OKLAHOMA
STATE UNIVERSITY 1111 W. 17th St., Tulsa, OK 74107
Center for Health Sciences magazine WINTER 2016
FFA Organization Fresh new start at OSU
THEIR DREAM. OUR MISSION.
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Make a Difference in the Lives of Our Students Endow a Scholarship Today! • Gift commitments start at $25,000 and can be paid over a 5 year period with monthly installments of $416 • Gifts to establish scholarships are fully tax deductible • Scholarship endowments exist in perpetuity and serve as a great opportunity to honor or memorialize someone special • Scholarship endowments pay the best dividends each time our students save or improve a life
Family Fun Day
Saturday, May 14 | 10 a.m. OSU Center for Health Sciences 1111 W. 17th Street | Tulsa healthsciences.okstate.edu/outreach/familyfun.php
Festivities include: Food | Forensics Investigation | Teddy Bear Clinic
For more information on creating a scholarship or exploring other giving opportunities at OSU-CHS, please contact Anhna Vuong, Senior Director of Development, at avuong@osugiving.com or 918.594.8014.
*Limited number of OSU bears will be given away
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Faculty Promotions PAGE 3 Medical Residency Profile PAGE 7 Native American PAGE 14 CHS Innovations PAGE16 Resident Profile PAGE 18
Message from the President PAGE 2
TSET Grant PAGE 4
Women of the Year Finalists PAGE 6
Blue Coat to White Coat PAGE 8
New Academic Building Construction Update PAGE 10
Pete’s Pet Posse PAGE 12
Student Profile PAGE 19 Students PAGE 20 Research PAGE 22 Domestic Violence Deaths PAGE 28 Forensic Graduate Profile PAGE 29
Graduate Program in Athletic Training PAGE 30 Cowboys in Africa PAGE 32 Alumni PAGE 34 Development PAGE 36
Non-Discrimination Statement The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin or ethnicity. This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, as authorized by Marketing and Communication Services was printed by Heritage Integrated Solutions, at a cost of $7,980. 3,500/Feb./2016
Mobile Buses PAGE 26
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES ADMINISTRATION KAYSE SHRUM, D.O. ’98 President & Dean WILLIAM PETTIT, D.O. Provost Senior Associate Dean JOHNNY STEPHENS, PHARM. D. Chief Operating Officer Interim Vice President for Research Professor of Internal Medicine ERIC POLAK, MBA Vice President for Administration & Finance OSU CENTER FOR HE ALTH SCIENCES
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER W
elcome to a bright New Year! It is an opportunity to reflect on all we have accomplished and set our sights on a new beginning and the amazing opportunities ahead.
Last year was an incredible time for OSU-CHS. One hundred and fifteen new medical students experienced that extraordinary time when they donned their white coat for the first time during our White Coat ceremony last fall. It’s a moment when the accomplishments of the past intersect with the huge responsibilities that the white coat represents in the future. Our tradition to plunge these new medical students immediately into civic service occurred during Dr. Pete’s Big Event, teaching unforgettable lessons about the priorities of serving as a primary care physician for a community.
You can watch the daily construction progress along with me by going to: http://www.healthsciences.okstate.edu/tandy/. Our laboratories of discovery are creating new ideas and challenging new frontiers in 2016. Research teams are exploring how toxins impact our everyday lives, discovering how estrogen influences the central nervous system in women, and collecting new data regarding the impact of domestic violence here in Oklahoma. We are pushing the boundaries of paleo exploration and becoming a national leader in recruiting and educating Native American students in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and medicine. There are more details on all these projects throughout this magazine. Here at OSU-CHS we continue our tradition of offering students the opportunity to take primary care to the underserved around the globe. We are regularly exposing more and more students to international medicine through Cowboys in Africa. Last semester we launched our first international medical rotation in Uganda. Medical students and faculty operated clinics treating more than 500 patients. We are committed to expanding these international opportunities in the future.
We are breaking academic boundaries of teaching medicine when we broke ground on the new Tandy Medical Academic Building. Every day I watch the progress and construction underway for the 84,000 square feet state-of-the-art teaching facility. The Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98 building will feature traditional lecture halls, meeting rooms and innovative simulation technology, taking learning Now we set our sights on the New Year. To build on the success of to the next level and giving our students hands-on experience. 2015, we plan to develop additional strategic academic partnerships Human-like models will realistically manifest medical problems and challenge the status quo. Thank you for your dedication to found in the emergency room, surgery and even labor and delivery. OSU-CHS and for your support. Our success is proof of your We thank the Tandy family and other donors for their generous donations to bring this first of its kind teaching facility to Oklahoma. uncompromised commitment, and it gives all of us great confidence for the year ahead.
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OSU-CHS FACULTY PROMOTIONS OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE PROMOTIONS OF FOUR FACULTY MEMBERS, LORA COTTON, D.O. ’01, ANDREA MCEACHERN, D.O. ’06, SUSAN STEELE, D.O. ’88, AND JASON BEAMAN, D.O. ’07. Dr. Lora Cotton, D.O. ’01 has been appointed to serve as Oklahoma State University Statewide Family Medicine Program Director by the OSU/ A&M Board of Regents. In her new role she will be responsible for central coordination, support, and oversight of all the Family Medicine programs participating in the OSU-CHS statewide institutional model for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) pathway. This includes seven programs across Oklahoma in Tulsa, Durant, Tahlequah, McAlester, Lawton, Ada and with the Mercy Consortium. She will lead the effort in the application and maintenance of ACGME accreditation in the newly-developed ACGME/American Osteopathic Association Single Accreditation System, standardization of procedures and best practices, and continue to maintain the standard of excellence already present at training sites.
Dr. Susan Steel, D.O. ’88 has been promoted to Chair of the Department of Medical Education.
Dr. Andrea McEachern, D.O. ’06 has been appointed to serve as Associate Program Director of the OSU Family Medicine Program. She will support the daily operations of the Tulsa program as Dr. Cotton transitions to her statewide post.
Dr. Jason Beaman, D.O. ’07 will now serve as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
“The Office of Academic Affairs is proud of the service and leadership that these individuals provide to Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine and the State of Oklahoma,” said William Pettit, D.O., Provost of OSU Center for Health Sciences and Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine.
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GOVERNOR AND STATE LEADERS CELEBRATE WITH OSU-CHS AND OSU MEDICAL AUTHORITY TSET GRANT TO SUPPORT NEW MEDICAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS FUNDING ENSURES STEADY FLOW OF PHYSICIANS TO RURAL OKLAHOMA Governor Mary Fallin joined Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, TSET (Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust), the OSU Medical Authority and Oklahoma Health Care Authority in celebrating a $3.8 million grant to address the critical shortage of physicians in Oklahoma. “This grant will help ensure that Oklahomans in rural areas have better access to the doctors they Governor Fallin congratulating President need,” said Governor Hargis on the TSET grant. Mary Fallin. “This is an excellent example of state agencies and the higher education community working hand-in-hand to support the goal of improving health outcomes across Oklahoma.” The TSET Board of Directors awarded a six-year, $3.8 million grant to Oklahoma State University Medical Authority to address the critical shortage of physicians in Oklahoma. “This partnership will help people in rural Oklahoma access the quality medical care they need to be healthy,” said Curtis Knoles M.D., TSET Board Member. “It is with great pleasure that TSET has partnered with Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to continue addressing the need for increased access to care through primary and preventative care physicians in all parts of our state.” Funding will be funneled through the OSU Medical Authority to the following OSU residency sites across the state: McAlester Regional Health Center, Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Norman Regional Medical Center, and Mercy Health System-Oklahoma hospitals in Ada, Ardmore and Oklahoma City.
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Each program trains physicians that treat patients from across Oklahoma. “TSET funding will ignite a cascade of positive changes for these targeted communities, starting with a sustained influx of new primary care physicians, better health outcomes and improved economic factors,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “All of the dollars from the grant go directly to these community hospitals. OSU thanks the TSET board for increasing medical training residency programs in the areas of the state where the need for quality primary care is greatest.” This grant will consist of bridge funding for the training of physicians in Oklahoma. At the end of the six-year grant, federal health care dollars will be used to support the program that seeks to add more doctors to Oklahoma’s health care system, especially in rural areas. “We strongly believe that this investment will reap a tremendous return and strengthen our state for generations to come,” said Nico Gomez, CEO Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA). “This is a legacy moment that is going to create the momentum across the state towards improving health care access and ultimately creating a strong Oklahoma.” TSET’s grant will fund up to 118 osteopathic physician residents in six hospitals across the state, through a combination of TSET and matching federal funds via the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Oklahoma has consistently ranked low in access to health care, and 64 of the state’s 77 counties are classified as areas with a shortage of primary medical care providers by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration. “Access to primary care physicians has been proven to improve health care outcomes, decrease health care spending and increase life expectancies,” said Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98, President of OSU Center for Health Sciences and Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. “By partnering with TSET and HCA we are ensuring that future generations of Oklahoma will lead longer, healthier lives.”
Caption here....
Pictured left to right: Jesse Arthur (OMS III), Brittany Cross (OMS III), President Kayse Shrum, Courtney Sauls (OMS IV) and Matt Else (OMS IV)
TSET’s funding will assist the OSU Center for Health Sciences and the College of Osteopathic Medicine in reaching their goal of placing residents in Oklahoma primary care programs specializing in family medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery. “OSU Medical Authority is proud to partner with an organization like TSET,” said Jerry Hudson, OSU Medical Authority Board Chairman. “Oklahoma TSET’s reputation of positively impacting the health of Oklahomans is without question. Combining OSU Medical Authority’s statewide mission of providing physician training with TSET’s focus on health outcomes is an ideal fusion of purpose to improve the lives of Oklahomans.”
Research shows that most doctors will practice within 100 miles of where they completed their residency program. Residency is the capstone of medical education and a vital piece of the puzzle to solving the physician shortage in Oklahoma. TSET is funded by a portion of the payments received by the State of Oklahoma as part of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement in which the tobacco industry pays the endowment trust in a long-term strategy to improve health. The funds are placed in an endowment to ensure a growing funding source for generations to come. Only the earnings from the endowment are used to fund grants and programs.
TSET BOARD OF DIRECTORS WELCOMES OSU-CHS VICE-PROVOST DR. BENJAMIN
Bruce Benjamin, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Graduate Programs and Associate Dean for Biomedical Sciences at OSU-CHS has been appointed to serve on the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Directors. Benjamin was appointed to the position by Oklahoma House Speaker Jeff Hickman. “Dr. Benjamin brings to the table the same integrity, knowledge, and leadership that he has exhibited his entire career,” said Speaker Hickman. “I am confident that he will be a great addition to TSET and excel as the newest member of the board.” “I am honored to have received the appointment and am thrilled for the opportunity to serve the people of the state of Oklahoma. It is imperative that we make Oklahoma a healthier place, and I look forward to becoming a part of that process,” said Benjamin. TSET’s strategic plan aims to prevent and reduce tobacco use and obesity in an effort to reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Oklahoma.
