DMU Magazine - Spring/Summer 2021

T H E M AG A Z I N E O F D E S M O I N E S U N I V E R S I T Y • A M E D I C I N E A N D H E A LT H S C I E N C E S I N S T I T U T I O N

SPR IN G/SUM M ER 2021

DMU TRANSITIO NS

NIH grant could shed insights on diabetes and obesity / PAGE 4 Leave a legacy on DMU’s new campus / PAGE 6 Making the most of second chances / PAGE 24

Will changing times change us? Or will we change them?

TALK ABOUT A WELCOME SHOT IN THE ARM! DMU students and clinicians were thrilled this spring to put COVID-19 vaccines in arms of University employees and patients of the DMU Family Medicine Clinic. Volunteers filled more than 300 shifts in the drive-through clinic. Just a few of these valiant health heroes were (front row) Stacy Crossman, CMA; Anna Avidan, D.O.’22; Judy Downard, CMA, A.S.; (back row) Elizabeth Behre, D.O.21; Kyle Meek, D.O.’22; Brooke Clingan, A.A.S.; and Sheila Garner, PA-C’97.

2

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

DMU THE M AGA ZINE OF DES MOINES UNIVERSIT Y • SPR ING/SUMMER 2021

EDITOR

Barbara Dietrich Boose ART DIRECTOR

Julie Probst GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Brianna Schechinger PHOTOGRAPHY

Brett Roseman, Rich Sanders CHIEF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Mark Danes PRESIDENT AND CEO

Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D.

LETTERS & OTHER SUBMISSIONS

Editor DMU Alumni Magazine 3200 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312-4198 barbara.boose@dmu.edu

F OTO ? PH

ROM

IL A PR

NEW

CA

SE M PU

VE N

T?

DMU President and CEO Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., center, with new campus steering committee members John Harris, Stephanie Greiner, Mark Peiffer and Victoria Harper-Halverson

Our mission is to improve lives in our global community by educating diverse groups of highly competent and compassionate health professionals.

COVER: ©ISTOCKPHOTO/DAMIRCUDIC

TWITTER.COM/ DESMOINESUNIV INSTAGRAM.COM/ DESMOINESUNIV# YOUTUBE.COM/ DMUEDU

DMU.EDU/MAGAZINE

9

The intersection of medicine and filmmaking

10

Ancient wolves and dire wolves and modern wolves – OH, MY

caption

Associate Professor Julie Meachen has been part of published research that revealed new knowledge about wolves and attracted attention worldwide.

During the fall and winter months it looked quiet at 8025 Grand Avenue, the site of DMU’s new campus, but work was completed to shape the land, prepare for installation of a geothermal energy management system and secure the land for building foundations.

This summer we will see the beginning of structures taking shape.

Watch our progress at dmu.edu/new-campus.

Connect with us at: FACEBOOK.COM/ DESMOINESUNIVERSITY

F E AT U R E S

Lakshmi Karuparthy, D.O.’22, wants to use documentary filmmaking to advocate for patients beyond the examination room.

ADDRESS CHANGES

Email: alumni@dmu.edu Online: dmu.edu/alumni Call: 515-271-1388 Mail: Development & Alumni Relations Des Moines University 3200 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312-4198

Contents

4

D E PA R TM E N T S

24 28 34

Campus News Alumni News Class Notes Breathe Deep

12 Transitions

Changes in our lives, like the ones we’ve navigated over the past year-plus, are only going to continue. The attitudes and actions we take as individuals, communities and nations will shape our future.

26

A childhood in wartime inspired a health care career Alumna Jasmina Salcinovic-Spahic and her family survived the devastating hardships of the Bosnian War. Her experiences taught her to never give up and sparked her love of caring for others.

C A MPUS NE WS

DMU prof lands NIH grant to compare genetic and environmental factors

“OUR MISSION AND STRENGTHS IN TEACHING, RESEARCH AND SERVICE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR ELIGIBILITY FOR R15 GRANTS.” DR. JUN DAI, M.D., M.SC., PH.D., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH

WRITE TO US!

4

You can hear the excitement in the voice of Jun Dai, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., associate professor of public health at DMU, when she talks about the three-year $488,819 grant she recently was awarded by the National Institutes of Health. A longtime researcher on the roles of environmental, epigenetic and genetic factors in chronic disease, she will use the grant to explore possible links between a specific epigenetic modification of DNA and the occurrence of type 2 diabetes and obesity, diseases that are serious global public health challenges.

Dai is also excited that the R15 grant requires that students be involved in the research. Her study will create opportunities for students in DMU’s osteopathic medicine and biomedical sciences programs in the College of Osteopathic Medicine as well as students in the public health program in the College of Health Sciences. Martin Schmidt, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and nutrition, and Chunfa Jie, Ph.D., a statistician in biochemistry and nutrition, also will work on the grant study.

“The research will be done across departments, colleges and disciplines. Our mission and strengths in teaching, research and service contributed to our eligibility for R15 grants,” says Dai, who also is a member of the biomedical sciences faculty. “Drs. Schmidt and Jie will incorporate knowledge needed for this research in their courses so that students will be well prepared when they join my research team.”

She and her team will collaborate with researchers at Indiana University, Penn State and SRI International, a research institute based in Menlo Park, CA. DMU students will have opportunities to visit Indiana University’s centralized lab and to learn from scientists at the other institutions.

“It’s important the next generation of public health professionals and researchers learn how to communicate and collaborate across universities and disciplines,” she says.

For the grant study, Dai and her colleagues will leverage the rich resources of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Twin Study, which began in 1969 as a populationbased, prospective study on cardiovascular disease risk with emphasis on genetic and environmental factors in the United States.

The study enrolled 514 middle-aged white male veteran twin pairs, including both identical and fraternal. All the twins were physically examined at baseline and during follow-up studies done by experienced cardiovascular epidemiologists.

In basic terms, Dai’s team will examine a specific epigenetic modification in the DNA, hydroxymethylated cytosine (5hmC), of twin pairs in which one member is obese or diabetic and the other is not. They hope to shed light on 5hmC’s connection to type 2 diabetes and obesity and whether it can be induced environmentally.

“Understanding that could impact disease prevention and treatment through the improvement of modifiable environmental factors,” she says.

DMUmagazine welcomes letters from readers. The editor reserves the right to select letters for publication and to edit for style and space. Brief letters are encouraged. Please send letters via e-mail to Barbara.Boose@dmu.edu or to Barbara Boose, Editor, DMUmagazine, 3200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

C A M PUS N E WS

©ISTOCKPHOTO/LUCKYTD

GRANT BOLSTERS CULTURAL HUMILITY COURSE AT DMU

One example of DMU’s leadership among medical schools in fostering students’ cultural humility is the osteopathic medical program’s year-long Foundations of Physicianship course, the second semester of which focuses on socially and culturally responsive care. Developed in 2017, the course received the Innovation in the Development of Enduring Educational Materials Award from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine in 2019.

