14 minute read
Updates
FAMILY MEDICINE AT PCOM GETS A MAJOR MAKEOVER
It’s little wonder more patients are flocking to Family Medicine at PCOM and then raving about their experiences online. Highlights of the $3.5 million renovation and expansion project that more than tripled the size of the facility footprint include a spacious and comfortable waiting room, 15 examination rooms, a psychology office, a preceptor room, a lab and a phlebotomy room where patients can get blood drawn without the need to make an additional appointment. “Family Medicine at PCOM embodies the College’s mission,” says Stephen Castellano, chief practice operations officer. “We provide patients in the Philadelphia community with access to quality health care despite social inequity.” At the same time, the healthcare center provides an unparalleled clinical training site for PCOM students. At the center, DO, physician assistant, pharmacy and behavioral health students learn in a hands-on, interprofessional medical environment. “PCOM physicians teach and practice compassion and service as essential components of being a healthcare professional,” says Mr. Castellano. Beyond the spacious layout, new flooring, lighting and soothing ambience, the new vybe urgent care center, located only steps away, is sure to create a surge in clinical service activity, which Mr. Castellano expects will grow by 25 to 30 percent. Mr. Castellano calls the union of urgent care and primary care a “synergistic relationship” where vybe—which has nearly a dozen urgent care centers throughout the Philadelphia region—will refer walk-in patients to PCOM for follow-up care, to identify a primary care provider and for chronic care management. Mr. Castellano says physicians and staff are excited about their fresh workspace. “There’s a new energy among staff,” he says. DR. KENDORSKI NAMED TO APA BOARD Jessica Glass Kendorski, PhD, chair of School Psychology programs at PCOM, was elected to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Board of Educational Affairs (BEA). Dr. Kendorski was selected from a national applicant pool and will serve a three-year term in this position. The BEA—an oversight board for educational policy at all levels, from early childhood education to higher education— is committed to diversity in education and training in all of its activities and initiatives. Dr. Kendorski will work closely with the other BEA members to recommend educational policy for the APA to their board of directors and their council of representatives. “I am very excited to begin this journey serving the APA and the BEA,” says Dr. Kendorski. “I feel very strongly about educational policy and standards, and I look forward to embracing this opportunity fully.”
CLICK HERE to watch the video.
Family Medicine at PCOM provides patients with access to quality health care despite social inequity.
WHITE COAT CEREMONY MARKS SIGNIFICANT MOMENT
This fall—across College locations—doctor of osteopathic medicine, physician assistant and physical therapy students officially donned white coats for the first time. For students, the White Coat Ceremony is an age-old observance that marks a pivotal educational milestone into the world of clinical medicine. White coats are seen as a symbol of professionalism, humanism and compassion—the very principles required for the provision of patient care. And perhaps a PCOM white coat means even more. It signifies membership in a healthcare family committed to excellence: to caring for the whole person.
THE MOST CREATIVE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL
Anthony Guillorn, DO ’20 (center), asked Nicole McAndrew, DO ’20 (center left), to marry him in a well-organized, on-campus surprise proposal.
Drs. Taval, Rayalam and Mody investigate various strategies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
There are marriage proposals. And then there are marriage proposals that pop the top off of simply popping the question on bended knee during dessert at your favorite restaurant. The clever boyfriend: Anthony Guillorn, DO ’20. The unsuspecting fiancée: Nicole McAndrew, DO ’20. Theirs was a match made in med school, so it was only fitting that the proposal would take place where the PCOM alums’ budding romance began: the PCOM Admissions Office, on this day adorned with balloons, flowers, a “She said yes!” sign and a gift basket from PCOM President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81. Arriving in the admissions office in December under the guise of a Digest Magazine interview, Nicole was surprised to see Anthony and the couple’s families gathered. As he recounted the couple’s journey together, Anthony smiled at Nicole and held her hands before dropping to one knee, asking, “Will you marry me?” She enthusiastically said, “Yes!” Now engaged, the PCOM alums will continue their residencies while working to schedule a date for the wedding. The well-orchestrated proposal was years in the making. The two Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, natives had met in January 2015 at their medical school interviews and had connected over their shared regional ties. Though they grew up only a town away from each other and attended Scranton Prep, graduating two years apart, the two had never crossed paths until they came to PCOM. They reconnected during their first week of orientation, started dating shortly thereafter and have been together ever since. When Anthony decided he would ask Nicole to marry him, he knew the best place to continue their journey together would be where it started—the PCOM Admissions Office.