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TWO OSU WOMEN NAMED AS “WOMAN OF THE YEAR” FINALISTS
President Kayse M. Shrum, D.O. ’98
OSU Center for Health Sciences President and College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean Kayse M. Shrum, D.O. ’98 and OSU Regent Trudy J. Milner, D.O. ’88 have been recognized as two of the finalists for The Journal Record’s “Woman of the Year” for 2015. The “50 Making a Difference” program, which recognizes the 50 finalists, honors Oklahoma’s leading women who epitomize leadership in both their professional endeavors and in the communities where they live. President Shrum developed her passion for medicine, and particularly rural medicine, growing up in Coweta, Oklahoma. These small town roots would give her the inspiration that led into her professional life. President Shrum went to college not knowing what she wanted to do. One of her professors asked if she was going to medical school. It was that question that led her to visit the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. She was immediately fascinated by a neuro-anatomy class in which human brains were being examined and studied. She then decided that she wanted to go into medicine because she wanted to help people and give back to rural Oklahoma. After receiving her Associate of Science at Connors State College, President Shrum earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from OSU. She completed her Pediatric Residency Program from Tulsa Regional Medical Center in 2001, and then went on to work at the Muskogee Children’s Clinic. She currently serves as the President of OSU Center for Health Sciences and the Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. During her leadership tenure, she has focused on expanding the physician pipeline by increasing the number of students from rural Oklahoma who are interested in attending medical school. She has worked with high schools and FFA chapters across the state, implemented early admissions programs with regional universities around the state, and launched Operation Orange, a series of summer camps designed to increase interest of 6
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Regent Trudy J. Milner, D.O. ’88
rural high school students in the medical field. As Provost, Shrum oversaw an overhaul of curriculum changes for students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, including the addition of a rural medical track. Dr. Milner began her career as a nurse, working in a U.S. Army hospital as well as in the classroom educating other aspiring nurses. In 1988, she earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Milner completed her internship at Tulsa Regional Medical Center and her family medicine residency at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Tulsa. In 2001, she graduated from the American Osteopathic Association Osteopathic Heritage Health Policy Fellowship. She served the Tulsa Osteopathic Medical Society as President in 2002-2003 and 2004-2005, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Oklahoma Society as President in 2005-2006, and the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association as President in 2007-2008. She is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. She has acted as assistant medical director for St. John Clinic and currently is a staff physician for OMNI Medical Group. Since 2013, Dr. Milner has served as a board member of the OSU/A&M Board of Regents. As two of The Journal Record’s 35th Anniversary “50 Making a Difference”, these women are part of an elite and prestigious group. The “50 Making a Difference” honorees were recognized, and the “Woman of the Year” was announced at a gala event last October at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Marcia MacLeod, an executive with WPX Energy, received The Journal Record’s 2015 “Woman of the Year.”
MEDICAL RESIDENCY PROFILE ASHTON CLAYBORN, D.O. ‘14 As a child Ashton Clayborn dreamed of being a doctor in space. It was a lofty goal for a little girl living in Porum, Oklahoma, a town of 700 people in western Oklahoma. “I wanted to be an astronaut first and then a doctor, but space travel didn’t advance as fast as my imagination so I had to change my dreams to just being a doctor here on Earth,” said Ashton Clayborn, D.O. ’14. She took her dream of becoming a physician and her interest in the sciences with her as she went to college at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. There she became involved in the IDEA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence and spent her summers working with OSU-CHS researcher Frank Champlin, Ph.D. “OSU-CHS’ Dual-Degree Program drew me to OSU and combined my interests in biomedical research and medical school,” continued Dr. Clayborn. “I ended up with a medical degree and master’s degree in biomedical sciences.” Dr. Clayborn graduated from medical school in 2014 and went to work at the Choctaw Nation Family Medicine residency in Talihina. “I love patients, and the residency in a fairly small community has allowed me to regularly see the same patients and establish a continuity of care with them. The primary care residency is giving me a broad view of the relationship between the patient and
physician. My favorite patient populations so far are pediatric and geriatric care,” Dr. Clayborn noted. Clayborn has traveled extensively, but in 2006 she married and she and her husband started a family on a farm near her hometown Ashton Clayborn, D.O. ’14 of Porum in 2010. They now have four children ranging in age from newborn to five years old. “The needs of the community will determine the direction of my medical career when I finish my residency in 2017. I love treating children and the elderly, but in this area of the state I will need to prepare to treat every age,” Dr. Clayborn concluded. Porum, Oklahoma is far from outer space but it is close to Dr. Ashton Clayborn’s heart.
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OSU COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE BLUE COAT TO WHITE COAT INITIATIVE YIELDING RESULTS OKLAHOMA 562 FFA MEMBERS IN OUR DATABASE (AND GROWING STRONG!) OF THOSE STUDENTS, HAVE INTERACTED WITH US AT STATE FFA CONVENTION AND OYE
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OF THOSE STUDENTS, HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION ORANGE, THE OSU-CHS MEDICAL CAMP FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
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OF THOSE STUDENTS, HAVE VISITED OUR CAMPUS (ON A GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL TOUR) AND HAVE PARTICIPATED IN “DR. PETE’S STUDENT OF THE DAY,” OUR FREE JOB SHADOWING PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
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OSU RECRUITING MEDICAL STUDENTS FROM RURAL OKLAHOMA The goal of the OSU medical school is to train primary care physicians to work in rural Oklahoma and other medically underserved areas of the state. The traditional approach to reach this goal is to train the physician and try to convince that physician to practice in rural Oklahoma. OSU is taking a different approach to the problem. “Instead of trying to convince urban medical students to serve in rural Oklahoma, we are reaching out to the students in rural organizations like the FFA to find rural high school students who might choose to serve their hometowns as physicians,” said President Shrum. “It starts with recruiting the right students. When we looked around to find organizations with similar missions to ours the FFA stood out. When I see these students in their iconic blue FFA coats I also see them in white coats one day trained to help to improve health care outcomes for our state.” The FFA motto is “growing leaders – building community.” FFA 8
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makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. President Shrum and her medical students have been trekking across the state to FFA conventions and meeting with community FFA organizations to meet the students and plant the seed of considering a medical career. “We are asking these outstanding rural students a simple question most of them haven’t been asked, ‘have you ever thought about studying medicine and serving your hometown as a doctor?’,” continued President Shrum. “I grew up in rural Oklahoma on a completely different career track when a mentor asked me that pivotal question. It changed the trajectory of my life.” Joshua Priddle, D.O. ’14 grew up in a small Oklahoma community. “The skills of community service, responsibility and leadership I learned in FFA while in high school helped shape my desire to
become a doctor. FFA and the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine helped me understand responsible citizenship and how to bring medical leadership and care back to the region I call home. I’m a physician serving in rural Oklahoma and I love it,” says Dr. Priddle. “My oldest daughter Kendall is in FFA and I see the impact of that organization on her life every day,” continued President Shrum. “She is the first to wake up every day to take care of her responsibilities around our farm. The foundational dedication and discipline FFA has taught her is just what we are looking for in the students we seek to recruit to medical school.” OSU Regent Rick Davis was recently inducted into the Oklahoma State FFA Officer Hall of Fame. “In my admittedly biased opinion, the FFA is the premier youth organization when it comes to preparing young people with the life skills necessary to be successful in whatever career path they choose. I also appreciate the self-discipline and work ethic required to own and show livestock, the practice and teamwork needed to win in judging and career development events, and the overall honing of competitive skills that push the FFA members to stretch their capabilities. I truly appreciate the investment in my life made by my ag instructors and the FFA program. I believe President Shrum is very wise in bringing together the OSU Medical School and the talented group of young people in the FFA through the Blue Coat to White Coat program.”
Amber-Pocasset FFA Chapter Officers and their FFA advisor, Billy Scott
Another OSU Regent, Joe Hall, grew up in FFA. “FFA Chapter meetings were the first exposure I had to structured meetings and order, much like our Board of Regents meetings today. Words like discipline, responsibility and hard work reflect my memories of FFA. The first date I had with my then girlfriend and now wife of 40 years was delivering my Blue & Gold FFA fundraising sausage order.” “FFA has a proven track record helping students down a variety of successful careers. We want to amplify that success in the world of white coats,” noted President Shrum. “Who knows better how to take care of people in rural Oklahoma than someone from rural Oklahoma who can easily be a part of that community and to have an impact on the health care outcomes in their hometown communities?”
Coweta FFA Chapter Officers and their FFA advisor, Travis O’Dell
FFA T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST AND BLUE COAT TO WHITE COAT BROCHURE, “MILESTONES TO COLLEGE” RESOURCE OSU-CHS has created several different initiatives to support the Blue Coat to White Coat program. The first is the FFA t-shirt design contest. For the second year in a row, OSU-CHS is encouraging creativity by involving the FFA high school students across the state to design a t-shirt. Students are encouraged to showcase what the OSU medicine and FFA partnership means to them. Not only is the winning shirt showcased at the State FFA Convention in the spring, but also scholarships are awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place FFA chapters. The winners also got the chance to attend an OSU football game in Stillwater. The second initiative is a valuable resource that was developed for high school students to figure out what they can do now to prepare for medical school. The resource titled “Milestones to College,” includes a testimonial from a current medical student (and former FFA member), a list of tips and advice of what to do to prepare for medical school, as well as a list of OSU-CHS events which serve as great opportunities for students to get involved. Students can request this free resource at any time by contacting OSU-CHS.
Checotah FFA Chapter Officers and their FFA advisor, Darrell Blackman OSU CENTER FOR HE ALTH SCIENCES
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CONSTRUCTION FOR THE OSUCHS A.R. AND MARYLOUISE TANDY MEDICAL ACADEMIC BUILDING PROGRESSING TOWARD 2017 COMPLETION GOAL
Construction has begun on the new 84,000-square-foot, state-ofthe-art academic building. The OSU Center for Health Sciences hosted a groundbreaking for the $45 million A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Medical Academic Building in Tulsa on October 8, 2015. “We are thrilled to see such great progress on this first of its kind in Oklahoma teaching facility that is set to usher in a new era of medical education and training at OSU-CHS,” said OSU-CHS President Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98. “This is more than just a building,
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it’s a shared asset for the betterment of our community designed with student and community needs in mind.” The Tandy Medical Academic Building will include an expanded clinical skills lab, a new osteopathic manipulative medicine lab, 18 exam rooms, classrooms, two tiered lecture halls, conference facilities, more than 20 small breakout rooms, 55 student study carrels, a student kitchen, additional faculty and staff office space and a hospital simulation center with an emergency room,
operating room, intensive care unit, birthing suite and ambulance bay. Construction is on track to be complete by Fall of 2017 with the parking garage slated for completion in December 2016. With OSU-CHS medical school applications at an all-time high, the classrooms, lecture halls and student specific facilities will accommodate the growth in enrollment. Once the building is completed it will be equipped with technology upgrades in the classrooms and laboratories including simulation devices that will test students’ clinical skills. The conference facilities will provide a space for professionals across the health care industry to share knowledge, discuss real world challenges facing the medical community and collaborate to solve them. “The Tandy Medical Academic Building will be transformational for students and a great legacy for the Tandy family and all the generous donors,” said Paul Giehm, Senior Vice President of Trust Company of Oklahoma and Tandy Foundation advisor. “OSU has taken a lead role in meeting health care needs in Oklahoma, training physicians that are going to learn here, stay here, and practice medicine here, and we are honored to be a part of it.” “For more than a quarter of a century Oklahoma State University has been the home of the College of Osteopathic Medicine right here in Tulsa. Just in Tulsa alone we have more than 600 OSU trained physicians making a difference in the community,” said
OSU President Burns Hargis. “I’ve always said that facilities don’t really transform things, people do, but people need great facilities in order to maximize their accomplishments. The Tandy Medical Academic Building will ensure that OSU-CHS continues to train superior doctors in the latest techniques.” “Our medical scholarship endowment has grown over 600% in just three years and OSU-CHS has increased medical residency programs across the state by securing the TSET grant,” continued President Shrum. “The Tandy Medical Academic Building is another huge win for the State of Oklahoma. I have no doubt that the medical training and education that will take place in the building will set the gold standard for medical education in Oklahoma.” The building was designed by Dewberry, and FlintoCo is serving as construction manager on the building. More than $33 million has been generated to date from private gifts and Center for Health Sciences funds to pay for construction. The A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Foundation provided $8 million toward construction of the four-story building, the largest private donation ever made to OSUCHS. Other significant donors to the Tandy Medical Academic Building include the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, the Honorable Terry Kern and Jeanette Kern, Tim Headington, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Jean and Gary Goodnight, D.O., and Walli and Bobby Daniel, D.O. To view construction in real time watch the live construction camera feed at http://www.healthsciences.okstate.edu/tandy/.