However, recent acts of violence against persons of color and the disproportionate COVID-19 impact that has amplified existing health disparities among communities of color led three DMU faculty – Richard Salas, Ph.D., chief diversity officer; Lisa Streyffeler, Ph.D., chair of the behavioral medicine department; and Julia Van Liew, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral medicine – to evaluate and refresh the course’s content and format.

Their efforts got a boost with a three-year $93,430 grant, beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, from the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation (MIHF). The grant supports updates including hiring secondyear D.O. students as teaching assistants, adding a communication skills training, hosting an external speaker event open to the local health care community for continuing medical education credit, and funding community members’ participation in course discussions with students.

“We’ve come to understand DMU is a leader in so many ways in educating students about implicit bias, cultural understanding and the roles they can play in promoting access to health care,” says Suzanne Mineck, MIHF president. “We need to address disparities and barriers both individually and systematically, and I think this project does both.”

First-year osteopathic medical student Joelle Bruckert-Frisk was attracted to DMU in part for

ways it incorporates “the human element into the science of medicine and health care.” As a medical scribe prior to medical school, she worked with a physician who made racist comments.

“I was taken aback and disengaged with the conversation.

Now I have strategies for those situations. I would approach it in a curious sort of “ WE NEED TO ADDRESS way – ‘Why are DISPARITIES AND you saying that?

Why would you BARRIERS BOTH say that about INDIVIDUALLY AND that person?’”

SYSTEMATICALLY, AND she says. “I feel I THINK THIS PROJECT this is one of our most important DOES BOTH.” classes. You reSuzanne Mineck, MIHF president ally need to practice the human side of health care and recognize that we all have implicit biases. It’s also important that we have this experience early in our medical education, versus having a half-day training session when we’re in practice.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

5

C A M PUS N E WS

What better way to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime event, the creation of a new medical and health sciences campus?

Supporting DMU’s new campus, including by putting your name or your family’s name on a campus space, is a wonderful way to be part of DMU’s history and future for years to come.

6

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

C A M PUS N E WS

leave your legacy When you give to Des Moines University’s Purple & Proud Campaign, you change the world by supporting the preparation of future health care professionals and leaders. You also have a wide variety of options to make that critical difference.

“Our team works with individuals, families and businesses to help them achieve their charitable goals and leave a lasting legacy at the University,” says Stephanie Greiner, chief development officer. “Our new campus in West Des Moines offers some especially exciting opportunities for donors to be part of the Purple & Proud Campaign.”

Gifts can be made in a single contribution or with incremental payments over a period of time.

There are many ways to make a gift, reasons to give and tangible benefits you receive from giving that go beyond the best benefit: knowing that you made a difference in the lives of others.

TYPES OF GIFTS

BENEFITS OF GIVING

NAME IT!

Outright: Cash and pledges made in single payments or installments are convenient and easy ways to give.

If your employer or your partner’s employer matches its employees’ charitable gifts, that’s a great way to multiply your impact on students.

The most important benefit of giving to DMU is knowing that you have made a powerful impact on students and the patients, communities and populations they will go on to serve.

You can name a space on DMU’s new campus, a scholarship fund, an endowed faculty position or other component of the University with your gift. It’s a great way to honor a loved one, your family, a mentor or even yourself while investing in a great cause.

Securities such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds may be donated to DMU as outright gifts or pledge payments; gifts of long-term appreciated securities allow an income tax deduction equal to their fair market value and may allow the donor to avoid capital gains taxes on the transfer.

Real estate, including a personal home, vacation home or farm, can be given to DMU as an outright gift or via the donor’s estate. Gift options offer distinct tax benefits, such as an immediate income tax deduction and avoidance of capital gains tax.

Deferred: Deferred gifts offer several benefits, including flexibility, tax savings and – in some cases – fixed, dependable income for life. These gifts include bequests, retirement plan gifts, life insurance policies and more. DMU’s development staff can help you and your family explore your best options.

Depending on the size of your gift, you can be honored as a member of one of the University’s giving societies. The Founders Society recognizes donors who make cumulative lifetime gifts of $100,000 and greater. The Legacy Society honors donors who make planned gifts or bequests. And the President’s Society recognizes donors who make annual gifts of $1,000 and more.

DMU’s new campus offers a wide variety of naming opportunities, from buildings and learning environments to centers, laboratories, wellness facilities and gathering spaces. The cost to name a space on the new campus begins at $10,000 and can be paid over five years.

Certain gifts enable donors to name an aspect of the University, including facilities on its new campus in West Des Moines.

learn more about the impact and benefits of giving to the Purple & Proud Campaign at campaign.dmu. edu/ways-to-support, or contact Stephanie Greiner at stephanie.greiner@dmu.edu or 515-271-1386.

*OIN US )NVEST IN US !DVANCE WITH US

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

7

C A M PUS N E WS

DMU faculty land NIJ grant to enhance forensic guidelines Traditional radiographs show the variation in frontal sinuses’ (yellow arrows) shape and size among three adult individuals.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but the spaces above them can reveal a person’s identification.

These holes in the skull can fill the “holes” in a forensic investigation when a dead body is discovered.

“The frontal sinuses are so variable among people. They’re the fingerprint of the skull,” says Lauren Butaric, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy. She recently received a two-year $357,871 grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to better understand how the unique structures of the frontal sinuses can be applied more precisely in forensic settings.

“Let’s say a skull is found in the woods,” she says. “Performing DNA analysis is expensive, there are no fingerprints and analysis of the dental remains may be inconclusive. In these cases, the frontal sinus may be used for identification purposes.”

That isn’t new, Butaric adds. Several methods exist to objectively assess the sinuses by matching antemortem and postmortem radiographs and/ or CT scans. However, these methods “have not been thoroughly validated, and there is no consensus on the most appropriate method,” she stated in her grant application. Greater understanding of the methods will support more accurate identification of decedents.

Heather Garvin, Ph.D., D-ABFA, associate professor of anatomy, is a co-

8

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

principal investigator on the project, and forensic anthropologists in the nation and the only one in Iowa. She assists the students also will be involved. state medical examiner’s office in scene In the NIJ study, researchers will test recoveries, skeletal identifications and the accuracy and error rates of eight interpretation of skeletal trauma, testifymethods for frontal sinus identifications ing in court as necessary. that utilize such measures as a sinus Another advantage is that while the specimen’s height, length, visual apstudy will involve a large sample of pearance, size and age. Each method’s specimens, it won’t require acquiring applicability to traditional radiographs them from scratch. and CT scans also will be assessed.

