprised of an amalgam of talented students, LECOM wishes to pay tribute to those whose efforts and achievements have shone brightly. May these graduates go forth to offer their gifts to the world in the service of their calling.
Logan Rutch, MMS
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JOHN M. FERRETTI, DO PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE Recipients Mark the Noble Mission of LECOM
For a quarter of a century, the leadership of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has remained solid and steadfast; undeniably, a seminal reason for the success of the venerable institution. During this time, the entire organizational existence of LECOM has been directed by Dr. John M. Ferretti, an astute visionary who has guided LECOM from its humble beginnings to an integrated, diversified, and comprehensive academic health center that addresses every aspect of medical care from education to total wellness. Much of this grand success has been made possible by the administrators who were among the founders and academic leaders of this institution from its inception. During the 2017 Commencement Ceremonies, Dr. Ferretti recognized these
esteemed individuals by bestowing upon them the John M. Ferretti, DO President’s Award for Distinguished Service.
care, and impassioned community service enhance the quality of life through improved healthcare for generations to come.
Winston Churchill once noted that “kites rise highest against the wind.” Without question, those who have risen against the winds of time and trial have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with LECOM. The President's Distinguished Service Award is presented to those committed supporters who have demonstrated a profound and manifest pledge to LECOM and to its inexhaustible mission of preparing students to become first-rate osteopathic physicians, pharmacy practitioners, and dentists. The programs of excellence in education, exceptionalism in research, distinction in clinical
It is the high honor of the LECOM Connection to recognize the recipients of this august distinction.
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ANTHONY FERRETTI, DO Dante said that “accolades are not achieved by sitting on feather cushions or by lounging in bed.” This academic scholar, military leader, and LECOM founder has received many highlyrespected accolades and awards during
his multi-decade career. His outstanding accomplishments in scientific, professional, and osteopathic education are a tribute to a life lived in service to something more than self. Though voluminous accomplishments pepper Dr. Anthony Ferretti’s distinguished career, first and foremost, it must be mentioned that Dr. Ferretti was a dedicated and steadfast officer in the United States military. As a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves, he was activated to serve in Desert Shield/Desert Storm in the early 1990s. Later, as a Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Ferretti served as a member in the U.S. Army Medical Team and as a Field Surgical Team Commander. As Colonel, in 2003, he was activated once again for Mission Iraqi Freedom. His service to this nation and to the cause of liberty is one of which LECOM is very proud. Dr. Ferretti’s medical training and expertise are equally prodigious in that he has directed countless medical facility operations and he has held positions of leadership that have been noticeably effective throughout his terms. During the last three decades, he has been a member of the Department of Surgery at Millcreek Community Hospital, past Residency Director of the MCH Orthopedic Residency Program, and Chairman for the Division of Orthopedics at Millcreek Community Hospital where he has served on the Board of Directors. Dr. Ferretti was a member of the founding Board of LECOM and he is presently a Board Member at LECOM Health. Great credit is due Dr. Ferretti for facilitating the start and the tremendous growth of LECOM, establishing the college as the largest osteopathic medical school in the nation. His unflagging work has led this institution to become one of the top entrepreneurial success stories in the nation. The pooled skills of physician, administrator, soldier, and scholar find a purposeful congruence in Anthony Ferretti, DO as he has influenced countless lives with the love of his work and with the productive results of a passionately manifested career. LECOM lauds the legacy of Dr. Anthony Ferretti, one that imparts upon LECOM an enthusiasm, a fervor, and a contagious spirit that is a positive exemplar to the entire arena of health care.
ROBERT GEORGE, DO The American historian, Henry Adams said that “a teacher affects eternity, for he can never tell where his influence stops.” LECOM places exceptionally high value upon its educational goals; stressing the importance of preparing students to become osteopathic medical professionals through programs of excellence in education, research, clinical care, and community service that enhance the quality of life through improved health for all humanity. There are few educators and medical professionals who have better defined that commitment to excellence and that concentration upon service than has Dr. Robert J. George. For more than a decade he has encouraged LECOM students to strive for professionalism, advancing an awareness of humanity to carry those principles forward when they become practicing physicians. The man behind a spate of credentials, a compelling professional history, and an array of accomplishments unmistakably marks the mission central to LECOM. Osteopathic practitioners know that the whole person is not simply comprised of a history of accomplishments or an accrual of august positions; rather it is the amalgam of the man behind those accomplishments that separates him from all others.
Dr. George has demonstrated unparalleled commitment to the Southwest Florida community, generously supporting organizations such as the Galvano OneStop Center for the homeless and indigent, the Cancer Support Community, and the V Foundation – a national charity to raise money for cancer research. He intrinsically lives the LECOM mission that pledges community service as a seminal part of the commitment to prepare students to become more compassionate caregivers. Dr. George has set that example by supporting those organizations that have similar goals and aims as those advanced by LECOM. Many LECOM successes have come about in noteworthy measure due to the unfaltering leadership of Dr. Robert George. His unflinching integrity has been evident in each aspect of his work. The people with whom he has interacted know that his word is his bond and that surety is inspirational. His self-discipline and his persistent and courageous spirit has shepherded his actions and his convictions. Dr. George never has avoided the challenging path; finding great purpose in his life’s mission as a central principle. Such sense of purpose is essential to leaders and Dr. George, at all times, has been possessed of great direction, goal, and mission. In grateful recognition of his venerable dedication to LECOM and of his countless noteworthy achievements in a life of purposed mission, the John M. Ferretti, DO President’s Award for Distinguished Service was bestowed upon Dr. Robert George.
With the foregoing in mind, it is clear that not only has Dr. Robert George been a leader in education, but he has personified all that it means to be a community servant and philanthropist. His capable and superlative work as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at LECOM Bradenton has placed him in the very forefront of providing for the health care needs of the Southwest Florida region.
MARY ECKERT
Dr. George has championed various community programs across the region and throughout the state to foster an academic health system with the goal of bringing the best quality healthcare to the communities that he touches. He has done this by practicing the principles of osteopathic medicine throughout all aspects of his work – and by creating affiliations with organizations that provide further opportunities for better training of new physicians.
