Alumni Association

Christopher Mutter, DO '14, Alumni Association President

Students, faculty and fellow alumni,

The past few months have been a challenge as humanity has been put to the test in a way that is similar to moments of infamy such as the World Wars, the Vietnam War, and the Spanish Flu of 1918. It is in these moments that all inhabitants of earth will have surreal firsthand accounts of having lived during months of quarantine, market instability, and fear. It is my hope that when you are reading this, we are on the way out from all of this uncertainty and fear.

As I wrote to you this time last year, I was preparing for my upcoming trip to lead the Osteopathic Oath for the 2019 Commencement Ceremony. I am reminded of the words: "I will be mindful always of my great responsibility to preserve the health and the life of my patients...keeping in mind always nature’s laws and the body’s inherent capacity for recovery." We have been given a great responsibility which comes with great rewards—but, at times, greater risks. Our oath has been most assuredly tested lately, but I have no doubt that every one of you selflessly carried on to make sure those who are less fortunate or sick were cared for in the best way possible. I offer my utmost humble thanks and praise to all the first responders, physicians, nurses, technologists, and other ancillary staff who were in the highest of risks on the frontlines of the hospital wards and emergency departments. The burden to carry society through this crisis was firmly placed on the backs of everyone in the field of medicine and you have all elevated the field of medicine and fought for humanity with sweat, blood, and tears. I have never been more proud of the decision that I made long ago to be a part of this great profession.

Though many events have been overshadowed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, I want to congratulate the Class of 2020 on their recent match into residency programs across the country. The transition between student doctor to members of excellent hospital teams can be fraught with self-doubt and anxiety. I want to assure the Class of 2020 that RVU has thoroughly prepared you during your four years as a medical student. You are as prepared, if not better prepared, than your osteopathic and allopathic peers. The best advice that I can offer you now is to not take any moment or loved one for granted. Use the final months of medical school to virtually connect with loved ones or to read that one book that you just couldn’t find the time for during school. You will know enough for and learn even more through your residency. Now is the time to slow down and unwind before the whirlwind starts!

I thank you for your time and wish you the best in your pursuit to learn from yesterdays, live every day as a new day, and never give up hope for each tomorrow. As always, I look forward to hearing about all of the wonderful things you have all accomplished before I have the pleasure to address you next.

Rachel Griffith, DO '16, and Erin Hoffman, DO '16, have accepted positions with Banner Health in Sterling, Colorado. They chose the rural clinic in order to practice both family medicine and obstetrics: "You get to really care for patients from...cradle to grave, their whole lives. We would not be able to if we were in [an urban setting]," said Dr. Hoffman. Dr. Griffith and Dr. Hoffman completed residencies at Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas.

Nicholas Frane, DO '16, and Jonathon Lenz, DO '15, co-authored a paper which was published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association - Surgery. The paper, "Association of Disposable Perioperative Jackets with Surgical Site Infections in a Large Multicenter Health Care Organization," describes whether the use of perioperative disposable jackets is associated with the incidence of surgical site infections.

Amber Koon, DO '14, and Garrett Koon, DO '15, have accepted positions with Methodist Physician Group. Amber has joined Methodist Surgical Services, as a general surgeon; Garrett has joined Methodist Pediatrics as a pediatrician. Both offices are located in Henderson, Kentucky.

Renato Rapada, DO '19 (along with Sarah Szybist, OMS III, and Anthony LaPorta, MD, FACS, Course Director for the Military Medicine Program), published research in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The research, "Effect of Immersion Trauma Training on Resiliency and Hardiness in Military Medical Personnel," describes a study of military medical students who took the Hardiness Resilience Gauge to assess changes in stress before and after trauma training.

Regan Stiegmann, DO '14, published a chapter on Digital Health in the book, Handbook of Research on Efficacy of Training Programs and Systems in Medical Education, published in December of 2019. Dr. Stiegmann is the Co-Founder of the RVU Digital Health Track, the nation's first longitudinal medical school training in digital health.

Alyssa Tran, DO '16, has opened the Colorado Center for Public Safety Psychiatry, a clinic where emergency responders can access affordable psychiatric treatment from a physician who understands their culture. "Emergency responders are on the front lines of chaos and trauma, yet their emotional wellbeing continues to suffer because of shame and stigma." Dr. Tran will be completing her psychiatric residency program at University of Colorado this year, then entering a Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship in July. copublicsafetypsychiatry.com

Laurie Bezjian Wallace, DO '16, and Patrick Wallace, DO '16, have published research in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. The research, titled "Effectiveness of Ultrasound Guided Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Relieving Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction," analyzes patients with low back pain after being injected with platelet-rich plasma into the sacroiliac joint under ultrasound guidance, finding that the injections were effective at reducing disability and pain. Additionally, Drs. Bezjian Wallace and Wallace were two of the four residents selected to present their research, "A Case of Thyrotoxicosis Periodic Paralysis in an Asian American Active Duty Male," at the 2020 AMOPS Research Symposium's lunch-and-learn session.