2019_Digest_No1

NUMBER 1

2019

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

EQUITY

DIVERSITY PARITY

F EATURE VOL. 80, NO. 1, USPS, 413-060 Digest Magazine is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications under the direction of Wendy W. Romano, chief marketing and communications officer.

EDITOR Jennifer Schaffer Leone, MA PUBLICATION DESIGN Abigail Harmon CONTRIBUTORS – FEATURES Janice Fisher Jennifer Schaffer Leone, MA Katie Smith (online feature) David McKay Wilson CONTRIBUTORS – UPDATES Renee Cree Barbara Myers CONTRIBUTORS – CLASS NOTES Institutional Advancement Staff Meghan McCall PHOTOGRAPHY – COVER Melissa Kelly PHOTOGRAPHY Atlanta Headshots Boston Creative Headshots CLIX Blacksburg Daniel Shippey Photography Bruce Fairfield Greenville Head Shots Melissa Kelly Photography Slava Blazer Photography Stephanie Girard Photography SEND QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT DIGEST MAGAZINE TO: Marketing and Communications, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 4180 City Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695 215-871-6300 communications@pcom.edu SEND INFORMATION FOR CLASS NOTES AND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Institutional Advancement, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 4180 City Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695 215-871-6120 alumni@pcom.edu Periodical postage is paid at Upper Darby, PA, and at additional mailing offices.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the College or the editor.

DIGEST

© 2019 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

All rights reserved.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF

Dear Alumni and Friends, Statistics look encouraging at the start of a career in medicine: roughly equal numbers of men and women graduate from medical schools across the United States.

(PCOM has graduated—on average—equal numbers of men and women for well over a decade and a half.) Yet, when those students further advance into their careers, the field is increasingly male. Persistent factors can lead to these disparities, as several of the alumnae leaders in the feature of this issue of Digest Magazine attest. At the same time, they expose that achieving gender equity can mean real and positive differences in health care and medical education.

Paired as well within the theme of diversity, equity and parity is a feature article that puts forth social determinants and psychological stressors that adversely influence the health and well-being of children. An [online] companion article considers the impact of healthcare microaggressions that can compromise patient-centered care.

At PCOM, we are proud that diversity is a core component of our institutional identity and a key pillar of our strategic vision. Our College values inclusion and equity across all areas and in all aspects of our operations.

As a final, unrelated note (offered with a heavy heart), I share the news of the passing of Leonard H. Finkelstein, DO ’59, MSc ’63, FACOS, chancellor, past president and professor emeritus. Dr. Finkelstein died on June 25, and we held this issue of the magazine to add a special tribute to him. I admittedly did not know him well as a PCOM student, but when I began my tenure as president, Dr. Finkelstein would often drop by my office and offer encouraging words of wisdom and/or an ear if I ever needed one. I had a genuine affection for him, and I miss him. I imagine many of you do as well.

Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81 Chief Executive Officer O S T E O P A President T H I C M E Dand ICIN E

C O NT E N TS 2 Updates 10 Institutional Heritage: Founders’ Day 2019

12 Women Who Lead:

Fifteen Alumnae Stories

32 Addressing Health Equity: 2

10

Trauma Awareness

34 R equiem for a President:

Leonard H. Finkelstein, DO ’59, MsC ‘63, FACOS

38 Class Notes

12

34

38

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UPDATES

STUDYING THE MASTERS FOR A MASTERY OF PRIMARY CARE Research has shown that studying art can help strengthen medical students’ skills in perception, observation, communication and collaboration. That’s why a group of DO students participated last winter in an optional series of art-observation workshops at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, as part of their Primary Care Skills (PCS) course.

During each of the four sessions, students closely studied works in the collection by artists such as Cézanne, Renoir and Picasso, discussed as a group what they saw, and journaled their thoughts and experiences for later reflection.

The workshops, offered by the Barnes through the Sheldon Weintraub Fund, were developed and led by William Perthes, Bernard C. Watson director of adult education at the Barnes. The curriculum is designed to show medical students and professionals how close-looking skills can be beneficial in a clinical setting.

“In PCS the students learn how to interact with patients and learn to interpret what they’re seeing—and what they’re not,” says Harry Morris, DO ’78, MPH, professor and chair, family medicine, who leads PCS. “That is the hallmark of doctorpatient interaction, and the sessions at the Barnes are a natural fit for our students; our educational philosophy is to encourage them to look beyond the illness or ailment to find the root of the problem.”

THE BUDDY SYSTEM For the second year in a row, students at PCOM welcomed athletes with the Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia program for Med Buddies, a day dedicated to physical fitness, arts and crafts, and health and wellness education.

This year’s event was more than double last year’s size; over 100 athletes were partnered with students in the DO, Biomedical Sciences, Physician Assistant Studies and Psychology programs on activities such as basketball, parachute time, T-shirt design, X-ray pictures and “Pretend Doctor,” where athletes practiced their medical skills and knowledge.

The annual event is designed to teach special needs children about health, nutrition and physical fitness, while giving students studying in the medical, behavioral health and health science fields exposure to a population they may not otherwise interact with so early in their careers.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

ADDRESSING AN EPIDEMIC More than 100 medical students and faculty heard firsthand the devastation caused by addiction at a recent panel discussion at PCOM Georgia. “The Road to Recovery: Substance Dependence Awareness and Advocacy” featured panelists from around the state who study addiction treatment and advocate for recovery, and included a mother who lost her son to addiction.

The mother pleaded with the medical students: “One thing I really ask is that every patient you see, look at them as an individual . . . it all comes down to that relationship with your patient and if you understand what they’re going through.”

Akila Raja (DO ’21), a PCOM Georgia student, presided over the discussion. She said she wants to raise awareness within the medical community, “as we will be intimately working with this population in the future. As healthcare providers, it is imperative that we are aware of these resources and address this problem as effectively as possible.”

The event was funded in part by the Albert D’Alonzo, DO, Endowed Memorial Award Fund, of which Ms. Raja is a recipient, and the Office of Student Affairs. The fund is named in honor of the late Albert D’Alonzo, DO ’56, a long-time professor at PCOM, and supports a range of student academic activities through individual grants awarded to students and student organizations.

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UPDATES

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS HONOR BODY DONORS

In May, PCOM Georgia held its annual Donor Memorial Service, a tradition to honor those—this year, 43 individuals—who unselfishly donated their bodies to science.

The service included a breakfast, words of gratitude from students and faculty members, a video presentation and the gifting of yellow roses and framed poems. The cremains of the donors were presented to family members as one candle was lit in each donor’s honor, and music played softly.

“Candles represent enlightenment, encouragement, spiritual clarity and reassurance. These candles symbolize the memory of your loved ones and the lives that they so graciously shared with us,” DO Council President Phi Tran (DO ’22) said.

“Although we present you with their physical cremains, let these flames be a lingering reminder of their impact that continues on within each one of us.”

Christian Pruitt (DO ’22), chair of the DO class of 2022, spoke to the more than 150 family members who attended the service.

“Our gratitude must be represented by a career spent in the service of others, by days, months and years spent walking alongside our patients through their most difficult and vulnerable moments,” he said. “Then, maybe we will come close to doing justice to your loved one’s gift.”

Planned by medical, physician assistant and physical therapy students, the service also provided a time for family members to eulogize their loved ones.

HOMETOWN HEALTH CARE Two recent graduates from PCOM Georgia, Ethan McBrayer, DO ’19, and Stephen Yarbrough, DO ’19, returned to southern Georgia—their hometowns are Tifton and Fitzgerald, respectively—to begin their residencies in the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency program at Colquitt Regional Medical Center.

Dr. McBrayer says he chose the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency program for its rigorous curriculum, the camaraderie and its mission to train primary care doctors to serve rural Georgia communities. Dr. Yarbrough affirms, “I couldn’t see myself anywhere else besides Georgia South. My experiences as a medical student with the program and its staff have been excellent.”

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

PCOM South Georgia will bring even more medical professionals to the region. Michael J. Sampson, DO, FAOASM, chief academic officer, PCOM South Georgia, reports, “South Georgians continue to support PCOM’s mission, as do our state legislators. When we all work together, we can accomplish great things. It is our goal to take what Drs. McBrayer and Yarbrough have done and make that the norm, which is training and retaining the physician population in South Georgia.”

For more information on PCOM South Georgia, visit pcom.edu/south-georgia.

CORE VALUE Bayhealth will be PCOM’s second CCC in Delaware. The first, Christiana Care Health System, was established in July 2018. PCOM also partners with the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research program, through which the College reserves slots each academic year for applicants from Delaware.

“PCOM’s mission is to advance knowledge and intellectual growth through teaching and research, and it is committed to the well-being of the communities in which our students and physicians serve,” says Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, president and chief executive officer, PCOM. “We’re proud to work with Bayhealth to turn out a physician workforce that can help meet the growing healthcare needs of Delawareans.”

SAME CAMPUS, NEW NAME

COMPASSIONATE COLLABORATION

Last winter, Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA–PCOM) began the process of rolling out a new name: PCOM Georgia. You’ll now see this new name used in all references to the Suwanee campus.

BAYHEALTH

A cohort of 11 DO students from the College—eight from PCOM and three from PCOM Georgia—began their third year of medical school in July by developing their clinical skills at Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus in Dover, Delaware or Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus, in Milford, Delaware.

With this new cohort, Bayhealth becomes PCOM’s latest Core Clinical Campus (CCC). The Philadelphia campus partners with 13 hospitals and health systems in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware on its CCC initiative, which ensures third-year medical students can perform all of their clerkship rotations at one site.

Upon graduating medical school, PCOM students may later apply for one of Bayhealth’s new residency programs, which the health system announced in March.

The partnership comes at a time of need in the state of Delaware, particularly in its central and southern counties; a study published in January by the University of Delaware and the state’s Department of Health and Social Services found a six percent decline in the number of primary care doctors providing direct patient care in that state. At the time, health officials noted that that decline, coupled with the state’s aging population, could exacerbate the shortage.

DOVER

MILFORD

In February, the PCOM Cultural Competency Program (CCP)—a collaboration initiated by the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) that addresses the impact of culture, race, religion, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status on patient care and the healthcare system—held the inaugural Cultural Humility and Medicine Symposium at PCOM. The event, open to medical students from allopathic and osteopathic programs across the region, explored the social issues that fuel discrimination, bias and neglect within the healthcare system.

The day featured lectures and breakout sessions on topics such as poverty, religious practices, patients with disabilities, provider perception of pain, African-American maternal mortality and trauma informed-care. About 75 students from PCOM, Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and Drexel University College of Medicine attended.

“It was our hope that we could contribute to increasing awareness among our peers, to increase cultural humility and demonstrate that together we can eliminate bias, disparities and neglect,” says Chantel Thompson (DO ’21), co-president of SNMA at PCOM and program chair for CCP, which comprises several student organizations at PCOM. “Exposing everyone to those experiences and viewpoints will make our students better physicians, able to treat all patients with compassionate care, and better colleagues and members of the profession as well,” says Marcine Pickron-Davis, PhD, chief of diversity and community relations at PCOM.

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UPDATES

A GOAL IN MIND First-year students in the MS in Counseling program have been getting a unique pre-clinical educational experience with Lisa Corbin, LPC, NCC, assistant professor, counseling, at a residential facility in Greater Northeast Philadelphia that works with adult men seeking treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring difficulties.

Once a week, students shadow Ms. Corbin as she runs a mindful meditation group for residents of SelfHelp Movement, Incorporated.

The 90-minute sessions start with introductions and a brief description of mindfulness.

Dr. Corbin leads the diverse group of men in a series of mindful meditation sessions and grounding exercises. The group then works together to process their feelings after these activities.

“The goal of this experience is to change the mindset about what therapy really is,” says Ms. Corbin. “Up until this point, most of the students have only learned what to do from books. Our hope is that these experiences will help alleviate some of the anxieties that many students face when they begin their clinical work.”

The shadowing experience with Ms. Corbin is the latest initiative the Department of Counseling has undertaken to help get students more hands-on training before their second year, when they begin their clinical rotations.

Other projects include a phone-based support system for patients of PCOM’s community-based Healthcare Centers, which aims to help them meet their healthy lifestyle goals; and Standardized Training and Evaluation for Psychologists and Psychotherapists (STEPPS) exercises, through which students conduct intake evaluation sessions with standardized mental health patients.

PT DEPARTMENT HOSTS LIMB LOSS EDUCATION DAY Last spring, faculty and staff in PCOM Georgia’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program hosted roughly 130 community members for Limb Loss Education Day. Co-sponsored by the Amputee Coalition, a donor-supported nonprofit, the free event focused on topics such as living well with limb loss/difference, mental well-being, improving health through exercise, caregiving, and adaptive sports. Exhibitors also showcased resources, products and services.

Carol Miller, PT, PhD, professor, physical therapy, who serves on the Scientific & Medical Advisory Board for the Amputee Coalition, notes that the missions of the coalition and of PCOM dovetail in their emphases on whole person health. “Health is multidimensional and encompasses many domains: physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual. That’s why I wanted the Limb Loss Education Day here, because that’s what PCOM embraces, too,” she says.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

A CLEAR VISION produce wrinkles in the capsule surrounding the lens, leading to a decline in visual acuity.

In a recent paper published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Research, Dr. George-Weinstein, Ms. Gerhart and their research team found that in an animal model, eliminating Myo/ Nog cells in the lens undergoing cataract surgery significantly reduced the severity of PCO to clinically insignificant levels.

The researchers killed Myo/Nog cells in the lens using a novel drug developed in collaboration with scientists at Genisphere, LLC. The drug specifically targeted Myo/Nog cells with no observable side effects in surrounding tissues. A month after cataract surgery (roughly the equivalent of two years in humans), few Myo/Nog cells remained in the lens, with minimal, if any, wrinkles in the capsule.