“What’s really cool is we already have The study’s ultimate goal is devela lot of these samples and a large collecopment of a set of empirically based tion of x-rays and CT scans based on my guidelines that meet the Daubert stanresearch and Dr. Garvin’s research. Plus dard, used in federal courts and some a lot of databases are available online,” state courts to assess whether an expert Butaric says. witness’s scien“Especially in tific testimony is DMU’s Human Skeletal Biology today’s day and based on scienLab is ideal for the study given the age when traveltifically valid reaexpertise of Lauren Butaric and ing is discoursoning. Disqualifications of Heather Garvin. aged and many semination of the institutions are study’s results closed due to the pandemic, we won’t will entail at least five peer-reviewed have to travel. It’s all available at our publications, presentations at national fingertips as researchers.” conferences as well as NIJ reports.

DMU’s Human Skeletal Biology Lab is ideal for the study given Butaric’s expertise on craniofacial variation and the qualifications of Garvin, who is among approximately 90 board-certified

C A M PUS N E WS

Like many third-year medical students, Lakshmi Karuparthy, D.O.’22, has a plan for her future.

The steps in that plan make her unlike most other medical students, however.

The intersection of medicine and filmmaking “In five years, I’ll be reaching the end of my residency. In 10 years, I’ll want to have produced my first major-length documentary,” she says in a YouTube video she created last November. “In 15 years, I want to launch a documentary production company that advocates for the lives of my patients beyond the exam room.”

The daughter of two physicians, Karuparthy has long felt a “natural pull” toward a medical career, but she also often recruited friends to shoot short skits. In high school, she produced a parody on the medical series “House” for an anatomy and physiology project. Her teacher’s positive feedback helped her understand the “power of film as a medium to educate.” She attended Northwestern University with a major in radio, television and film and a minor in global health while also pursuing a pre-medicine track.

“It was hard to schedule. My classes were in completely different parts of campus,” she says. “But I made it work. I want to be at the intersection of medicine and filmmaking in my career. Having those film classes motivated me and gave me a break from science classes.”

She explored that intersection with an assignment for a video production class. She initially hoped to produce a video on the Flint, MI, water crisis; when that didn’t work out logistically, her professor, documentary filmmaker Ines Sommer, suggested she do her project on lead poisoning in Chicago.

Her documentary, “Painted Poison,” tells the story of a single mother whose six-year-old son was diagnosed with severe lead poisoning. The family moved five times, but each unit in which they lived contained lead, exacerbating his cognitive disabilities.

“There are a lot of issues with landlords who don’t want to put money into fixing the problem. Plus it’s not specified in the leases, and members of the public don’t know to ask about it,” Karuparthy says. “It was so sad. The mother was doing everything she could to help her son.”

Karuparthy intends to help her future patients and thou-

Lakshmi Karuparthy wants to use filmmaking to advocate for patients “beyond the exam room.” sands more by sharing information about health topics.

She produced a video in December about the importance of getting the influenza vaccine to reduce the chance of contracting the flu and COVID-19. It featured Sheri Rocco, M.D., a pediatrician at Aurora Pediatrics in Pleasant Prairie, WI, and one of Karuparthy’s preceptors.

“She was really great at educating patients – breaking down complicated medical information so people can understand it,” says Karuparthy, who shares that goal for her dual career in medicine and filmmaking.

“I’m glad I found what I’m passionate about,” she adds.

“I don’t know exactly my path, but I’ll keep piecing it together year by year.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

9

C A M PUS N E WS

Paul Schenarts, M.D., FACS, professor of specialty medicine and interim associate dean for clinical affairs, and Jennifer Beaty, M.D., FACS, FASCRS, associate dean for graduate medical education and student advancement in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, were among the authors of “Promoting access of osteopathic medical students to surgical residency training programs,” published in the American Surgeon in December 2020.

Leslie Wimsatt, Ph.D., associate dean of academic assessment quality and development in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, was among the authors of “Status of entrustable professional activities (EPA) implementation at colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States and future considerations,” published in the November 2020 issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Julie Ronnebaum, M.P.T., GCS, D.P.T., Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy, in March was elected a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice, an honor extended to individuals who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering interprofessional practice, scholarship and policy in support of interprofessional care.

Leah Brandon, D.O.’12, M.S.A.’10, and Ruffin Tchakounte, M.S.A.’18, D.O.’22, were named to the 22nd annual list of the Des Moines Business Record’s Forty Under 40 honorees. Chosen by past award winners, these individuals are under the age of 40 and have demonstrated impressive career achievements and community involvement. Brandon is medical director of ChildServe, a central Iowa nonprofit organization that serves children with special health care needs. Tchakounte is a mentor to youth with a goal of inspiring them to consider careers in medicine.

Yujiang Fang, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology, was among the authors of “Potential use of kiwifruit extract for treatment of melanoma,” published in February in Medical Oncology. The study investigated whether kiwifruit extract has any effect on CRL-11147 melanoma cancer cells and the possible mechanisms behind the results, which suggest a potential use for kiwifruit extract in treatment of the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Muhammad Spocter, Ph.D., director of DMU’s master of science in anatomy program and associate professor of anatomy, was among an international group of researchers who authored “Amplification of potential thermogenic mechanisms in cetacean brains compared to artiodactyl brains,” published in the nature journal Scientific Reports in March.

Their findings include that cetaceans, such as dolphins and killer whales, have the internal metabolic machinery to heat their brains in the same manner that enables hibernating animals such as bears to heat their bodies during the winter. This discovery has implications for our understanding of brain evolution.

Nehad El-Sawi, Ph.D., assistant provost for educational innovation and enhancement, received the 2021 Edward Patrick Finnerty Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE). Named in honor of Edward “Pat” Finnerty, Ph.D., SC(ASCP), professor emeritus of physiology and pharmacology at DMU, the award is the highest level of recognition that IAMSE can bestow. It is given to IAMSE members who have demonstrated a sustained involvement in and commitment to the advancement of the association.

10

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Thomas Mehner, D.O.’21, and Drew Lewis, D.O.’03, FAOCPMR, interim chair of the osteopathic manual medicine department, were authors of “Osteopathic approach to treatment of carpal tunnel dysfunction: the carpal mobilization technique,” published in the November 2020 issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Taylor Hale, D.P.M.’22, was among the nine students, one from each college of podiatric medicine, to receive the $5,000 PICA Distinguished Scholar Award. Recipients were chosen based on academic excellence, vision for the future of podiatric medicine and surgery, relationships with peers, recommendations, demonstrated ability to manage the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial need.

Nathan Garner, D.O.’22, received the 2020 Sterling Welch, DO, Scholars Grant from the American Osteopathic Foundation.

One student from each osteopathic medical school or college is eligible for the award, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement, participation in extracurricular activities, strong commitment to osteopathic medicine and financial need.