This academic professional began her stellar career in education as an elementary school teacher and principal. She then moved into the healthcare field where she held management positions at St. Vincent's Hospital and at the former Spencer Hospital in Meadville, Pennsylvania. In 1983, she joined Millcreek Community Hospital as an Associate Administrator. Elevated to the position of Executive Director in 1986, she was appointed
GK Chesterton once wrote that “education is the soul of society as it passes from one generation to another.”
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in 1995, to the position that she now holds as President and CEO of Millcreek Community Hospital. Many readers immediately will recognize Mary L. Eckert as the person about whom so much is written. Mary’s incandescent career in education and hospital administration has been illustrative of a purpose beyond measure, for her work has touched lives both in measurable and immeasurable ways. She holds numerous Board appointments, including serving on the Boards of LECOM and LECOM Health among numerous other distinctions. Great ideas, those which have formed a triumphant past, lend themselves to creating the best of the present and of the future. LECOM is fortunate to have had Mary Eckert at the helm of its hospital system; for she has long been an originator of prescient and well-conceived ideas. She is a leader who is unflaggingly committed to community and to societal betterment. Her work in guiding Millcreek Community Hospital to its prominent position in the region has personified
exceptionalism in meeting and in standing victoriously above the challenges of our time. Ever a sensible and sagacious conservator of the LECOM cause, Mary L. Eckert has skillfully championed its exceptional educational and healthcare mission to carry a profound purpose into the 21st century. The finest eloquence is that which gets things done and Mary Eckert has been in the vanguard of LECOM achievements. Indeed, one reason for the great success of LECOM has been the founding guidance and consistent leadership of LECOM luminaries such as Mary Eckert. Under her capable management, LECOM has developed and grown from a community-based hospital to the largest medical college in the nation and into a flourishing integrated, diversified, and comprehensive academic medical system that embraces every aspect of medical care from education to whole body health.
training to pursue just results under the law. During all of this time Michael Visnosky has embraced LECOM as his extended family and he has worked diligently to insure the continued growth and success of LECOM. For over two decades he has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of LECOM Health. He has been unwavering in his stalwart support, sound advice, and focused mission for the benefit of his community and of this great institution. On behalf of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michael Visnosky, Esquire has been an unabashed defender of all that justice demands, taking LECOM through every noteworthy endeavor. As a founding member of LECOM, Attorney Michael Visnosky has been wholly in tune with the mission and purpose of our distinguished institution. From nascence to our national renown, this cable Counselor has guided, advised, nudged, and bolstered our vision, taking the College through uncharted seas and navigating a course to calm waters.
It has been said that time is the coin of our lives and we must take care of the way in which we spend it. There is no doubt that Mary L. Eckert has spent the full value of her purpose on an enduring treasure. LECOM owes an enormous debt of gratitude to her.
For his tenacious support of the LECOM mission, for his astute and well-considered guidance, for his adroit skill, intelligent planning, and focused determination of spirit and soul, Attorney Michael Visnosky was an obvious choice to receive this prestigious award.
MICHAEL VISNOSKY, ESQ
RICHARD P. OLINGER
A famed member of the British Parliament, – Lord Devlin – once said that “law is the blazing lamp that shows that freedom lives.” The estimable individual of whom I now speak has been a steadfast defender of the law and per force, of the deep and abiding freedoms that our American justice system holds high.
Aristotle once said that “the work that man does shapes him, but the purpose a man has defines him.” For this sagacious and deliberative individual, few words carry more fitting resonance.
Laws are edged tools and those who understand them, make good use of them and those who do not understand them find that they are sharp and will cut. In the end, however, the law is essential for the defense for our society; it is the bedrock of our nation; it tells us who we are and defines all that we value as a people. Attorney Michael Visnosky has spent his career working within the legal system. He has brought his legal knowledge and his skilled
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As its indispensable Vice President of Fiscal Affairs, Richard (Dick) Olinger has long been an integral part of the LECOM family. For more than two decades, he has served as Chief Financial Officer for the Millcreek Health System and Millcreek Community Hospital. As a LECOM Trustee, Dick Olinger has proven that our problems are never greater than our purpose. He has championed the LECOM vision and he has advanced the strategic mission of the institution with a dedication and farsightedness that ranks among the exceptional.
CHRISTINE KELL, PhD “Thoughts lead us to purpose; purpose leads to action; action decides character; and character shapes our destiny." Few individuals personify Aristotle’s passage more aptly and more decisively than does Dr. Christine Kell. With a personal and professional history that transcends exceptional by laudable bounds, Dr. Kell’s service to LECOM is indeed noteworthy. While the conferring of awards at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is one way in which LECOM recognizes individuals distinguished by accomplishments consonant with the over arching mission of the College, such honors are not bestowed without serious consideration and mindful contemplation of the qualities and attributes exhibited by the recipients.
As a keen and insightful guardian of the LECOM cause, he has consistently championed the time-honored and respected objectives as the College stands ever invigorated with the vision to discover, to seek, and to see the possible. The LECOM silver jubilee of attainment provides to all a moment for reflecting upon the precious connections to those of the past, for recognizing their inspiration, sacrifices, courage, and generosity. It affords all who stand in the light of this glorious institution the further opportunity to consider their longstanding commitment to the region, to the nation, and to the world. Ever-vigilant for new opportunities – and in every new development – Dick Olinger has assisted LECOM in its mission to continue its growth as it seeks the well-being of the residents of each community that it serves. In the 25th year of LECOM, few are more deserving of being celebrated than is Richard P. Olinger.
LECOM is honored to be the wellspring of Dr. Christine Kell’s abundant skill and profound knowledge in the arena of instruction. As the longest serving member of the LECOM faculty, she is recognized not only with the honored position of Commencement Marshal, leading the procession of graduates and officially opening the ceremony, but with the knowledge that she has been instrumental in guiding this institution to the place of distinction that it holds today. Dr. Kell's association with LECOM has been a long and steadfast one. As the Associate Dean of Preclinical Education and a Professor of Microbiology at LECOM, her work with the college encompasses extensive teaching experience. Whether she is publishing articles, giving medical presentations, or developing treatises, her ability, motivation, and attitude have distinguished her as a great educator. She holds a plethora of honors including the John and Silvia Ferretti Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Outstanding Faculty Teaching and Service Award, and she has been twice chosen by the students as Preclinical Faculty Member of the Year.
this remarkable leader in the field of medical education with the celebrated John M. Ferretti, DO President’s Distinguished Service Award.