The group’s previous studies demonstrated that Myo/Nog cells are present in the human lens. “Our next steps are to explore additional methods of drug delivery to prolong its activity and continue to monitor its safety in animal models to pave the way for eventual clinical trials in humans,” says Dr. George-Weinstein.

“We envision that this drug could be injected into all patients undergoing cataract surgery in order to prevent PCO and preserve vision.”

Additional contributors at PCOM include Arturo Bravo-Nuevo, PhD, associate professor of biomedical sciences; Colleen Withers (DO ’21); and lab support staff Joseph Infanti and Fathma Abdalla. Their research team and colleagues at other universities are studying the roles of Myo/Nog cells in the retina, brain, skin, liver and tumors.

Myo/Nog cells—discovered more than 30 years ago by Mindy George-Weinstein, PhD, professor and chief research and science officer, and Jacquelyn Gerhart, MS, laboratory coordinator and bio-imagining facility director—are like the Jekyll and Hyde of cells: they are critical for normal development in the embryo, and in adults, they aid in wound healing and protect neurons.

But in other tissues—like the lens of the eye—they contribute to a vision-impairing disease called posterior capsule opacification (PCO), which may develop after cataract surgery.

PCO, or secondary cataract, is caused when Myo/Nog cells migrate to normally cell-free areas of the lens and form muscle-like cells called myofibroblasts. These cells contract and

RESEARCH DAY 2019 SHOWCASED INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION PCOM

PCOM GEORGIA

BEST IN SHOW

100+

37

DAVID MILLER, DO ’60 MEMORIAL RESEARCH DAY EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH – BEST IN SHOW

POSTERS SUBMITTED

POSTERS SUBMITTED

8

15

AWARDS GIVEN

2

BIOMED STUDENTS

1

RESIDENT

1

PSYD STUDENT

2

DO STUDENTS

Dillion McCourt (MS/Biomed ’19) “Covalent Tethering of Beta-Amyloid onto Titanium Reduces Bacterial Colonization”

AWARDS GIVEN

1

ALTCA STUDENT

1

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

3

3

BIOMED STUDENTS

2

PHARMD STUDENTS

3

RESIDENTS

FISHER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

PT STUDENTS

3

DO STUDENTS

Haris Hatic, DO “Thyrotoxicosis in Molar Pregnancy”

“ It’s amazing to see how much Research Day has grown; I remember being at one of the first and there were only 10 or 11 posters.”

– Brandon Poterjoy, DO ’02

DIGEST 2019

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UPDATES

HATS OFF TO THE CLASS OF 2019 PCOM’s commencement season kicked off in May with commencement ceremonies for PCOM Georgia’s DO, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences graduates, followed just a few days later by PCOM’s DO program in Philadelphia. The summer saw ceremonies for graduate programs in Philadelphia and the Physician Assistant Studies program in Suwanee. In total, some 800 students received their degrees across all programs.

At the PCOM Georgia DO ceremony, graduates heard from alumna Trupti Patel, DO ’09, a board-certified emergency medicine specialist. “You’ll be expected to be tough and focused and accurate during hard, devastating cases,” she said. “And you‘ll be expected to be soft, kind and human when delivering bad news.”

Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, president and chief executive officer, PCOM, echoed that sentiment of humanity, noting that while professional competence is key to medical treatment, the best physicians maintain their capacity for compassion. “At the bedside, you can still give your patients your presence. You can restore comfort even when you cannot cure. As you prepare to begin your practice of medicine as interns and residents, honor the humanity of those who suffer. Feel awe. Be humbled. The prospect of healing rests in your sense of compassion.”

COMMUNICATION IS PARAMOUNT Communication was the name of the game at PCOM Georgia’s Trauma Day. Second-year DO students at PCOM Georgia and student nurses and paramedics from other schools, including Georgia Gwinnett College and Lanier Technical College, experienced what it was like to depend on each other as they worked to save the lives of their “patients” in various scenarios—from the field to the emergency department.

PCOM Georgia’s Director of Simulation Jeffery Adams, NREMT-P, MS, urged the students, “When you’re in the emergency department, take two minutes to listen to what the paramedics say.”

Triage nurses took notes as they listened to the emergency medical services radios in the field and readied the department for incoming patients. The handoff between paramedics to nurses to doctors in the emergency department was critical.

Scenarios included such cases as a perforated appendix, a myocardial infarction, an infant with sepsis and a new mom with a stroke. Students were also tasked with identifying a human trafficking case involving a patient who had overdosed. The realistic scenarios were designed by students in the new Medical Simulation concentration of the Biomedical Sciences program, and were overseen by physician faculty members at PCOM Georgia.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

PCOM SOUTH GEORGIA OPENS FOLLOWING ACCREDITORS’ APPROVAL In June 2019, evaluators from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation visited PCOM’s new teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, determining that all accreditation requirements were met to open PCOM South Georgia to students.

PCOM South Georgia consists of a 75,000 square foot facility on a 31-acre campus led by 30 faculty and staff members. Classes began—for 55 doctor of osteopathic medicine students—on August 12.

More than three years in the planning and construction stages, PCOM South Georgia is the culmination of a mission to bring more physicians to the area.

Michael J. Sampson, DO, FAOASM, chief academic officer, PCOM South Georgia, says, “We’ve designed PCOM South Georgia to be the region’s hometown medical school and we look forward to working with all of our partners to build Southwest Georgia’s physician workforce.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and community tours were held on August 6 to celebrate PCOM South Georgia’s official opening.

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INSTITUTIONAL HERITAGE

FOUNDERS DAY 2019

by Janice Fisher

The annual observance of Founders’ Day honors the forebearers of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine: Oscar John Snyder, DO, and Mason Wiley Pressly, DO. This year’s honorees are examples of those who continue to embody the dedication, loyalty and service that the College’s founders exhibited.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

’

O. J. SNYDER MEMORIAL MEDAL RECIPIENT ALEXANDER S. NICHOLAS, DO ’75, FAAO DIST. Alexander S. Nicholas, DO ’75, FAAO dist., professor and chair of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, has been leading a double life. Dr. Nicholas received some disquieting feedback early in his teaching career at the College, which began part-time in 1976: Some students found him aloof, even snobbish.

“My father was a big, loud, ebullient guy,” Dr. Nicholas explains, “so that was probably one reason I was a little more quiet.” The father in question was osteopathic pioneer Nicholas S. Nicholas, DO, FAAO, a former president of the American Academy of Osteopathy who chaired the PCOM department his son now leads. “I’m innately on the shy side,” Dr. Nicholas says, “but no one here thinks that. They all think I’m a blazing extrovert.”

Dr. Nicholas did his research, and the literature told him that introverts can’t change. So he devised a work-around. “I basically decided I would copy Albert D’Alonzo, DO ’56, who was the chair of cardiology, and my mentor Jerome Sulman, DO ’57, two outgoing guys who told stories and jokes and had a great way with people. Albert was Italian-American; Jerry was an Orthodox Jew. I copied their shticks; I learned their jokes and mannerisms, their shaggy dog stories. Every day, when I came to work and got off the elevator, I told myself, ‘Take one!’ And I’ve been doing it for forty years.”

During those years, Dr. Nicholas has won PCOM’s Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (1996) and the AOA’s Mentor Hall of Fame Award (2005), as well as its Andrew Taylor Still Medallion of Honor (2014). Dr. Nicholas, along with his father and David Heilig, DO ’44, developed the first residency program in OMM (now osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine). He lectures extensively, including, for the past two decades, several times a year in Austria and Germany; he is honorary president of the German-American Academy of Osteopathy. With his brother, Evan A. Nicholas, DO ’81, associate professor in the OMM department, Dr. Nicholas is the author of the Atlas of Osteopathic Techniques, the widely used textbook first published in 1974

by their father. [Other PCOM alumni in Dr. Nicholas’s family are daughter Veronica Nicholas Mahon, DO ’10; son-in-law Dave Mahon, DO ’10; and daughter-in-law Mary Tsakaris, MS/PA ’12.]

Although his choice of specialty may seem to have been inevitable, Dr. Nicholas was interested in both orthopedics and ENT as a PCOM student. “But wherever I would go on rotations,” he says, “doctors and department chairs would ask ‘Nicholas?

Are you related to Nick Nicholas?’ I would say, ‘Yeah, I’m his son,’ and they would say, ‘Great! Finally, somebody can give me a treatment!’ Off they’d go, finding a table or a cot somewhere, and taking off their tie and shirt. By the time I graduated and got through my internship, I was actually pretty good at it.” Dr. Nicholas recalls not only classmates but also professors “telling me I was crazy to think about orthopedics. ‘Why don’t you just go into practice with your father?’ I do listen to my elders”— and here he quotes the maxim of his former PCOM colleague Alexander Zellis, DO ’56—“not because of what they know, but because they have more experience of being mistaken.”

At present, Dr. Nicholas spends more time as a teacher and less time as a clinician. As he continues to mentor a new generation of students, Dr. Nicholas has an audacious goal: “I’m trying to teach people why humor is important.” He recalls a favorite joke of his mentor, Dr. Sulman. “ ‘Alex,’ he would say, ‘do you know why there are more Jewish violinists than pianists? Because when the Nazis are after you, it’s easier to get away with a violin than a Steinway.’ That joke does three things. It reminds people that there was a Holocaust; it helps lift you out of your own despondency; and it says to the Nazis, ‘You didn’t get all of us.’ ” Dr. Nicholas has heard people wonder how he can joke about something like cancer. His answer: “Humor keeps us going; otherwise we’d all quit. You thumb your nose at the disease, you bring yourself out of the despondency, and you don’t let it beat you.”

Read more about the honorees and view photos from the College’s 120th Founders’ Day at pcom.edu.

Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal Recipient Taylor E. Olian, DO ’19

Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal Recipient Hannah Shin, DO ’19 (PCOM Georgia)

PCOM Alumni Association Certificate of Honor Recipient Tina Woodruff, EdD, senior advisor to the provost

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FEATURE

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

WOMEN WHO LEAD:

FIFTEEN ALUMNAE STORIES

Vignettes as told to Janice Fisher

According to recent data from the American College of Physicians, women comprise more than one third of the active physician workforce, an estimated 46 percent of all physicians-in-training, and more than half of all medical students in the United States.

Although advancement has been made toward gender diversity in the physician workforce and in the healthcare profession at large, disparities and inequities have contributed to a disproportionately low number of female professionals serving in leadership positions.

There has also been slow progress in getting women into leadership positions in the biopharmaceutical and biotechnical industries, as chief executive officers of hospital systems or as presidents and deans of medical schools. And there remains an unsettling absence of women as scientific founders and research heads.

In the vignettes that follow, 15 PCOM alumnae disclose, in raw snippets, their professional experiences as women leaders in medicine. They share their successes and note some of the challenges that women in health care face. Many are optimistic that women entering the profession now will be the true beneficiaries of a society that values an inclusive culture.

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Julie A. Caffrey, DO ’08

Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, Maryland

“I’m an academic scientist and surgeon, and I’m accountable for all the requirements of being at a top care hospital—clinical, educational.

And I’m a mom at home. You can outsource, and that’s the only way to make it work. ‘Mom guilt’ is indeed real, but our kids are so resilient and understanding that there’s no reason to put that on ourselves. . . . You can’t say yes to everything. I work long days, 16-plus hours, but I don’t take work home with me. . . . I remember reading a book in the PCOM library called The Woman in the Surgeon’s Body, by Joan Cassell, an anthropologist married to a male surgeon.

Cassell described how some female surgeons were perceived as very masculine and others as weak. I’ve found that there is a sweet spot in the middle, where you’re seen as competent and pleasant to work with. We’re not taught in school that perception is key. Our biases stem from social biases that carry through into medicine and into the operating room. The bigger challenge is to change those perceptions—but you can navigate in a world where they are the case. . . . At Hopkins we have a culture of ‘speak up, speak out.’ If something happens, we want to know about it. Often it’s a communication

problem. What did you mean to say, and what did you say? . . . It all comes down to human interaction and trust. I work in a burn center, which is multidisciplinary, and we promote the idea that everyone has a voice. . . . I did feel a lack of mentorship at the beginning of my career, and that lack made me eager to mentor others. . . . It’s OK to say, ‘You can have a baby during residency.’ It’s so helpful to say, ‘You can do it. I did it.’ . . . There’s a private group of physician/moms out there on Facebook. Another resource, Women in Burns, is a grassroots group of 40 female surgeons trying to promote each other. Women need to promote each other in our profession. . . . This year I gained a female mentor at Hopkins, Grace Rozycki [MD, MBA], a trauma surgeon. Grace will go through my CV and show me what areas I can improve upon to make myself recognized as a leader in the field.

For example, she talked to me about giving grand round talks outside my institution. . . .

You can do the greatest work and have the best patient outcomes, but if no one knows, you’re never going to be the chair or the dean. There’s nothing wrong with promoting yourself. As women, we tend not to do that.”

“ You can do the greatest work and have the best patient outcomes, but if no one knows, you’re never going to be the chair or the dean.”

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

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PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE DEPARTMENT CHAIRS AND DEANS AT MEDICAL SCHOOLS [Harvard Business Review]

DIGEST 2019

Melissa Kelly Photography

% LESS

15

FEATURE OPENER

Nina Maouelainin, DO ’05 Chief Executive Officer and President, Lung Health Solutions

“ Even today, you walk into an OR and people are looking around for the men.”

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

“I was born and raised in Morocco. I went later to study medicine in France, but couldn’t pursue it there because of a quota system. Crazy, right? I never thought in a million years that I’d be judged not based on my achievement or character, but my nationality! . . . Madrid’s medical school said they’d take me, so I had to learn Spanish. But then they wouldn’t transfer my credits from France.

‘Europe isn’t the place for me,’ I realized. ‘I want to be somewhere where I’ll never be discriminated against again!’ When I came to Juniata College in 1998, I had never set foot in the States. . . . I always considered medicine a passion and a calling.