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OSU-CHS AND TULSA JOIN PETE’S PET POSSE
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TULSA PET THERAPY DOGS HELP STILLWATER IN AFTERMATH OF HOMECOMING PARADE TRAGEDY
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urry grins, forgiving eyes and wagging tails – the magic of a therapy dog. OSU’s Pete’s Pet Posse, the nation’s most comprehensive university-based pet therapy program, is now active on the OSU-CHS and OSUTulsa campuses.
experience being involved in the grieving process amidst a tragedy that gained national attention,” continued President Shrum. “Our dogs performed as if they had been doing therapy their entire lives. They seem to naturally know how to respond to humans in crisis.”
Pete’s Pet Posse, named after the iconic OSU mascot Pistol Pete and now entering its 3rd year, is the only fulltime, multi-university campus pet therapy program in America. The pet therapy program is an integral part of the OSU system-wide wellness commitment as America’s Healthiest Campus designed to help students, faculty, staff and campus visitors overcome emotional and stressful situations.
As OSU ambassadors, the Posse is used in a variety of ways. They will go to work with their handlers in various campus departments as a wellness benefit and make special appearances as requested at special events, classrooms, libraries and more. The dogs are on campus every week but are busiest at mid-term and finals week when medical school stress is at its highest levels.
The involvement of the OSU College of Veterinary Health Sciences also makes the OSU pet posse unique. The OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa added five dogs and volunteer handlers to Pete’s Pet Posse as the first campus extension of veterinary program provides the wellness care for the dogs with regular examinations and testing. Microchipping the popular pet therapy program. after medications, before monthly preventative medications “Having Deuce, my registered pet therapy dog, on campus and dog food are provided by program sponsors HomeAgain, Meriel and Purina. with me interacting with our staff and students has given me a new perspective,” said Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98, “Pete’s Pet Posse is a proactive not reactive pet therapy President of OSU Center for Health Sciences and Dean of program. While other universities only bring in therapy the College of Osteopathic Medicine. “People in stressful dogs during high-stress times such as finals, Pete’s Pet Posse situations sometimes open up to the presence of a dog is active regularly on campus to defuse emotional situations more quickly than a human and share their stresses more and respond if a need arises,” said Lara Sypniewski, DVM, easily once the animal’s unconditional acceptance breaks the ice. Medical school is certainly a stressful environment Henthorne Clinical Professor of Small Animal Medicine, OSU Veterinary Medical Hospital. “Research validates the at times.” fact that these dogs actually can reduce stress and lower blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol in their human President Shrum and Deuce along with several of the encounters.” new Tulsa dog/handler teams were on the front lines in Stillwater as the campus grieved the loss of lives and the The all-volunteer Posse dogs live with their owners/ injured from the homecoming parade tragedy. The dogs handlers and regularly go to campus to serve. To wear worked as greeters at counseling locations and served as the Pete’s Pet Posse orange therapy dog vest and patch, a bridge to encourage students and staff to talk to on-site the dog/handler teams undergo intensive training to be counselors. registered as pet therapy dogs. “As a new extension of Pete’s Pet Posse it was an incredible
BARKALAUREATE TO HONOR PETE’S PET POSSE TULSA GRADUATES The inaugural class of Pete’s Pet Posse Tulsa Therapy Dogs received their diplomas fall semester during Barkalaureate ceremonies held at OSU Center for Health Sciences. Deuce, Diesel, Jake, Lily and Lucy were officially certified as Tulsa Pet Therapy Dogs. Meet the Dogs: Deuce is an 11-year-old Lab mix. His handler is Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98, President of OSU Center for Health Sciences and Dean of OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine
Head of Technical Services at OSU-Tulsa library.
Lily is a 7-year-old Cockapoo. Her handler is Sandy Cooper, the former Assistant Vice President of Human Resources for OSU Tulsa and the OSU Center for Health Diesel is a 7-year-old chocolate Lab. His handler is Megan Sciences. Whitehead, CDIS Clinical Coordinator at OSU-Tulsa. Lucy is a 5-year-old Labrador Retriever. Her handler is Amanda Sumner, Registrar at OSU College of Osteopathic Jake is a 10-year-old Australian Red Heeler/Chihuahua Medicine. mix. His handler is Jerrie Hall, Associate Director and OSU CENTER FOR HE ALTH SCIENCES 13
NATIVE AMERICAN OSU CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES OFFICE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF AMERICAN INDIANS IN MEDICINE AND SCIENCE PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN $1.4 MILLION EDUCATION GRANT FOR OKLAHOMA A local education agency, Osage County Interlocal Cooperative (OCIC), is directing project AAIMS (Advancing American Indians in Medical and STEM careers), which is a Native Youth Community Project aimed at promoting college and career readiness for about 1,500 Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade Indian students representing 26 of Oklahoma’s 39 federally recognized tribes. Kent Smith Ph.D., Associate Dean for the Through partnerships Office for the Advancement of American with Oklahoma State Indians in Medicine and Science University Center for Health Sciences Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science, Indian students will be mentored by Native graduate and medical students in STEM activities and career preparation and exploration (especially in science and health professions). “We are honored to be co-directing this project geared at increasing the number of Native American students pursuing careers as scientists, educators, and physicians. The goals of the AAIMS project are well aligned with our mission at the OSU Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science (OAAIMS) and will complement our existing Native youth STEM
Robin Dyer, D.O. ‘92, Native Expolorers May 2015 14
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programs,” said Kent Smith, Ph.D., Associate Dean for the Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science. “Exposing students early in their academic careers to the fields of medicine and science may plant the seed to grow more Native American students who pursue careers in these fields. Blending science of the natural world with Native culture inspires Indian youth to learn more about the traditional ways, and in turn, learn more about science.” Native Americans are the most underrepresented minority in the natural sciences and medicine. According to the National Science Foundation, in 2010 nearly 20,000 doctoral degrees were awarded to U.S. citizens or permanent residents in STEM fields. Of these degree recipients, only 76 were Native Americans. In 2005, an article by Sequist in the New England Journal of Medicine reported only 0.3% of students entering medical school were Native American. The Osage County Interlocal Cooperative in consortium with nine rural Local Education Agencies, the Osage Nation Education Department, and the Otoe-Missouria Education Department partnered with the Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa to provide STEM programs for PK-12 students located within the Osage Nation Reservation (Osage County) and the Otoe-Missouria tribal land (Noble County) in northeastern Oklahoma. The key responsibilities for the OAAIMS will include recruiting scientists and medical and graduate students who will serve as mentors, designing and implementing hands-on STEM outreach programming, addressing connections between STEM and traditional ways and culture, and providing college and career awareness.
Jones Academy Summer STEM Camp, July 2015
NATIVE AMERICAN OSU-CHS NATIVE OKSTARS PARTICIPANT MEETS PRESIDENT OBAMA Durant High School and OSU-CHS Native OKstars program student, Madilyn Scott, had the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet President Barack Obama during his visit to the Choctaw Nation last summer. The visit was part of President Obama’s initiative to empower native youth and to incentivize the economy in the region by bringing broadband services to underserved tribal people without Internet connections. Madilyn is currently a junior at Durant High School and is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. This past summer, she worked alongside OSU-CHS medical students and anatomy professor Kent Smith, Ph.D., in the anatomy laboratory, learning handson about anatomy and health issues associated with Native Americans. She hopes to become a physician and has an interest in attending OSU-CHS one day.
Native Explorers participants during their dig
OSU-CHS PALEONTOLOGY PROFESSOR TO LEAD NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS TO NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
The OSU-CHS Native Oklahoma Science Training and Research Students program was co-founded by Nedra Wilson, Ph.D. and Kent Smith, Ph.D. This unique program introduces Native American high school juniors and seniors to medical school and the programs offered by OSU-CHS. This program is designed to encourage American Indian students to pursue a career in medicine or science and contains a cultural component from the OSU-CHS Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science. For more information about the program please visit www. healthsciences.okstate.edu/com/highschool/nativeokstars.php.
OSU Center for Health Sciences Paleontology Professor Paul Gignac, in conjunction with the University of Washington, has been awarded a $15,000 grant to help Native American students attend the national meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in Oregon this January. This scientific research society includes 3,500 members promoting the collaboration and advancement of biologic discoveries related to evolution, developmental biology, anatomy, ecology and biodiversity. Professor Gignac sought the grant to increase Native American participation in the sciences. “The STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math are severely underrepresented among Native Americans,” said Dr. Gignac. “This grant enables us to recruit and retain Native American students and bring greater exposure to STEM fields.” The grant will fund meeting fees, travel and lodging for six students who will be selected through a national application process affiliated with the Native Explorers Program. OSU-CHS has an active and successful Native Explorers Program. The students will be special guests of the symposium.
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CHS INNOVATIONS Q&A WITH WILLIAM PAIVA, PH.D./CHSI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR How did the idea for Center for Health Systems Innovation get started? CHSI officially began work in 2014 as a collaboration between OSU Center for Health Sciences and the OSU Spears School of Business inspired by a $6 million donation from OSU alumnus and Cerner Corporation co-founder and CEO Neal Patterson. Mr. Patterson also gave OSU access to the Cerner Health Facts database which is the largest relational health care database available. The database includes clinical information from over 50 million patients and nearly 500 U.S. medical facilities covering over 15 years. The data includes clinical, laboratory, pharmacy, admission, discharge and billing information for these patients. As a center, CHSI has a mission to transform rural and Native American health through implementation of innovative solutions. CHSI is executing their mission in two primary areas: Care Delivery Innovation and Predictive Health Analytics. Within the Care Delivery Innovation business unit, CHSI has a number of teams executing Institutional Review Board approved projects in three primary areas – rural clinic efficiency improvement, rural patient wellness and mental health management. All projects are executed through CHSI’s “3I” development process wherein the projects (1) Identify key issues, (2) Innovate novel solutions, and (3) Implement those solutions. Within the Predictive Medicine business unit, CHSI is leveraging their database, as well as other datasets to which CHSI has gained access, to develop and execute a number of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytic projects. For example, CHSI team members can break the data down into very specific patient subsets to give them the most comprehensive picture available of these patient groups. That information can then be put to use to measure the impact of health care delivery decisions on a population and thereby improve outcomes, discover new treatments, streamline systems and reduce costs. These insights and solutions are especially useful in rural markets where there is a lack of an adequate number of health care practitioners and are in need of advanced technology layers. The data is housed at OSU on the Stillwater campus and the fulltime CHSI staff works within the medical academic environment at OSU-CHS in Tulsa. CHSI has uniquely defined their niche within rural and Native American health care. How does that intersect with OSU as a landgrant university and OSU-CHS? Our research emphasis on rural and Native American health care falls perfectly in line with OSU’s mission as a land grant university and OSU-CHS’ mission to train primary care physicians and health care practitioners to care for underserved populations and rural Oklahoma. Furthermore, CHSI’s innovation focus on rural and Native American Care Delivery Innovation and Predictive Medicine
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allows our innovation teams to focus on a niche that is important to the United States and Oklahoma. Candidly over 60 million people live in rural America and 1.3 million people live in rural Oklahoma. The health issues that face Rural America and Oklahoma are significant. There is a steady increase in chronic illnesses from diabetes to heart disease to cancer. At the same time, there are fewer resources to combat these problems. Cutbacks are putting rural hospitals out of business and these small communities also suffer from severe physician shortage. The OSU network of campuses and extension network gives CHSI a unique opportunity to leverage that infrastructure to implement our innovation projects across Oklahoma and offer these communities a healthier future. You have a formidable group of local and national board and team members at CHSI. How does that posisition the organization to lead in rural health innovation? CHSI’s overarching goal is to transform rural and Native American health. To meet that challenging goal, we are harnessing the entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation of some of the nation’s and state’s top medical minds in a variety of disciplines as well as our outstanding leaders from the OSU system to seek new ideas to improve health care systems. Our ability to attract the kind of Board talent to CHSI is a testament to the market niche we have identified and the organization we have and are building at CHSI to implement innovative solutions to address rural and Native American health’s most vexing problems. How will this massive CHSI database shape our future health care decisions and what role can CHSI play informing future health care decisions and leveraging digitized health care data? This extraordinary database continues to grow and expand, making the potential for mining this information a limitless opportunity. We see vertical expansion opportunities for CHSI in the wings when it comes to pharmaceutical, payer, and laboratory specific focused efforts to engage this big data to accelerate our knowledge of health care insights. In addition, because we are building a unique core competency in health data analytics, we are attracting organizations both locally and nationally who have large health databases and want us to help them mine and analyze their databases. These datasets have come from cardiovascular patients, diabetic patients, payer specific datasets, and others. Combining these datasets with what we already have will further solidify OSU as an epicenter for health data analytics. As CHSI seeks to transform rural and Native America health, we welcome the constant flow of both broad and deep health data from all sources.
