Another first for ATSU - A.T. Still University

Vol. 3, No. 3 • Summer 2008
A.T. Still University
Another first for ATSU
Inaugural D.H.Ed. class graduates
from the
editor
Relax
– Valentine’s Day is
still months away.
It just so happens that the one
theme running throughout this issue
of Still Magazine is love.
All of the students graduating this
spring, including the four people
dedicated to earning their terminal
degree in SHM’s new D.H.Ed.
program, were driven by the love
of learning. One student said she
wanted to be an example to her
children – to pass the value of
learning to the next generation.
Her goal is a labor of love not lost
on Professor Richard Cenedella,
Ph.D., whose story is on page 13.
ATSU-KCOM’s biochemistry
professor for more than 30 years,
Dr. Cenedella has been named a
Fulbright scholar, the first from
the founding school and only the
second in the history of osteopathic
medicine. His passion for teaching
and learning not only has earned
him many accolades but has been
passed on to more than four generations of students. Earning this
scholarship, he says, caps off all
his years of work. But that doesn’t
mean he’ll stop teaching – or learning. When asked about his goals for
his upcoming six-month teaching
position in Bahrain, he says, “I
hope to come back educated.”
The student profile on page 27
tells the story of second-year
KCOM student Nathan Holbrook,
an accomplished musician with a
passion for jazz. Holbrook decided
that life on the road wasn’t for him
and took to heart a suggestion that
he become a physician. Now all his
loves – music, family, and career
– no longer compete but are in
complete harmony.
It’s a balancing act new ATSU
President Jack Magruder, featured
on pages 15-17, has been performing for more than 40 years. After
spending nine years as president
of Truman State University,
Magruder came back to the
president’s chair on Valentine’s
Day 2008. In addition to a passion
for bringing out the best in
students, Magruder counts among
his loves his work, his horses, and
most importantly, his wife of 54
years, Sue.
That love and commitment are
things KCOM supporter Bernice
Lirones can relate to. Her husband,
David, died in December 2007,
and she is adjusting to a new life
without him. Married 59 years, the
Lironeses’ love story began April
11, 1946. Bernice still
remembers the exact date.
The Lironeses – a familyoriented team whose story
can be found on page 29
– are a lesson in what it
means to truly share a life.
“We always did things
together the best we
could,” she says.
When asked about the
key to a long and happy
marriage, Bernice and
President Magruder
both respond with the
one little word that
Sophocles says “frees
us of all the weight
and pain of life” ­—
Love.
Kathryn Stroppel, B.J.
Editor, Still Magazine
Summer 2008
1
contents
Features
offers new
14 ATSU
D.H.Sc. program
Magruder talks
15 President
about leadership, love,
and the future
Profiles
student Nathan
27 KCOM
Holbrook chooses med
school over jazz scene
Pavlick, Ph.D.,
28 Raymond
named SOMA’s assistant
dean for curriculum
22 A graduation for the record books
18
Remember
when ...
Read alumni recollections
of favorite road trips on page
11 and find out how you
can contribute to the next
Still Magazine.
Cenedella named
Fulbright Scholar
On the Cover: Hunter “Patch”
Adams, M.D., celebrates with
new SHM graduate Delicia Hardy.
2
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20
13
KCOM celebrates
ASDOH graduates
second class
“It’s the meaning of life to care for
others. Ooze love to everybody.”
27
7
8
Luncheon addresses
“The Unanswered
Questions”
Nearly 300 guests
attend 2008
Founders’ Ball
departments
~ Patch Adams, M.D.
News briefs
news briefs
5
ASDOH awarded ACF grant
5
YMCA breaks ground
6
Leaders recognized at
Crystal Awards
7
Still Spirit Awards
honor community
8
Dr. Kardos hosts discussion
8
KCOM alumni attend
special reception
donor recognition
29
Lironeses leave legacy of
compassion, support, love
30
ATSU visits Florida,
Michigan, New Jersey,
and Oklahoma
class notes
33 1940s & 1950s
34 1960s & 1970s
STILL
magazine
is published by the department of Communications & Marketing, A.T. Still
University, 800 W. Jefferson St., Kirksville, MO 63501, 660.626.2272.
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability,
or status as a Vietnam-era veteran in admission and access to, or treatment
and employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries
concerning ATSU’s compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, or other civil rights laws should contact the Director
of Human Resources, 800 West Jefferson Street, Kirksville, MO 63501 (telephone: 660.626.2790). Any person may also contact the Assistant Secretary
for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education.
35 1980s
36 1990s & 2000s
37 In memory
Summer 2008
3
ATSU sponsors Governor’s
Conference on Aging
For the second time, the Arizona
Campus Geriatric Initiative was
a Gold track sponsor for the
Governor’s Conference on Aging,
held every two years in Arizona.
ATSU sponsored the Falls Prevention track, and faculty member
Jeff Alexander, Ph.D., presented
on exercise and fall prevention.
D.O. and P.T. students provided
health screens.
Chavez receives AOMA Student
Distinguished Service Award
Tomas Chavez, OMS I, was
honored April 18
with the Arizona
Osteopathic Medical Association’s
(AOMA) Student
Distinguished
Service Award. The
award, which honors
a current osteopathic
medical student who has made
significant contributions to their
school and/or the AOMA, was
presented during the Presidential
Reception and Gala, part of the
AOMA’s Annual Convention, at
the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and
Villas in Scottsdale, Ariz.
KCOM ranks 9th largest Missouri
Research University
ATSU-KCOM ranks as the 9th largest Missouri Research University in
June’s St. Louis Business Journal list.
The list includes colleges and universities located in Missouri receiving
funding specifically for research.
KCOM received $3,178,000 in
research funding in 2007.
“Recognition by the Journal is
indicative of the increased level of
osteopathic clinical research that the
University develops and supports,”
said John Heard, Ph.D., vice president of research, grants, and
information systems.
“Not only are we generating new
research results, but some of these
results are being incorporated into
the medical curriculum to benefit our
students and their future patients.”
A.T. STILL UNIVERSITY
Board of Trustees 2008
Stephen A. Kardos, D.O., ’68
Chair
Eatontown, N.J.
Gerald A. Perkins, D.O., FOCOO, ’67
Vice Chair
Rio Verde, Ariz.
Linda C. Niessen, D.M.D., M.P.H.
Secretary
Dallas, Texas
Peter W. Detweiler
Chair, Finance Committee
Kirksville, Mo.
Richard W. Anderson, D.O., FACGP, ’46
Dallas, Texas
Manuel C. Bedoya, D.M.D.
Tucson, Ariz.
Daniel L. Biery, D.O., FACOI, FACG, ’72
Phelps, N.Y.
Cynthia D. Byler, D.O., M.P.H.,
(KCOM ’85 and SHM ’04)
Edwardsville, Ill.
Carl G. Bynum, D.O., M.P.H., ’75
Jefferson City, Mo.
Capri S. Cafaro, MALS
Hubbard, Ohio
David C. Conner, D.O., ’65
Lookout Mountain, Tenn.
Brandy L. Embry, M.S., PA-C, ’97
Chino Valley, Ariz.
Clyde H. Evans, Ph.D.
Needham, Mass.
Kenneth E. Jones, D.O., ’83
Clinton, Mo.
Robert L. King, J.D.
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Martin S. Levine, D.O., M.P.H., FACOFP,
(KCOM ’80 and SHM ’03)
Bayonne, N.J.
Paul A. Lines, D.D.S., M.S.
Tempe, Ariz.
John G. Robinson
Phoenix, Ariz.
Robert W. Uhl
Phoenix, Ariz.
Paul R. Willging, Ph.D.
Ellicott City, Md.
STILL
Please recycle.
Our mission
œ
œ
œ
Consistent with the University’s heritage as the founding school
of osteopathic medicine, the mission of A.T. Still University
is to educate students to become competent healthcare professionals who continuously develop and demonstrate compassion,
integrity, and ability while advancing osteopathic principles and
philosophy. The institution is committed to scholarly inquiry
that anticipates and addresses society’s healthcare needs. The
University encourages its constituencies to become leaders in
improving community health and wellness with a comprehensive
appreciation of the interaction of the body, mind, and spirit.
magazine
is published four times each year.
Submit letters and editorial material to:
EDITOR Kathryn Stroppel, B.J.
Communications & Marketing
ATSU
800 W. Jefferson St.
Kirksville, MO 63501-1497
kstroppel@atsu.edu
To record a change of address, contact:
Kristin Blunk
director, Alumni Relations
kblunk@atsu.edu
PRESIDENT Jack Magruder, Ed.D.
VP COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
Adrian Anast, Ph.D.
EDITOR Kathryn Stroppel, B.J.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ann Bailey, B.F.A.
WRITER Lee Cashatt, B.S.
PHOTOGRAPHERS Josh Bishop, Hector Contreras
PRINTING JK Creative Printers
www.atsu.edu
news briefs
ATSU-ASDOH
completes funding
for outreach program
ATSU is fit-friendly
A.T. Still University was recognized as a Gold Level Recipient of
the American Heart Association’s
Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition program. The
University joins an elite group of
AHA awardees who have created
a culture of physical importance
in the workplace. The program,
sponsored nationally by SUBWAY® Restaurants, Healthy
Choice®, and AstraZeneca, is
a catalyst for positive change in
American business. Companies
throughout the nation can be part
of the Start! Movement by demonstrating progressive leadership
by making the health and wellness
of their employees a priority.
Katie McNutt, D2, applies
sealants at a community outreach
event. The ACF grant will ensure
future oral health outreach events
in Piñal and Gila counties.
YMCA breaks ground on
Arizona Campus
Pictured are Associate Provost Ted
Wendel, Ph.D.; Damon Olsen,
executive director, Mesa Family
YMCA; Provost Craig Phelps,
D.O., ’84; and Associate Provost
and SOMA Associate Dean Gary
Cloud, Ph.D.
The Valley of the Sun
YMCA broke ground May 21
on a 35,000 square foot facility
scheduled to open on ATSU’s
Arizona Campus in June 2009.
Construction will begin in
August, and it will be the sixth
YMCA in the Southeast Valley.
ATSU donated the land for
the project, which will be an
integral part of ATSU’s planned
Intergenerational Village for
Healthy Living.
“Having the YMCA on the ATSU
Campus will provide an opportunity for
faculty and students to become actively
involved in the health of our community,”
said Associate Provost Ted Wendel, Ph.D.
ATSU’s Arizona School of Dentistry
& Oral Health received a $29,745
grant from the Arizona Community Foundation to complete
funding for a project that
will bring portable dental
treatment to those in
need in rural Piñal and
Gila counties. The
grant complements a
$114,000 Arizona Department of Health
Services oral health
grant awarded in
December and allows
ASDOH’s servicelearning program to
implement its full scale of
targeted outreach services
for the disadvantaged/underserved and those with
special needs.
As part of the Dental Outreach
for Rural Arizona project, up to 27
fourth-year dental students will take
part in a four- to six-week servicelearning rotation. An oral health
education and community awareness
campaign also will be launched to
inform the target population about
the importance of prevention and
treatment of oral health problems, as
well as available services.
“This generous grant from the
ACF will help us purchase state-ofthe-art cavity detection equipment,
as well as necessary dental supplies
and instruments. In addition, we can
purchase technology necessary to
send digital X-rays and photos back
to the dental school for specialist consultation,” said Mary Busch, RDH,
associate director for clinical and
educational outreach and director of
the program. “Our dental students
will be taught dental service delivery
with 21st century technology, and
the patients receiving care in rural
Arizona will enjoy the best, high-tech
dental care we can provide.”