Keep your enthusiasm, do what you want with your life, and then you make a difference. That’s my message. . . . When I graduated from PCOM, I had an infant at home, and I decided to go into internal medicine, which was more family oriented. Then I was enthralled by the world of pulmonary/ critical care, which in the year 2000 wasn’t considered a women’s specialty.

Most of the attendings were male.

There were only three female fellows, total, in my class and the classes before and after me. You had to be strong, and you couldn’t take things personally. Even today, you walk into an OR and people are looking around for the men . . . . wInterventional pulmonology is a specialty in its infancy worldwide, with no more than one new graduate per program. It was a man’s world, like trauma and burn. . . . Lung cancer is the number one killer of men and women worldwide! We can now diagnose lung cancer in the periphery of the lungs, at a curable stage 1 and 2. . . . When I did interventional pulmonology, I was in the first class of fellows. I would work at night to earn money, and follow my mentor and learn from him during the day. . . . The next step is to give back. I joined Carla Lamb [MD] in her endeavor to create Women in Interventional Pulmonology, a group of amazing women who are mentors for others. We have conferences to educate and learn how to take on a leadership role. . . . The challenge is not only being a woman but also defending the profession as a whole. I earned an MBA to arm myself; you have to be comfortable in the C-suite. . . . My favorite quote is from Winston Churchill: ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.’”

Melissa Kelly Photography

Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Elizabeth A. DeFoney Olek, DO ’91, MPH

Infectious Disease Physician and Executive Medical Director, Loxo Oncology Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company San Francisco, California

Slava Blazer Photography

“While women are represented in the biopharmaceutical/ biotechnical industry in everincreasing numbers, the general consensus is that less than 20 percent of leadership positions in the industry are filled by women. Ultimately, it is a disservice to the healthcare system that we don’t have greater diversity; a lack of female leadership means the biopharmaceutical/ biotechnical industry is missing out on important perspectives, skills and work ethics that can drive innovation. This seems to have been lost in the discussion.

There is a long way to go before we see the disparity in gender equality within our leadership begin to close. Yet, I am hopeful that the ratio can and will change with heightened awareness. …

My vocation lets me research new anticancer treatments that focus on specific genetically altered targets. I am the clinical medical expert on a team that is fighting cancer. Our team sinks or swims together—every day. …

My experience is that capable women in leadership roles can build great teams and set high standards for performance. This offers an excellent example and empowerment for women who are motivated and ambitious to succeed. Setting the team up for success is key; successful teams cultivate inclusive work environments, they allow participants to speak up, feel safe, use and retain talent. They encourage women to reach upward rather than opt out. . . .

More women are participating in science, technology, engineering, math and medicine, which is an encouraging trend.

However, the gap has not closed yet, specifically in seeing real change in receiving equal compensation for equivalent work and the career hold that happens during women’s child-focused years. So, the gender difference is still there, with inroads being made.”

“ There is a long way to go before we see the disparity in gender equality within our leadership begin to close.”

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Melissa Kelly Photography

“ I’m the third female president-elect of the medical staff. There are women in our C-suite. We embrace our diverse culture.”

Deborah A. Bren, DO ’84

President-elect, Lehigh Valley Health Network Medical Staff; Executive Vice Chair, Clinical Programs, LVPG Family Medicine; Clinical Assistant Professor, LVHN/ University of South Florida Morsani School of Medicine Allentown, Pennsylvania

“Fortunately, I haven’t experienced gender bias or discrimination in my career. In college, I was privileged to play sports because of Title IX, so right off the bat I had been the recipient of someone else’s hard work. . . . After graduating from PCOM I trained at a medium-size hospital in Allentown, and had planned to do a surgical residency. As a woman and DO I wanted to be at a larger institution, to benefit from the volume and see the full bandwidth of opportunities. A few weeks after I was accepted for the residency, they called me to ask if I wanted to start in January or July. They mentioned that the other candidate was married and had a child, so could he start first in July? That was fine with me, though they would have drawn straws if I preferred. . . . So I had six months before residency and needed to work. I was told, ‘You’d be a great family doctor. Think about your quality of life as a surgeon!’ I ultimately turned down the surgical residency for one in family medicine, and I’ve never looked back. Now it’s been more than 30 years. . . . At LVHN I’m the third female president-elect of the medical staff. There are women in our C-suite. . . . We embrace our diverse culture. We have a cultural

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liaison who advocates for the clinicians, nurses, and the entire clerical and clinical teams as well as our patients. . . . At national conferences, there’s a lot of talk about compensation. Many family medicine departments, academic or not, are struggling with going from fee-for-service to value-driven care; at the same time, nationwide, there’s a primary care shortage. A full-time family medicine clinician at LVHN is contracted to 36 patient-facing hours a week. Candidates may choose to come in at a lower full-time equivalent, but that’s not just women—it’s millennials too, both men and women. . . . The med staff presidency job is a moving target of goals and objectives. Almost equal numbers of women and men sit on our compensation committee, and Professional Services uses an external resource to audit and ensure that we do not have gender inequity for our clinicians. . . . One important opportunity is to positively impact burnout issues; electronic health records have certainly had an impact there. . . . Each organization, each department, has its own issues. But everything starts with communication. I believe in including joy in every meeting and huddle. You came to this career for that; don’t leave it at home.”

Melissa George, DO ’04 Interim Chair, Department of Pathology; Program Director, Pathology Residency; Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine; Pathologist, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center “I didn’t aspire to academic leadership; I just wanted to be an excellent pathologist, a doctor’s doctor (to use Dr. Fogel’s [Robert M. Fogel, DO ’58, emeritus professor, PCOM] words).

I believe I was the only graduate of my medical school class to pursue residency training in pathology, and I went on to serve a four-year combined residency in anatomic and clinical pathology and fellowships in hematopathology and blood banking-transfusion medicine. . . . I took an academic job and eventually became residency program director, and now interim chair. Sometimes different circumstances lead you to take on unexpected roles. . . . [As interim chair] I have a tremendous opportunity to shape the department. Women account for only 22 percent of academic pathology chairs.

I am currently one of the 21 women out of 95 academic pathology chairs, which compared to some other specialties is actually a high percentage of female leaders. Interestingly, I didn’t realize how much my role can intimidate people. I recently called someone to ask an innocent question, and they thought they were in trouble because I called. . . .

I’m somewhat introverted, but because I like to uncover fresh ideas, I’m motivated to network. Most people are very generous and supportive when you ask for help. I’m not impressed by titles, so I’m not afraid to pick people’s brains. . . . I believe in paying it forward, and as residency program director I want to set an example for my female residents. I try to be mindful to introduce them, to coach them not take any flak and not let anyone diminish them. I stress the need for networking. Women aren’t as good as men at gracious self-promotion; we may think the world is a meritocracy, but, unfortunately, it does not always work that way. You have to publicize your own accomplishments or they might be overlooked. . . . One thing I wish I had done is take more psychology classes. In medical school, you can be hyperfocused on your own industry. You can get great ideas from other industries. . . .Work/life balance is something we all struggle with. I do not have children, but I have great respect for the additional challenges women with young children have. I am fortunate to have a supportive husband, Joe George [DO ‘04], which helps a lot. I realized a long time ago that I could not work a long day and be Martha Stewart at home. Women need to realize that when you get to a certain point you don’t need to feel guilty to hire someone to come in and clean your house. . . . I draw a distinction between sponsorship and mentorship. Mentors offer advice and serve as sounding boards; sponsors put opportunities in your path. Men tend to naturally find sponsors. But women can get mentored to death; people think they need fixing.

I did have someone put opportunities in my path, and I realized that was sponsorship, and now I strive to do the same for others.”

Melissa Kelly Photography

Hershey, Pennsylvania

“ I believe in paying it forward, and as residency program director I want to set an example for my female residents.”

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Melissa Kelly Photography

“ If you can find a person who can tell you that you can’t do something, you can alternatively find a mentor who will help you achieve your goals.”

Joyce W. Wald, DO ’92, FACC

Associate Medical Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support Program and Director, Practice Development, Penn Medicine; and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“Here’s my overarching message: No matter what you’re told, you can do whatever you want. At every point in my career, I was told I could never be a physician. I’m not a great testtaker. When I was in college, I heard, ‘Don’t bother applying to medical school; if you get in, you won’t make it through.’ Later, during medical residency it was, ‘Don’t apply for a fellowship in cardiology; it’s too competitive.’ . . . My twin sister [Deborah Sundlof, DO ’92, a cardiologist with Lehigh Valley Health Network] and I went through all this together. Our reaction to the naysayers was, ‘Yeah, we’re not going to listen.’ . . .

As an advanced heart failure specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, I have the privilege of taking care of patients with end-stage heart failure, many of whom we have recovered with medical/device therapy, heart transplant or mechanical hearts.

Each day at work is different, and each day it is an honor that patients and their families entrust my team with their care. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. . . . My mentors along this journey have been my mom, Pensri Wanglee [MD], a retired pediatrician; Joe Kenney [DO, former assistant professor of cardiology, PCOM]; Jim Burke [MD], a cardiologist at Temple University, René J. Alvarez, Jr. [MD], a cardiologist with Jefferson Health – Thomas Jefferson University, and Michael Acker [MD], chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania who totally believed in me during the toughest parts of my career. . . . If you can find a person who can tell you that you can’t do something, you can alternatively find a mentor who will help you achieve your goals. Always believe in yourself and reach for the stars no matter what.”

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FEMALE SPECIALISTS PAID VS. THEIR MALE COLLEAGUES [Harvard Business Review]

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Melissa Jean Bailey-Taylor, DO ’08, RES ’13, MPH, CMD Clinical Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, and Clemson University School of Health Research; Geriatric Physician, Prisma Health-Upstate Health Science Center

“I am a family medicine physician certified in both family medicine and geriatrics. I’m passionate about addressing issues of health disparities, equity and inclusion. . . .

After graduating from Spelman College, I thought it was too late to go to medical school. I decided to pursue a PhD. On my second day of the program, the vice chair of chemistry told me that because I went to historically black college I did not know chemistry, despite doing well academically (in all the sciences—including chemistry) and passing national exams. Instead, I earned a master’s degree in public health, participated in medical mission work, and worked in the survey research field. And I decided to go to medical school and pursue my destiny.

From rejection, I resurged. Women, and women of color, may encounter challenges in all kinds of pathways. . . .

I’ve just completed a program at Furman University, the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative, working with leaders from across the state to examine issues related to diversity and inclusion, and to learn more skills in equity and health care. At Prisma Health–Upstate I’m a co-chair of the Transformative Health Institute’s Culture and Inclusion Committee; the Institute is designed to enhance the practice of medicine, reducing burdens and barriers to patient care, decreasing burnout, and increasing team member well-being. . . . We’re developing standardized methods to measure work in this field and best practices to change attitudes, perspectives and practices on diversity, equity and inclusion with people both inside and outside the health system. We’re trying to connect the dots among existing groups and entities, building a coalition. . . . On the patient side, I’m the physician champion for our Geriatric Medical Legal Program, the first in the state of South Carolina, which is developing best practices to identify and alleviate legal-healthharming barriers for patients and communities. Nicole Davis [PhD] at Clemson University and I got a seed grant to look at African American and Hispanic caretakers of those with dementia. I still see patients. . . . My work helps identify and reduce perceived and actual barriers to health care. . . . The common thread is that I want to help make individual and population-level changes in health care and well-being.”

Greenville Head Shots

Greenville, South Carolina

“ Women, and women of color, may encounter challenges in all kinds of pathways. ”

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FEATURE

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Melissa Kelly Photography

Marina N. Vernalis, DO ’77, FACC

Chief Medical Officer, AusculSciences, Inc.; Colonel (Retired), Medical Corps, US Army; former Chief of Cardiology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Consultant to the Army Surgeon General; and former Executive Director of the Integrative Cardiac Health Center at Walter Reed Bethesda Washington, DC

“I was one of 14 women in a class of 275 at PCOM. . . . When my father had a heart attack, I looked for options to pay for my medical education, and was offered a health professions scholarship with the Navy. That was the start of my military career.

Clearly there was a vast underrepresentation of women in medicine at that time. I was one of two women who were the first medical residents at the National Naval Medical Center, a phenomenal tertiary center. It was a ‘sea change’ in Navy medicine. We knew we were pioneers in military medicine and very much aware that our success would open the door to other women. We were willing to work hard. On average, we worked over 100 hours a week; often we were the first to arrive and the last to leave. We proved our academic merit by working diligently, making certain all the i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed. We earned respect by providing quality and compassionate care. . . . One of my military mentors was General Blanck [Lieutenant General Ronald Blanck, DO ’67].

After my initial obligation with the Navy was over, I had been planning to leave the military. I had done an additional year of fellowship in cardiac ultrasound—echocardiography. The military had no formally trained echocardiographer, so I received a wonderful phone call from General Blanck and the chief of cardiology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It was the phone call and mentorship that made the difference. . . . One of my colleagues at Walter Reed said to me on my second day as chief of cardiology that he doubted I could

succeed as chief because I was a noninterventional cardiologist, and no previous chief had been a noninterventional cardiologist—although I think he really meant because I was a woman. I asked him, ‘What would you want a chief to do to make your life better as an interventional cardiologist?’

He wanted an observation unit so we wouldn’t have to transfer patients two floors to recover from their procedures. I recruited nursing staff to help me create a short-stay observation unit at no cost—the first such unit in the military, and a phenomenal success. You never do things alone; it does require a team. . . .When I became chief of cardiology, I was the first woman in that position, working with 11 men. My parents had owned and operated a restaurant, and my father used to regularly look in the garbage cans to find out what the customers didn’t eat. In a small business, waste can be your profit. I mapped out the processes of every area within the cardiology department and found that we were able to eliminate redundancy to be more efficient and effective. And when we checked inventory, we found that young staffers were packing the new in front of old, and we had expired product. Whether you work with men or women, successful leaders find better ways to accomplish the team mission. . . . If you want a position in leadership, it is wise to choose a very good supportive life partner, and you may have to delay childbearing—get your education over with and get better established. You can have everything—it just may not be at the same time.”