CHS INNOVATIONS OSU CENTER FOR HEALTH SYSTEMS INNOVATION HONORS INTERDISCIPLINARY OSU GRADUATES The Oklahoma State University’s Center for Health Systems Innovation (CHSI) presented its inaugural Patterson Foundation awards to two OSU graduates for their outstanding contribution to transform rural and Native American health care. OSU-CHS 2015 graduate Ipe Paramel received the “Patterson Foundation Outstanding Innovator Award: Care and Delivery” for leading a team in gathering data from a broad swath of rural health clinics and professionals with the goal of discovering new care delivery efficiencies. Paramel graduated from OSU-CHS with a Master of Science in Health Care Administration. OSU Spears School of Business graduate Vedika Dengada was also honored with the “Patterson Foundation Outstanding Innovator Award: Ipe Paramel OSU ’15 Data Analytics” for her role in bringing Cerner Health Facts Database on-line and beginning and supporting the CHSI data analytics projects.
Vedika Dengada OSU ’15
OSU alumnus Neal Patterson is the co-founder and CEO of Kansas City-based Cerner Corporation. His generous donation to OSU enabled the formation of Center for Health Systems Innovation.
OSU’S CENTER FOR HEALTH SYSTEMS INNOVATION (CHSI) WELCOMES OSU-CHS ALUMNI AND TULSA HOSPITALIST AS MEDICAL DIRECTOR Scott Shepherd, D.O. ’08 has been appointed the first CHSI medical director tasked with providing clinical leadership for the center’s groundbreaking health care delivery innovations and predictive medicine projects through mining CHSI’s health care database, which is the largest relational health care database in the country. Shepherd graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. He earned his medical degree from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa and went on to complete his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa School of Community Medicine. Currently, Shepherd also serves as a hospitalist for St. John’s Medical Center in Tulsa. “Dr. Shepherd’s passion for improving rural health care was obvious from our very first meeting. The fact that we were able to attract such a high quality physician speaks to the kind of organization we are building at CHSI and the mission against which we are executing,” said William D. Paiva, Ph.D. CHSI executive director. “Our mission is to transform rural and Native American health.” Dr. Shepherd possesses the skill sets and compassion we need to bring the needs and solutions for these communities into sharper focus as well as clinically support the implementation of our innovation projects.” “CHSI is at the nexus of health care innovation by providing unprecedented entrepreneurial Scott Shepherd, D.O. ’08 mindset and execution to transforming the rural and Native American health care. We will become a key player in innovating and bringing health access and care solutions to the populations who will benefit from them the most,” said Dr. Shepherd. “We are also just beginning to unlock the potential of our massive health care database in the search for new efficiencies, new delivery systems and new health care solutions and tools. This mega-terabytes of health care information we have is already allowing us to see patients through a brand new lens and sparking novel approaches to old health care problems.” CHSI is engaged with rural health care professionals to innovate care solutions to reduce the health disparities rural patients suffer as well as engaged in data analytics as part of a predictive medicine work to improve operational, clinical and financial outcomes in health care. CHSI welcomes and encourages partnership with Native American rural health providers and leaders to develop, implement, and transform health care through technology, innovative care models, and data insights.
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RESIDENT PROFILE DR. JOSHUA PRIDDLE - TAHLEQUAH FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY
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Second-year resident Joshua Priddle, D.O. ’14, knows rural Oklahoma. Growing up in Duke, Oklahoma in Jackson County near Altus taught Priddle a lot about country living, farming and how a community embraces its Joshua Priddle, D.O. ’14 neighbors. “There were only 17 people in my graduating class and less than 1,000 people in the whole town,” said Dr. Priddle. “Small communities tend to draw close to each other. The people of Duke helped to raise me and I certainly want to serve rural Oklahoma as a physician in return.”
Priddle didn’t start out wanting to be a doctor. His dream growing up in Duke was to go into the medical mission field. He was a part of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford majoring in health science when he became interested in learning medicine.
Dr. Priddle is in his second year of the Family Medicine Residency in Tahlequah. “We are a small residency and therefore a close-knit group of friends and mentors,” continued Dr. Priddle. “Our mentor physicians are able to spend a lot of time with us and that added attention accelerates the learning process.”
“Working as a physician in Tahlequah has further shaped my dreams, and I want to put my medical missionary skills to work right here in Oklahoma instead of on foreign soil. I had a change of heart after seeing so many people right here in rural Oklahoma who need the specialized care of a physician of faith.”
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“I learned about the life of Dr. Bill Wallace, a foreign missionary physician who was martyred in China in the early 1950’s,” said Dr. Priddle. “The notion of becoming a doctor flashed through my mind as a child, but I never thought it was possible. The story of Dr. Wallace’s commitment to his faith and the Chinese people in his care was the inspiration I needed to give medical school a try. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and I was right about that.” Priddle didn’t make it his first couple of times applying to medical school, but he didn’t give up his dream. “I continued to take science courses and seminary work to boost my credentials.” In August of 2010 he entered the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2007, Priddle married his wife Terri, whom he had met in college. They have a three-year-old son Elias.
STUDENT PROFILE JENNIFER BRIGGS, OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENT II Jennifer Briggs grew up in the small town of Perkins, Oklahoma in the embrace of a large and close-knit family. Her mother was a nurse, her father was a fireman, and her grandparents lived on a farm just outside of town. Jennifer loved the rural life working next to her grandfather on the farm interacting with the animals. When she was 13 years old her grandfather was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The young teen became committed to the idea of finding a cure for cancer while watching her beloved grandfather grow ill and eventually die from the disease. Her dream to become a medical researcher was slightly altered in her senior year of high school, when she had a bout with her own physical illness. “My doctor prayed over me and showed me such compassionate care that I knew then – I wanted to become a physician,” said Briggs. Her path to medical school went through OSU in Stillwater, majoring in Biological Sciences. While in Stillwater, she trained and mentored with family friend John Williams, M.D. In this Stillwater internist’s office her two loves intersected. She became the lead research coordinator for the physician’s office and learned a great deal about the operations and protocols of clinical research.
osteopathic holistic, handson approach to patient care was the only direction I wanted to go,” continued Briggs. “I didn’t look at any other medical school but OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. I want that kind of relationship with my future patients.”
Jennifer Briggs, Osteopathic Medical Student II
Briggs is in her second year of medical school and still finds herself inspired by her mentor. She is considering specializing in Internal Medicine. She currently serves as Vice President of Student Osteopathic Rural Medical Club.
“When it came time to apply for medical school I looked at the D.O. vs the M.D. and it was clear to me that the
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STUDENTS IRANIAN STUDENTS CHOOSE OSU-CHS FOR FORMAL INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SABBATICAL INTO KIDNEY PHYSIOLOGY Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences is hosting two Iranian college students as part of a six-month renal physiology research partnership with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Isfahan, Iran. The Iranian students' research will study the differences between men and women in renal regulation of sodium and blood pressure. They will focus on the influence of the hormones estrogen and testosterone in determining how the kidneys process sodium that in turn impacts blood pressure levels. Alexander Rouch, Chairman of the OSU-CHS pharmacology and physiology department, will be serving as a research mentor for the students. “This is a tremendous opportunity for these students to come here and not only learn, but connect with other students and faculty in the same field of study,” said Rouch. “Most of the comparable work in Iran is directed at the brain rather than the kidneys which are the major regulators of blood pressure. These students have tapped into a new physiological niche of learning they can take back to their homeland.” Aghdas Dehghani and Shadan Saberi working on their formal research sabbatical
For Iranian students Aghdas Dehghani and Shadan Saberi, this formal research sabbatical in the U.S. is critical for completion of their doctoral work that requires a comprehensive research project and encourages an international experience to conduct those studies.
DR. JOHN V. BARSON SHARED STORIES FROM A DISTINGUISHED MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT MEDICINE CAREER OSU-CHS hosted alumni John V. Barson, D.O. ’79 to draw inspiration from his extensive military career and civilian medical service with the Centers for Disease Control and Federal Aviation Administration. Dr. Barson is also notable as the son of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine founding President John Barson, Ed.D. Dr. John Barson’s military service included appointments at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Fort Leonard Wood and the U.S. Army Forces Command. In 2001, he retired as a U.S. Army colonel after 22 years of service and became a consultant for the Federal Occupational Health Law Enforcement Medical Programs, a government body that works with federal organizations nationally and internationally to design and deliver comprehensive occupational health solutions exclusively to federal employees. During his time working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a medical officer in the division of bioterrorism preparedness and response, Dr. Barson helped to coordinate the CDC responses to SARS and monkey pox outbreaks. Dr. Barson is currently the deputy regional flight surgeon for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Southern Regional Aerospace Medicine Division, which is responsible for an eight-state area and the Caribbean covering 169,000 airmen and 5,000 air traffic control specialists.
OSU-COM CLASS OF 2019 BEGINS MEDICAL SCHOOL The OSU Center for Health Sciences welcomed 115 students to the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2019 during the White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 1. Oklahomans represent 85 percent of the studentdoctors who began training at OSU-CHS this fall. The first-year students received their white coats and recited the Osteopathic Medicine Oath of Commitment at the ceremony signifying their entry into the medical profession.
OSU-COM students reciting the Osteopathic Medicine Oath of Commitment 20
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A list of incoming students sortable by hometown, last name, undergraduate degree and other variables may be found at http://www. healthsciences.okstate.edu/main/incoming2015.php. A video of the ceremony is available at http://www.ostate.tv/play/7595F11A-E7AE-76B9AB9F-EA18F6EFD579.