Aubrey Massmann, D.O.’21, M.P.H.’21, was selected to receive a 2021 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee. She plans to begin the Inova Fairfax family medicine residency in Falls Church, VA.

IMAGE: Mauricio Antón

kudos

I

t’s cute, furry and 57,000 years old: Meet Zhùr, a perfectly preserved wolf pup that had been locked in the permafrost until she was discovered by a gold miner in Yukon, Canada. The remarkable condition of the pup, named by the local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people, gave researchers a wealth of insights about her age, lifestyle and relationship to modern wolves. The findings appeared Dec. 21 in the journal Current Biology.

“She’s the most complete wolf mummy that’s ever been found. All that’s missing are her eyes,” says first author Julie Meachen, Ph.D., an associate professor of anatomy at DMU. “And the fact that she’s so complete allowed us to do so many lines of inquiry on her to basically reconstruct her life.”

She and her fellow researchers believe the wolf pup died instantly when her den collapsed. “Our data showed that she didn’t starve, so we feel a bit better knowing the poor little girl didn’t suffer for too long,” Meachen says.

C A M PUS N E WS

Ancient wolves and dire wolves and modern wolves – OH, MY Associate Professor Julie Meachen was among researchers who published new knowledge about wolf species, which gained media attention worldwide.

The research team also was able to analyze the pup’s diet, which was heavily influenced by how close she lived to water. “Normally when you think of wolves in the Ice Age, you think of them eating bison or musk oxen or other large animals on land. One thing that surprised us was that she was eating aquatic resources, particularly salmon.”

Analyzing Zhùr’s genome also confirmed that she is descended from ancient wolves from Russia, Siberia and Alaska, who are the ancestors of modern wolves as well. The research team predicts more permafrost mummies will be found in the coming years.

“That’s a good way for science to reconstruct that time better, but it also shows us how much our planet is actually warming. We really need to be careful,” says Meachen.

The findings about Zhùr were reported in media outlets literally around the world, from the New York Times and National Geographic to Swedish National Television and Eurasia Review. A separate international research effort Meachen was part of received similar

Now on display at the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Center in Whitehorse, Yukon, Zhùr was approximately seven weeks old when her den collapsed. She remained largely intact for the next 57,000 years.

media attention – a first-of-its-kind study published Jan. 13 in the prestigious science journal Nature about a powerful predator well-known by all “Game of Thrones” fans: the dire wolf, depicted in the illustration above.

More than 50 scientists from 43 institutions were involved in sequencing five genomes from sub-fossil remains dating from 13,000 to more than 50,000 years ago. Their analysis showed that although dire wolves were long considered a sister species to gray wolves, dire wolves are so genetically distinctive that they represent not only a separate species, but a separate genus – Aenocyon, “terrible” or “dreadful” wolf.

In addition, the study showed that dire

wolves did not interbreed with other canid species – as other wolves, dogs and coyotes do – and so evolved in isolation. That may have contributed to their extinction an estimated 13,000 years ago. In addition, while the ancestors of the gray wolf and coyote evolved in Eurasia and then moved to North America, the dire wolf is now believed to have originated in America.

“This was the first instance of dire wolf DNA analysis,” Meachen says. “Through the whole history of paleontology, the dire wolf was thought to be related to the gray wolf, but it isn’t at all. This changes everything.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

11

Will changing times change us?

Or will we change them?

TRANSITIONS If the late American author William Bridges was right when he said, “It is when we are in transition that we are the most completely alive,” then these days we all are utterly beyond that state.

Most of us are experiencing transitions in every aspect of life. On the following pages are examples of the transitions we continue to have to make. Some reflect the passage of time, such as the retirement of longtime faculty; others are tragic, such as the deaths of more than three million people worldwide due to COVID-19.

And some are hugely positive, like the rapid development of effective vaccines against the disease.

Amid these seemingly countless transitions, some things are sure: Transitions are only going to continue, and the attitudes and actions we take – as individuals, communities and nations – will shape our future.

12

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

DMU students work to ease pandemic’s burden on community

By Hanna de Geest

I

©ISTOCKPHOTO/DAMIRCUDIC

N MY THREE YEARS as DMU’s community and public affairs manager, I’ve admired students for their selfless giving of time and talent to our community, but all through the pandemic they really stepped up.

They were juggling not only tests and board studying along with their devotion to the community, but also the threat of a worldwide pandemic. DMU’s unwavering institutional commitment to our community made it possible.

“Having the interest of the public good for our community and training future health care providers, this was a unique time to take our students’ education to a new level of how we respond during a pandemic,” says Sue Huppert, chief external and governmental affairs officer.

Rotations on hold, students jump in as early volunteers Students’ community engagement during the pandemic started on March 8, 2020, when Iowa’s Department of Public Health designated 211 as a point of contact for Iowans with coronavirus questions. Since then, the lines exploded. United Way of Central Iowa, which operates 211, reported a 300 percent increase in call volume. I was approached to see if DMU student volunteers would help staff the call center. I knew some students were eager to give back, but some had asked me for any virtual volunteer experiences as they did not feel safe going out in the community. Despite this, I put a call

out. Within hours I had names of hundreds of students willing to volunteer. Our students were not going to let fear of this new deadly virus stop them from helping those in need.

Pooja Gottumukkala, a third-year osteopathic medical student who had been sent home from her hospital rotation when the pandemic hit, figured working the phones would keep her mind active. She and her fellow classmates used their backgrounds along with information provided by the Polk County Health Department and the CDC to help guide callers. Though this sort of “telemedicine-lite” is not what Gottumukkala wants for her career, being on the phones gave her a deeper understanding of how scary it can be for those without a medical background to parse through science speak amid rising case counts and a deluge of obituaries.

“A lot of people who call feel like they are wasting our time, or they feel dumb because they are calling, and my first response is always, ‘No, you did the right thing,’” she says. “It’s been really impactful to see how just listening has eased people’s uncertainties, but also how having the screening line hopefully lets hospitals and providers focus on those who are truly very ill.”

Seventy-seven DMU students filled shifts at 211 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. five days a week.

Around the same time, Sydney Stanley (at left), a second-year osteopathic medical student and president of her class, was thinking about how sheltering-at-home and social distancing are not options for frontline health care employees. She – CONTINUED

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

13

TIONS The DMU Family Medicine Clinic also offered drive-through tests for the coronavirus. Rachel Doggett, MPAS’15, PA-C, administers the test to patient Noah Givant.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE – created the Des Moines Childcare and Household Management Resource Network to help with household and childcare tasks for members of the Polk County medical community, from physicians and nurses to pharmacists and custodians. Information about the network was disseminated via a joint effort with the Polk County Medical Society and central Iowa hospital and clinic systems.

Eighty students, representing all eight of DMU’s graduate degree programs, volunteered with the network.