RESEARCHERS STUDY COVID-19 DRUG TARGETS
Three associate professors from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at PCOM Georgia have joined forces to investigate strategies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, including an inhaled formulation to deliver drugs directly to the airways, where most respiratory viruses colonize. The faculty members—Shashidharamurthy Taval, PhD, Vicky Mody, PhD, and Srujana Rayalam, DVM, PhD—published a paper on their research in Communications Biology, an open access journal for research, reviews and commentary in the biological sciences. As the team works to develop new drugs to treat the disease, preclinical studies with newly developed small molecular weight molecules are planned.
FIRESIDE CHAT WITH DR. FELDSTEIN
On the evening of January 27, with a flickering fire by his side, PCOM President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, shared updates with a virtual crowd of more than 100 on the progress the College has made in the past year. In a nearly hour-long conversation with Carrie Collins, JD, PhD, chief advancement and strategic planning officer, Dr. Feldstein touted the successes the College has achieved across all three campus locations. He also praised the continued commitment of students, faculty and staff through one of the most challenging periods in recent history. “What both surprised me and didn’t surprise me [over the last year] is the dedication and commitment of everybody at PCOM—the faculty, the staff and the students—and their adaptability under difficult circumstances,” said Dr. Feldstein. During the Q&A portion of the event, Dr. Feldstein noted that the College continues to strengthen its efforts to increase the diversity of students, faculty and staff, proudly claiming one of the most diverse student populations of any osteopathic medical school in the country. Dr. Feldstein shared his confidence that this trend will continue. “It’s a reflection of our society,” he said. “As our society becomes more diverse, so, too, will our institution.”
PCOM President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, converses with Carrie Collins, JD, PhD, chief advancement and strategic planning officer, during the 2022 Virtual President’s Fireside Chat. In addition to kudos for the daily efforts of the PCOM community, Dr. Feldstein confirmed the College’s firm financial standing, sharing, “We’re very strong financially.” The program wrapped up with Dr. Feldstein looking ahead to 2024, when the College celebrates its 125th anniversary. “Whatever we can do in the next few years to ensure PCOM is around for another 125 years, we’re going to do it,” he said. “With your support, we’re going to do it.”
CLICK HERE
to watch the video.
TWO NEW MEMBERS OF THE PCOM BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The College has named Thelma Dye-Holmes, PhD, and Virginia A. Stallings, MD, to its Board of Trustees. They were elected to the board in May 2021 and will serve in their roles through 2023.
Thelma Dye-Holmes, PhD
Dr. Dye-Holmes is the Hilde L. Moss Executive Director and CEO of the Northside Center for Child Development in New York, which serves more than 4,000 children and families annually. A former adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, Dr. DyeHolmes currently serves on the Board of Regents of the New York State Board for Psychology. She previously served on the boards of the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Coordinated Behavioral Care, Citywide Behavioral Network, Inc., and the Advisory Council of the Citizens’ Committee for Children, among numerous other board appointments and committee roles. Dr. Dye-Holmes earned both her doctoral and master’s degrees from Yeshiva University in New York and her bachelor’s degree from the School of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University.
Virginia A. Stallings, MD
Dr. Stallings is a board-certified pediatric physician nutrition specialist and serves as the director of the Nutrition Center and Jean A. Cortner Endowed Chair in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also professor of pediatrics at CHOP and at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. A specialist in health, therapeutic nutrition, and dietary intake and body composition, Dr. Stallings focuses her research on nutrition-related abnormalities in people with chronic disease, including cystic fibrosis, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell disease, cerebral palsy, Crohn’s disease, congenital heart disease, obesity and osteoporosis. Dr. Stallings earned her medical degree from University of Alabama School of Medicine, her master’s degree in human nutrition and biochemistry from Cornell University and her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and foods from Auburn University.
EMBRACING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Highlights of the College’s unwavering commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive campus community: DEI award The American Osteopathic Association’s 2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Unification Award was awarded to PCOM President and Chief Executive Officer Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81. This inaugural award recognizes exemplary leadership and commitment to promoting and advancing DEI initiatives in the osteopathic community. HEED award PCOM also won the 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. This is the seventh year PCOM has been named as a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Campus-wide initiatives In June 2020, Dr. Feldstein announced the formation of the President’s Commission on Racial Justice: Transforming Campus Culture, a cross-campus coalition created to advance PCOM’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The College also launched the 2025 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan to embed diversity, equity and inclusion in its curriculum, policies, processes and practices to advance student, faculty and staff performance as well as excellence in PCOM’s service to communities. These efforts include continued and enhanced pointed recruitment and retention of students underrepresented in medicine and a strong commitment to hiring and retaining more minority faculty across all programs with competitive and fair compensation. Executive leadership DEI training The College engaged
an external consultant, Path Forward, to lead a series of trainings for all members of the executive leadership team on topics focused on unconscious bias, race in the workplace, allyship, inclusive leadership and generational diversity. Admissions process Dr. Feldstein hired Adrianne Jones, MLS, as the College’s Chief Admissions Officer in April 2020 to help transform the admissions process for future osteopathic physicians from underrepresented minorities in medicine, adopting a holistic approach aligned with the osteopathic philosophy. Added coursework The College added new curricular sections dedicated to disparities in health care, allocation of healthcare resources and public health issues referencing cultural, economic and ethnic concerns, as well as trainings in microaggressions. In addition, a new lecture series aims to enhance the cultural competency skills of medical students. Employee DEI awards The College celebrated the inaugural winners of the Employee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award at the annual Employee Recognition Awards luncheon. Awards were presented by Marcine Pickron-Davis, PhD, chief diversity and community relations officer.