STUDENTS DR. PETE’S BIG EVENT TEACHES SERVICE AND TEAMWORK Before they enter a classroom or open a medical school book, firstyear medical students at the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine learn about community service in a day of volunteering called Dr. Pete’s Big Event. “Dr. Pete’s Big Event is designed to teach students the fundamental reason why we practice medicine: service to the community,” said Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98, OSU-CHS President and OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean. “The OSU medical school is known for the bond each of us share, almost like a family. Pete’s Big Event is the beginning of building that relationship among students and faculty in a way you can’t replicate in the classroom. We all get to know each other and learn to work together as a team. Those are the skills that will make these future physicians successful
throughout their academic and professional careers.” This year, students had the chance to volunteer at six different locations with a range of tasks and opportunities to put their unique skills to use. Second year students helped to plan the event and led the volunteer groups at each of the sites. Students volunteered at the Hospitality House of Tulsa, where they helped to develop pamphlets to be given to guests of the Health and Caregiving class, as well as at the Clarehouse Hospice and Global Gardens, where students got their hands dirty in some outdoor gardening. First year medical students also had the chance to serve at the Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, and interact with senior participants at LIFE Senior Services and Saint Simeons.
FORENSIC SCIENCES ORGANIZATION AT OSU-CHS OFFERS INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS TO YOUNGER STUDENTS The Forensic Sciences Organization at the Center for Health Sciences is for students, faculty, staff, and alumni interested in forensic science. One of the goals is to encourage interest in forensic sciences for children of all ages. FSO regularly guides middle and high school students on tours of the labs and hosts interactive workshops with forensic themes like fingerprinting and blood spatter analysis. FSO also participates in community and campus events like STEM fairs and CHS’s Family Fun Day. In addition, FSO provides professional support for club members by offering forensic-related seminars and networking opportunities. Kelsey Hess and Dane Robertson, Master’s students with OSU School of Forensic Sciences
Dane Robertson, Master’s student with the OSU School of Forensic Sciences
MATTHEW SMITH 2016 STUDENT OF THE YEAR Matthew Smith, MS-IV, has been selected by a committee as the OSU-COM 2016 Student Doctor of the Year (SDOY). The award honors his outstanding leadership, community service and dedication to the osteopathic profession. “During his time at OSU-COM, Matt has proven himself to be a remarkable student and an ideal ambassador for our college and profession,” said OSU Center for Health Sciences President Kayse Shrum. “His passion for medicine, professional advocacy efforts on the state and national level and desire to assist and teach others will help Matt become an outstanding physician and community leader.” During his time at OSU-COM, Matt was the Vice President for the Pros for Africa Club, an Executive Member of the OSU-COM Political Action Committee and served as a Teaching Assistant for the first year OMM courses. Smith was the President of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) during his second year. Nationally, he has served as a Delegate to the AOA House of Delegates; he was the National Political Affairs Director; and is currently the National Resolutions Director and it the Chair of the National Bylaws & Resolutions Committee for the AOA. Smith will now be in contention for the 2016 National SDOY.
Matthew Smith, Osteopathic Medical Student IV OSU CENTER FOR HE ALTH SCIENCES 21
RESEARCH OSU INTERDISCIPLINARY TOXICOLOGY PROGRAM RESEARCHER STUDYING THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS ON CELLULAR LEVEL IN CANCER DEVELOPMENT
TEAM EXPLORING EFFECTS OF LOW-LEVEL, LONG-TERM TOXIC EXPOSURE Oklahoma is a state unique in our vulnerability to a variety of toxins embedded deep in the earth, the groundwater and the air. What poisons are lurking in our everyday lives that we are exposed yet unaware of? That is the question OSU-CHS Professor of Pharmacology Dr. David Wallace and his Interdisciplinary Toxin Program team are trying to answer. Dr. David Wallace, OSU-CHS Professor of Pharmacology
“Our focus is aquatic toxicity given Oklahoma’s rich underground minerals that include heavy metals, above-ground use of pesticides and ongoing industrial runoff,” said Dr. Wallace “We are not looking at major acute contamination events but rather we are exploring the effects of long-term, low-level exposure to these toxins and the impact on humans at the cellular level.” Dr. Wallace is a member of the new Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program (ITP) at Oklahoma State University, (http://toxicology. okstate.edu) an ongoing collaborative research effort among faculty from different disciplines looking at the effects of chemical toxicity in a variety of organisms from bacteria to humans. The team incorporates investigators from the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa and several departments and colleges on the OSU 22
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Stillwater campus. “Cells react to a toxin in two ways - the cells either repair themselves or self-destruct,” noted Dr. Wallace. “When toxins enter the cells slowly over time with low-level exposure the cells react totally different by rapidly duplicating and creating tumors that are often malignant.” Wallace and his team of researchers are looking at the impact of agrochemicals and heavy metals found in the environment on cancers of the brain such as neuroblastomas and meningiomas and cancers of the breast, prostate and colon. Wallace’s ITP team research focuses on this low-concentration, long-term exposure of environmental aquatic toxins to determine the impact of these contaminants on cells, how tumors form and target potential medical interventions to slow or prevent negative cellular effects. “There are tens of thousands of these potentially cancer-causing chemicals that have not been thoroughly screened for toxicity,” continued Dr. Wallace. “We want to look at some of the more common combinations or cocktails of these chemicals and measure their impact on cells in the laboratory. This is a new niche of toxicology research we believe will yield positive results in the fight against cancer.”
RESEARCH OSU-CHS ANTIVENOM RESEARCH DISCOVERS NEW CLUES TO NEUTRALIZE LETHAL SNAKE BITES Nearly 2 million people a year worldwide face the terrifying moment of a venomous snake bite and begin the race for an antivenom. At least 20,000 and perhaps as many as 95,000 die from their encounter. When a snake bites – will the antivenom protect? That is the question OSU-CHS Biochemistry Professor Charles Sanny, Ph.D., is trying to answer in the laboratories of the OSU College of Biomedical Sciences. “We are mixing a variety of antivenom solutions in the test-tube with venoms from poisonous snakes, such as rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins and cottonmouths common in Oklahoma, to see how effective those potentially life-saving antivenoms are against such pit viper venoms,” said Dr. Sanny. “We use a technology called chromatography to analyze how well the antivenom binds with the venom to neutralize its poisonous effects. The more binding we see in the lab, the better protection the antivenom appears to provide.” Antivenoms are developed from isolated antibodies harmlessly removed from sheep or horses that have been immunized with venom. These snake antivenoms are a first line of defense when someone has suffered a potentially lethal snake bite. These medications work by forming an immune complex reaction in the human body that can be measured. “Our research model allows us to compare snake venoms with differing levels of lethality with the many antivenoms on the market,” continued Sanny. “One of our ultimate goals is to give antivenom developers clues as to the efficacy of their products and how they can be improved.”
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RESEARCH OSU-CHS PHYSIOLOGY RESEARCH TEAM EXAMINING HOW ESTROGEN AFFECTS WOMEN’S BRAINS
The role of the hormone estrogen in a woman’s reproductive cycle, childbirth and sexual health is well-known, but an OSU-CHS pharmaceutical physiology researcher and her team want to better understand how estrogen affects a woman’s brain. “Addressing how estrogen’s influence on the brain impacts what we eat, our blood pressure and even our stress responses is an under-studied niche of women’s health,” said Kathleen Curtis, Ph.D., OSU-CHS Associate Professor of Physiology. “We are looking at estrogen’s influence on the central nervous system, both good and bad. We hope this research will provide insights into the biological bases of depression and anxiety disorders, and physiological response processes like energy balance and cardiovascular control.” 24
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Curtis’ team will investigate their premise by analyzing levels of neurochemicals and activity of neurons in specific areas of the brain. “Estrogen levels cycle during a woman’s reproductive years and decline later in life. We want to better understand the role those changes play in such nervous system functions as body fluid balance, body weight, eating behaviors and even hypertension,” Curtis continued. “Of course women are a significant part of America’s aging population and with age estrogen levels drop dramatically. Our ultimate goal is to shed light on the clinical implications of estrogen activity within the brain on human health.”
RESEARCH OSU-CHS PALEONTOLOGY PROFESSOR LEADS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPLORING THROUGH ANCIENT FOSSILS Anne Weil, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anatomy and vertebrate paleontologist at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, participated this past summer in a program called ExplorOlogy, aimed at engaging high school students in science. Students had the opportunity to accompany scientists and educators in a special trip to the Oklahoma panhandle where they uncovered dinosaur bones and other fossils. For the students, this was a chance to explore their interests and begin a passion for paleontology. “The wonderment and excitement in the faces of these young students is the reward for heading up this program at OSU-CHS,” said Weil. “Dinosaurs fascinate. We want to build on that fascination with real-world exploration. Students are digging in actual work sites. We are very hands-on, turning learning into doing.” At the Homestead Site, where Weil directs excavation, Oklahoma students excavate specimens that will be curated at the Sam Noble Museum and form the basis of research projects. ExplorOlogy was created in 2007 in a joint effort by the Sam Noble Museum and the Whitten-Newman Foundation and since its founding has served more than 50,000 school children in experienced field-based research.
OSU-CHS PROFESSOR RECEIVES INAUGURAL NATIONAL PALEONTOLOGY AWARD OSU-CHS Anatomy Professor Kent Smith, Ph.D., was honored as the first recipient of the Raymond M. Alf Award for Excellence in Paleontological Research and Education during the 23rd Annual Peccary Society dinner this fall at the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. The award recognizes a paleontologist who exhibits excellence in education and outreach programs for K-12 students and for original scientific research. In addition to his work as an OSU-CHS professor of anatomy, Smith’s credentials include; Associate Dean for the university’s Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science, affiliated research associate for the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and co-founder of Native Explorers and Native FATE Foundations. The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology is located in Claremont, California and is the only accredited museum in the country located on a high school campus.
GRANT RESEARCH AWARDS
AGENCY PI AMOUNT RESEARCH TITLE NEW AWARDS OIJ Allen, Robert Ph.D. $241,352 Transcriptome Sequencing of Forensically Relevant Biological Fluids & Tissues to Optimize Degradation Analysis for Sample Age Estimation 01/01/15-12/31/17 NSF Gignac, Paul Ph.D. $148,040 Collaborative Research: Iodine-enhanced micro-CT Imaging: Repeated Measures Design to Improve Visualization of Vertebrate Soft-tissue Anatomy 01/15/15-12/31/17 NSF Gignac, Paul Ph.D. $56,246 Collaborative Research: Unraveling the Deep History of Avian Neurological Complexity: Implications for the Origins of Flight and Organization of the Modern Avian Brain 04/01/15-12/31/18 OSDH - Flowthru Wheeler, Denna Ph.D. $200,000 Health Workforce Assessment 03/01/15-02/29/16 ON-GOING AWARDS NIH Curtis, Tom Ph.D. $256,200 Hormonal Effects on Intestinal Microbiota 04/01/14-03/31/16 Army Res Office Rock, Paul D.O. $25,396 Metabolic Strategy for Fatigue-Resistance 09/24/14-12/31/15 OCAST Davis, Randall Ph.D. $135,000 Advancing therapeutic options for treating major depressive disorders using a novel anti-inflammatory agent 09/01/14-08/31/17 OCAST Kaul, Rashmi Ph.D. $135,000 Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery and Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections, 09/01/14-08/31/17 OCAST Koehler, Gerwald Ph.D. $67,500 Probiotics and the Gut-Brain Axis 09/01/13-12/31/15 OSU CENTER FOR HE ALTH SCIENCES 25
ROLLING DR. PETE BUSES MAKING AN IMPACT IN RURAL OKLAHOMA
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OSU MOBILE TELEMEDICINE CLINIC AND OSU MOBILE CARDIOLOGY BUS ARE TAKING CARE DIRECTLY TO MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS
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he image of a giant Dr. Pete rolling into town is turning heads in rural Oklahoma. OSU Center for Health Sciences has two massive mobile medical units, the OSU Mobile Telemedicine Clinic and OSU Mobile Cardiology buses are crisscrossing Oklahoma to bring top quality technology and care to medically underserved areas of the state. The Dr. Pete image is prominently featured on the side of each of the 45 foot long, bright orange buses. “Our buses are strategically dispatched to medically underserved areas of the state where access to care is a very real problem,” said Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98, President OSU Center of Health Sciences and Dean OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Telemedicine is a fast, convenient and effective method of connecting these communities with specialists they would otherwise have to drive many, many miles to see.” The OSU Mobile Telemedicine Clinic is outfitted with high-tech audiovisual equipment that allows a patient to interact from inside the bus with a physician miles away in an urban hospital. The technology allows for two-way interactions between patients and doctors in real time.