“ It was a ‘sea change’ in Navy medicine. We knew we were pioneers in military medicine and very much aware that our success would open the door to other women.”

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Theresa Moore Becker, DO ’90

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Executive Network Director, Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital; Medical Director of Pediatrics, Beverly Hospital; Attending Physician, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Beverly Hospital Boston, Massachusetts

“ I’ve had as many male mentors as female.

Good mentors give you a chance.”

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what you want to do. . . . There are no cowboys in pediatric emergency medicine. It’s very family-centered care. A lot of the evidence about certain things we do is based on adults, so we proceed cautiously. . . . Reimbursements are down, but the numbers of patients are up, and so is the complexity of our cases.

We’re worried about the intersection of these things. . . . We like to partner with general pediatricians so they can treat patients in their offices when possible. But some people don’t have primary care physicians, or can’t afford not to go to work, or lack transportation, and then they end up in the emergency room. . . .

I’ve had as many male mentors as female. Good mentors give you a chance. In medicine, you spend so much time training to be a good clinician, but not a good leader. Mentors have to be able to let you make your own mistakes.”

Boston Creative Headshots

“I oversee 50 full-time physicians, and a big part of my responsibility is hiring. In the last academic year I hired 17 physicians, mostly women. . . . I find that women never ask for more money. I sometimes say in an interview, ‘And this is the time when you ask for a sign-on bonus.’ . . . A lot of pediatric emergency medicine fellows and pediatricians are women, and the thing they worry about most is having a life outside of medicine—about the pressure of allocating time appropriately between demands. They wonder if there’s time to get married and have children. Of course there is. Women tend to have longer careers than men because they are often healthier and tend to live longer, so they have time later in their career to consider a leadership role. So I tell them it’s OK to take care of your family early on. And I tell them that deciding to be a leader in medicine means pursuing your goals to improve care—doing

Atlanta Headshots

“ I try to discover everyone’s motivation, what keeps them going.”

Andrea G. Redfern, PharmD ’16

Clinical Pharmacy Operations Manager, IngenioRx (Anthem Inc.) Atlanta, Georgia

“I’ve been with Anthem for almost two years. I started as a pharmacist consultant, then became a team lead, then a manager. My experience has been very good, with diversity within the team and among leadership. . . . In experiences lacking diversity, you may ask yourself, ‘What is my chance of progressing here?’ When there is a lack of diversity, you may find yourself not being your authentic self, not truly opening up. . . . The Ohio State University, where I was an undergraduate, is a predominately white institution, but there was a significant African American community. I was a part of multiple communities: African American, Health Science Scholars, etc. I did see fewer women and black students in my science classes. . . . I knew I wanted to be a healthcare professional, and in high school I had learned how long it takes to be trained. It didn’t deter me; my mom had planted a seed in me when I was young. She said, ‘I went to school and got my master’s degree; you have to aim higher than me.’ . . . I manage a team of 17 direct reports—men and women, both older and younger, from diverse backgrounds. And I manage operations for several programs. My role consists of

how to operationalize a clinical program in our center, trying to satisfy my associates and give them opportunities while getting the work done. . . . I try to discover everyone’s motivation, what keeps them going. Some want to earn, some want leadership experience. It also requires finding something in common— who has children, who’s into sports, who’s worked or lived in different places. You have to be a people person. It’s your leader who can make your job good or bad. . . . Good managers are approachable. You want to feel that you can ask a question, be honest, say ‘I don’t understand.’ Good managers make themselves available when they see that you’re trying. They give you honest, actionable feedback. ‘You’re doing fine’ is one thing, but how can I improve? You have to establish that up front. . . .

When I was growing up, I thought of myself as the bossy girl.

I came to realize that I wasn’t bossy; I was a leader. . . . A lot of opportunities have come to me because someone recommended me. People have seen potential in me along the way, and I want to pay forward the same gifts of professional mentorship/ sponsorship I have received.”

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NUMBER OF WOMEN RUNNING A TOP-10 PHARMACY CHAIN OR PHARMACY WHOLESALER IN THE UNITED STATES [Pharmacy Times]

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Seeta Arjun, DO ’00

Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer, InFocus Urgent Care; Co-founder, Coalition of Minority Women Physicians and Health Care Professionals Princeton Junction, New Jersey

“ Women need to join together if we want to maintain ownership of our practices. There’s a very clear systemic bias in the startup process against people who have to begin on a small scale.”

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PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE HOSPITAL CEOS [Harvard Business Review]

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

“My mom and sister and I moved to New York from Guyana in 1983 when I was a teenager so that my sister and I could go to college. My mom was a housekeeper, and we were undocumented. . . .

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor. But I had very little understanding of what it was like to be in medical school, and what it really entails to be a physician. PCOM is where I grew up. . . . I believe I am the only female minority physician in New Jersey who owns three urgent care facilities. We’ve expanded into primary care too. And I did it singlehandedly; I had no investors or partners. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and learned from them. . . . Now I can offer care outside of normal working hours and to patients who have no documentation, or no insurance, or a different skin color. We’re closed just three days a year. . . . My mom went back to school and became a home healthcare aide. When she started, she was making $4 an hour, and after 34 years, it’s $15 an hour. She’d get a quarter as a raise.

I saw the unfairness in that profession and in others, including the disparities between females and males. With my mother, I’ve founded the Coalition of Minority Women Physicians and Health Care Professionals. We advocate for corporate integrity, transparency and fair dealing. In addition, we advocate for fairness and equality in the workplace, and for wage parity with non-minorities and men at all levels of the profession. The Coalition is also a platform for minority women medical professionals to advocate for the healthcare interests of disadvantaged and financially challenged minority women. . . . Women need to join together if we want to maintain ownership of our practices. There’s a very clear systemic bias in the startup process against people who have to begin on a small scale. And so that’s absolutely going to work against generally less well funded people—women and minorities. . . . My employees need a paycheck every two weeks. But I also want to fight for minority healthcare workers and physicians. I don’t take no for an answer, and I don’t give up.”

Melissa Kelly Photography

FEATURE

Kanitta Charoensiri, DO ’93, MBA

Director, Schiffert Health Center, Virginia Tech; Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine Blacksburg, Virginia

me at that bar. I don’t lower it. . . . I’m basically a happy person.

I don’t think anybody else has responsibility for my happiness; that’s up to me. When you are younger, you want to please people. I was born in Thailand, where you don’t speak out and you don’t contradict your elders. When I came to the States at age 10, my parents tried to maintain their culture. I was the only Asian in my Catholic school. In high school, my parents didn’t let me go to parties, and if you keep saying no to invitations, people stop asking you. I was not comfortable in my own skin. At Pitt, I was still trying to fit in. . . . When I went away to medical school at PCOM, I could say yes to things. The coursework was harder, but you still had some time to enjoy a social life. PCOM was a fabulous experience for me, collaborative and supportive. My class was large—about 200 students—and very diverse. I relished the diversity. . . . This is what I tell my kids and what I’d say to anyone who’s going through medical school: Your dream job may not have been created yet. Start somewhere, and then carve it out. You may be told, ‘We don’t do it this way.’ Ask, ‘Well, why don’t you?’”

CLIX Blacksburg

“I was in private practice at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center when I was asked to fill an opening at the University Health Center, ‘on loan.’ . . . I grew to love it. I took a 45 percent pay cut, but I’ve never regretted it. In private practice I worked all hours. My kids were young, and being able to spend time with them was worth a lot to me. I wanted to be certain they didn’t get shortchanged in the process of my medical career. . . . I’ve been at Virginia Tech since 2004. There are about 30,000 students here; in 2017–18, we had over 22,000 unique visits. I’m responsible for daily operations, policies, strategic planning, and managing staff, and I’m the public health official for the university. I love my job— and life is too short to stay in it if I didn’t love it. . . . It’s taken me a while to get to this point, where I know myself very well, and I know what I will and won’t put up with. My style of leadership has significance; I own my own voice. I am proud to be a woman in the medical profession. . . . Nowhere in your job description is it required that you must like all your colleagues, but you must work well together and be professional. Whatever issues you have, leave them at the door. I expect staff—women and men—to meet

“ My style of leadership has significance; I own my own voice. I am proud to be a woman in the medical profession.”

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Stephanie Girard Photography

“ I believe physicians— especially female physicians— are able to embrace and facilitate cultural awareness, sensitivity and empathy.”

Maria F. Daly, DO ’84, FACOFP

Lead Physician, Central City Community Health Center Los Angeles, California

“My work in family medicine began at a small clinic that served the people of the Monterey Peninsula, including many migrant farmers traveling through the Southwest and up into California as they harvested lettuce and other seasonal crops. They would visit the clinic with their ills, and I would treat them with the only medicine I knew, Western medicine. But I quickly learned—as I gained their confidence—that their native healers, curandos, had also been treating them for the same diagnosis. It made sense to integrate their treatments, and from this act was born a sense of trust. This was my initiation into the cultural norms of traditional healers. . . . I began to delve deeper into traditional healing practices, attending Loma Linda Graduate School of Public Health, studying global and international health. While there, I wrote a grant proposal on the integration of the traditional healer with Western medicine. . . . After I completed my Stanfordaffiliated obstetrical fellowship, I continued integrating the traditional healing practices in my obstetric gynecology and family medicine practice. For a time, while in practice in Phoenix, I delivered and treated many of the Native American women and children, respecting their healing methods as well as learning from and respecting and treating Muslim women after 9/11. . . .

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I’m back again in California as the lead provider at a federally qualified healthcare clinic in downtown Los Angeles. Some of my pregnant patients—many with other children in tow—are homeless. Often, they opt to pitch tents under Interstate 405, fearing the rampant violence and theft prevalent in homeless shelters. Homelessness is associated with enormous health inequalities. I have treated a 17-year-old with a hemoglobin of 5.5, in need of a blood transfusion, her mother unable to feed her as she struggles to keep the household afloat. I have treated pregnant women, beaten and abused by husbands and partners. I shielded one in the clinic—working in tandem with authorities—as she suffered a 20-week miscarriage. . . . I believe physicians—especially female physicians—are able to embrace and facilitate cultural awareness, sensitivity and empathy. Women are often good communicators. Sometimes, you need to rethink your whole messaging in order to really speak to people. Respect must be part of our vocabulary. . . . I strive to offer the best care to all of my patients—of all cultures and populations—filling a vital gap in health care. I am continuing to learn and integrate my world of medicine into the cultural needs of this society in downtown Los Angeles.”

Daniel Shippey Photography

Kristie Petree, DO ’13

Assistant Professor of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and OMM Site Director, PCOM South Georgia Moultrie, Georgia

“My passion for teaching began during my matriculation at PCOM Georgia when I was selected as one of the inaugural osteopathic undergraduate teaching scholars. This passion grew throughout my residency and led to a career in academia where I could continue teaching and provide patient care. It was an honor to return to my alma mater as an assistant professor in the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Department. This year, I accepted a new post as OMM site director at PCOM South Georgia. . . . When I left my former post, the students threw me a going-away party. I received cards with messages, including, ‘It’s so encouraging to see a young mom in medicine.’ This happened when I left a previous job as well. I never thought my experiences would be something worth sharing, but after reading these letters from students, I understand they are. The truth is, being a doctor is hard, and it is hard for women. Female physicians who are just starting out in their careers often face harsh criticism when they decide to have children.

There never seems to be a good time. A leave of absence during residency can yield resentment and unfair treatment; time off for pregnancy following residency can impact choice of specialty, fellowship, academic positioning, even job opportunities. I have had so many students come to me and ask, ‘When is the right time to start a family?’ or ‘How do I navigate medical school/residency during pregnancy?’ Instead of being able to celebrate the excitement of starting or adding to a family, these women are worried about how it will impact exam schedules, residency interviews, graduating on time, etc. There are limited resources for these women and their families. I’ve known three medical students who went into labor during exams.

One had her water break. She cleaned up and came back to finish the exam. . . . Personally and professionally, I have experienced that there is a gross misunderstanding of maternity leave. Maternity leave is time for the mother to physically recover from childbirth, which is agreed to be one of the most physically painful experiences there is. She has to physically and emotionally recover and bond with a new infant; she is sent home from the hospital within a day or two of giving birth to wake up every two to three hours for feedings. This is a far cry from a ‘vacation’ and most certainly not a time to receive work calls ‘to check your email.’ . . . Throughout medical training, you are told early on that medicine is your life, your choice—that you always must put your patients’ needs first. It is this way of thinking that leads to physician burnout. We are trained that our needs do not matter, when in fact, they do.

If you aren’t healthy, how can you take care of anyone else? . . .

I strive to be a resource and an advocate for women in health care. As women in medicine, we have to take care of ourselves and each other.”

“ As women in medicine, we have to take care of ourselves and each other.”

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FEATURE

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38

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OF FEMALE PHYSICIANS/PHDS CONSTITUTE FULL-TIME MEDICAL SCHOOL FACULTY

“ There are cultural differences between men and women in the workplace; women do things and hope someone will notice.”