“There was a need amongst medical personnel for support, and there was an excess of students who were equipped to serve this community,” Stanley says.

Demand for doses demands information, appointments In December the state of Iowa began receiving its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for health care workers. On Feb. 1, 2021, the state expanded vaccine eligibility to include those 65 and older. As expected, thousands of Iowans 65 and older immediately began to seek further information on how they were to receive the vaccine. Many quickly learned that the only way to do so was to book an appointment online with the various entities who have the vaccine (local health departments, pharmacies and some primary care

14

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

providers, for example). Because numerous Iowans lack Internet access and the technical savvy required to navigate all of the various ways in which one can acquire a vaccine appointment, the Polk County Health Department (PCHD) implemented a solution and reached out to DMU for help.

Carefully spaced-out telephone and computer stations, each surrounded with Styrofoam barriers, were set up at the Polk County River Place in Des Moines. A team of lead nurses now oversee the PCHD COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center, dedicated to assisting those 65 and older without computer/Internet access. The department and DMU recruited volunteers to answer phones Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. From PRN nurses to DMU students and employees, they are helping meet the need in our community.

Since its inception, DMU students and employees volunteered for 168 shifts at the center.

Students aid with vaccine distribution on campus DMU worked with PCHD and state and federal elected officials to be a vaccination site. During the week of March 15, the news arrived: the DMU Family Medicine Clinic would receive allocations of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning the following week.

I’d like to think that DMU’s drivethrough clinic will be the grand finale of our students’ volunteer efforts in this

“Typically in health care you are not allowed to provide care to your family members or close friends, as it creates too many conflicts of interest, but I made many allowances in this area and have been encouraging my team members to vaccinate their spouses when they come in for their vaccine appointment,” Johnson says. “This has been a long year, and it is amazing to see both the relief and the joy on a coworker’s face when they have just literally injected this life-protecting vaccine into the arm of their loved one.”

Ben Peters, a second-year osteopathic medical student, volunteered two of the three days during the clinic’s opening Mark Hedinger, D.O.’22, gives the first week. dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine “As I collected the to James Bartlett, a senior business check-in cards on intelligence analyst at the University.

Wednesday, I heard one of my classmates speaking another language with a patient waiting for his vaccine,” he says. “I approached her later to ask if everything was all right, and she detailed the serendipity of their shared Vietnamese. Though the patient had not requested an interpreter and would have been able to make it through the appointment with some more time and effort on our part, how fantastic is it that such assistance could be provided here in the heart produces an excitement that is indescribable.”

Almost immediately the phones began buzzing and Zoom of Iowa?

“It reminds me of the grit and beautiful diversity DMU meetings clicking on as departments across campus started represents in the care of our patients, students and staff,” to work out the numerous logistical and operational details.

Peters adds. “We’re making it happen right here in a parkAt least 80 percent of the vaccines DMU received needed ing garage off Grand Avenue, and it’s been exhilarating to be to be in arms by the end of the next week, or our allocation a part of that.” would not continue.

Thanks to the speedy collaboration of facilities, information technology services, external affairs, marketing and accounting, the DMU Vaccine Clinic was born. Students, faculty and employees all signed up to volunteer alongside the family medicine and radiology staff members. On As of March 26, DMU students and employees had volunteered Wednesday, March 24, patients with vaccine appointments approximately 9,000 hours for our community during the began to roll in. At the clinic, set up in a faculty parking pandemic. If these volunteers were given just minimum wage in ramp, patients in their cars or on foot were greeted, verified and then inoculated and sent on their way. Some family the state of Iowa, $7.25 USD per hour, this would represent an medicine staff even got the chance to give their significant economic benefit of $65,250. other the vaccine. pandemic. This clinic requires more student volunteers than anything we have done thus far. Additionally, because our task is administering the COVID-19 vaccine, each day brings us closer to a safer, protected community and world.

“Receiving the email that confirmed our shipment of vaccines was so relieving and humbling,” says Megan Johnson, M.S.N., R.N., OCN, practice manager for the clinic. “This is what we have been waiting for – the chance to truly take care of our patients. To be able to protect those we have sworn to care for by getting this vaccine into their arms

Community Impact

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

15

A conversation with retiring CPMS Dean Yoho Editor’s note: After working at DMU for the past 28 years,

including more than two decades as dean of the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, Robert Yoho, D.P.M., M.S., FACFAS, will retire as dean at the end of this academic year.

William Bui Tran, D.P.M.’23, M.S.A.’23, interviewed Yoho for an article, excerpted here with permission, that appeared Jan. 1, 2021, in Hallux Magazine, an online publication.

“I have one speed, full,” Yoho told Bui Tran. “It’s time to tap the brakes.”

Tell me about your background and how you became dean.

After finishing residency, I entered private practice in Pennsylvania. I really enjoyed private practice. But, before podiatric medicine, after receiving my master’s degree in biology/microbiology from Duquesne University, I worked as a research assistant at University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine and Public Health in the area of non-small cell lung cancer. After seven years of private practice, I reached a point that I would be disappointed in myself if I did not use those research skills I had developed. So I made the decision to enter into academic medicine.

I liked the idea where podiatric medical students take the same basic science curriculum as osteopathic medical students. I thought that was the future model for podiatric medical education. Turns out it was. That is what attracted me to Des Moines University.

In 1993, I started as a faculty member. I was appointed dean in 1997 by Dr. Richard Ryan, president of DMU at that time. I consider

16

Dr. Ryan to be one my most influential mentors.

How is DMU CPMS 20 years ago versus now?

When I arrived at DMU, the college had only graduated eight classes. The college was still trying to find its identity and make its mark as a contributing academic program to DMU. I’m a believer you need to prove to your colleagues that you have an exceptional academic program through academic performance, exceptional outcomes and assimilating into the organization’s systems. That takes time, but the opportunity was there.

Early on I noticed there was a clear distinction made between the osteopathic and the podiatric medical students at the basic science faculty level. Fast-forward to where we are today – the basic science faculty view the first-year class as medical students that include both

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

D.O. and D.P.M. students. I think that is a strong indicator of our progress.

What achievements of the college are you most proud of?

Our graduates have assumed leadership positions in our state and national professional organizations and as officers in the medical systems where they are on staff. Open our peer-reviewed journals, and there are many CPMS alums publishing excellent clinical studies.

I am very proud of the collaborative effort that resulted in the residency program at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, the six-figure gift from Bako Diagnostics in establishing the Bako Classroom and Clinical Skills Lab and establishing the endowed Becky Stills Scholarship, with the total amount raised and awarded exceeding $300,000.

When Dr. Ryan asked me to also serve as vice president for academic administration until DMU made a decision on a provost position, working with

faculty and administrative leadership, we removed DMU from the AAUP Censure List, implemented centralized admissions and assisted COM in gaining approval for the master of science programs in anatomy and biomedical sciences.