The telemedicine bus can also provide rural patients with lab work, immunizations, pediatric care and treatment for chronic illnesses such as HIV. The OSU Mobile Cardiology bus offers an array of specialized cardio care tests to determine the quality of blood flow to the heart, to look for problems related to stroke and vascular blood flow to the extremities. Tests include: abdominal vascular ultrasound, carotid ultrasound, treadmill exercise stress test, echocardiogram exercise stress test, stress echocardiography, lower extremity duplex ultrasound, nuclear stress testing and venous Doppler ultrasound. “Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in America and Oklahoma ranks among the worst in the nation for death due to heart disease,” continued President Shrum. “Rural Oklahoma bears the brunt of these negative heart disease statistics in large part because of the lack of specialist cardiovascular care. The goal of OSU Mobile Cardiology Bus is to get diagnostic services to the people most at risk for heart and vascular problems and to get those patients who are diagnosed with problems the care they need.”
HOLE-IN-ONE FOR OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY TELEMEDICINE The giant image of Dr. Pete on the side of the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Center for Health Sciences Telemedicine bus turned a few heads and served as a clinic at the U.S. Girls Championship Golf Tournament at the Tulsa Country Club in July. The Mobile Telemedicine Clinic provided medical assistance for athletes and spectators throughout the tournament. OSU medical students, residents and faculty were onsite to assist with heat exhaustion, sprains, strains, and other medical conditions. The eight day event brought 156 athletes, 300 volunteers, and thousands of spectators to the Tulsa Country Club, and the OSU physicians and residents were there through several days where the temperature soared into the upper 90’s.
Beth Dewitt, Osteopathic Medical Student III and Blake Middleton, D.O. ’13
“The Tournament was a great opportunity for OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine students to not only learn, but also understand the importance of contributing to the community in which we operate,” said Bill Pettit, D.O., M.A., Provost OSU Center for Health Sciences. “We are very grateful to provide this service at the U.S. Girls Championship and look forward to working with them again in the future.” OSU Telemedicine bus made treatment and patient comfort possible. The bus provides telemedicine and distance learning resources and services to physicians, students, residents and faculty of Oklahoma State University and health care professionals. Oklahoma State University is a leader in telemedicine technology with one of the state’s largest telemedicine networks.
U.S. Girls Championship Golf Tournament at Tulsa Country Club
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OKLAHOMA TOPS THE NATION IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEATHS OSU-CHS FORENSICS RESEARCHER STUDYING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES IN OKLAHOMA
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hat does domestic violence look like in Oklahoma? Who are the offenders, who are the victims and what are the mechanisms of death? These are the questions OSU School of Forensic Sciences graduate researcher Ashley Lamothe is trying to answer to give law enforcement better prevention and investigation tools. “Most people would be shocked by the level of domestic violence in Oklahoma,” Lamothe noted. “We are looking at the relationships between victims and attackers that include intimate partners, roommates, parent against child and child against parent or sibling to learn more about these crimes.” Lamothe’s research is focusing on every domestic death in our state over the past five years and her team expects to build files on more than 450 cases. Oklahoma ranks sixth in the nation in the number of women murdered by their husbands. “We are starting at the end with the mechanism of death in each case and investigating what that tells us about the broader picture of domestic violence in Oklahoma,” Lamothe continued. “Categorizing the victim data is also helping us focus that picture of abuse by looking at the gender, age and locations of both victims and perpetrators. In addition, our research is calculating how drug and alcohol use affects the mechanism of injury in these cases. Each domestic violence homicide is a puzzle that must be solved. “We believe this is one of the most comprehensive studies into these Oklahoma crimes and we have churned a huge number of puzzle pieces through the scope of this work. We hope the picture of domestic violence that emerges from this study will intersect with related work from other agencies to help prevent these deaths in the future and solve these cases in the present.”
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FORENSIC GRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE ASHLEY LAMOTHE: OSU SCHOOL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES There was a crime scene investigator inside Ashley Lamothe from childhood. Growing up in Florida, she watched her mother regularly work with police as a social services investigator and was inspired. Master’s student, Ashley Lamothe, OSU School of Forensic Sciences
When it came time to go to college at the University of West Florida in Pensacola she was bitten by the biology bug and majored in Biological Anthropology with a minor in Forensic studies. “I love biology but I didn’t always want to work in a lab,” said Lamothe. “Forensic studies allows me to both work work in the lab and the opportunity to get out on the streets chasing crime through the evidence left behind. As part of my studies I was accepted into the forensic anthropology field school, where we learned to
assess and map crime scenes with skeletal remains and learned skeletal excavation techniques.” While in Florida, Lamothe put her skills to use in the realworld learning environment of the U.S. Attorney’s office experiencing the legal side of criminal investigation and interacting with a variety of law enforcement agencies on the local and federal level. Lamothe was ready for the next step – graduate school. From Florida, OSU Center for Health Sciences caught her eye. “This school is the only top-tier forensic graduate program I could find with both the medical examiner and police crime scene laboratories on site. I knew I was headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma.” “The master’s program at the OSU School of Forensic Sciences allows me to focus by taking the pathology death scene investigation study track and get more experience in both the laboratory and on the street,” continued Lamothe. “I’ve been able to secure an internship with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Oklahoma here on campus. I’ve learned that a body at a crime scene can teach you so much more than a textbook in a classroom.” Lamothe is on track to graduate in the summer of 2016 and hopes to work with a medical examiner’s office or law enforcement agency as an investigator.
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OSU-CHS ADDS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ATHLETIC TRAINING
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Graduate student Molly Hovendick performs an ultrasound on Rachel Warner’s wrist
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SU Center for Health Sciences is now offering a master’s degree in athletic training, the first graduate program of its kind as it is the only one in the nation aligned with an osteopathic medical school. The athletic training program is the first program in the new School of Allied Health at OSU-CHS. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis and intervention of emergency, acute and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations and disabilities. The program requires a significant number of clinical rotations, which students will complete through partnerships with Tulsa-area public schools and OSU Physicians Clinics. The first cohort of seven graduate students began the 53 credit hour program in June 2015. Faculty in the OSU College of Education athletic training program are transitioning to OSU-CHS to launch the program. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. Learn more about the OSU-CHS athletic training program at http:// www.healthsciences.okstate.edu/at/.
Lacey McCombs, graduate student with the School of Allied Health, worked as an intern at Metro Christian Academy
Graduate student Rachel Warner practices taping an ankle
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COWBOYS IN AFRICA OSU STUDENTS BRING LIFE-SAVING CARE TO UGANDANS Medical students with the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine took their newly-learned medical skills to Uganda this past summer as part of the Cowboys in Africa program. Eight medical students and their physician advisors treated 70 adult and children patients each day for such conditions as malaria, gastritis, fungal skin infection, skin abscesses, pelvic inflammatory disease, among others. In addition, the team also provided antenatal care for pregnant women. A portable ultrasound machine, provided by the OSU TeleHealth Department, allowed these expecting mothers to see the growth and development of their child and learn the sex of the child. For most of these women, it was the first time they had consulted a physician during their pregnancy. “It really is a phenomenal feeling to bring hope and care to these people,” said Eric Morrison, an OSU Osteopathic College of Medicine student. “Access to medical care is so rare but so vital for this region and you get a true sense of their appreciation that we are here.” Two different clinics served as the hub for medical treatment, including one at a primary school in Nyenga, Uganda. Children and adults from surrounding villages came to seek care and treatment, and the OSU students were there at the ready. The OSU students and physicians then traveled to St. Monica’s Girls’ School in the city of Gulu, staying six days under the hospitality of Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe. Aside from delivering life-changing care, students had the unique opportunity to learn first-hand from OSU and Ugandan physicians in a “hands-on” environment. Seeing medical operations abroad allowed students to gain perspective on the common medical luxuries taken for granted in the U.S. Students
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also had the chance to share presentations with Ugandan medical students and physicians so that they, too, might learn. “It is extremely important that students expand their horizons and take on experiences like this,” said Rhonda Casey, D.O., ’96, one of the physicians and graduates from OSU-College of Medicine who accompanied students on the trip. “It helps them become more global citizens and really speaks to the heart of who we are here at the College of Osteopathic Medicine.” Eight medical students from the class of 2017 were in attendance, including: Nicole Abel, Shcarry Chatmon, Cassandra Clay, Beth DeWitt, Katie Latendresse, Bekah Martin, Eric Morrison and Claudia Nkeih. Two OSU physicians also accompanied the trip: Dr. Rhonda Casey, Course Coordinator, OSU-CHS Department of Pediatrics Chair and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Dr. Sarah Hall, Rotation Co-Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine. “This is the first time we have offered this experience in Uganda as an elective rotation for our third- or fourth- year students,” said Robin Dyer, D.O. ’92, OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. “Opportunities like this are important because students who are part of an international medical trip typically tend to gravitate toward primary care and rural areas to practice medicine, a key mission of OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine.” The Ugandan rotation was a great opportunity for the students but also a tremendous value for Ugandans in desperate need of medical care. The students provided care to about 70 adults and children from surrounding villages who came to the clinic each day to receive treatment for such illnesses as malaria.
COWBOYS WHO CARE LUNCH AND LEARN Susan Baston, Mentoring Program Director for Reach and Rise (YMCA) spoke to faculty, staff and students who were interested in honing their communication skills when volunteering with children. OSU-CHS has several faculty, staff and students who volunteer throughout the community, many of which are Reading Partners with students from Eugene Field Elementary. The lunch and learn discussed ways to develop rapport, build trust, relationship building and communication skills.
EUGENE FIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OUTREACH
Lindsey Yoder, Outreach Program Specialist, and Susan Baston visit about different communication techniques and ways to keep children engaged
HALLOWEEN Over 200 students from Eugene Field were rewarded with a trick-or-treating event at OSUCHS. Elementary students who had perfect attendance and good behavior were able to trickor-treat around the halls of campus. Students were also treated to a pumpkin painting station.
Biomedical Graduate Student Association distribute candy to Eugene Field students
EUGENE FIELD ANGEL TREE OSU Center for Health Sciences adopted two 5th grade classes during the Angel Tree project. About 40 students were supported during this endeavor. Each Eugene Field student received a toy, article of clothing, and a book. Several volunteers attended the Eugene Field class parties to watch their students open their gifts.
UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa exceeded their joint goal of raising $60,000 to support the Tulsa Area United Way and its 60 partner agencies. The campuses together raised $61,422.18. The campus kicked off its annual United Way campaign on Sept. 10 and continued through Sept. 18. A number of events were scheduled during the week, including a Family Feud Challenge, lunches, mini-golf, gourmet popcorn sales and a parking spot auction. OSU-CHS faculty and staff also participated in the 24th annual United Way Day of Caring John Crimarco, Telecommunications Specialist on Sept. 11 through volunteer work at Daniel Webster High School. The OSU-CHS United and Rebecca Crandel, Research Compliance Way campaign was coordinated by Bria Taylor, director of the Office of Outreach and Specialist, paint the doors of Webster High Special Events, and outreach program specialist Lindsey Yoder. School for Tulsa Area United Way Day of
CHEROKEE NATION ANGEL TREE SHOPPING The
Caring
Outreach & Special Events office partnered with the Office for Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science on the December Cowboys Care volunteer event. Ten OSUCHS faculty, staff and students helped about fifty children from Cherokee Nation receive presents during the holiday season.