Summer 2008
5
ATSU-Arizona recognizes leaders
at Crystal Awards
ATSU’s Arizona Campus held its 6th Annual Crystal
Awards on March 28. Individuals from across Arizona
were honored for their commitment and dedication to
improving the lives of others through creative and
innovative problem solving. The award ceremony,
hosted by Provost Craig Phelps, D.O., ’84, and
Associate Provost O.T. Wendel, Ph.D., featured
a keynote address from internationally acclaimed
health policy and ethics analyst Emily Friedman.
“The Crystal Award’s event is a wonderful
opportunity for ATSU to recognize community
and healthcare champions within the state of Arizona,” said Gretchen Buhlig, associate vice president, Institutional Advancement. “These individuals
and organizations exemplify compassion, integrity, and
ability in both their personal and professional lives.”
Integrating mental health
in primary care topic of
4th Annual Lecture on Aging
The 4th Annual Lecture on Aging was held
Friday, April 4, on the Missouri Campus
and was broadcasted simultaneously to the
Arizona Campus.
Dr. Sue Levkoff, associate professor of
psychiatry and social medicine at Harvard
Medical School, spoke on the integration of
mental health in primary care. Dr. Levkoff
serves as director for the Harvard Upper
New England Geriatric Education Center
and was principal investigator and project
director for a SAMHSA-funded multi-site
randomized trial on
Primary Care Research in Substance Abuse
and Mental
Health for
the Elderly
(PRISM-E).
She is the editor for Aging
International
and author of
more than 100
peer-reviewed
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Awards included:
Individual Achievement - Gerald Wissink, BHHS
Legacy Foundation
Business - Shamrock Foods Company
Non-Profit - Catholic Healthcare West – Arizona
Public Agency - Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging
Civic Organization - Thunderbirds Charities
Media - Angela Gonzalez, Phoenix Business Journal
Medicine - Arthur Martinez, M.D., El Rio Community
Health Care
Dentistry and Oral Health – Arizona State Rep. Linda Lopez
Health Sciences – Debbie Hines, M.A., OTR/L; Ginny
Clark-Wright, Au.D.; and Tracy
Jones, PA-C
Pictured above is Provost Phelps
with Brock Lorenz, D3, the
first-ever student to win a
Crystal Award for Community Service. Pictured
right are Jan Wood,
ASHS Associate Dean
David Wayne, Ph.D.,
and SOMA Dean Doug
Wood, D.O., Ph.D.,
checking out silent auction offerings.
journal articles, book chapters, monographs, and books,
including “Evidence-Based Behavioral Health Practices for
Older Adults: A Guide to Implementation” (2006), “Aging
Well: The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health”
(2001), and “Aging in Good Health” (2002).
news briefs
ATSU-Missouri honors
community with Still
Spirit Awards
Pictured is Speas, far left, along with President Magruder
and award recipients Community Volunteer of the Year
Harriet Beard, Healthcare/Education Leader of the Year
Justin Puckett, D.O., ’06, Business Leader of the
Year Alvina Britz, and Community/Government Leader of the Year Kim LeBaron.
The 2008 Still Spirit Awards
reception and ceremony was held
April 4 in the Connell Information
Technologies Center Blumenthal
Clinical/Osteopathic Skills Lab.
Members of the Kirksville community personifying the community-giving spirit of ATSU’s founder
were recognized during a ceremony emceed by KTVO News
Director Marlene Speas. President Jack Magruder welcomed
guests and presented the awards
before a crowd of more than 150
community members, faculty,
staff, and students. Four recipients
received the crystal awards out of
dozens nominated.
Second Women’s Wellness
Luncheon addresses
“The Unanswered Questions”
Dark chocolate and bottles of sunscreen greeted more
than 40 Valley women community leaders when
they joined ATSU health and wellness experts at
the second Women’s Wellness Luncheon on May
21 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort &
Spa in Scottsdale.
Following lunch, ATSU faculty gave presentations on healthy aging, sunscreen basics, and
creating personal balance. The program was
designed to answer questions that arose as a
result of Dr. Andrew Weil’s presentation and
discussion at the first Women’s Wellness Luncheon in February.
Pictured with the
microphone is Terri
Mansfield, human relations manager for the
city of Phoenix. Also
pictured is Sherry Lund,
president of the Victoria
Lund Foundation.
Cynthia Standley, Ph.D., and Noel Carrasco, M.D.,
both professors with the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, and Laura Bank, Ph.D., PA-C, academic
coordinator for the Physician Assistant program at the Arizona
School of Health Sciences, each gave short presentations and then
joined one another on stage for a question-and-answer session.
“This luncheon was meant to be a preview of what’s to
come,” said ATSU Associate Vice President for Advancement Gretchen Buhlig. According to Buhlig, the Women’s
Wellness Program, a Universitywide initiative, will
launch nationally this fall.
Summer 2008
7
Board President Kardos
hosts dinner/discussion
in Missouri
A.T. Still University President
Jack Magruder, together with
ATSU Board of Trustees Chair
Stephen A. Kardos, D.O., and
board member Pete Detweiler,
hosted a special presentation and
community dinner and discussion
at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine on April 17.
Community partners attended
by special invitation and were
greeted by President Magruder
and his wife, Sue, Dr. Kardos, and
Detweiler in KCOM’s Connell
Information Technologies Center.
During an address by Dr. Kardos,
nearly 100 attendees heard his
message loud and clear: “ATSU is
here to stay.”
Dr. Kardos, a 1968 graduate of KCOM, also shared with
the evening’s attendees healthcare
data from ATSU, Truman State
University, and the Kirksville
School District’s employee population, noting insufficiencies
in many areas of
each population’s
preventive
healthcare.
President Magruder is photographed
with four special guests, who are supporters
of KCOM and the Kirksville community. Attendees included (left to right): seated - Alvina
Britz, Marietta Jane, Harriet Beard, and
Vera Burk. Standing - Mac McCord, President Magruder, and Pete Detweiler.
Pictured at right is ATSU
Board President Dr. Kardos.
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ASDOH hosts
second annual
Founders’ Ball
Scrubs were traded
in for ball gowns and
tuxedos as students,
faculty, staff, and
ASDOH supporters
celebrated the second
graduating class of the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health at
the 2008 Founders’ Ball. More than 280 guests attended the event at
the Ritz Carlton on Thursday, June 12, in Phoenix.
The evening included a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception
followed by dinner and dancing. Highlights included a special video
presentation by D4 students Ian Bennett and Troy Naki, while
Timothy Oh, D4, offered a toast to the graduating class. The band
Darkhorse played to a crowded dance floor until late into the evening and was joined by D4 student Greg Sikora for an impromptu
drum performance to “Mustang Sally.”
Alums meet at KCOM
Approximately 50 KCOM alumni and area physicians gathered on
the Missouri Campus to attend a special reception hosted by ATSU
President Jack Magruder on May 13. Magruder welcomed physicians and their guests by thanking them for their dedicated support
and service to ATSU and the surrounding community.
Those attending the special event toured ATSU’s
Connell Information Technologies Center
and the Still National Osteopathic Museum and also participated in a demonstration of the University’s human patient simulators (HPS).
The demonstration, which
was conducted by David Patterson, director of the Daraban
Human Patient Simulation Center, and several student ambassadors, provided area physicians
a unique opportunity to view a
HPS scenario and get hands-on
access to a patient simulator.
George Pipes, D.O., ’76, Robert Schneider, D.O., ’91, Tim
Meehan, D.O., ’90, and KCOM student ambassadors
Patrick Noonan, OMS II, and Nathan Cleaver, OMS II,
observe a demonstration of human patient simulators.
Dean Philip Slocum, D.O., ’76, and President Jack Magruder enjoy a visit with Toni Smith, D.O., ’79, Delbert Maddox,
D.O., ’55, and Edward Herrmann, D.O., ’53.
news briefs
KCOM students provide care in Belize
The ATSU-Kirksville College
of Osteopathic Medicine Office
of Continuing Education held a
Tropical Medicine program April
21-25 at The Inn at Robert’s
Grove in Placencia, Belize, Central America. Educational sessions
were conducted daily, and presentations included topics such as
ENT emergencies, dermatology,
dive medicine, forensic pathology,
and basic emergent care. Invited
guests discussed the Belize healthcare system and the country’s
culture.
In addition, continuing medical
education participants and four
OMS-IV students conducted professional visits at a clinic in Red
Bank, where they observed local
patients, primarily Mayan Indians,
with the socio-economic climate as
the backdrop to understanding the
clinical presentations.
Prior to the program, four
OMS-IV students participated
in an elective experience of their
fourth-year curriculum.
This experience, orchestrated
by True North Missions, allowed the students to provide
comprehensive healthcare to the
underserved children of rural
Guatemala. The Rio Dolce River
acted as a highway, and a sailboat
provided an outstanding vehicle to
transport students, staff, and supplies, which ultimately afforded an
exceptional learning opportunity.
At top, Assistant Dean Lloyd Cleaver, D.O.,
’76,; CME Director Kimberly Blackman;
and OMS IV students Jonathon Cleaver,
Sarah Shaffer, Nathan Sherer, and Jeremiah
Blankenship pose together with locals and CME
participants.
Summer 2008
9
Jason Chen, D.O., ’08, with his family
after KCOM’s commencement
ceremony in May.
By Lee Cashatt
A likely vessel
Jason Chen, D.O., ’08, is a passionate man,
doing great things in the name of healthcare.
But he’d be the last one to say so.
During his first year at KCOM, Dr. Chen
was instrumental in forming the Musical
Cure, putting the healing power of music to
work in local hospitals, hospice homes, and
nursing homes to create greater harmony of
the body, mind, and spirit. From the get-go,
this ambitious undertaking, inspired by a
similar group at Yale University, produced
amazing results in the community. Even so,
Dr. Chen humbly refers to himself as
only a “vessel.”
“I was just in the right place
at the right time,” he says.
But as Louis Pasteur said: “Chance favors
the prepared mind,” and Dr. Chen was
preparing for his next challenge. His
interest in musical therapy, which
continued into his clinical training in New
Jersey, led him to take a one-year hiatus to
focus on medical informatics and
clinical research.
Dr. Chen then landed an internship in clinical research informatics at the National
10
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Recent grad shares his musical, medical passion
Institute of Health in Bethesda, Md., in the summer of 2006, and
received an Arnold P. Gold Foundation fellowship at Columbia
University in the fall. His internship and fellowship, combined with
a clinical research fellowship from KCOM, allowed him to spend
the balance of the 2007 academic year at Yale University School
of Medicine.
During his fellowship, he led business and clinical development efforts for an interdisciplinary team of Stanford and MIT engineers,
M.B.A.s, and physicians to develop a patent-pending wireless patient
vital signs monitor that won first place in Yale’s 2007 Entrepreneurship Competition.
He then joined a team of multidisciplinary researchers at Yale under
the leadership of Zeev N. Kain, M.D., a leading authority in the clinical management of perioperative fear and anxiety in children and
adults, in the Center for the Advancement of Perioperative Health.
Dr. Chen’s research on the impact of music in the surgical recovery
room brought him full circle with the Musical Cure.
What began with Dr. Chen’s entrepreneurial spirit and his fingers
on the piano, the Musical Cure paved the way for new collaborations and research opportunities. Just days before graduating from
KCOM in May, Dr. Chen presented his research findings on the
beneficial impact of music in the perioperative setting.
In a room full of classmates, professors, and administrators, Dr.
Chen shared his modest formula for success: “There’s societal pressure to do something prestigious with your life, but I believe if you
do something you love, the rest will follow.”
In the Spring 2008 issue of Still Magazine, we asked alumni: “What was
your favorite road trip?”