COLLEEN PAMULA The 25th Anniversary Year of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is a most fitting time to honor those faithfully dedicated individuals who have been with LECOM from its very nascence. The unsung heroes, who each day shine a light into the darkness, who work quietly unheralded, yet who offer an unquenchable and infinite generosity of spirit are the souls who offer the bright glimmers of hope to an ever more frenetic world. Colleen Pamula is one such soul. She has proved a loyal and ever present personage in her service to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Each day, her spry and effervescent voice greets callers as she monitors and directs communications from her central reception post. It is Colleen Pamula who keeps the channels of telecommunication flowing smoothly, effortlessly, and efficiently; who guides callers and visitors to their proper destinations, and whose smile can be “heard” or seen by those on- and off-campus alike. LECOM was particularly pleased to recognize this unwearied and unwavering member of the LECOM family with its deepest gratitude. In coming to know these deserving award recipients, one finds no surprise that the LECOM imprimatur has become an indelible and distinctive mark of a noble mission.
Dr. Kell is a superlative leader in her life’s work as an educator and she serves as a bright beacon of inspiration to all who follow her. LECOM was especially proud to recognize
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From South Beach to South America LECOM Alum Practices Cutting-Edge Medicine Mediocrity is ubiquitous. Such has never been the case at LECOM, where exceptionalism is the norm. Similarly, such is not the case for LECOM alumni, Ivan Rusilko, DO, the skilled 2010 graduate of LECOM who has taken Einstein's recommendation to heart. Dr. Rusilko, is an accomplished weight loss, wellness, physical enhancement, and wholebody health physician who specializes in creating for his patients healthful lifestyles through medically supervised programs that support longevity and improved quality of life His brand of Lifestyle Medicine focuses upon patients who are committed to restore key aspects of their health and wellness that they may have sacrificed while they were busy building a career and raising a family. By employing a multi-faceted diagnosis and treatment, Dr. Rusilko creates healthful lifestyle programs that support longevity and patientcentered wellness through the application of medical, environmental, and behavioral modalities.
Ivan Rusilko, DO
With a solid foundation in osteopathic medicine, nutritional medicine, and fitness, Dr. Rusilko is one of the foremost medical experts in the fields of anti-aging, whole-person health, and weight loss. He never hesitates to utilize the most cutting-edge approach for the benefit of his patients. Dr. Rusilko is proud to have served as the former Medical Director and Co-Founder of the Club Essentia Wellness Retreat located on the penthouse floor of the famous Delano
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Hotel in Miami Beach, and as the Medical Fitness, Nutrition, and Sexual Health Specialist at The Miami Institute. High profile, celebrity patients have ascribed to Dr. Rusilko's brand of medicine. In 2011 and 2012, Dr. Rusilko served as a feature health writer and lifestyle coach for numerous magazines and online publications, including, The Washington Times and Quarter Life Health. A global instructor for Empire Medical Training, Dr. Rusilko taught aesthetic and wellness-based certification courses and he sits on the Physician Advisory Board for the American Academy of Procedural Medicine. In 2013 and 2014, he further developed his practice in the trendy Sunset Harbour neighborhood of Miami Beach and in South America. He and his business partner opened a flagship clinical spa and wellness center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The four-story facility was located in the heart of Recoleta, where the medical duo offered innovative skincare and spa services in addition to Dr. Rusilko's unique brand of medicine. Dr. Rusilko traveled to Argentina frequently and he utilized telemedicine platforms to consult with the facility medical director, staff, and patients to support his practice. The instability of the Argentinian economy coupled with the strained political climate compelled an adjustment in the model and scale of the business. The partners now independently operate a boutique spa-
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BACK TO THE FUTURE Pioneering LECOM Alumna Creates Community Paramedicine Program House calls have been all but extinct for decades, but armed with medical knowledge and formidable Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) training, Dr. Victoria Reinhartz, PharmD teamed with Dr. Jennifer Bencie, a Florida Department of Health Administrator in Manatee County, to revive a service that had been an medical mainstay for generations. As Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the LECOM School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, Dr. Reinhartz is possessed of a wealth of exceptional knowledge. She was graduated from LECOM in the inaugural Bradenton pharmacy class of 2011. From there, her career and teaching has focused upon the areas of Drug Information, Pharmacist Provided Care, Pharmacotherapeutics, Patient Counseling, Vaccines and Immunizations, Medication Therapy Management, and Pharmacy Management. Her current practice site is within the Manatee County Health Department, where she precepts students during their Ambulatory Care Rotations. It is from this very vantage point that this insightful LECOM alumna sought to create and to perfect a cutting-edge program that hearkens to a simpler and more personal era of health care. The doctor's black medical bag may be an affectation of the past, but attentive, personal, on-the-spot care, never goes out of fashion. Blending in-home visits by paramedics with adroit osteopathic medical care, Dr. Reinhartz
and Dr. Bencie have developed a niche service that meets a profound community need. Community Paramedicine is an innovative, interprofessional collaborative partnership designed to augment existing healthcare resources in Manatee County, FL. “Currently, the Community Paramedicine Team enrolls five subsets of patients based upon the previously identified health needs of the community,” noted Dr. Reinhartz. Those needs include: mental health or substance abuse, frequent falls, diabetes, chronic cardiovascular (CV) or respiratory disease, and high system utilizers. The Program is focused upon addressing barriers to healthcare access, improving health equity among the medically vulnerable, reducing overall healthcare costs, and preventing health-system overutilization by reducing 911 calls, emergency-room visits, and hospitalizations. Indeed, since September 2016 alone, the strategy has saved Manatee County more than an estimated $200,000 in prevented emergency room visits and ambulance diversions. The partnership began in 2015, when Dr. Bencie, noticed that paramedics being dispatched for health concerns required neither an ambulance nor hospitalization for their patients. She also recognized the way in which critical medication needs were contributing to the
overuse of the emergency health system. Dr. Bencie contacted James Crutchfield of Emergency Medical Services and Dr. Reinhartz to discuss conceptual ideas, and their probative collaboration resulted in the birth of Community Paramedicine. The Community Paramedicine Team now consists of two paramedics, a physician, mental-health counselors, and APPE pharmacy students on Ambulatory Care rotations with Dr. Reinhartz. The processes have been streamlined whereby the paramedics identify barriers to care, and patient medication needs are referred to the pharmacists. During an initial in-home visit, the paramedic identifies the patient's transportation needs, any specialist referrals, whether the patient has access to adequate food and housing, needs for routine wound care, home-health nursing, or medical equipment (wheelchairs, shower bars, glucose monitors, and the like). Patients with uncontrolled cardiovascular or respiratory disease, diabetes, polypharmacy, or other medication concerns are referred for an in-home medication therapymanagement visit with Dr. Reinhartz and APPE pharmacy students. Dr. Reinhartz and the students collaborate to identify and to resolve medication-related problems through patient education and/or further collaboration with the patient’s physicians. The Team has been successful in resolving or addressing
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Why choose a
Join the
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LECOM Family of Physicians
doctor?