Where do you see the future of podiatric medicine?

If we are to advance as a profession, it is terribly critical to make advancements in the quality of our education across the continuum (podiatric medical school, residency, fellowship and CME).

As a profession, we keep trying to compare ourselves to M.D.s and D.O.s. Hoping those professions acknowledge we are like them is most likely not going to happen. Even those professions cite differences with each other. I don’t know that making that comparison will have the anticipated yield. If you deliver an excellent education and podiatric physicians provide the highest quality of care, that’s all the public, other health professions and legislators care about. That is where our focus should be.

Alumnus named CPMS dean Kevin Smith, D.P.M.’95, Ph.D., M.S., FACFAS, will take the reins as dean of the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (CPMS) on June 1, 2021. He currently serves as a professor and CPMS associate dean for clinical affairs as well as a podiatric physician in the DMU Clinic Foot and Ankle.

Smith joined the CPMS faculty in 1998 after working in private practice in New Jersey. Board-certified in foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot/ankle surgery, he is a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and a Diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Northern Iowa, a master of science degree from Drake University and a doctor of podiatric medicine degree from CPMS. He was chief surgical resident during his two-year podiatric surgery residency at Passaic Beth Israel Hospital in Passaic, NJ. Smith also earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and higher education from the University of Nebraska. He has frequently published and presented on aspects of medical education, including cultural competency program assessment, clinical evaluation of podiatric medical students and interprofessional learning, as well as on podiatric medical procedures. He has received awards at DMU for teaching, service and scholarship.

TRANSITIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2021

17

TRANSI Student’s late father continues to fuel her aspirations

“

Kelly Bang celebrates DMU’s 2019 White Coat Ceremony with her father, Chau Nguyen; her mother, Thuy Bang; and nephew, Dylan Yates.

My dad is the most selfless and hardworking individual I know. He was a lieutenant of the 7th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), during the Vietnam War and fled after Communist forces seized control of South Vietnam in 1975. He was then transported to a refugee camp in the Philippines where he met my mom. Without knowledge of English and barely anything in his pockets, he worked hard to start a new life in the United States.

Our family didn’t have much, but my parents did their best to make sure we had enough.

My dad worked long hours as a mechanic and always encouraged my sister and me to follow our dreams because he didn’t have that opportunity back home. He was my best friend and my cheerleader – the one who picked me up every time I fell and believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself.

My dad is the reason why I want to be a doctor, and his support has helped me build confidence in my ability to become one. I will never forget how elated he was the day I was accepted into DMU. I told my dad he could finally retire and not worry anymore, but he wanted to keep working to support me through medical school.

He continued working as a full-time semi-truck mechanic until he passed at age 76.

It has been difficult balancing medical school while grieving the loss of a parent during the pandemic. Life doesn’t stop, and it’s hard finding solace amidst the chaos. Some days are harder than others, but what helps keep me going is remembering my dad’s spirit still lives within me. I have a deeper appreciation for the personality traits I’ve acquired from him and seek comfort knowing I am a product of my parents’ resilience and sacrifices.

18

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

”

Even though my dad is no longer with me, his teachings and support continue. His passing taught me to not take health for granted and to view death as an inevitable yet beautiful part of life…I am more empathetic to others who experience loss and comfortable supporting my peers and future patients going through similar struggles.

First-generation college graduate Kelly Bang, D.O.’24, lost her father, Chau Nguyen, to COVID-19 complications in July. At DMU, this academic year she and classmate Jiyoon Song, D.O.’24, created a mentorship program matching DMU students with pre-medicine students at Drake University and Iowa State University.

ITIONS Robel wraps up three-plus decades of teaching

I

N HER 35 YEARS as a physical therapist and educator, Juanita Robel, P.T., taught hundreds of students, treated myriad patients, played key roles in revamping and updating curriculum, and served on committees at DMU and in her profession. The one thing she never did: coast.

“She never lost her passion to be her best and give her best to the University. That has influenced me as a professional and colleague,” says Tracy Porter, P.T.’94, D.P.T.’97, Ed.D., assistant professor and assistant director of clinical education in the doctor of physical therapy program. “She is fearless and loves a challenge.”

Switching to virtual education during the pandemic, for example: On Dec. 15, just one month before her Jan. 15 retirement as associate professor emeritus, Robel was a presenter in a faculty development session on using tools of technology to educate future health care providers during the pandemic. She joined DMU’s physical therapy program in 1989, the year before it graduated its very first class. Throughout her tenure, she considered curriculum development “really, really fun” and embraced the arduous preparations required for accreditation and reaccreditation.

“Our program is so far advanced because she is forward-thinking and had great ideas,” says Traci Bush, D.P.T.’95, OTR/L, D.H.S., associate professor who became director of the physical therapy program in 2005 in large part because of Robel’s encouragement.

“She pushed a lot, and we’ve all benefitted from that – all DMU programs have.”

Robel gained her epic work ethic early. Growing up in St. Louis, she worked weekends and weekdays, from 5:30 a.m. until it was time for her to go to school, at Mayer’s Pastries, an iconic bakery owned by her parents, John and Maria Mayer. After earning her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, she joined Younker Rehabilitation Center in Des Moines and began working with students there.

“I really enjoyed that,” she says. That led to her pursuing a master’s degree at Washington University, while she was also working full-time in clinical practice and teaching at Maryville College, a schedule she kept for three years. She took on new challenges as a medical/surgical supervisor at a large medical center in St. Louis, splitting her time between patient care and administrative duties.

Amid all Robel’s various hats, she “will always want to be recognized first and foremost as a physical therapist,” Bush says.

“That’s what drew her to academia,” she adds. “She has a great love for the profession and a desire to make sure it’s in good hands.

To do that, she wanted to teach.”

In that role, she is unforgettable. When the physical therapy department congratulated her on her retirement on its Facebook page in January, numerous former students posted comments praising her for always asking her favorite question: Why? “She always challenged us in our clinical reasoning and decisionmaking for choosing a specific treatment,” says Michelle Brown, P.T.’99, D.P.T., CCVT, who practices in the DMU Physical Therapy Clinic. “She could be intimidating, but she wanted us to think and be confident.”

Robel acknowledges her questioning style could be “off-putting,” especially to first-year students.

“They think that if they answer incorrectly, they’re going to be perceived as dumb, but that isn’t the case,” she says. “I wanted them to not just be rote-memorizers, but to understand the underlying pathophysiology and give me their rationale for treatment.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

19

CPMS alumna and her “mommy group” tackle PPE shortage

By Matt Jardin

R

eem Sheikh, D.P.M.’12, well remembers the early days of the pandemic. As a podiatric surgeon at New York Metropolitan, Lincoln and Harlem hospitals and a surgery faculty member at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, she experienced firsthand how shortages of life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE) impacted those working on the front lines of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This situation is a blessing because we have the opportunity to do something,” she recalled of the difficulties faced during the height of the pandemic. “But it’s also challenging because it’s difficult physically, emotionally and mentally. Protecting ourselves and our loved ones is not easy by any means. We’re used to chaos, but we’re used to controlled chaos. This is unknown territory.”