One “road trip” I shall never
forget, and which I believe to have
had an influence on my professional
career, began there in Kirksville, in
approximately 1956. It was not a
vacation, but a necessity!
In a fraternity house where I lived,
we received an urgent phone call in
the wee hours one morning from a
frat brother who was in distress. He
had been involved in an automobile
accident across the state line over
in Illinois
and was in a
hospital there.
He seemed in
a great deal
of pain, and
said, “They’re
gonna kill
me,” thinking he was really hurt and
being relatively unattended. Four of us got into a station
wagon, long before SUVs were conceived, and took off for Illinois. We
found our brother in extreme distress
with low back pain, demanding to be
sent back to Kirksville. The four of
us managed to get our hands on Xrays that had been taken of the boy’s
lumbosacral spine, with the nurse on
duty saying, “You’re not going to find
anything. The doctor said the films
are negative.”
We identified the cause of the
problem, which was a transverse
fracture of the sacrum, the fracture
line correlating with the area of
greatest pain and tenderness. When
we were refused a call to the doctor
on the case, we rolled the patient up
in sheets and a blanket and literally
absconded with him. I guess it could
have been considered kidnapping!
I remember being relieved to cross
the state line back into Missouri,
since we could imagine state troopers following! The senior among us
had his house call bag, and gave an
analgesic, and we hurried our patient
back to Kirksville and into the hospital, where he was admitted, treated
appropriately, and made a relatively
uncomplicated recovery.
In those years, we – as osteopathic
students/physicians – were used to
being looked down upon by an-
other branch of the healing arts. The
KCOM faculty and staff were busy
not only in their practices and in
teaching over 100 students per class,
but were trying to instill into us that
the innate osteopathic philosophy
deserved an appropriate place in
modern medicine. They did a good
job. The students involved in this
“road trip” practiced for decades
as osteopathic physicians, and
some may still be doing so. I
retired in 1991 and three more
times since, the most recent being
the final one!
This road trip, although not a
vacation and extending only less
than 24 hours, was an important one
in that it gave several osteopathic
students a boost in their morale and
encouragement in acting upon what
they were being taught. The osteopathic philosophy worked then, and
it works now.
Consideration of changing our
D.O. degree, mentioned in so many
publications, makes me sad indeed.
Ralph C. Merwin, D.O., ’58
Harrison, Ark.
“My favorite road trip while I
was a KCOM student was in 1969,
after my freshman year, when I road
a motorcycle on a solo trip from Missouri to Alaska. It was 4,300 miles
one way to Anchorage, and 1,300
miles of that was gravel
road on the Alaskan
Highway. I camped
along the way and saw
wildlife, including a
bear that was crossing
the road. We eyeballed each
other as I rode slowly by
him.
It took all my money to
get there, so I needed to find
a job. A D.O. in Anchorage
helped me. I worked in a hospital as
an orderly and saved enough money
to get back for classes in September.
It was great adventure, and I plan to
repeat the trip when I retire in a few
years.”
Daniel L. Schmidt, D.O., ’72
Pearsall, Texas
Tell us how a mentor/leader impacted
you at ATSU. OR, tell us how your
educational experience at ATSU helped
make you the leader you are today.
Please take a moment to share your
memories, which will be printed in the
Fall 2008 issue of Still Magazine.
Responses must be received by
September 29.
Send responses to Editor Kathryn Stroppel, Communications & Marketing, 800 W. Jefferson St., Kirksville,
MO 63501 or email kstroppel@atsu.edu. Please include your name, graduation year, city/state, and a
photo. Letters may be edited for length.
Summer 2008
11
faculty news
Laura Gunder, D.H.Sc., MHE,
PA-C, adjunct faculty for SHM,
has earned a Doctorate in Health
Science from Nova Southeastern
University and recently received
a faculty appointment as assistant
professor at the Medical College
of Georgia. She will continue to
teach in ATSU’s M.P.H. program
in conjunction with her new
appointment. She also recently
published the article “Update on
Familial Melanoma: Understanding Risk, Surveillance and the
Role of Genetic Testing” published in the Journal of Dermatology for Physician Assistants,
Vol. 2, No. 2, Spring 2008. Send
a request for an author’s copy to
lgunder@atsu.edu.
Cynthia Yahola Wilson, M.A.,
MFA, assistant professor and
director of the Native American Physician Assistant Track,
was selected by the Physician
Assistant Education Association
(PAEA) to serve on the PAEA
Committee on Ethnic and
Cultural Diversity. The PAEA is
the national organization of PA
education programs and their
educators.
“As a non-PA, this is an
important responsibility and
honor to work for more cultural
competency in PA programs and
to advocate for more underrepresented students and teachers in
our programs,” she said.
Tamara Valovich-McLeod,
Ph.D., ATC, associate professor in the department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences,
made the following symposium
presentations:
• Concussion Assessment and
Management Considerations
in the Pediatric Athlete. Rocky
Mountain Athletic Trainers’
Association Clinical Symposium. Glendale, Ariz., May
1-4.
• The Effectiveness of Training
Programs in Preventing Lower
Extremity Injuries. Rocky
Mountain Athletic Trainers’
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Association Clinical Symposium. Glendale, Ariz., May
1-4.
• Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the
Primary Care Setting. Arizona
State Association of Physician
Assistants 2008 Primary Care
Conference. Sedona, Ariz.,
March 12-14.
Additionally, ValovichMcLeod; Curt Bay, Ph.D.;
research associate Jennifer
Teeters; John Parsons, MS,
ATC, AT/L; Eric Sauers, Ph.D.,
ATC; and Alison Snyder, Ph.D.,
ATC had accepted for presentation at the 2008 RMATA Free
Communications Session May
1-4 “Health-Related Quality of
Life is Affected by Recent Injury
in Adolescents.”
Donald J. Sanchez,
D.D.S., M.S., postgraduate orthodontic program
director at ASDOH, is
published in the current issue of Angle Orthodontist
with an article titled “Fluoride
Prophylactic Agents Effect on
Ceramic Bracket Tie-Wing Fracture Strength.”
A number of ATSU-KCOM
faculty and students presented
at the AACOM/AODME joint
annual meeting in St. Louis in
April. Speaking at the “Innovation: Spanning the Osteopathic
Medical Education Continuum”
meeting were:
• Janet A. Head, Ed.D., R.N.;
and Michael Paddock, OMS
III, SGA president, “Interprofessional Practice Integration”
• Patricia S. Sexton, D.H.Ed.,
assistant professor, Biochemistry, “Collaborative Approaches
to Enhancing Medical Professionalism Education”
• Robert J. Theobald Jr., Ph.D.,
professor and chair, Pharmacology; Julia M. Ousterhout,
Ph.D., assistant professor,
Pharmacology; John Martin,
Ph.D., professor, Pharmacology; and David Middlemas,
Ph.D., associate professor,
Pharmacology, “Team-Based
Learning for 2nd Year Pharmacology: Implications for the
Whole Curriculum”
• Janet A. Head, Ed.D., R.N.,
“Innovations in Decentralized
Clinical Training: AHEC and
COM Partnerships
• Michelle R. Colen, M.D.,
assistant professor, Family
Medicine, “Using Standardized Patient Encounters for
Classwide Assessment and
Remediation of Osteopathic
Medical Student Clinical and
Professional Skills”
• Philip C. Slocum, D.O., ’76,
vice president for medical affairs and dean, “The Accreditation Process”
• Stephen D. Laird, D.O., associate dean for academic
affairs; John George, Ph.D.,
professor and vice chair for
educational affairs, “Developing a Model to Integrate EBM
into a Crowded Curriculum”
• Stephen D. Laird, D.O., associate dean for academic affairs;
John George, Ph.D., professor
and vice chair for educational
affairs; and Bill Sexton, Ph.D.,
professor, Physiology, “Creating an Institutional Paradigm
Shift Through a Faculty Development Program”
Mohsen Sharifi, M.D.,
SOMA, co-authored
“Power-Pulse Spray
and Angiojet Thrombectomy in Massive
Inferior Vena Cava and Bilateral
Lower Extremity Deep Venous
Thrombosis” in the March/April
2008 issue of Vascular Disease
Management.
Mike Goodwin, PA,
chair of the Physician
Assistant program,
was named “Civilian
PA of the Year” by the
American Academy of Physician
Assistants at its annual conference.
Dr. Cenedella will serve as a faculty
member in biology at the University
of Bahrain for six months in 2009.
Cenedella named
Fulbright scholar
Missouri professor to teach, study in Bahrain
S
uccess at any age is still success,
but biochemistry professor Richard Cenedella, Ph.D., is glad his came
in the second half of life.
“You don’t die on the vine that
way,” he says.
Dr. Cenedella, a Fulbright scholar
to Bahrain, is the first faculty member
from the Founding School to receive
a Fulbright Scholarship. He is one of
approximately 800 professionals and
scholars selected each year and will
teach and continue his research into
statins and the formation of cataracts during his six–month tenure as
a faculty member in biology at the
University of Bahrain.
As a representative to Bahrain, he
will help fulfill the principal purpose
of the Fulbright Program, which is
to increase mutual understanding
between the people of the United
States and those in the more than 155
participating countries.
“These are critical times for our
country and its world position, and
it’s an honor to represent the country
in a positive way and build relationships,” he says. “It’s an exciting and
humbling undertaking. I’m looking
forward to it.”
The Fulbright Program, the U.S.
government’s flagship program in
international educational exchange,
was proposed to the U.S. Congress
in 1945 by then freshman Senator J.
William Fulbright of Arkansas. In the
aftermath of World War II, Sen. Fulbright viewed the proposed program
as a much-needed vehicle for promoting “mutual understanding between
the people of the United States and
the people of other countries of the
world.” His vision was approved
by Congress, and the program was
ogy and medicine. To learn more about
the Arabic language and culture, he has
enrolled in an Arabic course at Truman
State University in Kirksville this fall.
Assigned a course in human nutrition, Dr. Cenedella plans to pattern
his undergraduate course in Bahrain
after the one taught at KCOM, which
he calls “one of the best if not the best
course anywhere.”
Having taught for more than 40
years, something he says he’s enjoying
more with age, Dr. Cenedella says he
looks forward to experiencing a new
culture of students – and applying his
teaching philosophy. “When I lecture,
I like to think I’m talking to one student,” he says. “That I’m carrying on a
conversation with one person.”
Before he leaves, however, there
are many details to attend to – and also
some time to reflect on a long career
and the success it has born.
signed into law by President Truman
in 1946.
Dr. Cenedella was notified of his
selection as a Fulbright scholar by the
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board,
which is a Presidentially appointed
12-member board responsible for
establishing worldwide policies for
the program and the selection of recipients. The grant
is made possible
Richard Cenedella, Ph.D.
through funds apATSU’s first Fulbright scholar can cite a lifetime of awards and
propriated annually
achievements, including:
by Congress and
• 30 years as chair of the department of Biochemistry at KCOM
contributions from
• 44 years of teaching experience
partner countries
• No fewer than five teaching awards
and/or the private
• 35 years of NIH support
• 29 years of consecutive NIH support in the area of vision
sector. The Bureau
and formation of cataracts
of Educational and
• 1989 Fogarty International Senior Scholar to Australia
Cultural Affairs of
• 2006 KOAA (Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni Association)
the U.S. DepartLiving Tribute Award winner
ment of State
• More than 100 publications and an equal number of abstracts
oversees Fulbright
programs throughout the world.