Treating Erie’s Families LECOM Health doctors belong to the only academic health center headquartered in northwestern Pennsylvania – LECOM Health. LECOM Health doctors provide medical care and teach
We are the physicians of Medical at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the nation’s Associates of Erie - the Clinical Practices largest medical school. of LECOM. Our goal is to provide to our patients the very best osteopathic, whole LECOM Health doctors accept all major insurances. person care – mind, body and spirit – for a lifetime of optimal health.LECOM Health doctors’ primary hospital is Millcreek Community Hospital, the region’s leading hospital for geriatric care, You can become part of the only behavioral health, rehabilitation, wound care and orthopedics. Osteopathic Academic Health Center in the nation led by the Lake Erie College of LECOM Health doctors can refer patients for specialty care Osteopathic Medicine. anywhere – Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or wherever is best for the care and convenience of the patient.* Currently, we are seeking physicians
in Ear, Nose, and Throat; Midwifery; Health doctors belong to Medical Associates Neurology; Pain Management; LECOM Pediatrics of Erie and practice Family Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Outpatient Psychiatry for our General Surgery, Geriatrics, Integrative Medicine, expanding practices.
Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Orthopedics,
Please contact Dennis Styn at Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Podiatry and to and Medical Specialties. (814) 868-2504 or dstyn@lecom.edu Primary Care learn more about available opportunities.
*Specialty care insurance coverage depends upon a patient’s insurance company.
WELCOME TO WELLNESS
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LECOM
H E A LT H
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES OF HOSPITAL ERIE MILLCREEK COMMUNITY
LECOM Health doctors. Choose one today to join a health system that will focus on your overall wellness for life.
LECOM Health doctors. Choose one today to join a health Visit LECOMHealth.com/clinical-practices Visit LECOMHealth.com/physi system that will focus on your overall wellness, for life.
PIRATES BALL GIRL
Catches LECOM Pharmacy Degree to allow her to maintain her focus upon Pharmacy. "It’s one thing to watch the games or even to attend the games, but to be on the field for those astounding moments is truly special," beamed Frynkewicz.
Perhaps there was a collective Pittsburgh Pirates wave as Heidi Frynkewicz, of Ambridge, PA, crossed the stage at Commencement. After three years of rigorous work in the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Pharmacy Program, Frynkewicz was graduated from the venerable LECOM School of Pharmacy with her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. This summer, Frynkewicz will be in her seventh season as a ball girl for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a position that she garnered while attending undergraduate school at Gannon University as a member of the Lady Golden Knights softball team. For the better part of the last decade, Frynkewicz has been one of a handful of young women patrolling the third and first baselines at PNC Park. Often found shagging foul balls and tossing them to eager fans with seats near her post, Frynkewicz delights in the experience. Frynkewicz grew up as a Pirates fan in Ambridge, a mere 30-minute drive from PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The opportunity to become a part of the team that she so loved came about at a Pitch for Hope Clinic, a women’s baseball clinic sponsored by the Pirates' coaching staff. “I attended the Clinic and I met some of the Pirates' administration, and they asked if I would like to be a ball girl,” she recalled. “I applied, interviewed, and was hired. There is an audition, but it is not quite a tryout,” she explained. Frynkewicz worked three or four games each month, most of them on weekends if possible,
While she has witnessed some of those astounding moments, she also has created some of her own. Two years ago, with the Pirates hosting the Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee player, Aramis Ramirez, charged a line drive into foul territory on the first base side. With the ball about to slice into the crowded first few rows of spectators, Frynkewicz leapt up and picked the liner out of the air. Her feat drew a thunderous cheer from the throng at a packed PNC Park. The catch would end up on the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. While the catch was indeed a remarkable play, Frynkewicz took it in stride. “When one is a first baseman, those rockets are expected; so it was normal for me,” she noted. For the fans seated in the front row and in the flight path of the ball – one of whom was a woman in a wheelchair – it was fortunate that Frynkewicz' skill and agility was first rate.“ She told me, ‘You saved my life,’” recounted Frynkewicz of the disabled spectator. Although she has witnessed the Pirates make – and win – their first playoff game in twenty years, it is moments such as one involving her Pirates idol, Roberto Clemente, that stand out. Frynkewicz wears Pirates legend, Roberto Clemente's number 21 to pay tribute to the late Hall of Fame great. Every year, Major League Baseball celebrates Roberto Clemente Day to honor the baseball star. “One of the greatest moments I recall was being able to see outfielder, Gregory Polanco, go into right field where they had marked the number 21 onto the grass, and to see him kneel and pray on the field. He positioned himself between the two and the one and he looked up to Heaven,” she recounted. Stated Frynkewicz, “It was a special moment that brought tears to my eyes.” Frynkewicz hopes that those great moments continue as she sets forth upon her career in pharmacy. Like her skill on the baseball field, her superlative LECOM knowledge and training will serve her well in the pharmacy field.