Sara Kruczek, Osteopathic Medical Student II and Shawna Passman, Osteopathic Medical Student II
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ALUMNI ALUMNI NEWS The Alumni Association has had some great events recently that allowed for fellowship and catching up with former graduates. The Alumni Association would like to thank all that have attended these events and ask that all of our alumni keep us updated with your careers as a physician. THE ASSOCIATION HOSTED A RECEPTION FOR ALUMNI IN ORLANDO AT JIMMY BUFFET’S MARGARITAVILLE FOR OMED 2015.
THE CLASS OF 2004 & 2005 WERE BROUGHT BACK TO TULSA FOR A 10 YEAR CLASS REUNION. EVENTS WERE HELD ON CAMPUS IN FOUNDERS HALL, THE TULSA ZOO & MCNELLIE’S SOUTH CITY. BELOW ARE SOME PHOTOS OF OUR EVENTS.
THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME NEW CAREER POSITIONS HELD BY OUR PHYSICIANS AS THEY CONTINUE TO EXCEL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPECIALTIES.
Wayland Billings, D.O. ’09 joined the Mercy Clinic Women’s Health in OB/GYN
Darin Gwartney, D.O. ’11 joined AllianceHealth Pryor in Sports Medicine
Shawn Fitzgerald, D.O. ’12 joined Integris Medical Group in Family Medicine
McKailia Allcorn, D.O. ’10 joined Memorial Hospital RI in Emergency Medicine
Ama Isaac, D.O. ’10 joined Jackson County Memorial Hospital in Family Medicine
ALUMNI MEMORIAL - MURRAY CROW, D.O. ’92 Passed away on November 11, 2015. Dr. Crow stayed active with OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine by mentoring, hosting students through his office on rotations and teaching in the clinical skills lab over the past several years. He served on the OSU-COM Alumni Association Board from 2002-2006. 34
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ALUMNI OSU COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE ALUM RECOGNIZED WITH TOP AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION HONOR Craig Dietz, D.O. ’97, alum of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, was recently named by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) as its 2015 Physician of the Year. The award recognizes an osteopathic physician who achieves greatness through integrity, commitment to service and community involvement. “AOA Physician of the year is the most distinguished award an osteopathic doctor can receive and the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine congratulates Dr. Dietz for his outstanding service to his patients and our discipline of medicine.” said Kayse Shrum, D.O. ’98, President of OSU Center for Health Sciences and Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Since 2004, Dr. Dietz has been affiliated with the Kansas City CARE Clinic, which provides basic health care for HIV-infected individuals, patients with hepatitis and poor and underserved populations. At the clinic, Dr. Dietz oversees clinical outcomes of programs and provides direct patient care with an emphasis in primary and preventive care, public health, women’s health, chronic diseases, communicable diseases and mental health. He also serves as clinical assistant professor of internal medicine for the University of Kansas Medical Center internal medicine residency program and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy. Dr. Dietz also serves as the medical director for the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics. Craig Dietz, D.O. ’97
Dr. Dietz graduated from OSU College of Medicine in 1997, specializing in internal medicine.
FACULTY AND STAFF DR. JOSEPH JOHNSON ATTENDS GREATER TULSA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXCELENCIA AWARDS GALA and individuals with numerous honors, including the Avance Award Hispanic Business of the Year, the Adelante Corporate Partner of the Year, the Impacto Hispanic Young Professional of the Year, and the Fred Bendaña Amigo Award Community Leader of the Year. Left to right: Dr. Joseph Johnson, Canada Parrish, Sahmira Talamantes (Radio Talent/Programmer), Tia Claybrook (student with Canada’s department), and Julie Croff (Associate Director of Research for the center).
Dr. Johnson is board certified and a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Joseph R. Johnson, D.O., Clinical Associate Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1994 graduate of the University of Health and Department Chair OB/GYN, recently attended the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, MO. Dr. Johnson is a member of Commerce 2015 Excelencia Awards Gala of the American Osteopathic Association and at the Renaissance Hotel on October 2nd. the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopy, International Society of The Gala is the Chamber’s preeminent Latin Laparoscopic Surgeons and the Tulsa OB/ social and networking event of the year, and GYN Medical Society. He joined OSU faculty the Excelencia Awards recognized the work in 2005. and commitment of several area businesses
Kayse M. Shrum, D.O. ’98 and Ellen Stockton
Ellen Stockton receiving a plaque for her 35 years of service during the Welcome Back Reception at OSUCHS. Ellen Stockton is the Director of graphic arts and photography. Dr. Warren Finn also received a plaque for his 40 years of service. Dr. Finn is Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology.
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DEVELOPMENT MATTERS: INVESTING IN OSU-CHS The future of OSU-CHS has never been brighter thanks to our many generous alumni, friends, and supporters. During the six months’ period from May 1, 2015 to October 31, 2015, fundraising at OSU-CHS reached historical highs with 218 donors contributing an astonishing amount of $12,328,086! We salute our 218 donors for supporting our mission to advance medical education and scientific research to benefit Oklahoma. In this issue, we share the story of a World War II veteran who lived modestly and frugally so that he could make a difference in the lives of others. We also celebrate the story of an alumnus who proves to his fellow Oklahomans that the American dream is alive and well in rural Oklahoma. Lastly, we highlight an emerging group of supporters – parents of current students and graduates. We hope the stories in this issue inspire you to be part of our story and consider contributing to our growing success.
OSU-CHS ESTABLISHES ENDOWED CHAIR, RESEARCH FUND FOR HIV/AIDS
Left to right: OSU President Burns Hargis, OSU-CHS President Kayse Shrum, D.O., Debra Endecott, James Endecott, First Cowgirl Ann Hargis, Dr. Johnny Stephens, and Dr. Damon Baker.
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences has established the John Garey Endowed Chair for Infectious Diseases and AIDS Research and the John Garey AIDS Research Fund with a $1 million estate gift left by a World War II veteran from El Reno, Oklahoma.
Endecott, Garey, who lived a humble, frugal lifestyle and who frequented garage sales and thrift stores on a regular basis, had amassed a small fortune during his lifetime. Endecott suddenly found himself responsible for carrying out his former tenant’s last wishes, a responsibility which he took seriously.
John Garey passed away in February 2013 at the age of 85. Since Garey was not married and had no surviving immediate family members, the court appointed James Endecott, Garey’s landlord, to serve as the executor of Garey’s estate. While rummaging through Garey’s personal belongings, Endecott found a handwritten will left by Garey asking that his estate be donated to an organization directly involved in AIDS research. Endecott also discovered Garey’s financial documents which left him speechless. Unbeknownst to
Over the course of two years, Endecott worked with his attorney, Roger Rinehart, and friend, Laura Gruntmeir, Ed.D., to identify the best organization in Oklahoma to benefit from Garey’s generosity. Endecott made frequent visits to Oklahoma City University and OSU-CHS to ascertain the depth and breadth of each university’s research endeavors in the area of HIV and AIDS. Once he visited with Damon Baker, D.O. ’93, and Johnny Stephens, Pharm.D., and witnessed the valuable work they were doing at the OSU
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DEVELOPMENT MATTERS Internal Medicine Specialty Services Clinic to improve the lives of Oklahomans living with HIV/AIDS, he knew that OSU-CHS was the perfect match to honor Garey’s last wishes. “We are grateful to James, Roger, and Laura for their confidence in OSU-CHS and in our ability to make a difference in lives of Oklahomans who are living with HIV/AIDS”, says OSU-CHS President Kayse M. Shrum, D.O. ’98. “Dr. Stephens and Dr. Baker have made significant strides in understanding the impact of drug adherence on improving the health of HIV/AIDS patients. This gift will spur on new research that may lead to significant scientific discoveries.” Baker was named the John Garey Endowed Chair for Infectious Diseases and AIDS Research in recognition of his academic achievement in the field of HIV/AIDS research. He graduated from OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1993 and served his residency in internal medicine at Tulsa Regional Medical Center, now known as OSU Medical Center managed by Mercy. Baker is currently chair and professor of internal medicine at OSU-CHS. He also serves as chief medical officer for OSU Medical Center
managed by Mercy and program director for the OSU Internal Medicine Specialty Services Clinic. Baker’s primary research interest is HIV/AIDS and he was principal investigator for an observational study of a novel drug regiment used to treat HIV infection. Baker has published extensively on HIV/AIDS in academic journals and is involved in community service to assist HIV/AIDS patients. Half the donation will go to the chair endowment and the other half to the research fund. The state of Oklahoma will provide an additional $312,500 in matching funds for the chair, bringing its value to $812,500. The OSU Internal Medicine Specialty Services Clinic provides comprehensive care to persons living with HIV or AIDS in eastern Oklahoma and is the only full-service clinic providing such treatment in Tulsa.
NEWSPAPERS TO CARDIOLOGY -- A HUMBLING ROUTE TO SUCCESS Matt Wilkett, D.O. ’99, is a clinical assistant professor of medicine/ cardiology at OSU-CHS, as well as a practicing cardiologist. He is also a proud member of the Choctaw Nation who also sees patients at Indian Health Services clinics. Wilkett and his wife Cynthia Wilkett, D.O., who is Cherokee, recently made a $25,000 commitment to establish a medical scholarship so that American Indians like him and his wife can pursue their dream of attending medical school at OSU. He hopes that over time health care among all Native Americans will be subsequently enhanced as more Native Americans pursue a career in medicine. Wilkett personally knows the meaning of hard work, perseverance and determination. He and his twin brother Mark had a humble childhood, growing up in Stigler, Oklahoma with their parents. His father, Davey Wilkett, was a second generation truck driver. The Wilkett family lived in a trailer home for many years before saving enough money to move into a modest three bedroom home. From the age of nine until they graduated from high school, Wilkett and his brother worked a newspaper route to earn the extra money to help their family out financially. Their hard work paid off. Wilkett, along with his brother, were the first males in their family to graduate from college and Wilkett was the first male in his family to become a physician. Wilkett attributes his success to the support he received from his family and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. “I feel like the tribe has done so much for me through their educational programs, so I thought I needed to do something to pay it back and thank them,” Wilkett said. “I reached out to the Choctaw Nation and said I’d be giving $25,000 to create a scholarship and I wondered if they would
match it. They agreed almost immediately.” Seth Fairchild is executive director of the Chahta Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Choctaw people, which helped facilitate the partnership to create this $50,000 scholarship fund. “When you have a tribal member willing to give back, someone showing they are dedicated to a cause, we want to be part of that effort,” Fairchild said. “Choctaws are giving people, and Dr. Wilkett is a great example of that, so we wanted to do whatever we could to help.” The Cynthia Wilkett, D.O. and Matt Wilkett, D.O. Endowed Scholarship has a first preference for members of the Choctaw Nation, and then a second preference for any Native Americans. If no applicants meet that criteria, the committee will select an otherwise qualified applicant so that the funds are used every year. Todd Hallmark, executive director of health operations for the Choctaw Nation, said, “Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority’s vision is to provide ‘excellence in rural health care.’ This scholarship is an avenue to potentially place future physicians in rural Oklahoma, which includes our health care system.” If you are interested in supporting future Native American physicians or otherwise enhancing health care in Oklahoma, please contact Anhna Vuong, senior director of development, at 918-5948014 or avuong@OSUgiving.com.