PATIENT THANKS PROFESSOR FOR SAVING HER LIFE … 27 YEARS LATER
Donald Penney, MD, MSc, FACEP, a clinical professor of emergency medicine who was recently appointed chair of the Department of Clinical Education at PCOM Georgia, experienced an incredible gift just before the 2021 winter holidays. A former patient, Rachelle Broom, RN, MSN, reached out to thank him for saving her life 27 years earlier. The physician-patient story began in 1994 when 18-year-old Ms. Broom was ejected from an SUV. Dr. Penney, a neurosurgeon, was on call that night. He performed a craniotomy on Ms. Broom, who in addition to multiple other injuries had a life-threatening brain hemorrhage. Ms. Broom credits the accident with launching her interest in health care and a nursing career. Coming full circle, she knew that she wanted to thank Dr. Penney for saving her life. It took many years, some internet research and a serendipitous friendship for the meeting to take place. The reunion between Dr. Penney and Ms. Broom was made possible through an email introduction from a mutual friend, J. Renee Himmelbaum, DO ‘13, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at PCOM Georgia, a former student of Dr. Penney’s and now his colleague. Donald Penney, MD, MSc, FACEP, a PCOM Georgia professor, visits with Rachelle Broom, RN, MSN, whose life Dr. Penney saved in 1994 by performing an emergency craniotomy when Ms. Broom was 18 years old.
Georgia government officials have delivered nearly $6 million in support of growth and expansion: • PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia received $820,202 in funding from the Governor’s Emergency
Education Relief Fund for technology and pathway program support. • Local government and community organizations in Moultrie,
Georgia, have allocated $5 million to support the growth of PCOM South Georgia. If this is matched by the State of
Georgia, the College could have $10 million for facility and program expansion, which will likely include new academic programs to address the severe deficit of providers in certain specialties throughout the state and region.
AGREEMENTS FAST TRACK STUDENTS TO MEDICAL SCHOOL
PCOM South Georgia has partnered with regional institutions including Georgia Southern University, Valdosta State University, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to provide students the opportunity to complete medical school a year early through new articulation agreements. The agreements also provide the opportunity for students with a four-year degree in basic sciences to receive special consideration for the DO program after graduating from their institution. Up to three students per year from the undergraduate institutions will be considered for admission into PCOM South Georgia’s DO program.
PCOM GEORGIA LAUNCHES MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE PROGRAM
A new master’s degree program based at PCOM Georgia has begun accepting students. The Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science is designed for students who aspire to work as medical technologists, and for those who are working in the field and want to add to their credentials. Students with full-time jobs may earn the degree while still working. The program, which has two tracks, will begin in the fall of 2022.
JEFFREY M. BRANCH, EDD, RECEIVES PCOM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CERTIFICATE OF HONOR
Jeffrey M. Branch, EdD, assistant professor and chair of three graduate degree programs, is the recipient of the 2022 Alumni Association Certificate of Honor, which recognizes distinguished services rendered and loyal devotion to PCOM. It is the highest honor bestowed by the PCOM Alumni Association. Dr. Branch came to PCOM’s Psychology Department 16 years ago to teach courses in organizational development and leadership (ODL) as an adjunct professor. In 2008, he helped to expand the master’s degree program and second-year biomedical science organizational leadership track to PCOM Georgia. He oversees the MS ODL programs, which also includes the MS Public Health Management and Administration and the MS Non Profit Leadership and Population Health Management programs. The Organizational Development and Leadership program intentionally pursued strategic collaborations with two large non-profit public health and population health organizations: the Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC and Affilitates) which offers integrative care to children and adults across the continuum of public health services in Philadelphia, and Woods Services and Affiliates, a population health organization in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that provides education, housing, and behavioral health services to 18,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Up to 25 employees in each company study for their PCOM graduate degrees in a program sited at their workplace. The companies pay half of the students’ tuitions. Students conduct projects for their degrees in the workplace, which lets the nonprofits develop their internal leaders and benefit from the work developed in the classroom.
