CLASS NOTES

1985

Donald Malone, M.D., currently the president of Lutheran Hospital, was named the president of Ohio Hospitals and Family Health Centers. In his new role, he will oversee Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, as well as all Ohio regional hospitals, family health centers and ambulatory sites. A practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Malone joined Cleveland Clinic in 1989.

1992

Anju Mader, M.D., was appointment chief integration o cer at Stark County (Ohio) Mental Health & Addiction Recovery.

1995

Michelle Gill, M.D., has been serving on the Hopi Reservation in Northeast Arizona throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

1997 2003

Costas Kefalas, M.D., has been named president and chair of the board of directors of the GI quality Improvement Consortium, Inc., which is the largest gastroenterology quality data registry in the U.S.

1998

Shruti Singal, M.D., was named vice president of Medical Management at First Choice Health, focusing on premier medical care and innovation and strategy. Timothy Ko, M.D., has joined the Pain Management Center sta of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and its partner, Pain Management Group. Dr. Ko will practice at the Center’s o ces in Independence, Ohio.

2008

Brandon Weeks, M.D., has been appointed as medical director of Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Warren, Ohio. Dr. Weeks has served as a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Hillside since 2017.

2009

Vikram Krishnasamy, M.D., won the Samuel J. Heyman Service to American Medal in the Emerging Leaders category. e Service to America awards, known as the Sammies, honor federal government workers who have made signi cant contributions to the health, safety and prosperity of our country. Dr. Krishnasamy is a medical o cer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2013 2014

Nida Felicija Degesys, M.D., medical director of the Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) at University of California San Francisco, received a three-year, multimillion dollar grant to improve the care of geriatric and dementia patients in the emergency department. Dr. Degesys also published her research on N95 mask reuse and extended use in JAMA's June 2020 publication and subsequently was awarded a grant from the CDC Foundation to continue this research in a nationwide multi-center study.

Fadi Sweiss, M.D., joined the neurosciences team at UPMC in Pennsylvania. A neurosurgeon, Dr. Sweiss specializes in diagnosis and surgical treatment of degenerative, traumatic and oncologic spinal conditions. Patrick Divoky, Pharm.D., was recognized as the recipient of the College of Pharmacy’s Distinguished Alumni Award. e award is presented to an individual who has made distinguished contributions to the practice of pharmacy or who has demonstrated major accomplishments in a professional pharmacy practice or in pharmaceutical research and development.

2015

Elizabeth Zeleznikar (Carter), Pharm.D., welcomed twin boys, Owen and Emmett, on November 11, 2020. Dr. Zeleznikar and her husband, Daniel, are also parents of a daughter, Katherine, who recently turned two.

CONGRATULATIONS to the NEOMED CLASS oƒ 2021!

Your hard work and perseverance in earning your degrees will be an inspiration for all those who follow in your footsteps. We proudly welcome the future leaders of health care to the NEOMED Alumni Association.

Follow us on Facebook to stay connected or visit neomed.edu/alumni.

Corrie Stofcho, M.D. (’06) President of the NEOMED Alumni Association

MEHOOL PATEL, M.D. (’98)

Associate Chief Medical Offi cer, IBM

Join Dr. Patel for his frank insight on …

VALUE-BASED • INNOVATION • TECHNOLOGY • ADVOCACY • LEADERSHIP • SERVICE

Join the discussion, Thursday, May 6 at 5 p.m.

Visit neomed.edu/VITALS to learn more and register.

Free CE credits available!

Dr. Seilesh Babu '97 and Dr. Abbey Crooks-Babu '99 Dr. Robert Liebelt and Mrs. Milotka Liebelt Ms. Frances Battles Johnson* Dr. David Mallamaci '97 and Mrs. Sarah Mallamaci Ms. Dorothy Bench Dr. Gagandeep Mangat '98 and Dr. Mona Mangat '96 Dr. Robert Blacklow and Mrs. Winifred Blacklow Mr. Ian Oppenheim and Ms. Marta Williger Mr. Joseph Block** and Mrs. Genevieve Block* Dr. Ann Otto and Mr. David Otto Dr. Louis Bloomberg* Mrs. Janice Parry and Mr. George Parry Ms. Martha Boyle* Dr. Vimal Patel '96 and Mrs. Neepa Patel Dr. Eleanor Bozeman* Dr. Marvin Platt Mr. William Bruder* Mr. Jim Rapp and Mrs. Judy Rapp Ms. Emily Bukovec* Dr. Gerald Read* and Mrs. Victoria Read* Ms. elma Clark* Mr. Roy Richards and Mrs. Robin Richards Mr. Irwin Cohn* Ms. Lesleigh Robinson Mrs. Mary Kay Davis Price* Mrs. Maria Schimer Mr. Fred Davis* Dr. Steven Schmidt and Mr. Rick Krochka Mrs. Erthelee Dosch* Mrs. Patricia Schubert and Mr. James Schubert* Mr. Doug Draher Mr. Bruce Sherman and Mrs. Carol Sherman Mr. Ron Edwards Mrs. Jean Smith and Dr. Buel S. Smith* Dr. Michael Huang '97 and Mrs. Joy Huang Dr. Jimmy Snoga* and Mrs. Harriette Snoga* Mr. Brent Hutchinson and Dr. Philip Stepaniak '83 Mrs. Amy Hutchinson Mr. Clarence Strouss, Jr.*

Mrs. Mary Jane Huth and Mr. Greg Huth Mr. Stanley Strouss* Mrs. Janet Igel and Dr. Howard J. Igel* Ms. Alice Taggart* Mr. Charles Isenman Mr. Frank Vari and Mrs. Helen Vari Dr. Clarence Josephson* Mrs. Eleanor Watanakunakorn and Dr. Kashyap Kansupada '91 and “We make a living by what we get, but Dr. Chatrchai Watanakunakorn* Dr. Ameesha Kansupada Dr. Philip Westerman and Mrs. Janice Westerman Mrs. Shobhana Kansupada we make a life by what we give.” Dr. E. Jay Wheeler and Mrs. Carol Wheeler and Mr. Bharat Kansupada* Mrs. Veronica Willo* Dr. C. William Keck and Mrs. Ardith Keck – Winston Churchill Mr. Ronald Wire Dr. Albert Kim '97 and Mrs. Mary Anne Kim Dr. Carmen Julius '87 and Dr. Lyn Yakubov '86 Mr. Lionel Kinney and Mrs. Vilma Kinney Mrs. Carole Yassine and Dr. Zouhair C. Yassine* Dr. Amy Lee '88 Anonymous (3) Mr. Richard Lewis and Mrs. Joyce Lewis Mr. eris ompson Lewis* *Of Blessed Memory

THE NEOMED { LEGACY SOCIETY }

We thank these generous community members for their foresight in helping to create transformative health leaders through their estate plans.

This list is current as of April 7, 2021. Since this is the fi rst public listing of the NEOMED Legacy Society, we may not know about your future gift to the NEOMED Foundation. We regret any omissions. Please contact us if we have not listed your name above so we may update our records in future publications. If you have questions about how any portion of your estate could benefi t future NEOMED students and improve the health outcomes in our community, please contact Senior Development Offi cer Michael A. Wolff, J.D., at 330.325.6667 or at mwolff@neomed.edu.