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DEVELOPMENT MATTERS PARENTS JOIN THE PRESIDENT’S WHITE COAT SOCIETY
The President’s White Coat Society honors those who support OSU Center for Health Sciences through unrestricted giving at leadership levels. These generous donors enhance OSU-CHS’s efforts to improve the state’s health by providing President Shrum with unrestricted dollars to invest in the areas of greatest need. That has inspired many non-alumni to make gifts and join this new distinguished group of supporters, including parents of current students and recent graduates. Ophthalmologist Nabil Srouji, MD, and his wife, Penelope, are both OU graduates. They have become big supporters of OSU-CHS since learning more about the school where their son, Derek Srouji, is studying osteopathic medicine as a first year medical student.
President’s White Coat Society CHAMPION
Beverly Schafer, OSU ’67 and Richard Schafer, OSU ’66, D.V.M. ’68, D.O. ’93
LEADER
Diane Cooper, OSU ’84, D.V.M. ’89 and Michael Cooper, OSU ’83, D.O. ’90 The Honorable Terry Kern, OSU ’66 and Jeanette Kern, PAR ’14 Penelope and Nabil Srouji, M.D., PAR ’19 Walgreens
PHYSICIAN
Anonymous Mallory Spoor-Baker, D.O. ’93 and Damon Baker, OSU ’87, D.O. ’93 Diane and George Erbacher, D.O. Tonja and Thomas Osborn, Jr., D.O. ’81 Marnie and Bill Pettit, D.O. Christa and Gabriel Pitman, D.O. ’99 Rebecca and Adam Smith, D.O. ’88 Lisa and Mark Snell, OSU ’74, D.O. ’79 Kimberly Sorensen, D.O. ’97 and Sam Sorensen OSU ’96 Sarah-Ann Stephens, Pharm.D. and Johnny Stephens, Pharm.D. Suzanne and William K. Warren, Jr. Cynthia Wilkett, D.O. and Matthew Wilkett, D.O. ’99
“We believe this institution, under President Shrum’s leadership, is delivering, through its mission, exactly what Oklahoma needs to improve its health care,” Dr. Srouji says. “The medical program at OSU seems to seek and encourage candidates who truly display not only academic skills, but community loyalty. The program understands that attracting and educating loyal Oklahomans will produce the greatest benefit for the entire state. We want to be a part of that story.” Senior U.S. District Judge Terence Kern and his wife, Jeanette, are the parents of Julie Shelley, D.O. ’14 who was recently named “Family Medicine Intern of the Year” by the Department of Family Medicine and Preventative Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The Kerns have generously supported OSU Medicine by endowing a medical scholarship and naming a class room in the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Medical Academic Building. When asked to join the White Coat Society, they did not hesitate. “We are grateful to OSU Medicine for providing Julie with a first rate medical education. We have great confidence in President Shrum and are happy to support her in any way we can,” Jeanette Kern says. If you are interested in helping to enhance health care in Oklahoma by joining the Sroujis, Kerns and others in the White Coat Society, please contact Anhna Vuong, senior director of development, at 918-594-8014 or avuong@OSUgiving.com.
WHOM WILL YOU HONOR?
Walli and Bobby Daniel, D.O., FACOFP, have been steadfast supporters of OSU-CHS and the osteopathic profession for many years.
“Bobby and I are grateful for the high caliber medical education that Bobby was President of the American College of Osteopathic Family Jeremy is receiving at OSU. Each time Physicians and Walli was President of the Advocates to the OOA. we visit him on we They have also been active in the OOA and the AOA. see young medical students dreaming Their past support of OSU-CHS includes serving on the committee for A Stately Affair – the biennial fundraiser for student scholarships what Bobby dreamed of when at OSU-CHS and OSU-Tulsa, and establishing the Great Physician he was in medical Endowed Scholarship. school. We are delighted to support The Daniels’ once again demonstrate their support of OSU-CHS by President Shrum naming a study carrel in the Tandy Medical Academic Building in Walli Daniel, Jeremy Daniel OMS II, and Bobby and OSU-CHS in honor of their son and second year medical student, Jeremy Daniel. Daniel, D.O. By making a five year pledge of $500, the Daniels are helping to build whatever way we can a world class learning facility for the benefit of Jeremy, his classmates and honor Jeremy for his academic achievements at the same time”, says Walli Daniel. The Tandy Medical Academic Building will house and future medical students to come. 55 study carrels to support student learning. Naming a study carrel is a great way to honor someone special. Whom will you honor? 38
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DEVELOPMENT MATTERS RECENT LEADERSHIP GIFTS (MAY 1, 2015 – OCTOBER 31, 2015) The A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Foundation made a generous pledge of $8 million to support the new clinical skills simulation building. This transformative gift represents the largest private donation ever received by OSU-CHS. In recognition of the Tandy Foundation’s unparalleled generosity to OSU-CHS, the new clinical skills simulation building will be named the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Medical Academic Building. The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation made a generous pledge of $1 million to support the Tandy Medical Academic Building. In recognition of their generosity to OSU-CHS, a lecture hall in the Tandy Medical Academic Building will be named The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation Lecture Hall. The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation have made numerous gifts to support the Rural and Underserved Primary Care Early Admissions Program.
’83, and his friend, Laura Gruntmeir, Ed.D ’99. The George Kaiser Family Foundation made a gift of $25,000 to support the George Kaiser Family Foundation Scholar in Urban Medicine. The scholarship will support a medical student who is interested in practicing primary care medicine in an underserved area of Tulsa. In addition to supporting medical scholarships at OSU-CHS, the George Kaiser Family Foundation endowed four chairs at OSU-CHS in 2008 with a gift of $4 million. Jean and Gary Goodnight, D.O. ’85, named the Ben Swanner Exam Room in the Tandy Medical Academic Building with a pledge of $25,000 to be completed over four years. Dr. Goodnight’s generous gift to his alma mater was made in memory of his beloved friend Ben Swanner who passed away in 1999.
Phyllis Bryce and Steven Anderson made a gift of $5,000 to support the Rural and Underserved Primary Care Early Admissions Program. This marks the third gift from the Andersons to support the Early Admissions Program.
Richard Hastings, Ph.D., D.O. ’80 and Carolyn Steele, D.O. ’80, made a gift towards the Marjorie Carpenter Hastings and Richard A. Hastings, M.D. Scholarship, which was established in 2007 by Dr. Hastings in memory of his beloved parents.
The Chahta Foundation, with support from the Choctaw Nation Health Services, made a generous matching pledge of $25,000 to be completed over five years to support the Cynthia Wilkett, D.O. and Matt Wilkett, D.O. Endowed Scholarship. The medical scholarship has a first preference for members of the Choctaw Nation, and then a second preference for any Native Americans.
Fayenelle and Jay Helm, OSU ’70, made a generous pledge of $100,000 to establish the Jay and Fayenelle Helm Endowed Scholarship for Primary Care. The Helms have been long time supporters of OSU and OSU-CHS. Jay currently serves as an Oklahoma State Regent for Higher Education and board member of the OSU Medical Authority and Trust.
Walli and Bobby Daniel, D.O., made a generous pledge of $2,500 to be completed over five years to support student learning spaces in the Tandy Medical Academic Building. The Daniels made the gift in honor of their son Jeremy Daniel who is second year medical student. In recognition of their generosity to OSU-CHS, a study carrel in the Tandy Medical Academic Building will be named the Jeremy Daniel Study Carrel. In 2014, the Daniels established the Great Physician Endowed Scholarship at OSU-CHS with a pledge of $25,000.
PLICO, under the leadership Carl Hook, M.D., President and CEO of PLICO, made a gift of $50,000 to support a biomedical ethics course. PLICO has been a champion of the teaching of biomedical ethics at OSU-CHS, having underwritten the biomedical ethics course at OSU-CHS for the past six years.
Wendy and Gentner Drummond, OSU ’85, made a gift of $2,500 towards the Wendy and Gentner Drummond Endowed Scholarship. The endowed scholarship will support medical students who are from Osage County, Oklahoma or who intend to practice medicine in Osage County. Both Wendy and Gentner have a great appreciation for rural Oklahoma and the need to preserve the rural lifestyle. The Estate of John Garey made a generous gift of $1 million to create the John Garey Endowed Chair for Infectious Disease and AIDS Research and to establish a research fund, the John Garey AIDS Research Fund. This inspirational gift was made possible through the leadership and support of the executor of the John Garey Estate, James Endecott, his attorney, Roger Rinehart OSU
Guy Sneed, OSU ’90, D.O. ’94, made a gift of $5,000 towards the OSU-CHS Department of OB/GYN Fund to support residents. In addition to his personal support, Dr. Sneed helped secure a sponsorship of $7,500 from St. John Health System in January 2015 for A Stately Affair. St. John Health System made a gift of $2,500 to the Trudy J. Milner, D.O., Endowed Scholarship in honor of Trudy Milner, D.O. ’88, for being named 2015 Oklahoma Osteopathic Association Doctor of the Year. Dr. Milner is a St. John Health System family medicine physician. She also serves as an OSU/A&M Regent. Penelope and Nabil Srouji, M.D. made a gift of $5,000 to the President’s White Coat Society. The Sroujis are the proud parents of first year medical student, Derek Srouji.
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DEVELOPMENT MATTERS Teresa Thomas, OSU ’67, made a gift towards the Olen and Teresa Thomas Endowed Scholarship for Rural Medical Track, which she established in 2014 with a planned gift. Teresa, a retired public school teacher, is a champion of rural health. The endowed scholarship will support medical students enrolled in the Rural Medical Track and who are interested in practicing rural medicine in Oklahoma. Walgreens made a gift of $5,000 to the President’s White Coat Society. Walgreens is a corporate partner of OSU-CHS, operating a full-service pharmacy in the Houston Center, which is located in downtown Tulsa across from OSU Medical Center managed by Mercy. Matt Wilkett, D.O. ’99 and Cynthia Wilkett, D.O. made a generous pledge of $25,000 to be completed over five years to establish the Cynthia Wilkett, D.O. and Matt Wilkett, D.O. Endowed Scholarship. The medical scholarship has a first preference for members of the Choctaw Nation, and then a second preference for any Native Americans. The William K. Warren Foundation and Saint Francis Health System made a generous gift of $2 million to establish The William K. Warren Foundation – Saint Francis Health System OSU School of Medicine Scholarship to support primary care with preference for pediatrics, family medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. This extraordinary gift will create the largest medical scholarship endowment at OSU-CHS.
To make a gift to OSU-CHS, or for more information, please contact Anhna Vuong, Senior Director of Development, at 918-594-8014 or at avuong@osugiving.com.
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THEIR DREAM. OUR MISSION.
Save the date!
Make a Difference in the Lives of Our Students Endow a Scholarship Today! • Gift commitments start at $25,000 and can be paid over a 5 year period with monthly installments of $416 • Gifts to establish scholarships are fully tax deductible • Scholarship endowments exist in perpetuity and serve as a great opportunity to honor or memorialize someone special • Scholarship endowments pay the best dividends each time our students save or improve a life
Family Fun Day
Saturday, May 14 | 10 a.m. OSU Center for Health Sciences 1111 W. 17th Street | Tulsa healthsciences.okstate.edu/outreach/familyfun.php
Festivities include: Food | Forensics Investigation | Teddy Bear Clinic
For more information on creating a scholarship or exploring other giving opportunities at OSU-CHS, please contact Anhna Vuong, Senior Director of Development, at avuong@osugiving.com or 918.594.8014.
*Limited number of OSU bears will be given away
OKLAHOMA
STATE UNIVERSITY 1111 W. 17th St., Tulsa, OK 74107
Center for Health Sciences magazine WINTER 2016
FFA Organization Fresh new start at OSU