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COMMUNITY IS OUR CAMPUS
Give Kids a Smile
Habitat for Humanity
More than 200 young patients attended the third annual Give Kids a Smile event at LECOM Bradenton. Student dentists performed cleanings, treatments and exams, as well as instructed on topics such as tooth decay, proper brushing and flossing techniques, and good nutrition.
The LECOM School of Dental Medicine chapters of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) and Delta Alpha Phi, a student philanthropy organization, painted the home of a 93-year-old retired elementary school teacher in Bradenton, FL.
Healthcare for the Homeless
Pharmacy Legislative Day
LECOM Erie’s chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) organized a Healthcare for the Homeless drive that collected feminine hygiene products and donated them to Erie’s Emmaus Ministries’ Soup Kitchen.
School of Pharmacy students represented LECOM at the annual Pharmacy Legislative Day in Harrisburg, PA. The theme of the day was Putting Patients First. Students, accompanied by Dr. Rebecca Wise and Dr. Hershey Bell, met with Pennsylvania representatives and senators to talk about the issues that affect their future patients.
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COMMUNITY IS OUR CAMPUS
Pre-Dental Day
Softball Game
Pre-dental students visited the LECOM School of Dental Medicine to put their skills to the test with LECOM dental students. The pre-dental students learned about impressions and fillings.
LECOM Erie hosted the annual Student vs. Faculty & Staff softball this spring. The faculty and staff put up a good fight, but the students ended up winning the game. Despite the final score, both teams and supporting spectators had a great time on a beautiful night.
Bowling for the Red Cross
POMA
LECOM at Seton Hill students and faculty went head-to-head in a bowling tournament that raised money for the American Red Cross.
First-year medical students from LECOM Erie attended the 109th Annual Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA) Clinical Assembly in Valley Forge, PA, where they made connections with leaders in the osteopathic profession.
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NOTES
STUDENT NOTES
School of Pharmacy Bradenton Campus
John Gallagher, DO co-authored a research article entitled, Abdominal Trauma in an Adolescent. The piece was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAAPA).
College of Medicine Erie Campus
Latoya Cuyler, P2 was a recipient of the Blake Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to students pursuing careers in healthcare in Manatee County, FL.
Tatiana Fech, OMSI was the first author on an article entitled, Characterization of the Superior Olivary Complex of Canis Lupus Domesticus. The piece was accepted for publication in Hearing Research.
Joseph Jiannetti, P3 was invited to throw out the first pitch at the start of the Baltimore Orioles versus the Detroit Tigers spring training game in March. Jiannetti is a former major league baseball player.
Alice Hudder, PhD and Kim Moscatello, PhD received a research grant from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) for their research entitled, Evaluation of Osmosis in Medical Education: A Model System for Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Board Preparation Programs.
Dasylia Willoughby, OMSII organized a donation drive called: Healthcare for the Homeless, which collected and donated approximately 100 packages of feminine products through the Erie Emmaus Ministries Soup Kitchen.
Alexandra Mollanazar, P3 is involved in a summer internship at Sancilio Pharmaceuticals Company, Inc. in Riviera Beach, FL. The internship is focused upon drug development, manufacturing and pharmaceutical technology.
Patrick Leary, DO was a panel member for Selected Issues in Injury and Illness Prevention and the Team Physician: A Consensus Statement, which was published in Medicine & Science Sports & Exercise.
College of Medicine Bradenton Campus
School of Dental Medicine
Richard Ortoski, DO was a recipient of the Master Preceptor Award from the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP).
William Bishop, OMSIII was featured in an article in High Point University Extraordinary Education entitled, Faculty Profile: The Spirited Mentor Behind Exercise Science. Samantha Sabban, OMSIII received the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association (FOMA) Student Award at the FOMA Convention in Weston, FL.
College of Medicine Seton Hill Campus Andrew Adorno, OMSII was elected Second Vice President of the Student Government Association. Max Brown, OMSII was elected Treasurer of the Student Government Association. Tyler Greathouse, OMSIII completed the 2017 Boston Marathon, finishing 26.2 miles in 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 17 seconds. Matt Myers, OMSII was elected Secretary of the Student Government Association. Billie Shine, OMSII was elected First Vice President of the Student Government Association. Natalie Smith, OMSII was elected President of the Student Government Association. Ron White, OMSII, Alexander Porter, OMSII and Max Jacobs, OMSII participated in the Toughman Utah Half, a 70.3-mile triathlon. The race consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike race, and a 13.1-mile run. Anna Woods, OMSII and Julie Mazza, OMSII recently ran in the Boston Trial Half Marathon in Elizabeth Township, PA.
Royce Barlow, D4 was a recipient of the 2017 Oral Health Foundation Student Scholarship Award from the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Kenneth Epperson, D2, Tuan Le, D2 and Master Degree candidate, Adrianna Nguyen participated in Road Across Florida in Bike MS: The Citrus Tour 2017. The event is a fundraiser benefiting multiple sclerosis research. The trio raised $1,680. Yei-Won Lee, D3 and Suzana Mamo, D2 were recipients of the Blake Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to students pursuing careers in healthcare in Manatee County, FL.
Christopher Rial, DO presented at the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium in June of 2017. His lecture focused upon the precepts of osteopathic medicine and upon the preparticipation evaluation of athletics. In addition, Dr. Rial presented a professional exchange lecture at the 2016 National Athletic Trainers Association Annual Convention in Baltimore, MD. Michael Rowane, DO was elected President of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO). Regan Shabloski, DO was a recipient of the Master Preceptor Award from the ACOFP.
Kurtis Schuyler, D4 recently was married to Kelsey Donovan (who works in the healthcare field as a nurse). The couple was married in Eureka, MO.
College of Medicine Bradenton Campus
Sable Muntean, D4 was the recipient of the 2017 American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Award of Excellence. The Award recognizes a superior level of involvement, leadership and service to peers, school and community.