“Sometimes there are benefits to
By his selection, Dr. Cenedella
having things happen to you late in
joins the ranks of distinguished
life; success later in life can be more
Fulbright alumni, who include heads
rewarding,” he says. “I don’t really feel
of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet that my career began until I was 45. I
ministers, CEOs, university presistarted making contributions that were
dents, journalists, artists, professors,
recognized, and I felt that my developand teachers. Thirty-seven have been ment as a teacher was improving.
awarded Nobel Prizes. Since its in“My career really blossomed after
ception more than 60 years ago, more I came to KCOM because there were
than 286,500 Fulbrighters – chosen
more opportunities for success. I’m
for their academic merit and leadervery grateful for KCOM for providing
ship potential – have been given the
an environment that’s provided the enopportunity to study, teach, conduct
couragement that’s been so important.”
research, exchange ideas, and conHis assignment in Bahrain, he says,
tribute to finding solutions to shared
is perfect in its timing, caps off those
international concerns.
years of hard work and leaves room,
Dr. Cenedella applied for the
of course, for learning.
scholarship in 2007 and chose the
“I hope,” he says, “to come back
small country of Bahrain primarily
educated.”
because it welcomed scholars in biolSummer 2008
13
ATSU offers new
online doctorate degree
Program is one of only two in the country
ATSU is set to fill a need
in health education this fall with the
introduction of its Doctor of Health
Sciences (D.H.Sc.) program.
Only the second of its kind in
the United States, this innovative program addresses the needs
of clinician educators, academic
healthcare professionals, administrators, and healthcare practitioners
by providing them with the project
management and decision-making skills necessary to combat the
Director Helen Ewing, R.N., D.H.Sc., is set
to lead ATSU’s new D.H.Sc. program.
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challenges presented by current
healthcare systems worldwide.
ASHS Dean Randy Danielsen,
Ph.D., PA-C, anticipates the greatest interest from physician assistants, nurses, physical therapists,
military personnel, lab techs, dental
hygienists, and those in the public
health services.
“Most will have 10-20 years of
experience with a mortgage and
kids who aren’t willing to drop
everything,” he says, which is why
the degree is being offered online.
Regardless of who completes
the program, “Employers will see
a different person when they’re
finished,” he says.
The 70-credit program includes
three functional areas: decision
analysis, evidence-based practice,
and health sciences. Students also
will complete an additional area of
concentration, an applied research
project in lieu of a thesis, and a
one-week, on-campus institute.
They will have the opportunity
to focus on such areas as global
health, organizational behavior,
leadership, or advanced physician
assistant studies.
All students must have a
master’s or doctoral degree in a
healthcare field to apply for this
innovative two-and-a-half to fouryear program and will be taught by
experienced professors with backgrounds in both healthcare delivery
and multidimensional analysis.
Program director Helen Ewing, R.N., earned her D.H.Sc. from
Nova Southeastern University
in Florida, the only other school
offering the academic doctorate
program.
“The position really appealed
to me as it was an opportunity to
initiate a program at a progressive
university such as A.T. Still,” she
says. “As a graduate of a Doctorate
of Health Sciences program, I saw
the value of this post-professional
degree and felt the healthcare community wanted and needed more
professional degrees of this kind.”
Dr. Danielsen says that although it isn’t a clinical degree, the
D.H.Sc. will help students become
better clinicians because it addresses areas such as evidence-based
practice and decision making.
“It’s a way for non-scientists
to get more relevant and practical training as an administrator,
educator or clinician,” he says. “We
have a post-professional master’s
degree for PAs, and many of those
who graduated from that program
have said that they appreciate the
experience and want to move on
to a doctorate degree. We have 20
or 30 people just waiting for this
program.”
Dr. Ewing says those who
enroll will be solution oriented and
equipped with the skills needed to
meet the demands of a challenging
healthcare environment.
“This program is essential for all
healthcare professionals regardless
of position,” she says. “It is unique
because it prepares graduates to
understand and effectively manage
healthcare issues such as access,
cost, and quality of care. The
program will highlight the skills
needed to analyze, plan, implement, and evaluate solutions to the
problems impacting health systems
locally and globally. It will provide
healthcare professionals with the
knowledge and tools to excel in
project management, decision-making, managing organizational behavior, establishing evidence-based
practice standards, and gaining
competence in applying research to
health professions.
“Healthcare systems are struggling to provide badly needed
services. We want our graduates to
be leaders and decision makers who
will make a difference by improving healthcare delivery.”
Back
in the
saddle
Story by Kathryn Stroppel
Photos by Hector Contreras
A proverb says that a gentle hand may
lead even an elephant by a single hair.
In Jack Magruder’s life, that certainly
has held true. Although he hasn’t led
any real elephants, he has led one
university to success and plans to do
the same at ATSU.
Summer 2008
15
With the modesty
and easygoing spirit
of many Midwesterners, the president,
who prefers “Jack” to
“President Magruder,” brings to his
new position lessons
learned from a career
in higher education
and a life in the community he loves.
“Leadership is a
relationship rooted
in communities,” he
says. “Leaders embody their groups’
most precious values
and beliefs.”
To know Jack Magruder
is to know and understand those
things he values most. First and
foremost is the love and support
of his wife, Sue, his children and
grandchildren, and his relationship
with his church. He also values
open communication, the “qualities
in individuals that allow them to be
kind, loving, caring, and honest,”
and leading with a gentle
hand.
In some ways, he says,
people aren’t so different
than the Haflinger horses
he raises on his farm
outside Kirksville. “Horses
will work their hearts out
for you if you treat them
with kindness and a loving
attitude, are gentle and
show patience – and if they
understand what you want
them to do.”
That gentle and patient demeanor served him well as president of
Truman State University, Missouri’s premier liberal arts college,
where he was able to work successfully with the Missouri General
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Assembly to engineer a university
name change and build positive
relationships with the city, students,
and faculty.
Although humble in his success, he counts among his greatest
accomplishments his relationships
with people – including faculty. “To
me, faculty in a sense own the curriculum. They are the university.”
Word must have gotten around,
because at his first faculty meeting as ATSU’s new president, he
received a standing ovation. He
also received encouraging calls
from former Truman State students
who earned their D.O. degree from
ATSU-KCOM, as well as former
students with children attending
the College.
Serving as president of Truman
State was “a joyful time,” he says,
as was his abbreviated retirement.
In fact, it was his experience at
Truman, coupled with a high regard
for ATSU, osteopathic medicine,
Kirksville, and the ATSU Board of
Trustees that he agreed to take his
seat once again in the president’s
chair.
“Our relationship with
KCOM goes
back a long,
long time,”
he says. “I
think it’s
pretty well
known that
Dr. [Max]
Gutensohn
was my
dad’s doctor.
He would
make house
calls to our
home on
East Jefferson when I
was in junior
high. Our whole family just adored
him. He would always bring his
black bag and that smile.” Back in
those days, his parents also rented
rooms to osteopathic students.
“You can’t live in Kirksville
without knowing A.T. Still and the
founding of osteopathy,” he says.
“Sue and I both feel the welfare of
this university and the welfare of
this community are tied together.
They need each other. I was convinced by many on the board and
others that it would be of value to
both entities for me to accept this
responsibility as president. That
made it easy, because if I could be
of value to either then I was absolutely going to do it.”
But make no mistake – if Sue
hadn’t agreed to the presidency,
neither would Jack. “Everybody
knows that before I agreed to do
this, I consulted with her. She
totally understands what I’m about
and the demands on my time.”
Because he appreciates the
importance of a supportive spouse,
the president makes a point to visit
with student spouses – and anyone else who wants to stop by to
say hello. He also recognizes the
greater good that ATSU graduates
will contribute to society by virtue
of their osteopathic education.
“I want to make sure that we
continue to graduate competent
healthcare professionals,” he says.
“We have to make certain that our
New President Jack Magruder gets a kiss
from wife and partner, Sue. “I would not
have taken on the presidency if she had not
been supportive,” he says. “She supported
me at Truman in a marvelous way, and she
is now.” The couple met in an enrollment
line while students at Truman and married
after a summerlong courtship.
future.”
A closer look ...
toward the
Jack’s Top 10
students are cared for, treated well, and that they learn
what they need to learn in an appropriate environment.
They have to know what they’re doing; be kind, gentle,
and caring; and contribute in a magnificent way to the
global good.”
To achieve that goal, “we have to focus the institution on student learning, talent development, and
student achievement. We have to pay attention to that
and everything will flow from there,” he says.
In addition, he will focus on streamlining and
strengthening the University’s governance structure,
with a special emphasis on bringing
“The pioneers
faculty and students
have been here;
into the process.
the pioneers are
“I want us all to
communicate well,”
still here.
he says.
We’re standing on
In fact, commutheir shoulders,
nication will be
and we’re looking
key not only to
the University’s
success, but also
his own.
“I have learned
that being patient
and being able to listen to people is of much greater
value than I ever believed it could be when I was 21,”
he says. “And I’m an old person, so it’s about time I’ve
learned that. Communication solves a lot of problems
in any organization. You have to learn to do that well
or feel you’re swimming upstream all the time. If you
haven’t got that, it’s hard to make anything flourish.”
Although he’s still wading through stacks of papers
and reports to uncover the best ways to make ATSU
flourish, one specific goal has risen to the top: slow the
rate of tuition increases by raising more private money
for scholarships.
“For people who love this place and care about the
future of healthcare, we need them to understand that
giving money for student scholarships is an investment
in the future,” he says. “I also want to make sure faculty
are well supported with the kinds of things they need to
do their work. I haven’t been here long enough to assess
that piece, but that’s certainly a long-term goal.”
Another goal is to preserve and proclaim the history
and culture of ATSU. “I’m proud to be a part of this
because it’s the founding institution for osteopathic
medicine worldwide,” he says. “The pioneers have been
here; the pioneers are still here. We’re standing on their
shoulders, and we’re looking toward the future. There’s
a vision for osteopathic medicine that’s really rich. This
nation is a nation in need, and osteopathic medicine
has a tremendous amount to offer to meet those challenges.”
Although there is much work to be done before
considering retirement – again – the president finds
inspiration and “extra adrenaline” in getting to know
the people at ATSU. And at the end of the day he finds
peace in the company of his wife, his family, and of
course, his horses.
at President Jack Magruder
• Moved to Kirksville in the third grade and graduated
from Truman State University in 1957
• Began his career at Truman in 1964 as an assistant
professor of chemistry, a position he held for 22
years
• Served as head of Truman’s Division of Science
for three years before being named acting dean of
instruction in 1989 and later vice president for Academic Affairs
• Served as Truman’s 13th president for nine years and
retired from that institution in 2003
• Was honored by Truman when its science facility
was named Magruder Hall as a tribute to his 39
years of service
• Is a past board of trustee member for The Higher
Learning Commission of the North Central Association and past president for the Council of Public
Liberal Arts Colleges, Council on Public Higher
Education for Missouri, and board of directors of the
Truman State University Foundation
• Served on the ATSU Board of Trustees for four years
• Lives on a 57-acre farm east of Kirksville with Sue,
his wife of 54 years
• Enjoys traveling, visiting grandchildren, camping,
reading, and raising and riding a team of Haflingers
President Magruder enjoys reading and collecting quotes that have meaning to his life and
career. Below are his top 10 “rules” for personal
and professional success.
1. “Live from a base of unconditional love, make positive
choices, and be grateful for the opportunity to make a
difference.” (Catherine Robinson Walker, “Women and
Leadership in Health”)
2. Understand that you are part of something much greater
than yourself.
3. Think about the results of your decisions.
4. Do no harm. And when you make a mistake, say so.
Apologize, make amends, repair the damage, and
move on.
5. Treat all people in your organization with respect. Their
work is important to your own success.