During the initial weeks of the pandemic, Sheikh witnessed the number of COVID-19 cases rapidly increase from the teens to the hundreds of thousands. As she watched her residents and colleagues keep pace with the growing pandemic, she put out a call for help on social media.

“I reached out to my mommy group on Facebook, and I posted a plea for myself and my residents,” she said. “Within hours, a local school donated 40 pairs of goggles, snacks and another volunteer sent 400 masks. Then I posted a thank-you video and it sort of went viral.”

20

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

CBS News saw Sheikh’s message and conducted an interview, which caught the attention of even more people who wanted to contribute. To manage the increase of goodwill, she partnered with four members from her Facebook group who continued fundraising, vetting PPE vendors and managing public relations. Since her initial request, Sheikh received over $18,000 to order PPE for her surgical residents, colleagues and staff in various hospital departments.

“People are homebound, but they want to help those fighting on the front lines,” she said. “I’m so humbled by the response we received. It really has been a tremendous effort and would not have been possible without the support of my mom volunteers. Moms get things done.”

Sheikh didn’t always know she wanted to pursue a career in surgery and podiatry. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, she moved to St. Mary’s, AK, at the age of 13.

Health care disparities she noticed in rural Alaska led to her initial discovery of podiatry in high school. After graduating at the age of 15, she proceeded to the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she continued to be heavily involved in

Reem Sheikh, D.P.M.’12, who serves patients at three New York City hospitals, mobilized fellow moms on Facebook to help acquire PPE during the darkest days of the city’s COVID-19 surge. The call for donations and subsequent response went viral. She credits her son, Sarim, for connecting her to her “mommy group” in the first place.

student government, the honors program, undergraduate research and activism.

Last October, the university honored her with an Alumni

Emerging Leader Award.

Sheikh continued to coordinate the outpouring of thousands of PPE donations — no longer just to the city’s medical facilities, but to schools, religious facilities and minority communities across the country and at home in Alaska.

“If an opportunity comes your way, don’t hesitate to step up and speak up because we are all in this together,” she said. “At the end of the day, all credit goes to my son who is two and a half. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be on these mommy groups and this campaign would not have been this grand.

Because what do moms do? They talk to each other to figure stuff out.”

Matt Jardin is a communications specialist in the University of Alaska Anchorage advancement office.

This article appeared on the UAA website on Sept. 28 and is excerpted with permission.

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ANDREYPOPOV

TRANSITIONS

THE NEW NORMAL:

DMU to train health care providers in telehealth DMU has been awarded a $2 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to foster expertise in telemedicine: The funding will help support the acquisition of the latest telehealth technology and equipment that will be part of the University’s planned state-of-the-art simulation center on its new campus, which is set to open in 2023 at 8025 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines.

“This EDA investment will help train Des Moines area health care providers in telehealth technologies critical to responding to the pandemic, while also preparing students for the future of health care delivery,” says Dennis Alvord, acting assistant secretary of commerce for economic development.

The project will permit providers and students to train with simulated and live patients to advance clinical training.

“We are very grateful to the offices of Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Congresswoman Cindy Axne and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for their advocacy and support,” says DMU President and CEO Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D. “This important investment will enhance the training of professionals who will make telehealth a permanent offering in our health care system.”

Advanced equipment will include innovations in simulation labs, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, among others. “Having the ability to use telehealth programs has been more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as we look forward it will be critical for Iowans to have a variety of care options,” President Franklin says.

“Furthermore, we hope to partner with other health care organizations, which will allow us to move forward with technology that will enable future health care professionals to deliver care within our rural communities,” she adds.

The EDA grant award is aligned with the innovation priorities of Purple & Proud, the Campaign for Des Moines University.

Visit campaign.dmu.edu for more information.

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

21

TRANSITIONS

“

What has health care learned from the pandemic?

The first lesson I learned is how dumb I am. A year and a month ago,

given the oxygen saturation levels we were seeing, I couldn’t have imagined not intubating people. We in Iowa got to learn from our confreres in New York and benefit from the pain and suffering of people there.

“

“This is stuff your mother taught

you – wash your hands! Don’t spit on people! These simplistic

lessons kind of got lost in all the technology. It’s like telling a 16-year-old: ‘You’re going to get your driver’s license, so I’m going to give you a new car, with only a few miles on it from the dealership. It will be pristine. But the caveat is that it’s the only car you will ever have.’ You would take great care of that car. That’s how we need to take care of our bodies.

The virus doesn’t know squat; it doesn’t know the seasons. We do, and we can avoid some risks with our behaviors.”

“

Telemedicine is the silver lining on the heavy cloud of the pandemic,

which forced us to think outside of the box. We also tailored our triage process based upon the patients’ symptoms so that it’s safer. The use of Zoom in medical education also shifted the paradigm to a hybrid that I don’t think is going to go away.

“Hindsight is 20/20, but I wish that physicians would have had a louder stance early in the pandemic. We shouldn’t be a third world country, with so many resources, to be first in the number of deaths from COVID-19.

“I always communicate to our residents that this is the time they will look back on what they wrote in their personal statement to get into medical school, which typically relates to how they want to affect change in a positive way. These medical students saw a completely different side of medicine.”

Thomas Benzoni, D.O.’83, EM, AOBEM, FACEP, is assistant professor of family and internal medicine at DMU and an emergency medical physician in Des Moines. He was featured in interviews in the Des Moines Register multiple times during the pandemic.

22

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Christopher Colbert, D.O.’03, FACOEP, FACEP, FAAEM, is the assistant residency director and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago as well as chair of continuing medical education for the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians. During the pandemic, he was featured regularly on ABC7 Chicago’s news programs and the eHealth Radio Network in discussions about coronavirus. Also a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, he planned to deploy in May to provide medical services in Honduras, El Salvador and Colombia.

“

The pandemic shut everything down on a Friday; I started my new job the following Monday. Probably the hardest piece was trying to ensure calm within our team and keep everyone safe. They didn’t know me, and I was trying to learn everyone’s name. We made an immediate overnight shift with an incident command team that brought everyone together. It was important that our people felt safe, their voices were being heard and their families were being taken care of, including mentally. It was a huge reminder that it doesn’t

matter if there’s a pandemic or flu outbreak; you just have to be sure you’re giving your team what it needs.

“

“Supply procurement has been a huge lesson learned for everyone in health care – anticipating needs and making sure we have enough supplies to get us through.