James Leiber, DO, former faculty member and current preceptor, had an article published on Dr. Josh Axe’s Food is Medicine webpage. The piece was entitled, Stem Cell Myths: Can This Therapy Really Prevent Surgery?
FACULTY NOTES College of Medicine Erie Campus
Mark Andrews, PhD and Christopher Keller, PhD were inducted as fellows into the National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators (NAOME).
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Diane McKay, PsyD moderated a panel discussion entitled, Mental Illness: Road to Recovery at Temple Emanu-El in Sarasota, FL. Thomas Quinn, DO authored an article entitled, Opening the Doors of Medicine to Women, published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
NOTES School of Pharmacy Bradenton Campus Deepak Gupta, PhD co-authored a research article entitled, Current and Evolving Approaches for Improving the Oral Permeability of BCS Class III or Analogous Molecules, that was published in Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy. Dr. Gupta's manuscript entitled, Influence of Carrier (polymer) Type and Drug-Carrier Ratio on the Development of Amorphous Dispersions for Solubility and Permeability Enhancement of Ritonavir was accepted for publication in the Journal of Excipients and Food Chemicals.
School of Dental Medicine Allen Itkin, DDS and Tanya Sehgal, D3 authored a research article entitled, Review of Phineas Gage’s Oral and Maxillofacial Injuries, which was published in the Journal of Oral Biology. Thomas Yoon, DDS co-authored an article entitled, Cone Beam Computerized Tomography Analysis of the Posterior and Anterior Mandibular Lingual Concavity for Dental Implant Patients. The piece was published in the Journal of Oral Implantology.
ALUMNI NOTES Class of 1999
William Perri, DO joined PinnacleHealth System as a general surgeon at PinnacleHealth Surgical Associates in Lemoyne, PA.
Class of 2002 James Lin, DO was featured in an issue of The DO in an article entitled, Graying of America: How the Elder Boom Could Impact Health Care. Dr. Lin is the Director of the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging.
Class of 2004 Marat Grigorov, DO joined the medical staff of Northwest Health Neurosurgery Center in Springdale, AK.
Class of 2005 Steven O’Donnell, DO was the recipient of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) Case Author of the Year Award for his contributions to the COMLEX-USA Level 2-Performance Evaluation (Level 2-PE) Examination.
Class of 2006 Glen Digwood, DO joined Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, PA as the Medical Director of Palliative Care. Pamela Goldman, DO was elected Vice President of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA).
Class of 2008 Bryan Doner, DO had an article entitled, Why Medical Marijuana is Critical to the Evolution of the Cannabis Industry, published in New Cannabis Ventures. Yelena Kier, DO was featured in an article entitled, Munson Cancer Physician Shares Her Chernobyl Experience. The piece was published in Traverse Magazine. In the story, Dr. Kier recalled visiting her grandparents in Belarus when the Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986.
Class of 2009 Trasey Falcone, DO was the featured speaker at the Brescia University Annual Honors Convocation. Dr. Falcone is a Class of 2005 graduate of Brescia University.
Class of 2010 Mohammed Awad, DO recently joined OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, IL as an orthopedic surgeon. Before joining OSF St. Elizabeth, Dr. Awad was an Assistant Team Physician for the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, and Detroit Tigers as part of his sports medicine fellowship at Detroit Medical Center. Justin Berthold, DO was named Senior Medical Director at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. Haipeng Zhang, DO recently completed his Master of Medical Science in Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, Dr. Zhang serves as an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and as a palliative care consultant at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Dr. Zhang is also the Program Director of the Clinical Informatics Fellowship and the Medical Director of Digital Health Implementation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Class of 2011 Rohit Kedia, DO recently authored five research articles in endocrinology and he began a private endocrinology practice in Valencia, CA.
Priya Kundu, DO recently became a research fellow with the Harvard University Global Health and Social Medicine Fellowship Program - a partnership with Partners In Health. Dr. Kundu will be stationed in Butaro, Rwanda.
Class of 2013 Jessica Embrescia, DO joined Allegheny Health Network West Penn Medical Associates in Bloomfield, PA as an internal medicine physician.
Class of 2014 Woody Taves, DO presented a seminar entitled, Heart Disease: Atherosclerosis, at the Heart Institute at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Hudson, FL.
Class of 2015 Shannon Tosounian, DO was interviewed by Medical Health News to offer her perspective as an internal medicine resident.
Class of 2016 Chelsea Master, PharmD graduated in June from a pharmacy practice residency at WellSpan York Hospital in York, PA. Dr. Master also completed a Teaching Certificate Program and conducted two research projects regarding heparin. Dr. Master currently is working as a clinical pharmacist.
Class of 2017 JoBeth Augustyniak, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Joseph J. Namey, DO Family Medicine Award. Karisa Beebe, DO was the recipient of the 2017 LECOM Excellence in Surgery Award. Megan Bennett, DO was a recipient of the 2017 Orris C. Hirtzel and Beatrice Dewey Hirtzel Memorial Foundation Merit and Scholarship Award. Kaitlyn Blackburn, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Excellence in Research Award. Nevin Body, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Pediatrics Award. Adam Boggs, DO was the recipient of the 2017 College of Medicine Award for Exceptional Community Service. Lindsay Brown, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Award for Exceptional Community Service. Jenny Bul, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Ambassadors Award.
@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 31
NOTES Cassandra Busler, DO was a recipient of the 2017 College of Medicine Academic Achievement Award.
Nicholas Geagan, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Pediatrics Award at LECOM Seton Hill.
Mitchell Meagher, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Clarence and Virginia Eckert Memorial Award.
Erin Cartwright, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Award for Excellence in Pharmacy Practice.
Elizabeth Harrington, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Award for Exceptional Community Service.
Dawn Moore, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Award for Excellence in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Christina Comunale, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Family Medicine Award at LECOM Seton Hill.
Sara Harstad, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Dean’s Award.
Kayla Mumaw, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Academic Achievement Award.
Scott Dakan, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Joseph and Josephine Fucci Memorial Award.