Michele E. Paessler, DO ’97

Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“My subspecialty, hematopathology, is pretty unusual. I’m one of five division chiefs at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania in the Department of Pathology, where we play an integral role in researching new treatments of hematological malignancies using cellular therapeutic approaches. I mentor the physicians in my division, and I serve on several mentoring committees for women faculty. I think one of the most important things in mentoring doctors is getting to know them at a personal level. Then, I make sure they’re on the right track for promotion. . . . It’s very difficult to get promoted at Penn, which is a highly academic setting. One of my highest priorities is making sure they are supported and I’m helping them achieve their goals, whether it be writing papers, obtaining grants, or doing research. Also, it’s important to make sure they are succeeding clinically and academically. I make sure they are happy, engaged and getting recognition for their efforts. I think it’s important to recognize the strengths of your teammates and let them take on leadership roles and let them be recognized—that’s what builds a great department. . . . I agree

Melissa Kelly Photography

that there are cultural differences between men and women in the workplace; women do things and hope someone will notice. . . . I am the only DO in the pathology department at Penn. I’m proud of my background, and I think PCOM has generated many great doctors. While PCOM has a strong primary care philosophy, I believe my education gave me a well-rounded knowledge and approach to pathology and gives me depth and perspective on patient care that enables me to direct top-notch clinical labs. . . .

Mindy George-Weinstein [PhD; chief research and science officer, PCOM] has been such a big part of where I am today. I worked in her lab for years. She was a pillar for me—to get me to think more like a scientist. . . . We have a lot of women in pathology.

Many lab directors are women, and our chairman is incredibly supportive. . . . Of course, some things are hard no matter what.

I have a long commute, and I have four children. When I’m here at work, I’m here. When I’m at home, I try to be at home. My kids understand that. I’ve learned through the years that I have to say no to things—this is hard for me. I’ve yet to find a ‘balance.’”

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FEATURE

Childhood trauma is pervasive in American society—be it the loss of a parent, a serious illness, exposure to violence, bullying or homelessness.

How children deal with that trauma—and how psychologists interact with clients and other health professionals to address these issues—is the focus of work by two PCOM alumni who say it’s a critical issue in today’s healthcare arena.

Kerri A. Flatau, PsyD ’18, a school psychologist at Garnet Valley School District in suburban Philadelphia, and Stephen DiDonato, MS/CCHP ’12, PhD, LPC, NCC, assistant professor, community and trauma counseling, at Thomas Jefferson University, say awareness of trauma in a client’s past can help inform treatment.

“Trauma occurs when our internal coping mechanisms become overwhelmed,” says Dr. DiDonato, who also serves as co-director of the Jefferson Trauma Education Network. “Trauma can occur from incidents such as physical abuse, or you can experience trauma from daily environmental stressors. Your zip code can be more important than your genetic code.”

A landmark 1998 study of 17,000 adults, which found that 50 percent had lived through at least one “adverse childhood experience,” provides a foundation for work in trauma care. The research found that trauma is a fact of life. Bad things happen to 32

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

all people, in all socioeconomic strata. Subsequent studies have shown a rise in the childhood exposure to traumatic events that disrupt a child’s sense of safety and security, with the prevalence of gun violence, increased urban poverty, and the growth threat of cyberbullying. The exposure also increases risk for most common chronic diseases, from heart disease and cancer to depression and substance abuse.

“You have families where both parents could be working two jobs, struggling with financial resources, and it makes it much more difficult to help their kids because the parents are so stressed out,” Dr. DiDonato says. “If I’m overstressed, how can I provide my child with the kind of calm, regulated environment that can help them heal?”

“A bad day on Snapchat or Instagram for a teenager can become all-consuming for the individual targeted by cruel postings that remain for all to view,” says Dr. Flatau.

“When I was in middle school, disputes were over that day,” she points out. “Now it continues and continues on social media.

People can get really nasty online, and the person targeted can’t get away from it,” she says. “They get inundated with negativity, and that can build up to something that becomes traumatic.”

The link between trauma and health

The issue is part of a wider discussion within healthcare circles about health equity: how one’s socioeconomic status can lead to

ADDRESSING HEALTH EQUITY: TRAUMA AWARENESS

by David McKay Wilson

inequitable health outcomes regarding a person’s longevity, quality of life and rates of disease. Dr. DiDonato notes that “individuals who grow up in poverty, with stresses of food insecurity, housing insecurity and the fear of violence, may have more difficulty dealing with trauma when it takes place because they have fewer buffers when an incident occurs.”

Studies show that trauma can change brain function, which can make it more difficult for stressed children to learn. Such adverse experiences may derail optimal physiological development and result in detriments to mental health and to social problems.

Then there’s the generational trauma felt by groups such as African Americans, who endured slavery, or Native Americans, who survived the trauma of genocide. Dr. DiDonato cautions that historical stresses can get passed on from generation to generation.

“If you have no choice in your job or your kid’s education and no power or control in healthcare decision making, such subjection can reinforce generational trauma,” Dr. DiDonato says. “We in the healthcare world need to team up with those in the community to provide more equitable and appropriate care.”

Opportunities for intervention

The impact of these incidents—whether generational, in conflicted relationships or within a family—differs from individual to individual. Even within a family, siblings can experience their parents’ divorce differently. What can be experienced as a trauma

for one sibling may not be for another, depending on their own personalities and the support systems around them.

“Divorce can be different for siblings,” says Dr. Flatau. “There can be less impact on a sibling with social supports, compared to their brother or sister who is introverted.”

Children who are exposed to trauma can react in various ways— from social withdrawal and aggressive behaviors to self-medication through substance abuse and expressions of hopelessness.

Dr. Flatau’s doctoral thesis in 2018 led to development of a 21-page training manual for school psychologists that she’s using in the Garnet Valley schools to raise awareness among teachers and school staff about student response to trauma and the interventions that can ameliorate its impact. Positive relationships in the school setting can increase a student’s feeling of safety and trust. She warns that such relationships can take weeks, or even months.

Dr. Flatau has used the manual in an eight-hour training for school staff, conducted over four sessions. It includes strategies for teaching the core elements of resilience, helping students adapt to adversity and stress in their lives. Strategies also include teaching students ways to calm themselves in periods of stress, that they have power over their decisions, and that cultivating relationships with friends and teachers can help them thrive.

She contends that resilience can be learned, taught, modeled, practiced and reinforced. Promoting safe, stable relationships opens doors to connections that can reduce or mitigate adversity.

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IN MEMORIAM

REQUIEM FOR A PRESIDENT Leonard H. Finkelstein, DO ’59, MSc ’63, FACOS Chancellor, Past President and Professor Emeritus

by Jennifer Schaffer Leone

An esteemed educator and committed and courageous visionary, Leonard H. Finkelstein, DO ’59, MSc ’63, FACOS, passed away in June at age 85.

He had presided over a decade of transitional and transformative progress at PCOM, ensuring the efficacy of the College’s clinical teaching mission and restoring financial stability to the institution. But perhaps the part of his legacy that is hardest to quantify is the decency and dignity he brought to the office and to his alma mater . . .

Dr. Finkelstein joined the PCOM faculty in 1963; in 1973, he was named chairman of the Division of Urology. In these capacities— as well as program director and course director—he advanced the College’s urology specialty and its American Osteopathic Association (AOA)–approved urology residency program.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

From 1990 to 2000, Dr. Finkelstein served as the College’s sixth president and chief executive officer. His efforts enhanced the College’s curriculum, expanded the graduate medical education program, and fulfilled a master facilities plan for the institution and its campus.

IN A 1996 INTERVIEW FOR PCOM’S ORAL HISTORY PROJECT, DR. FINKELSTEIN DESCRIBED HOW HE CAME TO PURSUE A CAREER IN OSTEOPATHY: “I had an athletic injury resulting in a dislocated meniscus in my knee. My family doctor at the time was an MD. He was unable to do anything other than tell me to put hot packs on. He sent me to another doctor, who told me to put ice on it. In the meantime, my knee was in a locked position for about three or four days. I had a cousin at the time who was a fourth-year student at what was then PCO, at 48th and Spruce. . . . Hartley Steinsnyder [DO, FACOS], who happened to become a urologist. He was one of my trainers and became my first associate when I went in to practice.

During his tenure, Dr. Finkelstein was responsible for the purchase of Parkview Hospital, and the ultimate sale of both Parkview and Barth Pavilion. Through these transactions, he orchestrated a financial turnaround for the College. In the first year of his presidency, the College’s financial status moved from a $6 million deficit to a $4 million surplus. Within a decade, the PCOM Foundation grew from $6 million to over $90 million.

In addition to serving as a leader, Dr. Finkelstein was a renowned researcher in the field of urology, lecturing and publishing extensively. In 1984, he became the first osteopathic urologist to publish in Surgical Clinics of North America, and he was the first osteopathic physician not affiliated with an allopathic institution to publish in the American Journal of Surgery.

He held professional memberships in the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (past chairman), the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, the AOA, the American Osteopathic Foundation Board of Directors (past president), the American Urologic Association, and the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (past president and editor-in-chief of the POMA journal).

Dr. Finkelstein’s honors included the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (1970), the Student Osteopathic Medical Association George W. Northrup, DO Distinguished Service Award (1990), the Distinguished Osteopathic Surgeon Award (1992), and the Mentor Award from PCOM’s Student National Medical Association (1997). In 1999, Dr. Finkelstein received a Presidential Citation from the AOA for his commitment to unity within the osteopathic profession. He was also a 1999 recipient of the Dale Dodson, DO Award from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

That same year, he was awarded the PCOM Alumni Association Certificate of Honor, and in 2000, he was awarded PCOM’s O. J. Snyder Memorial Medal.

Dr. Finkelstein retired from his position as professor of urologic surgery and chairman of the Division of Urology in 2014 (he was named professor emeritus in 2015). He remained the College’s chancellor, a post he held since 2006, until his death.

Of all the titles Dr. Finkelstein held, father, grandfather, and friend were his most cherished. He is survived by his beloved wife, Marylyn; his three children: Larry N. Finkelstein, DO ’87, Lisa J. Finkelstein, DO ’87, and Robert P. Finkelstein, DO ’90, and their spouses; and his six grandchildren.

I went to see him. He was a fourth-year student in the clinic at 48th and Spruce, in the basement of the building at the time. And he, as a fourth-year student, manipulated my knee, and the meniscus went back into normal position. I walked home, having had to get there on a crutch because I could not straighten my leg.

That was my first realization that osteopathic physicians possibly were even better or could do more than their MD counterparts.

I also, because of growing up in the [family] drug store, became involved with prescription filling early on. I would count the pills and work with my father in the back. I would see prescriptions coming from osteopathic physicians, and knew that that part of the practice was very similar. I became aware that it was a complete form of medicine probably when I was in high school.” ***

THEN IN YEAR SIX OF HIS PRESIDENCY, DR. FINKELSTEIN WAS ASKED TO ASSESS HIS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AS A LEADER: “Well, I guess my strength would be that I am about as focused as anybody can be. I have had a vision and a mission, and I’ve just stayed with it. And I think that if I had not done anything [else], I’ve established myself as credible, and when I say something, that is the way it is. And that whether people like me or don’t like me, I hope that I’m looked at as being fair. I have tried to do what was in the best interest of the College, the people that work for the College . . . and those that have gone through the College. . . . My weaknesses—I guess, as my Chairman says, I tend to shoot from the hip. The surgeon in me does not have a lot of patience at times. . . . I think one of my strengths is that I have no problem talking about my weaknesses, and try to correct them if I’m aware of them.”

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From the Finkelstein Children . . .

Larry N. Finkelstein, DO ’87; Lisa J. Finkelstein, DO ’87; and Robert P. Finkelstein, DO ’90 “Dad loved ‘the College,’ and he devoted his life to the osteopathic profession.

Even as young children, we knew the benefits of OMT. There was a treatment table in our house that was always available. Dad was able to make us feel better with his hands and osteopathic skills— whether we had a cough, tight muscles, or a rib out of place. He would treat the neighbors, too, and eventually his grandchildren. It became a common activity to ask Pop Pop Len for a treatment whenever needed. And it always helped.

Dad was the quintessential educator. He excelled at teaching and mentoring hundreds, maybe thousands of PCOM medical students and urology residents. He modeled all the attributes that make a good doctor. He taught the importance of treating patients with respect and dignity throughout all stages of life and illness. Dad’s was an extraordinary kind of compassion.

He engrained his passion for medicine in us. And it must have been in our genetics as well for all three of us to become physicians, graduates of PCOM. It gave our Dad great pride to be able to hood us at our graduating ceremonies. We followed in his footsteps and always looked up to him. We asked him for advice and guidance when we had interesting cases; such discussions often led to very lively dinner conversations!

Larry, the oldest, knew he wanted to be a physician since he was a young boy. He joined the PCOM clinical faculty in 1993, bringing a love and dedication to teaching medical students.

This desire was a result of observing Dad’s dedication to the education of his students and upholding and imparting osteopathic principles.

Lisa, the middle child, went to PCOM after a conversation with Dad during college. He said, ‘Lisa, do you want to be an indian or do you want to be the chief?’ The light bulb went off in her head. Lisa followed in her father’s footsteps as a urologic surgeon, and recently completed her term as president of the Wyoming Medical Society.

Robert, the youngest, was inspired by watching Dad interact with patients and students. He could see that he was kindhearted while at the same time demanding the best in his students.

Robert also loves teaching and now has a successful dermatology practice in Florida.”

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

“ He taught the importance of treating patients with respect and dignity throughout all stages of life and illness.”

“ When Len became president, he took a very big gamble and chance on a new and very young dean, allowing me the opportunity of a lifetime and forever changing my professional pathway. . . . It was during this time I got to know Len better and on a much more personal level. When the PCOM environment was at its darkest, Len used his intrinsic optimism, confidence and bravado to will our College back to health. It was more than just the selling of a few hospitals; he gave PCOM back its core confidence in order to succeed. He prodded and poked life back into an institution that was then on critical life support. . . . But what I remember most from our interactions were discussions about his family and how proud he was of each of his children. He reveled in their professional and personal successes. This love extended to their spouses and to his beloved grandchildren. He would tell me about the many trips and adventures—even skydiving! His love of his family was absolute and transparent in his being. The conversation always followed by asking about my own family. . . . Another family he never stopped talking about was his PCOM family, the many students and residents he trained. He loved guiding students and his residents to even greater accomplishments. His family was indeed a very large family.”

– Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA, provost, senior vice president for academic affairs, and dean

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CLASS NOTES

1958

Charles L. Liebeknecht, DO, Pennsville, NJ, was inducted into the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame. Dr. Liebeknecht was also named the Pennsville Person of the Year by VFW Post 1952.

Nicknamed “Mr. Pennsville,” he received this honor in appreciation for his years of selfless devotion to the people of Pennsville Township.

1959

Lewis W. Hirsh, DO, New Hope, PA, is happily retired.

1963

Richard M. Simon, DO, Cherry Hill, NJ, retired in August 2018.

1966

Bernard F. Master, DO, Worthington, OH, recently viewed his 8,000th species of bird, a Styan’s bulbul. Dr. Master’s trip to Taiwan to view the species was profiled in an article for the Columbus Dispatch titled “Worthington Birder on Lofty Perch after Seeing His 8000th” (October 9, 2018).

1967

Michael Cordas, Jr., DO, Harrisburg, PA, is semiretired, practicing sports medicine and teaching in a fellowship program.

Leonard C. Giunta, DO, West Chester, PA, is 22.5% owner of Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, a manufacturer of immunoproteins for the research industry. Dr. Giunta has 7 children, 21 grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way.

1968

William H. Smiley, III, DO, FACC, FAHA, Amelia Island, FL, is happily retired.

1970

Jay D. Bayer, DO, Greencastle, PA, continues to operate his independent family practice in Greencastle.

John W. Becher, DO, Newtown Square, PA, chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, PCOM, was recognized by PCOM’s Emergency Medicine CME Program for his ongoing commitment to the program and for chairing the 38

Advanced Emergency Medicine CME program for over 31 years.

1971

Donald V. J. Sesso, DO, Gwynedd Valley, PA, was a guest on the Dom Giordano Program on 1210 WPHT Talk Radio Philadelphia in January 2019. Dr. Sesso discussed his publications on pain and opiate use, marijuana, and driving under the influence.

1972

Robert J. Biondi, DO, Voorhees, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Lawrence N. Varner, DO, Boulder, CO, retired from orthopedic surgery. Dr. Varner now spends his time managing rental properties available to students at Colorado University in Boulder.

1973

John S. Stevens, Jr., DO, Allentown, PA, retired from serving on the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology after 25 years of service. Dr. Stevens is a clinical professor for the physician assistant program at DeSales University and runs an active gynecology office practice.

1974

Stephen E. Sacks, DO, Newtown Square, PA, was elected to emeritus status in neurology at Suburban Community Hospital.

Richard G. Tucker, DO, Mount Laurel, NJ, was appointed adjunct professor of OB/GYN at Drexel University College of Medicine.

Dr. Tucker served as the first coordinator of the Drexel OB/ GYN residency at Virtua Health System. He is in private practice in Moorestown, New Jersey, and is the past president of the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

1975

James P. Dwyer, DO, Medford, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

1976

N. Charles Diakon, DO, Napa, CA, was selected as a Marquis Who’s Who Top Doctor in 2018.

George K. Kamajian, II, DO, Indian Shores, FL, wrote an

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

article for Osteopathic Family Physician (January/February 2019) titled “Six Generations: Physicians Need to Realize What Is Valuable Before It Is Lost.”

C. Cristine Kremer, DO, Grand Blanc, MI, was re-elected to serve a sixth term as president of the Michigan Osteopathic Neuropsychiatric Society.

Louis R. Manara, DO, Voorhees, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

Edward D. Scheiner, DO, Cherry Hill, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

and of several tourism boards of directors, including the Canal NY Corporation and New York Cultural Heritage Tourism Network. Dr. Granoff is also recording secretary for the Fort Ontario–Safe Haven Holocaust Museum Park in Oswego.

Steven D. Kamajian, DO, Thousand Oaks, CA, received the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians’ National Humanitarian of the Year award for his work in free clinics for the homeless.

1977

Pamela A. Crilley, DO, New Hope, PA, is serving on the editorial board of the HemOnc Times, a news source focusing on hematology and oncology.

Dr. Crilley is a hematologist/ medical oncologist and chair of medical oncology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia. She was featured in an article in the Oncology Times titled “Meet Some Outstanding Women Changing the Landscape of Hematology/ Oncology” (March 20, 2019).

Michael J. Davidson, DO, Lewisburg, TN, accepted a position as a hospitalist at Marshall Medical Center last year. Dr. Davidson previously practiced in a primary care office (since 1980).

Linda P. Augelli-Hodor, DO, Bethlehem, PA, is enjoying partial retirement, seeing patients in her office in Bethlehem two days a week. Dr. Augelli-Hodor spends her extra time visiting her daughter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and her granddaughter, son and daughter-in-law in North Andover, Massachusetts.

Marion L. Brown, DO, Lewisburg, PA, is enjoying retirement by auditing two courses in humanities at Bucknell University as a nontraditional student.

Sol Lizerbram, DO, Rancho Santa Fe, CA, hosted several alumni at his home in October, including John Becher, DO ’70; Joseph Lozito, DO ’77; Murray Rosenthal, DO ’77; Ernie Gelb, DO ’78; Norman Vinn, DO ’77; Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81 [PCOM president and chief executive officer]; Perry Koseff, DO ’77; and Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA [PCOM senior vice president for academic affairs, provost and dean].

1978

David A. Baron, DO, Altadena, CA, was named senior vice president and provost for Western University of Health Sciences, effective July 1, 2019. Dr. Baron joined the university in the fall of 2018 as the vice president for clinical and external relations.

David Granoff, DO, Oswego, NY, fully retired from his practice as an ENT, allergist and facial plastic surgeon. Dr. Granoff is the owner and CEO of Discover Upstate New York Tourism. He is a member of the New York State Tourism Industry Association

1979

1980

Benjamin Abraham, DO, Snellville, GA, was named Howard Payne University’s Homecoming 2018 Distinguished Alumnus.

1982

Bruce A. Feinberg, DO, Atlanta, GA, was featured in an article in Georgia Osteopathic Medical Association’s newsletter titled “What Makes You DOs So Good?” (February 2019).

Dr. Feinberg also started “The Weekly Check-up,” a radio show airing every Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. on Atlanta’s AM 750 and NOW 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB. Claudia M. Petruncio, DO, Redwood Valley, CA, joined Adventist Health Howard Memorial as an internal medicine specialist.

Anthony J. Silvagni, DO, PharmD, MSc, Plantation, FL, serves as dean emeritus and director of international medicine

at Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Silvagni reports, “Developing and participating in the globalization of osteopathic medicine as it is practiced in the U.S. has been very satisfying, and European medical schools have grown to understand and embrace many osteopathic principles.”

Paul J. Sisbarro, DO, Lititz, PA, is leading a new specialty practice, WellSpan Urology, in Ephrata.

Michael C. Trahos, DO, Falls Church, VA, is a practicing physician representative on the Public Health Advisory Commission for the City of Alexandria.

1983

Patrick J. Carey, DO, Williamsport, PA, was honored

by Irish America magazine as one of the publication’s Healthcare and Life Sciences 50, recognizing the excellence, performance, and extraordinary contributions of Irish-American and Irish-born leaders in fields including medical care, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, research and development, and live sciences venture capital. Dr. Carey has served as Lycoming College’s athletics physician for the past 28 seasons and is the director of sports medicine at UPMC Susquehanna.

Kenneth E. Wood, DO, Annapolis, MD, was appointed chief clinical officer for the University of Maryland Medical Center.

1985

Michael P. Meyer, DO, Laurel, DE, is president of the medical staff at OB Hospitalist Group, through which he is involved in helping open a new hospital in Milford.

1986

Susan Pillarella Magargee, DO, Bryn Mawr, PA, was named a 2018 Top Doctor by Philadelphia Magazine and a 2018 Top Doctor in Pediatrics by Main Line Today Magazine. Dr. Magargee is the founding physician of the CHOP Care Network, formerly known as the Kids First Network, which is celebrating its 24th year.

Catherine V. Parrillo, DO, Plymouth Meeting, PA, and her husband, Stephen, are enjoying retirement by traveling and

spending time with their family and grandchildren.

Gayle B. Sisbarro, DO, Lititz, PA, joined UPMC Pinnacle Manheim Pike Primary Care.

1987

Thomas P. Brown, DO, Fort Lauderdale, FL, co-authored “Pediatric Sports-Related Injuries” in the Journal of Clinical Pediatrics (November 2018). The article discusses growth plate pathology, overuse syndromes and fractures associated with athletic injuries in the pediatric population.

1988

A. Scott McNeal, DO, Collegeville, PA, assumed the role of president and CEO of Delaware Valley Community Health, Inc. (DVCH), in February.

Dr. McNeal previously served as the vice president and chief medical officer of DVCH for 25 years.

Paul S. Zeitz, DO, Potomac, MD, launched Build a Movement 2020, an effort that aims to mobilize urgent and bold action to achieve climate smart sustainable development, restoration of a healthy climate, gender equality, revitalized democracy, the end of AIDS, and the end of child sexual abuse and incest. Dr. Zeitz is an advocate for global justice and human rights.

1989

Alan F. Doyle, DO, Burkeville, VA, earned a master’s of arts in music therapy from the University of Limerick and currently works as a music therapist.

Beckie Michael, DO, Surf City, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

1990

Daniel J. Hyman, DO, Plymouth Meeting, PA, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Arthur J. McDermet, DO, Mount Laurel, NJ, received the Virtua Caring Culture Award. Dr. McDermet is a family physician with Virtua Management Group in Pennsauken.

Richard Rodriguez, DO, Largo, FL, received the Pinellas County Osteopathic Medical Society’s Distinguished Service Award on January 26, 2019.

1991

Joseph N. Ranieri, DO, Sewell, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

Joseph J. Stella, DO, Pittston, PA, was appointed director of cardiothoracic surgery at Geisinger Community Medical Center.

1992

Kathleen M. Heintz, DO, Delanco, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Donna J. Loughlin-Pherribo, DO, Hammonton, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

John Petolillo, Jr., DO, Newtown, PA, received an MBA from Temple University’s Fox School of Business on September 7, 2018. Dr. Petolillo is an orthopedic surgeon with a focus on hip and knee replacement surgery at Jefferson 3B Orthopaedics in Langhorne.

1993

Karen L. Smith-Silone, DO, Newark, OH, joined Licking Memorial Gynecology.

Gregory R. Toci, DO, Marlton, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

1994

Kelly L. Abbrescia, DO, Wyoming, DE, was named medical director for emergency services at Bayhealth Medical Center in Delaware. In this role, Dr. Abbrescia is responsible for three emergency departments and a 14-bed observation unit.

Tracy E. Blatt, DO, Blue Bell, PA, was named medical director of Life of Purpose Addiction Treatment Centers.

John J. O’Connor, MBA/DO, East Norriton, PA, was featured in an article in The Phoenix titled “At the Table with: Dr. John O’Connor” (January 3, 2019).

1995

Andrew M. Cogan, DO, Cherry Hill, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Frances A. Feudale, DO, Drums, PA, joined Volunteers in Medicine in Wilkes-Barre as medical director after volunteering with the clinic for over nine years.

The organization provides free primary and preventative health

services to individuals who are employed but have no access to or cannot afford health insurance.

Suanne Schafer, DO, San Antonio, TX, published her first novel, A Different Kind of Fire, which tells the story of a female artist’s struggles to accommodate her family and career in 1890.

Judy R. Schauer, DO, Rocky Mount, NC, retired from the U.S. Navy after 28 years and five deployments. Dr. Schauer and her husband are currently working at a large family medicine clinic, Rocky Mount Family Medical Center, outside Raleigh.

Juk L. Ting, DO, ATP, CFIIMEI, Walnut, CA, was the subject of an article for Virginia Commonwealth University’s alumni magazine titled “Physician, Pilot, Average Joe?: How One VCU Alumnus Made His Dreams Come True Despite Struggling in School” (September 18, 2018).

1996

Tiffany Lee Berkshire, DO, Coral Gables, FL, is a full-time faculty member at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.

David Kuo, DO, Philadelphia, PA, associate dean of graduate medical education at PCOM, became a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians at the organization’s annual convention held in Chicago in March.

1997

Peter A. Curreri, DO, Voorhees, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

Terrie B. Ginsberg, DO, Stratford, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Leslie N. Madrak, DO, Blackwood, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Daniel R. Taylor, DO, Philadelphia, PA, wrote an op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “This Is My Lane: Philly Doctor on Why Advocating Against Gun Violence Is Part of the Job” (November 15, 2018).

1998

Joseph M. Laureti, DO, Pen Argyl, PA, now practices phlebology in addition to cardiology. Dr. DIGEST 2019

39

CLASS NOTES Laureti is certified as a diplomate of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine.

Marcella Nachmann, RES, Albertson, NY, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

David Wanalista, DO, Pittsgrove, NJ, joined Atlantic General Health System as a rheumatologist. Dr. Wanalista works out of Atlantic General Rheumatology in Berlin, Maryland, and Atlantic Specialty Care in Ocean View, Maryland.

1999

Angelo Markatos, DO, Barnegat, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doctor in nephrology by New Jersey Monthly Magazine.

Janie L. Orrington-Myers, DO, Terre Haute, IN, became chair of the general surgery discipline for the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS).

Dr. Orrington-Myers was also appointed to the ACOS Board of Governors.

David A. Targan, DO, Philadelphia, PA, opened an MDVIP-affiliated practice in Wynnewood.

2000

Nicole M. Garofola Bentze, DO, Lakewood Ranch, FL, was named dean of the Sarasota Regional Medical Campus of the Florida State University College of Medicine.

2001

Claudia Marcozzi-Palandijian, DO, Lititz, PA, joined Heartland Family Health in Lititz.