6. Tell the truth; make your words and actions match.
7. Do not blame others for your own failures, and never
make a joke at someone’s expense.
8. Do your homework, and seek advice from people who
know more than you.
9. Commit yourself to learning. “Ignorance is a sin only if
it is accepted as a permanent condition.”
10. Learn and understand history and culture; honor the past.
Make changes incrementally and with collaboration.
Summer 2008
17
ATSU
celebrates
graduation
KCOM
KCOM
’s 172nd graduating class crossed
the stage at Baldwin Hall Auditorium for its commencement ceremony May 17 at
Truman State University.
One-hundred-seventy graduates representing
39 states received doctor of osteopathic medicine
degrees, and nine grads earned master’s degrees in
biomedical sciences, three of whom earned dual
D.O./M.S. degrees. It was the sixth graduation for
KCOM since the formation of A.T. Still University.
“Commencement is more than watching great
people receive their diplomas,” said Dean Philip Slocum, D.O., ’76. “It is the major celebration in the life
of KCOM. Commencement honors our daily work
and our heritage.”
Honorary degree recipients were Wilbur Hill,
D.O., Doctor of Humane Letters; Michael Jaff, D.O.,
Doctor of Science; and Peter B. Ajluni, D.O., Doctor
of Humane Letters. Honorary degrees were presented
by Dr. Slocum and conferred by President Jack
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“Being a D.O.
is … a calling
to give, to
heal, and to
care.”
~ Peter B. Ajluni, D.O.
Magruder. Anatomy Chair Lex Towns, Ph.D., received the
Emeritus Award.
American Osteopathic Association President Peter B.
Ajluni, D.O., delivered the keynote address and focused on
the word “care.” He told the story of his sister, who died of
Hodgkin’s disease, and how it changed his heart, focus, and
perceptions. He asked students to care about their patients,
themselves, and the larger world in which they serve.
“Being a D.O. is more than a profession,” he said. “It is
a calling – a calling to give, to heal, and to care.”
Twice a
ASDOH graduates
T
he commencement ceremony for the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health’s
second class was held Saturday, June 14, at
the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Ariz. Family
and friends of the 54 students joined ASDOH
faculty, staff, and special guests to see graduates receive their Doctor of Dental Medicine
(D.M.D.) degree.
According to Jack Dillenberg, D.D.S.,
M.P.H., dean of the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, more than 25 percent of
this year’s ASDOH graduates will provide oral
healthcare in community health center settings
in Arizona and across the country.
“They will positively impact some of our
nation’s most fragile populations, including
children, the physically compromised, the
homeless, and the elderly,” Dr. Dillenberg
said. “This year’s class is graduating with the
recognition that they are healthcare providers
seeking to improve total person health, not just
tooth technicians.”
ASDOH Professor L. James Bell,
D.D.S., hoods student Shannon Coen.
During the ceremony, two honorary Doctor
of Humane Letters degrees were conferred.
The first was to Reed Tuckson, M.D., FACP,
executive vice president and chief of medical affairs for UnitedHealth group. ASDOH
surprised Dr. Tuckson by flying in his mother,
Evelyn, to present him with his hood.
The second was Steven Perlman, D.D.S.,
M.Sc.D., associate clinical professor of
Reed Tuckson, M.D., FACP, (far left)
executive vice president and chief of
medical affairs for UnitedHealth group,
spoke after receiving an honorary degree.
Steven Perlman, D.D.S., M.Sc.D., (left)
associate clinical professor of
pediatric dentistry at The Boston
University Goldman School of Dental
Medicine and co-founder of the American
Academy of Developmental Medicine and
Dentistry, addresses the crowd.
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as Nice
s its second class
pediatric dentistry at The Boston University
Goldman School of Dental Medicine and cofounder of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry.
Dr. Perlman served as the ceremony’s
keynote speaker, addressing the urgent need
for care for the developmentally disabled and
other vulnerable populations. He spoke of the
grueling dental school journey, and how it can
drive many dentists “away from the fundamental reasons you first considered dentistry as a
life’s calling.”
“Some of you will unfortunately never
see the expression of thanks in the eyes of
someone who cannot say it any other way,” Dr.
Perlman said. “Some of you may never see the
joy on the face of parents when you smile and
say, ‘Of course, I’ll treat your son.’
“But you can. All it takes is a willingness
to regain, recoup, and recapture the purest
reasons you decided to become dentists,” he
continued. “To help someone, to relieve someone, and to soothe someone.”
Students of the Class of 2008 recite the Oath to
the Profession. (below)
Summer
Summer
20082008
21
Clowning
around
Patch Adams delivers keynote
A nationally known speaker on wellness,
laughter, humor, and healthcare systems,
Hunter “Patch” Adams, M.D., has devoted
30 years to changing America’s healthcare system. He approaches the issues of
personal, community, and global health
with exuberance and believes the most
revolutionary act one can commit is to be
happy. He believes laughter, joy, and creativity are an integral part of the healing
process and therefore contribute to true
healthcare.
Since starting his campaign to raise
money for the Gesundheit Institute, a free
community hospital in West Virginia,
Patch has written two books: “Good
Health is a Laughing Matter” and “House
Calls.” In 1994, he won the Institute of
Noetic Sciences Award for Creative Altruism and has become well-known through
the movie based on his life, “Patch
Adams.”
In working with health and mental
health professionals, he explores the relationship between humor and therapy using
his unique blend of knowledge, showmanship, and hands-on teaching techniques.
Says Patch: “I interpret my experience
in life as being happy. I want, as a doctor,
to say it does matter to your health to
be happy. It may be the most important
health factor in your life.”
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A graduation
record books
for the
M
Graduation stats
edical doctor, professional clown, performer, author,
and social activist Hunter “Patch” Adams, M.D.,
provided the keynote address at the School of Health
Management’s commencement ceremony on June 7.
At commencement, 107 graduates received their degree
from ATSU’s online school, including its first doctoral students, and made up SHM’s largest graduating class.
“I was hoping it wasn’t an online graduation,” joked
Patch, who claimed he has never used a computer.
Although his address was lighthearted, he made no joke
of what he sees as the failure of the American healthcare
system. “Don’t accept what you don’t like,” said Patch,
who derided a healthcare system hindered by insurance
issues, time constraints, money, power, and greed. “Hunger
to innovate,” he told graduates. “There aren’t enough ways
of change.”
You are needed beyond anything for which you are
trained, he continued. “You are needed for your vision.”
In addition to his message of care and change, Patch
also talked about the opening of an innovative, new 40bed rural hospital, which breaks ground this summer; his
travels, which take him on the road 300 days each year; the
importance of caring for the whole person; and the need for
what he calls a “loving” revolution.
“It’s in your hands,” he said. “We’re counting on you to
make some real differences.”
Total Graduates: 107
Graduates receiving 2 degrees: 4
Graduates receiving 3 degrees: 1
Male: 27
Female: 81
States represented: 33 and Puerto
Rico
M.P.H.: 60 M.G.H.: 14
M.H.A.: 35 D.H.Ed.: 4
Top right, M.H.A. and M.P.H chair Michael Samuels, Dr.P.H., hoods
Elsa Palamidis, M.P.H.
Middle right, Kimberly O’Reilly, D.H.Ed., receives congratulations
from Associate Dean Keith Nordmann.
Lower right, Trish Sexton, D.H.Ed., enjoys the day with daughters
Grace and Claire.
Summer 2008
23
All four D.H.Ed. graduates, along with Dean Jon
Persavich, Ph.D., pictured
at left, will travel to Prague
this summer to present their
research to the Association for
Medical Education in Europe.
SHM graduates first class of
doctoral students
Four students receive doctorate of health education
I
t was a day for the record
books when President Jack
Magruder and Dean Jon Persavich, Ph.D., handed out diplomas
to SHM’s first doctoral graduates.
For two years, the four
students worked diligently to
complete course work and an applied dissertation, which is what
makes SHM’s program unique.
The creation of the dissertation
is built into the course work and
starts the first week in the first
course.
The doctorate of health
education program, a professional doctoral program of study,
centers on action/interventionbased research that contributes to
the students’ field and enhances
his/her professional practice.
In the program, which takes
two to four years to complete,
students directly engage in
identifying and resolving a workrelated problem. Each creates an
original course to resolve a problem, and also develops evaluation
tools and a standard operating
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procedure manual to support the
course’s implementation.
According to Dr. Persavich,
the degree addresses the lack of
doctorally prepared educators
in healthcare and prepares the
next generation for leadership
roles. “It prepares graduates for
the classroom – or to sit in the
president’s chair,” he says.
Students are seeing its value.
Dr. Persavich anticipated 22
students in the first year; there
are currently more than 100
students engaged in the process
to obtain their doctorate degrees.
Its success, he says, is because
the program is a dissertationbased research doctorate, it’s
100 percent online, academically
rigorous, niche-based, and there
are few others in the country.
Adding to the strength of the
program, all instructors are doctorally prepared, and the curriculum adheres to the principle that
is making SHM’s other programs
a success by being mission-driven and context-based.
Kimberly O’Reilly and
Deanna Hunsaker will present
a program on what to know
to get students successfully
started in a D.H.Ed. program.
Lynda Konecny will discuss
building a D.H.Ed. program,
and Trish Sexton will focus
on the role of professionalism
in medicine.
PRAGUE
Developing a passion
for professionalism
“Student Perceptions of Faculty
Professionalism” not only is Dr. Trish
Sexton’s dissertation topic and an important issue in today’s medical school
environment — it’s her passion.
Her interest arose from her educational and professional experiences as
assistant professor of biochemistry at
KCOM, and she shares this
Professionalism is focus of
dissertation, daily work life passion with medical students
for Dr. Trish Sexton, recently and faculty through presentations and workshops.
named SHM’s new director
Dr. Sexton developed a
of research.
five-month ATSU-KCOM
Faculty Development Workshop: “Enhancing the Culture of Professionalism at KCOM,” presented excerpts
during the “Enhancing Professionalism in Osteopathic
Medical Education” workshop at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Md., and delivered a
keynote address at Des Moines University to kick off
that school’s professionalism initiative.
Communicating effectively online
More and more communication is moving online, and it
is becoming increasingly important to know how to do
it effectively, says
D.H.Ed. graduate
and Vice Dean
Kimberly O’Reilly.
Dr. O’Reilly
focused on online
education and
communication
for her applied dissertation in SHM’s
new D.H.Ed.
program, looking
specifically at the
The practical application nature of SHM’s
skills and characD.H.Ed. program made it a logical choice
teristics needed for
for Dr. Kimberly O’Reilly.
faculty members
to improve interaction in online health management and
education classrooms.
Her work is providing a foundation for SHM’s online
faculty training program.
“Everyone in some capacity will use a component of
online education, and it’s important to understand how
best to deliver quality education in every classroom,
regardless of program type,” she says.
Dr. O’Reilly always wanted a terminal degree and
was looking into another college when the D.H.Ed.
program became available. “The practical application
nature made this a logical choice,” she says.
In addition to learning more about online education,
she also learned the value of one of its key components
– peer interaction. “The impact that peer interaction can
have on the educational process is tremendous,” she
says. “I now see a benefit and appreciate how you can
help and support each other through the process.”
Improving online curriculum
Dr. Deanna Hunsacker says she gained practical learning experiences through the D.H.Ed. program and
found the applied dissertation
process especially
rewarding.
Her dissertation, “Improving
Online Curriculum
Design Through
Professional
Instructional Designer and Subject “It’s nice having a project that’s work-focused, finding a solution, and implementMatter Expert
ing it – instead of a hypothetical study,”
Collaboration,”
examines best prac- says Dr. Deanna Hunsacker, SHM
tices of curriculum associate dean of curriculum.
development and
training requirements of instructional design staff.