Monique Hart, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Academic Achievement Award.
Batool Dakhlallah, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Student Leadership Award.
Matthew Heffernan, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Carol Manco and Betty Moore Memorial Award.
Ricard Dees, DO was the recipient of the College of Medicine Student Leadership and Service Award at LECOM Seton Hill.
Timothy Heiss, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Graduation Award.
Lukas Delasos, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Internal Medicine Award at LECOM Seton Hill.
Chelsey Hughes, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 Lilly Achievement Award.
Jasneet Devgun, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Alice J. Coppola Memorial Award.
Brandon Intrieri, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Marilyn A. Schaffner Award.
Peter Din, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Ronald A. Esper, DO and Kathleen Esper Award.
Danielle Kamenec, DO was the recipient of the 2017 College of Medicine Student Leadership and Service Award.
Jacob Dodd, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Charles F. and Ruth J. Blatt Military Honor Award at LECOM Seton Hill.
Katherine Kasper, DO was the recipient of the 2017 College Of Medicine Dean’s Award at LECOM Seton Hill.
Rachel Egbert, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Charles F. and Ruth J. Blatt Military Honor Award.
Mason Koehle, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Academic Achievement Award.
Andrew Emerson, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Orville and Arlene Kelley Award for Family Medicine. Donelsha Evelyn, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Student Leadership Award. Christina Feldpausch, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Carlo DiMarco, DO Leadership and Service Award.
Kristina Krasowski, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 TEVA Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Study of Pharmacy. Christopher Longinow, DO was a recipient of the 2017 College of Medicine Academic Achievement Award. Zachary Lyon, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Goffredo C. Ianiro, DPM Memorial Award.
Chelsea Ferguson, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Award for Exceptional Community Service.
Michael Makalmoku, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 School of Pharmacy Student Leadership Award.
Dalton Fishel, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 School of Pharmacy Student Leadership Award.
Victoria Matteson, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Award for Exceptional Community Service.
Abby Gallagher, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Academic Achievement Award.
Ann McCray, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Gloria and Eugene Kauffman Accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway Scholarship.
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Gina Ng, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Ambassadors Award. Morgan Nickerson, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Millcreek Community Hospital Staff Award. Daniel Parks, DO was a recipient of the 2017 Orris C. Hirtzel and Beatrice Dewey Hirtzel Memorial Foundation Merit and Scholarship Award. Halley Peterson, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dr. Richard Stevens Memorial Award. Emily Petrak, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association Outstanding Pharmacy Student Award. Michelle Pham, PharmD was a recipient of the 2017 LECOM School of Pharmacy Ambassadors Award. Rachel Powers, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Donald V. Hampton, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Award. Joelle Potts, DO was the recipient of the Donald V. Hampton, DO Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Award at LECOM Seton Hill. Kasey Radicic, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dr. John D. Latorella and Marie L. Mazzio Memorial Award. Paul Robbins, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA) Outstanding Student Award. James Russell, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Thomas R. Czarnecki, DO Internal Medicine Award. Samuel Sawyer, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Michael J. Namey, Jr., DO Award. Monica Scarsella, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Giuseppe and Theresa Racanelli Memorial Award. Mehak Siddiqui, PharmD was the recipient of the LECOM School of Pharmacy Academic Excellence Award.
Michelle Singh, DO was the recipient of the 2017 College of Medicine Academic Achievement Award at LECOM Seton Hill. Eric Smith, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dr. Samuel and Ellen Garloff Excellence in Psychiatry Award. Garrett Snyder, DO was a recipient of the 2017 Orris C. Hirtzel and Beatrice Dewey Hirtzel Memorial Foundation Merit and Scholarship Award. Alyssa Michelle Stapf, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Obstetrics and Gynecology Award. Benjamin Switzer, DO was the recipient of the 2017 College of Medicine Student Leadership Award. Christina Tatara, DO was the recipient of the 2017 College of Medicine Dean’s Award. Zeeshan Toor, PharmD was the recipient of the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy Award. Kim Tran, DO was the recipient of the 2017 John C. Kalata, DO Memorial Award. William Wert, DO was the recipient of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association Outstanding Student Award at LECOM Seton Hill. Annastacia Woytash, DO was the recipient of the College of Medicine Award for Exceptional Community Service at LECOM Seton Hill.
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centric facility in Buenos Aires with a similar unit underway at the Mantra Hotel Punta del Este, in Uruguay.
medication issues, including the identification of untreated or under treated conditions, major drug interactions, medication errors, incorrect use of medications, and medication dosages.
Miami Beach remains Dr. Rusilko's home base, where he enjoys a thriving boutique practice that serves a discerning clientele of American and international origin. He boasts a global patient profile as he treats patients from across the globe. Miami Beach – in-season – is host to a six-month cycle of festivals and events where Dr. Rusilko's recognizable patients often are seen on stage and screen. With a thriving practice underway, Dr. Rusilko took time to co-author a three-book series based upon his own personal experiences. Book one of the series, The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers was celebrated at a New York City book release party hosted by an elite Manhattan social club. Dr. Rusilko also filmed an HBO pilot, which producers called, "a docudrama" that focused upon some rather anomalous patients and Dr. Rusilko's modern approach to medicine. The project is still under consideration. Recent months find Dr. Rusilko preparing to serve as the face (and physician endorsement) for a brand new supplement line that already has placement and support from GQ and Cosmopolitan magazines.
Jeffrey Wunsch, PharmD was the recipient of the 2017 Mylan Excellence in Pharmacy Award.
An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, Dr. Rusilko’s passion for sport has taken him into grand fishing tournaments and hunting in the wilds of Africa. His pursuit of adventure has found him climbing glaciers in Patagonia, hunting in the Highlands of Scotland, shark diving in South Africa, and even skydiving.
Melanie Yochim, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Dedication to Primary Care Awards – Obstetrics and Gynecology Award at LECOM Seton Hill.
From practicing medicine on the cutting-edge to diving from the edge of bungee-jump platform in Victoria Falls, Dr. Ivan Rusilko has brought passion and proficiency to every undertaking.