Timothy McCullough, DO/MBA, Alpharetta, GA, was recently named the medical director of Advanced Urology’s John’s Creek Surgical Center.

2002

Sanjay Kamat, RES, Washington Crossing, PA, and his practice, Bucks Eye Specialists, were featured in the November 2018 issue of Suburban Life Magazine in an article titled “Vision Quest.”

David Daniel Keller, DO, Cape Elizabeth, ME, is chief of manipulative medicine at Maine Medical Center and president of Hospital Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Services.

Phillip G. Painley, DO, Mars, PA, joined Steward Medical

Group Cardiology Specialists. Dr. Painley also serves as an associate professor of medicine for Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. On February 3, 2019, Dr. Painley was featured in an article in the Sharon Herald titled “Outlook 2019: A Laserlike Focus on Saving Lives When Minutes Count.”

Nicole Norris Papa, DO, McConnellsburg, PA, joined Fulton County Medical Center as a board-certified general surgeon.

Tosha L. Rogers, DO, Atlanta, GA, was featured in an article by Metro Atlanta Black titled “Rising Atlanta Gynecologist Becomes Vessel in the Community” (January 1, 2019). The article outlined Dr. Rogers’ work advocating for women and for Sisters, Caring & Sharing, Inc., a nonprofit she founded that focuses on mentoring inner-city girls ages 12-17.

2003

Brett A. Gordon, MS/PA, Wilmington, NC, joined Bon Secours Surgical Specialists as a physician assistant.

Kristen M. Griffin, DO, Lancaster, PA, joined the board

of Landis Homes, a nonprofit retirement community in Lititz.

Dr. Griffin is a geriatrics physician with UPMC Pinnacle.

Michael S. Lempel, DO, Lorton, VA, was named the operations director for quality of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church.

Thomas Plut, DO, Moorestown, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

Lori A. Timmerman, DO, Pilesgrove, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

2004

Jonathan David Auten, DO, Virginia Beach, VA, was the recipient of the 2018 COMLEXUSA Level 1 Item Writer of the Year Award from the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. Dr. Auten is the associate program director for the emergency medicine residency program at the Navy Medical Center in San Diego, California.

Brian J. Corbett, DO, Haddonfield, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Glaser baby

McQuade baby

Pumerantz children

Thomae baby

Amber L. Glaser, DO ’13, Pittsburgh, PA, gave birth to a baby boy, Timothy Thomas, on May 13, 2018.

Britney L. Huneycutt, DO ’14, Maitland, FL, and her husband, Kyle, welcomed their fourth child, Evelyn, in November 2018.

Thomas N. Marino, DO ’86, Downingtown, PA, celebrated his 45th wedding anniversary with his wife, Maria, on December 29, 2018.

Maximilian G. McQuade, DO ’15, Norfolk, VA, and his wife, Hannah, welcomed their first child, Mikayla Kadie, on December 29, 2018.

Michael P. Meyer, DO ’85, Laurel, DE, married Angela Phillips in November 2018.

Michelle Noreski, DO ’10, Voorhees, NJ, and her husband, John, welcomed Colin Thomas Cassidy into the world on April 4, 2017.

Aaron W. Pumerantz, DO ’09, Sylvania, OH, and Christa Pumerantz, MS/ODL ’09, welcomed a second child, Grant James, on May 4, 2018.

Matthew C. Ruppel, DO ’15, Concord, NH, and his wife, Kimberly, welcomed a baby boy, Theodore Henry, on October 30, 2018.

Brian K. Steele, DO ’92, Pittsford, NY, married Amy Garcia in 2015 and is enjoying life with his wife, two sons and two stepchildren.

Patrick M. Thomae, DO ’11, Wadsworth, IL, and his wife, Taylor, welcomed their first child, Georgia Cate, in December 2018.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Valerie A. Lemmon, PsyD, Mechanicsburg, PA, is chair of the ethics committee for the Pennsylvania Psychological Association.

John Victor Tedesco, DO, McAlester, OK, was presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who.

2005

Nancy A. Finnigan, DO, Fayetteville, NC, joined Harnet Health in Lillington, where she specializes in nephrology and internal medicine.

Kathryn T. Gollotto, DO, Medford, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Nina Maouelainin, DO, Doylestown, PA, opened Lung Health Solutions, a private interventional pulmonology practice in Lansdale, after successfully completing her interventional pulmonology fellowship at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Sean McMillan, DO, Mullica Hill, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Allison K. Wawer-Chubb, DO, El Paso, TX, joined El Paso Pediatric Associates.

2006

Mussaber M. Ahmad, DO, Milford, DE, joined Bayhealth Cardiology Consultants, Milford.

Christopher M. Bariana, DO, Mullica Hill, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Ashley Coleman, DO, Haddonfield, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Caroline Devereux Fosnot, DO, Philadelphia, PA, creates HOSPITALity Kits to ease patients’ anxiety. Dr. Fosnot is an anesthesiology specialist at the Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania–Penn Presbyterian and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. HOSPITALity Kits are customized to the needs of each patient and include self-care items such as plush socks, sleep masks, aromatherapy patches and moisturizers.

Darrin R. Mangiacarne, DO, Fishers, IN, was named the Central Indiana medical director for Spero Health.

SANDY BOYD, MS/PA ’12 Designing award-winning historical costumes

by Meghan McCall As an emergency medicine physician assistant, Sandy Boyd, MS/PA ’12, is often asked to suture complicated wounds. In her spare time, she uses the same precise sewing skills to create elaborate historic costumes.

Ms. Boyd’s interest in costume design started when she began making Halloween costumes for her daughter almost 20 years ago. Through her designs, she developed a specific interest in historic costumes.

“I didn’t take history courses as part of my general requirements during my undergraduate studies, so I find costume design to be a special way to study history as I design for a particular era,” explains Ms. Boyd.

In addition to delving into the history of a particular costume’s design, Ms. Boyd loves the process of creating something elaborate. “The fun part is going into Manhattan for a nonstop day of selecting fabrics, trims and buttons to bring the costume design together. I appreciate all the connections I’ve made with shops over the past 20 years,” says Ms. Boyd.

Over the years, Ms. Boyd’s work has been widely recognized. In addition to winning several costume design contests, she has had her designs sold at FAO Schwarz in New York City, and they were featured twice on Good Morning America during the Halloween season.

While Ms. Boyd doesn’t have plans to design costumes full-time, she does have a goal for her costume design avocation: to do part-time costume design for a motion picture or Broadway show.

R. Todd Rinnier, DO, Cherry Hill, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Bryan E. Saia, DO, Moorestown, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

2007

Sudeep D. Burman, DO, Austin, TX, started a general/trauma surgery private practice, Hill Country Surgical Consultants, in October 2018 in Austin.

Padmaja Velagaleti Charya, MS/CCHP, Wilmington, DE, started a full-time position as a licensed therapist for the Wilmington Police Department’s Youth Response Unit in June 2018. Through the unit, Ms. Charya completed Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention training through Yale University’s Child Study Center. Ms. Charya also practices outpatient therapy for Jewish Family Services, where she has helped resettle refugees from Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan. In 2015, Ms. Charya became certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

Joshua P. Hazelton, DO, Wenonah, NJ, was appointed chief medical officer of Z-Medica, LLC, a developer and manufacturer of hemostatic devices.

Stephen S. Matta, DO/MBA, Fort Washington, PA, opened a medical clinic, Meeting Point Health, in Roxborough/ Manayunk with his wife, Mary Anne, an acupuncturist. Dr. Matta’s clinic focuses on primary care sports medicine.

Erik G. Polan, DO, Moorestown, NJ, assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, PCOM, wrote articles for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Q&A: Can Overindulging This Season Lead to Holiday Heart Syndrome?” (November 29, 2018) and “Q&A: How Do I Know If I’m Having a ‘Silent’ Heart Attack?” (February 22, 2019).

Douglas L. Stofko, DO, Charleston, SC, joined Trident Neurosurgical Associates and Trident Health Medical Staff.

Troy W. Trayer, DO, Reading, PA, was among several doc-

tors featured in an article about Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute in MD News, Central Pennsylvania Edition, titled “Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute: Advanced, Comprehensive Care Close to Home” (February 20, 2019).

Preston Landon Williams, MS/ PA, Moraga, CA, was recently named clinical science liaison for AstraZeneca’s CVMD MA West Field Team.

2008

Peter F. Bidey, DO, Philadelphia, PA, assistant professor of family medicine, PCOM, discussed the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine in an article for philly.com titled “HPV Vaccine Effective in Reducing Strains of the Virus Over 10 Years Later” (January 21, 2019).

Drew J. Chiesa, DO, Marlton, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc

by SJ Magazine.

Jennifer R. Roszkowski, DO, Cherry Hill, NJ, was named a Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

DIGEST 2019

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CLASS NOTES

2009

Donald L. Allison, II, DO, Philadelphia, PA, was promoted to associate professor of osteopathic manipulative medicine at PCOM. James F. Baird, IV, DO, Mullica Hill, NJ, was named a 2018 Top Doc by SJ Magazine.

Bernard C. Ciongoli, DO, Wayne, NJ, joined Morris Anesthesia Group as chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly.

Vanessa N. Durand, DO, Philadelphia, PA, received the 2018 Mary Dewitt Pettit Fellowship, one of Drexel University College of Medicine’s faculty awards, for her project, “Implicit Bias: Impact of Medical Staff Exposure to Urban Population Over Time.”

Samvid A. Dwivedi, DO, Canton, MI, was promoted to medical director of Henry Ford Allegiance Health – Pain Management Center in Jackson.

Joseph M. Farrell, DO, Lewes, DE, joined Orthopaedic Associates of Southern Delaware, working out of the practice’s Lewes and Millsboro locations.

Jonathan D. Trager, DO, Schnecksville, PA, is currently working as an attending physician in emergency medicine and critical care medicine at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem and holds clinical appointments at both PCOM and Temple University. Dr. Trager serves as medical director for Lehigh University EMS, a student-run volunteer service, and the hospital-based EMS and

transport program. Dr. Trager also serves as chairperson for the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council’s Critical Care Transport Committee and as a board member for the Eastern PA EMS Council.

2010

Bradley Ross Grant, DO, Owings Mills, MD, was the recipient of the 2018 Dr. Arabella Leet Award in Clinical Excellence at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Dr. Grant holds dual appointments at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Andrew M. Teffeau, DO, Davenport, FL, joined Heart of Florida Physician Group as a primary care physician. Dr. Teffeau sees patients in the group’s Champions Gate location.

DEBRA “DEE” BRADFORD, MS/ODL ’16 Using Organizational Development & Leadership to Help Small Businesses Thrive

by Meghan McCall As founder and chief executive officer of ODL Business Partners, Inc., Debra “Dee” Bradford, MS/ODL ’16, helps small businesses realign relationships with employees, vendors and customers to bring about positive change.

Ms. Bradford’s road to PCOM was somewhat nontraditional. After working in accounting, IT and human resources for various business sectors for over 30 years, she sought a master’s degree that would build upon her on-the-job experiences. While she was completing her independent study examining the people issues often seen in the United States, she had an “aha” moment. “I saw patterns everywhere,” Ms. Bradford recalls. “In any business sector, in any civic, religious or governmental organization, there is one common denominator: people. Organizational development is a study of people and processes with a focus on how to realign relationships in pursuit of sustainable change.”

This realization sparked the idea for Ms. Bradford to launch ODL Business Partners to help small businesses execute human resources and change management practices. Within weeks of graduating, Ms. Bradford officially launched ODL Business Partners in July 2016. ODL Business Partners offers services that include HR consulting, payroll processing, business advising for C-suite and director-level executives, leadership coaching, strategic planning, evaluating and developing trainings for employees, and more.

While she contracts with experts to help her clients, Ms. Bradford is also considered an expert herself, serving as an adjunct professor at Villanova University where she lectures to master’s students in human resources, administration and organizational leadership. Ms. Bradford says that her experience at PCOM, especially as a nontraditional student, shaped how she teaches and interacts with her students.

“I listen to my students with an open mind—just as I do with my clients. I listen to their goals and seek to find a path that fulfills both the academic requirements and their educational aims. I don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach.”

This approach has helped Ms. Bradford and ODL Business Partners to thrive. With clients including Yum! Brand Franchises, New Jersey- and Pennsylvania-based charter schools, and small medical practices, and with several new products about to launch, ODL Business Partners is gaining momentum.

This growth comes just as Ms. Bradford is preparing for a new chapter: relocating from Pennsylvania to Saratoga Springs, New York. “The great thing about all of the work we do at ODL Business Partners is that it can be expanded or contracted to fit the next chapter of my career,” she says.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

2011

Jamie L. Berkowitz, MS/ PA, Pittsfield, MA, joined CHP Berkshire Pediatrics’ pediatric primary care team in Pittsfield.

Anthony A. Flaim, DO, Emmaus, PA, joined Lehigh Valley Physician Group Pulmonary Medicine – Pottsville.

Justin Lyons Guthier, DO, Coopersburg, PA, joined Lehigh Valley Health Network as a noninvasive cardiologist. Dr. Guthier was also appointed associate program director of the internal medicine residency at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Hajra Mohammad Hasan, DO, Martinez, GA, joined St. Mary’s Family Medicine’s new primary care practice in Oconee County.

Linda Clark Vilbert, DO, Downingtown, PA, and her daughter, Valerie Vilbert, DO ’12, were featured in an article on the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s website titled “For Exton Physicians, Medicine Is a Family Affair” (September 2018).

2012

Rouenne Joie S.J. Abasolo, MS/Biomed ’08, DO, Lewisburg, PA, joined Geisinger Medical Center as a gastroenterologist.

Timothy B. Barksdale, PsyD, Lansdowne, PA, was appointed to the board of directors for the National Association of Dual Diagnosis, an international organization that provides research, education, accreditation and certification to professionals and agencies that support individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and mental illness.