Dr. Hunsacker developed an instructional designer
training program, evaluation tools to measure effectiveness, and a standard operating procedure manual to
support ongoing training.
She also attended the Sloan-C Conference, where she
learned about emerging asynchronous learning technologies. In addition, she attended the 5th Annual Slate
Conference sponsored by Midwest Blackboard Users,
attending sessions on topics from best practices to faculty and technical support. Attendance at both conferences
supplied her with hands-on research material for her
dissertation.
Making real a longtime dream
Like all D.H.Ed. students, Dr. Lynda Konecny’s applied
dissertation required her to identify, explore, and create
a solution for a work-related problem. Her dissertation,
“Enhancing Wellness for the Online Student,” examines
the impact of a facilitated course on increasing wellness
behaviors of online graduate-level students.
Dr. Konecny, associate director of Admissions,
designed an eight-week course for SHM students
composed of a pre-test and a post-test to determine if
student wellness behaviors changed as a result of course
participation.
“I found
that there is
quite a bit in
place to address residential student
wellness, but
relatively little
for the online
student,”
she said. “I
“Getting my doctorate has been a dream
decided to
for 15 years,” says Dr. Lynda Konecny.
develop a
program that online students could participate in that
would provide tools, education, and resources that they
can use to help achieve a balance in the different dimensions of wellness.”
Summer 2008
25
Gl
bal education
with a
personal touch
Halupa named chair of D.H.Ed. program
A non-traditional student her entire educational career, Colleen Halupa, Ed.D., understands firsthand the value of online education. A mother who worked full-time while
obtaining her education, Dr. Halupa says earning a degree online is perfect for students
who have busy lives and a commitment to family, work, and education.
Fresh from high school, Dr. Halupa joined the Air Force to pay for college, trained as a
medical laboratory technician, then earned a bachelor’s degree. After leaving the military,
she completed her master’s degree in health administration
and went back to the Air Force as a biomedical sciences
officer. She completed her doctorate while working as a laboratory manager, hospital compliance/accreditation officer,
and education program director for the Air Force’s Medical
Laboratory Training programs.
She then began teaching part-time in various online and
traditional programs and retired as a Major and Commander
of Clinical Laboratory Flight from the Air Force after serving 20 years on active duty and more than four years of
reserve service.
Colleen Halupa, Ed.D., poses
with husband, Mike, a critical
care nurse, and daughter,
Kylie, who just graduated
from nursing school. She also
has two sons, Desmond and
Noah, breeds Colonial Spanish
Mustang horses, and operates
a small tree farm at her home
in Texas.
As program chair for the Doctorate of Health Education program, which graduated its first class in June, Dr.
Halupa is responsible for oversight of the program, including reviewing faculty performance, and serves as students’
dissertation committee chairperson. In her role, she plans to
“create an environment where students are encouraged, supported, and motivated to succeed in the program and in life.”
She was attracted to the position primarily because “it provides quality education
when and where the student needs it,” she says. She also likes that students complete
their dissertation while completing their class work and that the dissertation is an applied
research project addressing a work-related problem, which she says makes a student’s
education more important and relevant.
“This program is the best I have ever seen,” she says. “It sets a student up for success,
not failure, in obtaining his/her doctorate and provides very personalized guidance along
the way. You just don’t find that kind of personal attention in traditional
doctoral programs.”
“This program is
the best I have
ever seen. It sets
a student up for
success … .”
Her goals for the program are “to graduate students who are welleducated and versed in the field of education who will be the next generation of educational innovators and respected experts in their field, to
provide a quality educational experience that is second to none, and to
see the program gain enrollment from the few health technical/specialty
fields not already represented.”
Online education, she says, is the future. “Programs such as this one provide
global-level education by serving students who have always had a goal of obtaining a
doctorate for personal or professional reasons, but who lived in an area where there were
no programs available to meet their needs. Programs such as this make this goal possible
for everyone.”
26
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magazine
student profile
By
Le
tt
sha
a
eC
“You name it, I played it,” Nathan
Holbrook, OMS II, says. “Big band,
funk, rock, jazz, blues, swing, bop,
classical … .”
Holbrook began playing trombone when
he was 11. After many years of marching
band outfits and band camp he decided to
pursue professional jazz music, mastering
the trombone, guitar, bass, and didgeridoo.
He also learned the harmonica, euphonium,
and tuba.
“Jazz became my obsession,” he says, adding that
he played gigs throughout
high school and college.
Studying jazz trombone
at the University of North
Texas, Holbrook graduated
in 2006 with a B.A. in biology and minors in music
and chemistry. Along
the way, he earned the
Louis Armstrong Award, as well as
several jazz festival awards.
At 19, Holbrook traveled to
Manhattan on a music scholarship to
play a memorial concert at
Pace University for Al
Grey. Grey played
jazz trombone with
Count Basie, who
was among the
most important
bandleaders of the
swing era. With
a full theater and
his musical idols
Wycliffe Gordon,
Steve Turre, Robin
Eubanks, and Ray
Anderson listening back-
stage, Holbrook played “Makin’ Whoopie,”
Grey’s signature song.
“It was euphoric,” he says.
Holbrook learned early on the difficulties of a musician’s life on the road, quickly
realizing most professional musicians had
little to no family life. “Day-to-day life for a
traveling musician is tough, and I decided it
wasn’t for me.”
Holbrook’s journey from music to medicine began when his mother broke her toe,
and he set it. “When the emergency physician asked who
set it and I told him it was me,
he said, ‘You should be a doctor.’” He took that suggestion
to heart, and not long after
applied to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
“The people made KCOM
stand out from other schools I
visited,” he says. “Everyone I
spoke with thought very highly of KCOM.”
He also worked with KCOM alum David
B. Hall, D.O., ’89, for five years in the
Denton, Texas, emergency department, who
gave him a new outlook on the College. “I
not only heard about KCOM’s reputation,
but was able to see the type of physician it
produced.”
As a second-year medical student,
Holbrook finds he learns best when putting together pieces of a puzzle. “Things
like hard work and repetition fall into place
when you stay curious about how the body,
mind, and spirit work,” he says, adding that
he enjoys using what he’s learned to help his
classmates. “When a person turns to you and
thanks you for your time and effort, it makes
those sleepless nights worth it.”
And, Holbrook still plays music in talent
shows, at church, and in jam sessions. “I
get to have it all – a wonderful family life,
a great career, and I play music whenever I
feel like it.”
“Day-to-day life
for a traveling
musician is tough,
and I decided
it wasn’t for me.”
Holbrook with wife, Celeste, at the
2007 KCOM White Coat Ceremony.
Summer 2008
27
faculty profile
By Lee Cashatt
T
Instructor welcomes opportunity to help shape ATSU’s newest school
hinking back more than a
decade to the year his journey with ATSU began, Raymond
Pavlick, Ph.D., finds the biggest
change at ATSU since 1996 is the
Campus. “It’s culturally diverse and
growing,” he says. “Then it was just
ASHS – now ATSU fills a niche,
meeting the market need for D.O.s,
and dentists with the addition of
ASDOH and SOMA.”
Teaching physiology at ATSU’s
newest school, which celebrated its
one-year anniversary in July, Dr.
Pavlick thinks back on SOMA’s
first year with a contented smile.
“The immediate challenge in working with the first class of doctors
has been adapting the curriculum model,” he says, adding that
students begin working in clinics
their second year instead of years
three or four. “It’s a challenge
to get second-year students
properly prepared, but the
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process gets smoother and smoother, better and better. Students have
to adapt, but once acclimated, this
model makes more sense.”
Dr. Pavlick is no stranger to
challenges. In the early ’90s, he
received both his B.S. and Ph.D. in
physiology from the University of
California, Davis, with minors in
pharmacology and toxicology. He
spent eight years as an E.R. patient
care technician.
Prior to his full-time position
at ASHS, Dr. Pavlick was associate professor of biology at Grand
Canyon University, and now
teaches part-time for GCU’s Family
Nurse Practitioner M.S. program.
Not only that, he works for the city
of Mesa as an instructor for the
Mesa Fire Department’s Paramedic
Program.
Even these challenging
commitments didn’t
deter Dr. Pavlick
from taking on perhaps his biggest
challenge yet: “I wanted to teach at
SOMA to start the medical school
of the future,” he says.
Dr. Pavlick enjoys working with
students, encouraging them to do
their best, and watching them progress into excellent healthcare professionals. “I am very demanding
of my students,” he says. “Students
will email or call after graduating to
say thank you for pushing them so
hard in school. It’s a huge impact as
an educator to know they recognize
what I was trying to do.”
Recalling his experience as a
student, Dr. Pavlick says he, too,
was encouraged by an instructor – his undergraduate chemistry
professor. “He knew 300 students
by name in a class of 500 – that
really influenced my decision to go
to graduate school,” he says. “He
was organized, enthusiastic, and
interacted with us. It was the small
things like remembering our names
that made the biggest impact.”
With his chemistry professor as
his example, Dr. Pavlick hopes to
instill discipline and focus in his
students, explaining that patients
look for a physician who pays attention. “When patients experience
a disciplined and focused physician,
they are more apt to be disciplined
and focused in taking care of themselves – it sets an example.”
As for his future, Dr. Pavlick is
already looking to the challenges
ahead. In July, he joined SOMA’s
leadership team as assistant dean
for curriculum. He says he will
continue shaping SOMA as the
medical school of the future, never
sacrificing his commitment to teach
new generations of students.
“In the final analysis, love is the
only reflection of man’s worth.”
~ Columnist Bill Wundram
Lironeses leave
donor profile
of his service in WWII, where he
served in the Army’s 75th Infantry division in Europe and was
awarded two Purple Hearts and two
Bronze Stars. In fact,
it was his experience
during the war that
inspired him to become
a physician. Injured at
the Battle of the Bulge,
he lay on the battlefield
looking at the stars on
Christmas Eve asking
God for help. American soldiers found him
barely breathing on
Christmas Day.
After the war, he worked in
Eisenhower’s headquarters in Berlin before coming home to college
and medical school – and Bernice,
whom he had yet to meet. That day
would be April 11, 1946, a date
still fresh in her mind. Married 59
years, she has many happy memories of her husband and the life they
shared.
“He was a loving, compassionate man who liked his patients and
always tried to do the best for them
and his family. He worked hard,”
she says. “He was always trying to
help somebody, was supportive of
the osteopathic profession, was a
member of Kiwanis and his church,
sang in the choir, and taught Sunday School for many years. He also
delivered more than 3,000 babies
– it was always a pleasure for him
to bring new life to the world.”
The key to their long and happy
marriage, Bernice says simply, is
love. During their time in Kirksville, she recalls gathering with a
church group each month and walking around the Kirksville square
and on the campus of Truman State
University. While David attended
KCOM, Bernice taught at a local
elementary school and took graduate courses. David attended PTA
meetings and school functions
with his wife and made cabinets for
her school.
“We always did things together
the best we could,” she says. “We
had such good memories and such
good times. We had a nice life
together. There’s not much I
would change.”
legacy of compassion,
support – and love
Dr. David Lirones probably didn’t
give much thought to the legacy
he would leave behind. But when
you’re busy living a meaningful life
of service to others, it only makes
sense that such service defines your
legacy.
Dr. Lirones’ legacy can be found
in the loving way his wife talks
about their days together, the many
kind words of all who knew him,
in his four children (Carol, Brian,
Ruth, and Bruce, who graduated
from KCOM in 1982) and four
grandchildren, and at KCOM,
where his time and money support a department and the school
he deeply believed in and which
launched his more than 35-year
career in medicine.