Nathan Wroten, DO was the recipient of the 2017 Mary and Vincent S. Fierro Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine.
Famed Olympian, Bart Conner, noted that “chance can allow one to accomplish a goal every once in awhile, but consistent achievement happens only if one loves what one is doing.” Dr. Rusilko has proven consistently this observation, carrying his LECOM training, unabashed dedication, and innovation to the pinnacle of practice.
“The students have been eager to assist some of our more-complicated patients. Formulating recommendations that are safe and effective in view of the patient's current medical conditions is a real challenge,” Dr. Reinhartz noted. Pharmacy students have remarked that one of the most impactful experiences for them entails the prevention of an emergency room visit. In addition to the regularly scheduled Community Paramedicine appointments, enrolled patients have access to a Community Paramedic should an acute, non-emergent health issue arise. Rather than calling 911, the Community Paramedic may find resolution for the patient on an outpatient basis. “The students have the opportunity to truly see their impact when we prevent an ER visit or hospitalization,” Dr. Reinhartz affirmed. If the need is medication-related, the paramedic and Dr. Reinhartz will work with the patient’s physician to have prescriptions called in to a pharmacy or to have an urgent appointment scheduled, so that the ER visit may be avoided. Under close paramedic observation, the Community Paramedicine Team has been able to facilitate management on an outpatient basis for many medically exigent matters, including heart-failure exacerbations, hypoglycemic episodes, uncontrolled hypertension, and a variety of infections. In the first four months of tracking, pharmacist partnership in the Community Paramedicine Program resulted in 53 medication interventions. In September 2016, the team began tracking ambulance diversions and ER visits that were prevented. As of March 30, 2017, a total of $201,808.95 in cost outlay for those particular needs was saved. The program is currently funded by a grant, the results of which are promising. The team is evaluating ways in which to ensure that the partnership becomes a permanent healthcare resource for Manatee County. Ultimately, the Community Paramedicine Program exemplifies a time-honored practice with a modern approach to interdisciplinary care; and it demonstrates the significant and wholly beneficial role that pharmacists have in the new healthcare paradigm. @1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 33
WELCOME TO WELLNESS
WELCOME TO LECOM HEALTH Three New Physicians Appointed to the Clinical Practices of LECOM The Medical Associates of Erie (MAE) – the Clinical Practices of LECOM Health – comprise part of the LECOM Academic Health Center. Along with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH), MAE adds a multi-specialty group practice component to the osteopathic healthcare network. The expansive reach of MAE covers two counties in northwestern Pennsylvania, with practice locations in every corner of Erie County, as well as in Meadville (Crawford County). MAE services range from family medicine to general surgery; and no matter the location of the patient, he or she can find a dedicated physician who suits his or her needs.
William Wismer, DO has joined Plaza 38 Medical Center, located at 2010 West 38th St., Erie, PA. Dr. Wismer, who earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree at LECOM in 2000, specializes in gastroenterology. He has nearly twenty years of practice experience. Dr. Wismer completed his residency training at MCH and he is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine.
Steven Coleman, DO has joined Eastside Medical Center, located at 2625 Parade St., Erie, PA. Dr. Coleman specializes in internal medicine. In addition
With the recent addition to MAE of the Corry Memorial Hospital Rural Health Clinic and Corry Primary Care, patients in southeastern Erie County, as well as in neighboring Warren County, now have access to the MAE physician network. There are more than 100 employees at MAE, including more than 40 physicians; and the organization is ever growing. The physicians in the group are also instructors and professors at LECOM. The mission of MAE is committed to offering accessible, community-based care while promoting the advancement of medicine and education in all areas of LECOM Health. Now joining the expansive team of estimable physicians and health care specialists are three capable leaders in health and wellness.
Meredith Marcincin, DO has joined Sterrettania Ophthalmology and Optical Boutique, located at 4000 Sterrettania Rd., Erie, PA. Dr. Marcincin earned her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013 and recently, she completed her ophthalmology residency training program at MCH. During her residency training, Dr. Marcincin was appointed Chief Resident, obtained her Master of Science in Medical Education from LECOM, and served as a mentor for LECOM medical students.
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to his practice, Dr. Coleman serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at LECOM. Although their practice addresses diversely dot the Erie map, their calling is singularly focused; that of providing superlative care and treatment within their respective areas of expertise. LECOM, the only osteopathic academic health center in the nation, is especially proud to welcome these fine physicians into its everexpanding nexus of exceptional healthcare offerings.
LECOM
Conference Information
CME Credits
LECOM Summer Primary Care 2017 in Sarasota, Florida offers a unique learning experience for physicians and health care professionals seeking the opportunity to learn the latest information on medical advancements and treatment options. LECOM clinical faculty will present topics from the perspective of a primary care physician.
LECOM anticipates AOA and AAFP approval for 20 Category 1-A Credits. All lectures will be held between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. allowing time for afternoon activities around Sarasota.
Registration Information Standard Registration: $1,500 Adjunct Faculty Registration: $1,250 Commuter Registration: $450 Standard and Adjunct Faculty Registration includes CME fee, four (4) nights lodging at the Ritz Carlton, Sarasota, Florida and breakfast Monday through Thursday. Commuter Registration includes CME fee and breakfast. It does not include a hotel stay.
How To Register To reserve your spot for the LECOM Summer CME Conference in Sarasota, Florida, go to lecom.edu/cme and click the registration link. Adjunct faculty can receive a discount by emailing the CME conference office or by calling the number below.
Contact Us
0 1858 West Grandview Blvd., Erie, PA 16509 ! (814) 860-5125 ĂŻ www.lecom.edu/cme % cme@lecom.edu
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Student Scholarship Fund
AUCTIONS Saturday, October 28, 2017 Hyatt Regency Sarasota, Florida
Saturday, November 11, 2017 Erie Bayfront Convention Center
The LECOM Student Scholarship Fund helps deserving students manage the high cost of medical, dental and pharmacy school. Since the inception of the auction events LECOM students have received more than $25 million in scholarship funds. Visit LECOM.edu/alumni for the latest auction news
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