Tara J. Browarek, DO, Saint Johnsbury, VT, recently earned board certification in emergency medicine. Dr. Browarek is an emergency physician at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital.

Jason D. Mathison, PsyD, Crofton, MD, presented a webinar for MentorHealth titled “The Neuropsychological Profile of ADHD: Treat the Symptoms Not the Disorder. How to Better Diagnose & Help Those with ADHD,” on December 10, 2018.

Brian R. Miller, DO, Philadelphia, PA, joined Lehigh Valley Physician Group Pulmonary Medicine – Pottsville.

Bradley R. Mons, RES, Broken Arrow, OK, joined Ascension Medical Group as a head and neck surgeon. Dr. Mons specializes in surgeries of the head and neck and cancer removal, including mouth, throat, sinus, larynx, thyroid, salivary glands and lymph nodes. Dr. Mons also performs complex reconstructions including local, regional and free tissue flaps.

Ryan C. Price, DO, Tallahassee, FL, joined Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.

William D. Stembridge, DO, Annapolis, MD, joined Sterling Center Surgery & Medicine in Moultrie, Georgia, as a board-certified general surgeon.

2013

Robert L. Bowers, DO, Johns Creek, GA, was interviewed for a segment on Fox 5 Atlanta discussing the dangers of scam stem cell clinics that were appearing in the Atlanta area.

Anthony DiGirolamo, DO, Bend, OR, joined the physical medicine and rehabilitation team at The Center Orthopedic & Neurosurgical Care & Research in Bend.

Scott D. Glassman, PsyD, Cherry Hill, NJ, associate director of MS in Mental Health Counseling, clinical associate professor, PCOM, wrote articles for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Trick or Treat: The Temptation of Sugar (and What You Can Do About It)” (October 30, 2018) and “The Many Ways You Can Show Love This Valentine’s Day” (February 14, 2019).

James E. Huang, MS/PA, Honolulu, HI, graduated with a doctor of science in physician assistant studies from Baylor University in December 2018. Dr. Huang’s thesis focused on preECMO characteristics in trauma patients predictive of survival using Bayesian inference. Dr. Huang currently serves active duty in the United States Army.

Ben Brian Lopez Ong, DO, New Castle, PA, joined Sharon Regional Medical Center as an orthopedic surgeon.

Sean P. Perrine, DO, Lancaster, PA, was named the 2019 Young Osteopathic Physician of the

JULIAN TRIVINO, DO ’15 (PCOM Georgia) Providing Medical Relief After Hurricane Maria

by Meghan McCall In September 2017, Julian Trivino, DO ’15, was serving as chief resident at Florida Hospital in Orlando when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. Fluent in Spanish and a senior-level resident, Dr. Trivino was invited to join a group of four other physicians from Florida Hospital to travel to the island and provide medical relief. He did not hesitate.

Dr. Trivino’s team immediately began making plans for their journey. Because there were no flights going from the United States to Puerto Rico following the hurricane, they relied on personal and professional connections to arrange the trip. One of the physicians’ friends, a high-ranking officer in the Coast Guard, helped them fly into a private airport outside of San Juan via a military plane.

Upon arrival, the team members were required to obtain temporary emergency medical licenses from the Puerto Rico Department of Health; they were the first physicians to be issued such licenses, with their serial numbers ranging from 001 to 005.

Their initial task was to begin to evaluate the island’s medical needs. Each day, the Department of Health sent them to rural towns. Traveling by car, it often took the team three to four hours to reach their destinations. They evaluated patients in clinics and assessed what supplies and medications were needed.

“Initially, it was absolute chaos,” says Dr. Trivino. “Proficiency grew as we became more familiar with the issues that the victims were facing, but we realized we needed a better mode of transportation so we could assist more towns faster.” Through Antonia Novello, MD, former US surgeon general, the Florida Hospital team was assigned Black Hawk helicopters to assist with travel.

“People would cry and hug us when we arrived,” says Dr. Trivino. “These were villages where not many people had vehicles, and if they did, the storm left roadblocks cutting them off from the world.

We were delivering so much more than food, water and medications; we were delivering hope.”

Perhaps one of the more dire situations the doctors encountered was when they traveled to a hospital in Aguadilla, a coastal city in the northwestern corner of the island. When they arrived, the hospital was on the verge of shutting down. Doctors at the hospital had been working nonstop since the hurricane struck. Power was out, and temperatures inside the crowded hospital were rising above 95 degrees. The Florida Hospital team helped run the facility for three days, providing the local doctors with a much-needed chance to rest and check on their own homes and families.

Year by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.

Dr. Perrine is a family physician specializing in addiction medicine and OMT at Lancaster Health Center and Patient First Urgent Care.

Kristie M. Petree, DO, Sugar Hill, GA, served as the Medical Association of Georgia’s Doctor of the Day during the legislative session at the Georgia State Capitol,

where she provided free minor medical care to legislators and their staff members in January.

2014

Corey Gillespie, MS/Biomed, Smyrna, GA, is teaching biology at Atlanta Technical College and Emory University.

Barbara J. Jones, DO, Duluth, GA, was featured on HLN’s Weekend Express with Lynn

Smith on November 17, discussing hyperemesis gravidarum.

Since her appearance, Dr. Jones has become one of the primary care physicians who are regularly featured on Weekend Express, appearing one to two times each month.

Thomas M. Lettich, DO, Orwigsburg, PA, matched to a pulmonary/critical care fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center.

DIGEST 2019

43

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM Archie B. Attarian, DO ’54, Grand Blanc, MI, May 3, 2019 Norman F. C. Baker, DO ’63, Port Allegany, PA, December 5, 2018 William L. Bollman, III, DO ’60, Sunset Beach, NC, October 17, 2018 Harry J. Borgersen, DO ’75, Harleysville, PA, October 28, 2018 Charles F. Breuninger, DO ’50, Houston, TX, January 31, 2019 John C. Cetin, DO ’52, Derby, NY, March 20, 2019 Thomas J. Connelly, DO ’79, Stuart, FL, April 14, 2017 Robert J. Falbey, DO ’76, Arlington, TX, April 11, 2019 Elias P. Farri, DO ’61, Fort Myers, FL, October 12, 2018 Leon I. Fink, DO ’51, Irvine, CA, November 17, 2018 Leonard H. Finkelstein, DO ’59, MSc ’63, FACOS, Delray Beach, FL, and Ventnor, NJ, June 25, 2019 Thomas J. Foote, DO ’64, Washington Crossing, PA, March 5, 2019 Francis A. Fucile, DO ’58, Cocoa Beach, FL, November 21, 2018 Marshall M. Gottlieb, DO ’70, Blue Bell, PA, February 25, 2015 Wayne A. Hey, DO ’75, Fort Worth, TX, June 2, 2018 Robert C. Kasprzak, DO ’79, Knoxville, TN, January 27, 2018

Kimberly A. Marakovits, DO, Rocky Hill, CT, works for Baystate Health’s Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology and has joined the medical staff of Women’s Health Services to provide care in Ware and Palmer.

John V. Murphy, DO, Lititz, PA, joined UPMC Pinnacle and works out of the group’s Lebanon Valley Advanced Care Center, Orthopaedic Specialists of Central PA, and PinnacleHealth Spine, Bone and Joint Center offices.

Douglas M. Phelan, DO, Concord, NH, was named to the 44

Frederick C. Kurn, DO ’53, Orlando, FL, January 15, 2019 Thanh N. Le, PharmD ’14, Lawrenceville, GA, November 28, 2017 James A. McLaughlin, DO ’74, El Paso, TX, February 8, 2019 Kevin R. Melnick, DO ’83, Blue Bell, PA, January 11, 2019 William E. Minteer, DO ’76, Bainbridge Island, WA, December 19, 2018 Sidney R. Rente, Jr., DO ’55, Belgrade, MT, December 27, 2018 Joseph Ridgik, DO ‘60, Chester, PA, June 26, 2019 Michael Robinson, DO, RES ’99, Mullica Hill, NJ, November 15, 2018 Jon H. Sally, DO ’61, Kent, OH, October 22, 2018 Wiley Sanford, DO ’83, Nashville, TN, December 5, 2017 Michael L. Schorr, DO ’82, Wayne, PA, January 5, 2019 Sheldon Schwartzberg, DO ’71, Essex, NY, January 10, 2019 William E. Shipton, DO ’76, Pottsville, PA, February 26, 2019 Paul S. Snoke, DO ‘56, Seminole, FL, June 23, 2019 LeRoy I. Sykes, DO ’65, Flagstaff, AZ, January 3, 2019 Badi Zohoury, DO ’55, Troy, MI, November 10, 2018

New Hampshire Union Leader’s 40 Under Forty. Dr. Phelan is a family physician with Concord Hospital Medical Group, Epsom Family Medicine.

Hans T. Zuckerman, DO, Lebanon, PA, was recently named the department director of community medicine in Schuylkill County for Geisinger. In this role, Dr. Zuckerman will oversee four clinics located in the county.

2015

Katherine A. Allport, DO, Quarryville, PA, joined Penn

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

William A. Nickey, DO ‘66, FACOI Philadelphia, PA, June 6, 2019 Dr. Nickey joined the PCOM faculty in 1972, and retired from his position as professor of internal medicine and co-chairman of the Division of Nephrology in 2015.

A dedicated and beloved educator, Dr. Nickey served numerous staff and faculty positions within PCOM, at Hahnemann University Hospital and Medical College, the former Metropolitan Hospital–Central Division, and New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was founder and chairman of the former Osteopathic Hospital of Philadelphia’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension.

Dr. Nickey was the first osteopathic physician to be trained in and practice nephrology and hypertension. In 1972, he co-founded Metropolitan Nephrology Associates, along with his late partner and friend Stephen S. Levin, DO ’68.

Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians Family Medicine Mount Joy. Alfred K. Bachiller, DO, Taylor, PA, joined UPMC Susquehanna as a family medicine physician.

Pevitr S. Bansal, MS/MHC, Horsham, PA, gave a poster presentation at the National Clinical Child Conference in Kansas City titled “Empirical Assessment of Callous-Unemotional Traits in Preschool: A Comparison of Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Network Analysis.”

Caleb T. Oster, DO, Pensacola, FL, joined White River Medical Center in Batesville as a hospitalist.

Jennifer L. Wedgwood, DO, Cherry Hill, NJ, was interviewed for an article in the Chestnut Hill Local titled “At Center on Hill, Physician Answers ‘Is Sugar Toxic’“ (October 17, 2018).

2016

Jameel N. Shareef, DO, Providence, RI, is starting a new position as a GI fellow at Kent Hospital in July.

Nicholas H. Skefos, DO, Birmingham, AL, is completing his residency in general psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After residency, Dr. Skefos will be doing a twoyear fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital–Harvard Medical School.

Jeremy M. Tyler, MS ’14, PsyD, Philadelphia, PA, was interviewed for an article in Health Magazine titled “10 Things You Need to Know If Your Partner Has Anxiety” (January 28, 2019). Dr. Tyler is a clinical psychologist at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

2017

Xin S. Xin, RES, Pasadena, CA, joined the California Institute of Neuroscience in Thousand Oaks as a neurosurgeon.

2018

Robert M. Lynagh, DO, Billings, MT, joined the Neuroscience Center for Brain and Spine in Billings.

Brian D. Novi, DO, Claymont, DE, received a Golden Apple Award from Drexel University College of Medicine in March for excellence in teaching medical students. Dr. Novi is a first-year pediatric resident at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

Trevor Persaud, DO, Miami, FL, is the new representative for Region 5 (Southeast) of the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Danielle M. Ward, DO, Philadelphia, PA, was recognized

by The DO in an article titled “Celebrate Black History Month with These 10 Osteopathic Physicians” (February 13, 2019).

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2019

Alumni Weekend, held May 3-4, was an exciting weekend of celebrating, reconnecting, and reminiscing as many alumni returned to campus. The weekend featured annual favorites like the 50th Reunion Luncheon honoring the class of 1969 and the Grand Alumni Reception, as well as new events, including A Conversation with the President: A PCOM Update, Trolley Tour of Philadelphia, The CLAC Medical Simulation Experience, and more.

e-mail your news and photos to classnotes@pcom.edu DIGEST 2019

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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage P A I D Upper Darby, PA Permit No. 167

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 4170 City Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

ALICIA M. WILLIAMS (DO ’22)

“The path to medical school or to any field in health care is difficult to navigate, particularly as a minority.

‘Medicine in Color’ is my vision actualized; it is the guidance that I know is needed when moving through the premed process and the motivation that I believe is vital during this journey. This platform is a means for me to provide a resource and to inspire the next generation of leaders in medicine. . . . I developed the idea for the podcast a year and a half ago. I want to uplift the voices of [young] men and women of color [in health care] through honest dialog, inspiring stories and raw transparency. My intent is to debunk the myth that there are not people like us thriving in the field [of medicine]. My hope is to relate journeys of strength, resilience and determination—and to celebrate who we are, our brilliance, our cultures and our excellence. . . . Every interview is interactive; topics are relevant. To date, seven episodes have been released, featuring professionals ranging from a current surgery resident to a practicing general internist to a veterinarian. As the podcast continues to grow (from 2,000+ listeners to date), I am humbled by the opportunity the future holds. . . . Most recently I had the privilege of doing a live recording during the 2019 Annual Medical Education Conference of the Student National Medical Association. . . . Ultimately, I want the legacy of ‘Medicine in Color’ to be one of authenticity, empowerment, and a medium for building connections between listeners and guests. I’m excited about what’s in the works for the podcast, and trust that this will be a living resource for current and future medical professionals for years to come, when they need refueling along their journey.”

“Medicine in Color” is available on all podcast streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Anchor and Stitcher. Follow the podcast on Instagram @MedicineInColor.

pcom.edu •