Recognizing the challenge of
paying for an education in 1953,
when Dr. Lirones graduated from
KCOM, and now, the Lironeses
created the Dr. David and Bernice
Lirones Endowment for Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at
KCOM in 2007. Supporters of lifelong learning and of helping young
people achieve their life’s dreams,
Bernice says the couple liked seeing young people go to school to
“make their life better and
the lives of others better.”
“David believed in the
osteopathic principles,” she
says, adding that his family
physician growing up was a
D.O. He also knew that manipulation could help others
and do more than traditional
medicine, she says. “He had
a good education at KCOM
and wanted to see others get
that education.”
Dr. Lirones, who died in
December 2007 at age 83,
practiced family medicine
in Flint, Mich. Active in
the American Osteopathic
Association and Michigan
Osteopathic Association, he
was Michigan Family Practice Physician of the Year in
1987, active at Flint Osteopathic
Hospital, clinical professor for
Michigan State University School
of Osteopathic Medicine, and chair
of the Health Advisory Board of
Genesee Area Skill Center. He also
served as a mentor to a number of
young people interested in college
and medical school.
Dr. Lirones himself got a late
start to medical school because
Summer 2008
29
Howard S. Levine,
D.O, ’87, and Silvina
Claudia FalconLevine, of Short
Hills, N.J., received the Honored Patron award
for lifetime giving
($15,000-$24,999)
to A.T. Still University-Kirksville College
of Osteopathic Medicine.
Martin S. Levine, D.O., ’80, is pictured
with Milton (Mickey) Mintz, D.O., ’54,
and Bruce Mintz, D.O., ’81, in Atlantic
City,
N.J. Dr.
Mintz
was honored as
Physician
of the
Year and
received
the Distinguished Patron award ($25,000$49,999 lifetime) from A.T. Still University.
The MFA Foundation in Columbia,
Mo., was recognized with the Diplomate
lifetime giving award
($50,000-$99,999)
from A.T. Still
University for the
foundation’s support of ATSU’s
educational
programs. Randy
Rogers, associate
vice president for
Advancement (left),
presented the award to
Don Copenhaver, president of the MFA
Foundation.
ATSU President Jack
Magruder presented
John M. Ward,
D.O., ’68, of
Boonville, Mo.,
with the Honored
Patron award
for his lifetime
giving of $15,000$24,999 at the
MAOPS Convention
in Branson, Mo.
30
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Stephen A. Kardos, D.O., ’68, and
Felice Kardos are pictured with Lois
and David L. Zonderman, D.O., ’72.
Dr. and Mrs. Zonderman received the
Honored Patron award for lifetime
giving ($15,000-$24,999) in Atlantic
City, N.J.
Dr. Eugene and Catherine
DeLucia of St. Petersburg, Fla., received
the Honored
Patron lifetime
giving award
($15,000$24,999) for
their cumulative gifts to
ATSU. Dr.
DeLucia is a 1953
graduate of KCOM.
Keith P. Sutton, D.O., ’55, of Catoosa, Okla., received the Honored
Patron lifetime giving award ($15,000$24,999) for his longtime support of
the University. Mark
Burger, ATSU
development associate, presented
the award to Dr.
Sutton in Tulsa,
where Dr. Sutton maintained
a general practice
for many years before his retirement.
Michael G. Rachor of Flint, Mich.,
received the Honored
Patron lifetime giving
award ($15,000$24,999) for
his support of
student financial awards
at KCOM
in honor of
Sydney P. Ross,
D.O. ’59, and
Sarkis Derderian,
D.O., ’45.
donor recognition
During the KCOM alumni
reception at the
Michigan
Osteopathic
Association
meeting,
Randy
Rogers,
associate
vice president for
Advancement (left),
presented Russell
F. Mahoney, D.O., ’54, the
Distinguished Patron lifetime
giving award ($25,000$49,999). Dr. Mahoney and
his wife, Philomena, live in
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
John Zazaian, D.O., ’81,
(left) received the Honored
Patron lifetime giving award
($15,000-$24,999) with his
brother, Andrew Zazaian,
D.O., ’79, who received the
Distinguished Patron lifetime
giving award
($25,000$49,999).
Both
physicians are
internal
medicine
specialists
and live in
Farmington
Hills, Mich.
Lawrence Evans, D.O., ’80,
of Alma, Mich., received the
Honored Patron lifetime giving award ($15,000-$24,999)
for his philanthropic support
of ATSU. Pictured with Dr.
Evans are his children (l-r):
Cameron, Mary Virginia, (Dr.
Evans), and Jaqueline.
Al Adatia, D.O., ’83, recently gave the University
a wood model of ATSU’s new Connell Information Technologies Center. Dr. Adatia and his wife,
Karima, funded a group study room in the center
and attended the Connell Center Benefactors Dinner in 2007. They enjoyed it so much they hired a
wood carver to create a model of the Connell Center
using five different types of wood found in the state
of Washington. The wood carver used the drawing
on the charger plate and the Connell Center DVD
(given away at the Benefactor’s dinner) to make
the art piece. A family physician, Dr. Adatia lives in
Tacoma, Wash. His daughter, Nadira, will be a firstyear KCOM student this fall.
www.atsu.edu
Summer 2008
31
John Thurman Jr., OMS I
A U.S. veteran of war medically discharged
from the Army, John Thurman feels a strong
call to service to care for our nation’s veterans
with the same excellent care he was provided.
The West Point graduate and KCOM student
calls the simulators his “combat multiplier”
– a military term for a learning device that
increases the ability to accomplish a mission.
With six human patient simulators in the stateof-the-art, $12.5 million Connell Information
Technologies Center, Thurman is able to
perfect his skills in a hospital-like setting,
bringing him closer to his call to service.
If you are interested in learning how you
can help make a student’s dream of service
come true, contact ATSU Development at
866.626.2878, ext. 2180, or go online at
www.atsu.edu.
Kirksville, MO 660.626.2180 • Mesa, AZ 480.219.6014
www.atsu.edu
class notes
1940s
1960s
Joseph G. Stella, D.O.,
D.O.Ed.(hon.), ’43, Whitehall, Pa.,
received the Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic
Medicine
(LECOM)
President’s
Award during
graduation
ceremonies
held June 1.
The award
honors the
personal
achievements
of an individual who has
contributed to the growth and development of LECOM as a leader
in primary healthcare education and
delivery. Dr. Stella is a LECOM
trustee emeritus, first becoming a
trustee in 1995. He also was the
Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni
Association’s 1994 Alumnus of
the Year and received the honorary
degree Doctor of Osteopathic Education from ATSU-KCOM in 1999.
1950s
Wilbur T. Hill, D.O.,
FACOFP dist.,’51,
Liberty, Mo., center,
was awarded the American College
of Osteopathic
Family Physicians (ACOFP)
2008 Lifetime
Achievement
Award. The
ACOFP Board
of Governors
recognized
Dr. Hill as an
outstanding individual demonstrating careerlong
service to patients, to the profession
of osteopathic family medicine,
and to ACOFP. Dr. Hill practiced
family medicine for 49 years and
is a founder of Liberty Hospital in
Liberty, serving as president of the
medical staff in 1979. In 1999, he
received ACOFP’s highest honor,
Osteopathic Family Physician of
the Year, and in 2007 he achieved
Distinguished Fellow status.
Milton J. Mintz, D.O., ’54, Dover,
N.J., was recognized as the 2008
Physician of the Year by the New
Jersey Association of
Osteopathic Physicians
and Surgeons during the association’s
annual reception and
banquet. He is pictured
at the event with his
son, Bruce L. Mintz,
D.O., ’81, Denville,
N.J. Martin Levine,
D.O., ’80, presented
the award.
Stephen D. Blood, D.O., F.A.A.O., ’68, Alexandria, Va., recently received the
2008 Andrew Taylor Still Medallion of Honor from the American Academy
of Osteopathy. The academy presents the medallion to deserving members
who have exhibited an exceptional understanding and application of
osteopathic principles and of the concepts that are the outgrowth of those
principles.
Dr. Blood has logged an exemplary leadership record within the
osteopathic medical profession, including AAO president in 20042005, AAO Board of Trustees 1998-2006, 21 years on the AAO Board
of Governors, and member of multiple AAO committees. He also
has been an active member of The Cranial Academy since 1976, with
leadership service including terms as president, secretary, and member of its board of directors. A faithful member of the KCOM Alumni
Association since 1968, he has served on its board of directors and as
president.
Dr. Blood also has served as president of the Virginia Osteopathic
Medical Association and president of the Osteopathic Association of the
District of Columbia. He served six times as program chair of the Virginia
State Convention and program chair of the D.C. Association. He also served
as president of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Virginia
Chapter and program chair of the local chapter’s convention.
Not only is Dr. Blood a highly respected leader within the profession, he also is a
nationally acclaimed teacher. He is a visiting professor at the Nova Southeastern College of
Osteopathic Medicine, adjunct clinical professor of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine,
and clinical assistant professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has lectured at the postgraduate level for eight state osteopathic associations and for numerous osteopathic specialty colleges and hospitals.
He was a popular choice of osteopathic medical students in the AAO’s Visiting Clinician Program sponsored by the
American Osteopathic Foundation.
Dr. Blood has earned many awards for his service to the profession, including the AAO’s inaugural Harold A.
Blood, D.O., FAAO, Memorial Lecture Award in 2007.
Summer 2008
33
Robert L. Peters Jr., D.O., ’58,
Round Rock, Texas, received an
honorary certificate from the Texas
Osteopathic Medical Association
House of Delegates in recognition
of his 31 years of service in the
House.
1960s
David R. Armbruster, D.O.,
’63, Pearland, Texas, received an
honorary certificate from the Texas
Osteopathic Medical Association
House of Delegates in recognition
of his 42 years of service in the
House.
Lewis J. Bamberl Jr., D.O., ’63,
Miami, Okla., received the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association (OOA)
2008 Award of
Appreciation,
as well as Life
Membership
during the OOA’s
annual convention. He was
honored for more
than 43 years of
dedicated service,
providing quality
medical care to
citizens in northeastern Oklahoma.
He is a second generation osteopathic physician and retired in June
2007.
Albert L. Pick, D.O., J.D., ’67,
Atlanta, Ga., was featured in an
article that appeared in “The New
CLASSEN
LIFE,” a paper
published by
his alma mater,
Classen High
School Alumni
Association.
The article
focused on Dr.
Pick’s love of
tennis and the
great success he
has had playing
and coaching
the game. Dr. Pick says that he
learned to play as a young boy in
Oklahoma City when he “used to
pass by an exclusive tennis club
where the wealthy played tennis.
34
STILL
magazine
They were very good, and some
were world champion players. As
I stood by the fence and watched
them play, I thought, ‘I can do that.’
So at daybreak I would climb over
the fence and use the tennis courts.
As soon as they opened, they would
chase me out.” See the article in
the Alumni News column, winter
issue of Vital Signs< www.atsu.
edu/alumni/vital_signs/2008/winter/index.htm> to read more about
Dr. Pick’s experiences as a championship tennis player and coach.
David M. Beyer, D.O., ’68, Fort
Worth, Texas, received an honorary
certificate from the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association House
of Delegates in recognition of his
23 years of service in the House.
1970s
Stanley E. Grogg, D.O., FACOP,
’71, Tulsa, Okla., was awarded
the 2008 Harold H. Finkel, D.O.,
Pediatrician
of the Year
Award by
the American College
of Osteopathic Pediatricians
(ACOP),
who cited
his service
to the college and dedication to
improving the health of children.
Dr. Grogg is a professor at Oklahoma State University College of
Osteopathic Medicine and faculty advisor for the ACOP student
pediatrics club, which was honored
as the 2008 Student Chapter of the
Year for its community outreach
programs and activities.
Donald F. Vedral, D.O., ’71,
Cedar Hill, Texas, received an
honorary certificate from the Texas
Osteopathic Medical Association
House of Delegates in recognition
of his 32 years of service in the
House.
Marlene A. Wager, D.O., ’72,
Lewisburg, W.Va., was conferred
with the title professor emeritus
of geriatrics during West Virginia
School of Osteopathic Medicine’s
(WVSOM) annual Spring Awards
Ceremony held May 7. Only a
select few retired professors are
chosen for this honor. She is shown
here receiving a congratulatory hug
from Dr. Olen Jones, left, and Mike
Adelman, D.O., J.D., WVSOM
president and vice president and
dean.
Prior to her retirement from
WVSOM, she was a practicing
family physician for more than 30
years and was involved in academics and training family physicians
for more than 20 years, first at
KCOM, then the Ohio University
College of Osteopathic Medicine,
and then for the last 15 years at
WVSOM. While at WVSOM, she
developed and oversaw an integrated geriatric curriculum and was
active in educating professionals
and the community on geriatric
issues. Her work in geriatrics was
recognized by the American Osteopathic Association in 2002 when
she received the Allen W. Jacobs
Memorial Award for End of Life
Care Leadership.
J. Michael Ritze, D.O., M.F.S.A.,
’73, Broken Arrow, Okla., was a
featured
speaker at
the Oklahoma State
Sheriffs and
Peace Officers Association 94th annual training
conference
class notes
held in Oklahoma City. Dr. Ritze
is a Council on Law Enforcement
Education and Training adjunct
professor and is board certified in
family practice. He is a forensic
science adjunct professor at Northeastern Oklahoma State University
in Broken Arrow and a consultant
to several area police department
crime labs.
Peggy Boyd Taylor, D.O., ’77,
St. Louis, Mo., was featured in an
article that appeared in the University of Missouri Columbia’s (MU)
Family & Community Medicine
newsletter. A family physician in
St. Louis, she has been a University preceptor for 13 years and she
consistently earns high marks and
strong words of praise from the
Robert C. Adams, D.O., ’79,
Crowley, Texas, received an
honorary certificate from the Texas
Osteopathic Medical Association
House of Delegates in recognition
of his five years of service in the
House.
1980s
Arthur L. Berman, D.O.,
FAAIM, ’81, Largo, Fla., has been
presented with a Certificate of
Appreciation from ATSU-KCOM
medical students with whom she
works. She teaches at least eight
students every year, and in addition to MU, instructs students from
KCOM, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and St. Louis
University.
recognizing his dedicated teaching
of students, interns, and residents of
gastroenterology diseases at Northside Hospital/Heart Institute in St.
Petersburg, Fla. The award was presented to him by Plato E. Varidin,
D.O., FACOFP, FAODME, NAP,
front left, former DME at Northside
Hospital. Others in the photo are,
front/second from right, Charles
Nutinsky, D.O., FACOS, current
DME, and Kathy Jacobs, ADME.
In the second row, left to right, are
internal medicine residents Robert
Koch, D.O., Donna Powell, D.O.,
and then KCOM fourth-year students, now 2008 graduates Anthony
C. DeLucia, D.O., grandson of
Dr. Varidin, Nicole Wilson Hall,
D.O., Kristina A. Fiedler, D.O., and
James Pham, D.O.
Melicien A.
Tettambel,
D.O., ’78, Yakima, Wash.,
serves as chair
of osteopathic
manipulative
medicine at
the Pacific
Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in
Yakima.
The Oklahoma Osteopathic Association (OOA)
named Gilbert
M. Rogers,
D.O., ’81,
board certified
anesthesiologist from Enid,
Okla., as its
2008-2009
president during the 108th Annual Convention in
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Send Us
Your
News
kstroppel@atsu.edu
Larry Evans, ATSU development officer, recognized Dr. Rogers’ contributions as a distinguished
alumnus with a portrait of A.T.
Still, M.D., D.O.
An OOA Board of Trustee
member since 2000, Dr. Rogers has
served the OOA in many capacities.
He is past president of the Northwest District of the OOA and a
past member of the Northwest
Oklahoma Osteopathic Foundation
Board of Directors, serving as vice
president and secretary/treasurer.
Dr. Rogers is medical director at
the Surgery Center of Enid.
Ronald R. Berges, D.O., ’87,
Ottumwa, Iowa, has been elected
president of the Iowa Osteopathic
Medical Association. He is board
certified in psychiatry and is
president and staff psychiatrist at
Ottumwa Psychiatric Clinic in Ottumwa.
Donald R.
Noll, D.O., ’87,
Blacksburg,
Va., is chair
of geriatrics
at the Edward
Via College of
Osteopathic
Medicine in Blackburg.
Santiago Bo
Plurad Jr.,
D.O., ’87, St.
Louis, Mo., finished the Boston
Marathon in
April. Pictured
here following
the event, Dr.
Plurad encourages all KCOM students and fellow
D.O.s to be “Fit for Life.”
Jeffrey D. Rettig, D.O., ’87,
Groesbeck, Texas, received an
honorary certificate from the Texas
Osteopathic Medical Association
House of Delegates in recognition
of his 11 years of service in the
House.
Summer 2008
35
Robert K. McCann, D.O., J.D.,
’88, Bradenton, Fla., was elected
to chair the Florida
Board of Osteopathic Medicine
at its meeting held
in February. He is
board certified by
the American Board
of Family Physicians-Osteopathic,
the American Board of Forensic
Examiners, and the American
Board of Forensic Medicine.
1990s
Michael J. Sampson, D.O.,
’92, Suwanee, Ga., has joined
the faculty of the
Georgia Campus
of the Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine. He
serves as associate
professor of family medicine and
sports medicine and
director of primary care skills and
family medicine clerkship. He also
serves as assistant team physician for AFL Georgia Force and
local high school/college teams.
Dr. Sampson is a member of the
board of directors of the American
Osteopathic Academy of Sports
Medicine, where he serves as chair
of the student relations committee.
Dale E. Alsager, D.O., ’94, Maple
Valley, Wash., has been notified
by Physician’s Practice Journal of
the acceptance of his 3,000-word
manuscript chronicling his 10
years of research and development
experience with electronic medical records. His article, “My EMR
nightmare ... and why I’d do it
again,” appears in the June issue.
2000s
Dr. and Mrs. Miguel A.
Velazquez, ’01, Varmouth, Maine,
are the parents
of a son, Antonio Miguel,
born February
18.
As new graduates, you’re now part of the great
legacy of osteopathic education. Uncover ATSU’s
rich heritage at the Still National Osteopathic
Museum, which offers a collection of faculty notes
and textbooks that give insight into the University’s educational process. Find images, photos, and
yearbooks and research any student any time.
David W. Kelley, D.O., ’03,
Lebanon, N.H., will complete
his fellowship
in critical care
medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center
in August. He
and his family
will relocate to
Lafayette, Ind.,
where Dr. Kelley
has accepted a position as staff
anesthesiologist, staff intensivist at
the newly constructed Clarian-Arnett Hospital in Lafayette.
Capt. Gregory K. Richert, D.O.,
’03, Monticello, Minn., chief of
aerospace medicine and lead flight
surgeon, Operation Deep Freeze
(ODF), USA, served in the Philippines for a few months leading a
medical team for the USAF/13th
AF/SG. Beginning in May, he
began traveling across the United
States for conferences in Denver,
Boston, Philadelphia, Washing-
Learn more by visiting the Still National Osteopathic Museum
at www.atsu.edu or in person at ATSU’s Missouri Campus. For
information on planning your visit or becoming a museum
member, contact Still National Osteopathic Museum Director
Jason Haxton at jhaxton@atsu.edu.
class notes
In memory
ATSU pays tribute to the
following graduates.
1930s
Edward A. Porter, D.O., ’35
Hannibal, Mo.
Albert Leo Plattner, D.O., ’39
Oxford, Iowa
1940s
John Albert Mihalevich, D.O., ’40
Crocker, Mo.
Charles F. Muecke, D.O., ’40
Midwest City, Okla.
David Irwin Light, D.O., ’42
San Rafael, Calif.
1950s
Robert N. Coons, D.O., ’50
Zionsville, Ind.
Olaf E. Craft, D.O., ’50
Oxford, Iowa
Capt. Brian K. White,
D.O., ’02, Litchfield
Park, Ariz., pictured second from right, was presented the Army Commendation Medal by Vice
President Dick Cheney
during a ceremony held
in March. The medal recognizes Dr. White’s meritorious service while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, which includes
serving as medical director of the intensive care
unit at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital. During his
tenure, he invested more than 1,500 hours in critical
care consultations and personally provided care to
283 patients. He was selected to be a member of
the infectious control team, improved the hospital’s
performance by a record setting 48 percent over the
previous year, and contributed to the lowest mortality and complication rate in theater history. Dr.
White also excelled as an instructor for the CJTH
Mentorship Program, where he taught more than 40
Afghan medical providers. Go to www.whitehouse.
gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080320-11.html to
read Vice President Cheney’s address to award
recipients and view additional photos.
Hubert M. Scadron, D.O., ’51
Dallas, Texas
Harold B. Wackerle, D.O., ’51
Midwest City, Okla.
Alfred L. Schrader, D.O., ’52
Trenton, Tenn.
Morton J. Morris, D.O., ’56
Hallandale, Fla.
1960s
Rolland E. Herron, D.O., ’62
Henderson, Nev.
Richard H. Bracken, D.O., ’68
Powell, Ohio
1970s
Lawrence E. Merrick, D.O., ’78
Albia, Iowa
1980s
Bruce C. Urbanc, D.O., ’81
Sidney, Ohio
ton, D.C., Minneapolis, and San
Antonio. Late summer/early fall he
will be in Australia, New Zealand,
and Antarctica, which is the ODF
mission.
Adam L. Schreiber, D.O., ’03,
Philadelphia, Pa., recently accepted
an appointment as an assistant
professor of rehabilitation at the
Jefferson Medical College of
Thomas Jefferson University. In addition, he recently published an
article in the American Journal
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, “Rehabilitation of
Neuromyelitis Optica (Devic’s
Syndrome): 3 Case Reports,”
and coauthored a chapter of
a book, “Pharmacology of
Low Back Pain In: Minimally
Invasive Musculoskeletal Pain
Medicine.”
Matthew S. Kee, ATC, PT, D.P.T.,
’05, College Station, Texas, pictured at right, is the physical therapist and assistant football athletic
trainer for the athletic program at
Texas A & M University. He treats
athletes from all sports programs
and has traveled with the football
team to a bowl game. Kee is known
for using games, such as Wii, to
train athletes.
2000s
Richard Dean Wright, Au.D., ’01
Tallahassee, Fla.
Summer 2008
37
suppo
ATSU-KCOM needs your help
The torrential rains and flooding in the Midwest this year were devastating, and the Kirksville
College of Osteopathic Medicine was not spared this tragedy.
rt
ATSU’s new Connell Information Technologies Center and A.T. Still Library were flooded,
destroying nearly 12,000 books, new furniture and carpet, computers, and other equipment.
To see the security camera video of the flood, go to www.atsu.edu/library/flood.htm.
renew
Maintenance and housekeeping crews worked 36 hours straight to save as much as possible,
but our losses will likely surpass $2 million. Please make a special contribution to KCOM’s
KCOM’s
Library Flood Relief at www.atsu.edu/gift.
Connect
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