“One thing we did really well was to ramp up communication among all employees. Starting in April [2020], I made a weekly recording on an iPad that everyone received on what was happening with COVID-19 and what we were doing. That was challenging since every day was different and sometimes things were changing by the hour, but you have to roll with the punches.”

“

The pandemic brought different groups together that hadn’t worked together before. We devel-

oped rapport with our schools and had more interaction with hospital systems, infectious disease doctors, long-term care facilities, laboratories and other organizations. We worked with people in social services to help people in their system who are experiencing homelessness, who are addicted and who were COVID-positive who needed services.

“I hope we continue to enhance surveillance and our data analysis systems. I hope it’s not just one bolus of ‘Yay, public health!’ and then that support goes away.”

Kyle Kellum, M.H.A.’12, is chief executive officer of Cherry County Hospital and Clinic, a 21-bed critical access hospital and multispecialty clinic in Valentine, NE.

Emily Hanlin, M.P.H.’20, is an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services in its public health division. During the pandemic, she has focused on COVID-19 case investigations and contact tracing as well as monitoring vector-borne diseases and tuberculosis. Her master of public health capstone project was on the implementation of a molecular epidemiology program for epidemiologists in Delaware, using genetic sequences to infer whether infectious disease outbreaks or clusters are related.

I never thought my name would be on a letter to Nancy Pelosi. As members of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, we asked to be put on the front lines for COVID-19 treatment if our help was needed. The pandemic taught us to be open

to change and adaptable and to accept the fact that nothing is constant.”

Scott Nelson, D.P.M.’00, FACFAS, is a foot and ankle surgeon with the CHI Health Department of Orthopedics in Omaha, NE; immediate past president of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons; and the 2020 College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Alumnus of the Year.

What are your pandemic takeways?

What transitions have you experienced, and what has sustained you along the way?

DMU WANTS TO KNOW: Share your perspectives by contacting editor Barbara Dietrich Boose at barbara.boose@dmu.edu or via mail to DMU, 3200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

23

ALUMNI NE WS

making the most of

SECOND CHANCES To call Brian Ferguson, D.O.’15, M.P.H.’15, a “Renaissance man” would be an understatement. Prior to enrolling at DMU, he was an astrophysics data and research analyst for the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the science program for the NASA Hubble telescope, as well as a competitive gymnast on the trampoline. He decided to pursue medicine to contribute to improving people’s health.

While he was competing in USA Gymnastics trampoline and tumbling, he pursued dual degrees in DMU’s osteopathic medicine and public health programs. He also experienced an eight-week internship with the World Health Organization during which he wrote proposals and advocated for funding to address the international problem of poor early childhood growth and development.

Now an active-duty emergency medical physician in the U.S. Air Force, Ferguson works at a trauma center, Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, MS – that is, when he isn’t flying overseas on a C-17 ICU biocontainment aircraft to fetch U.S. citizens in other countries who are extremely sick with an infectious pathogen, such as the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) or Ebola. In the last few months while completing his second

Brian Ferguson, at left and above in a surgical gown (back row), was in Qatar on a COVID-19 mission, C-17s in the background. Above right, he preps critical care equipment before the team picks up a patient.

24

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

A LU M N I N E WS

“Science is so important in knowing the latest and greatest; the humanities keep my soul in it.”

deployment with the Air Force, he’s been to Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Jordan, Niger and Qatar, to name a few places.

He spent his first deployment embedded with a Marine Special Operations Team in the Southern Arabian Peninsula, during which he wrote his first novel, The Keeper of Keys. Published in January, the book is about a couple who desperately long for a child and then have their hope fulfilled. Yet the blessing comes with complications.

“I learned from my mentors at DMU—Dr. Amy Shriver and Dr. Gary Hoff—that sometimes the best doctors are people who are well-rounded and make the most of the time they have,” he says.

Ferguson wrote The Keeper of Keys initially as a gift to his wife, Alyssa, after the couple struggled to get pregnant before the birth of their children, Connor and Elijah. She is credited as one of the book’s three editors.

“Without her, there is no way this book would be published,” he says. “The main character has her voice. I heard her in my head the whole time I wrote it.”

A skiing accident when he was an undergraduate helps fuel his motivation. “I broke my neck in two places, lost my kidney and had a category 5 laceration to my liver, along with other issues from which God saved me,” he says. “I try not to forget this second chance—and I want to do the most with the time that I have been given.”

Yet another hat Ferguson wears is as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Wellness, a peer-reviewed, open-access indexed journal about how to stay well in medical practice. He launched the journal in 2019 with Martin Huecker, M.D., an assistant professor in the emergency medicine department

at the University of Louisville, where Ferguson completed his residency. Currently in its third volume, it recently was accredited with inclusion in the Directory of Open Access Journals and, as of this writing, was only a few articles away from inclusion in PubMed, the free online archive of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

“I’m excited about it and how it’s really taken off,” Ferguson says. “On the editorial board we now have 67 experts in wellness and resilience representing universities from Mayo to Mount Sinai to Harvard. It is free to submit, free to read and open to all realms of clinical practice.”

This Renaissance man plans to keep focus on his priorities of family and faith while continuing medical practice and fiction and nonfiction writing.

“Science is so important in knowing the latest and greatest; the humanities keep my soul in it,” he says.

For more information about Brian Ferguson and the Journal of Wellness, visit fergyfiction.com, journalofwellness.com and practiceofwellness.com. Information about The Keeper of Keys is available on his website and Amazon.com.

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

25

A LU M N I N E WS

A childhood in wartime inspired a health care career

BY JASMINA SALCINOVIC-SPAHIC, DMSC, MMSC, M.H.A.’18, PA-C, DFAAPA

The Bosnian War (April 1992 – December 1995) changed the life of Jasmina Salcinovic-Spahic, DMSc, MMSc, M.H.A.’18, PA-C, DFAAPA. She has been a practicing physician assistant (PA) for 12 years and currently works in medical hematology-oncology at the Veterans Affairs Central Iowa Health Care (VACIHC) System in Des Moines. A member of the PA Professional Standards Board at VACIHC, she is a preceptor for DMU PA students and recently launched a threemonth mentorship program for pre-PA students.

This story is excerpted with permission from an article that was posted Jan. 8, 2021, on the American Academy of Physician Assistants website.

I

was 10 years old when the Bosnian War started.

We lived in Zenica, not far from Sarajevo, and before the war, our country (Yugoslavia) was strong politically and economically. Both my parents worked, and we often travelled and visited other parts of Europe and Yugoslavia. We lived a good life. When the war started, our lives changed immensely. We went from being a middle-class family to being poor overnight.

1993 and 1994 were especially hard. We children learned to hide and seek shelter whenever we heard sirens announcing bombarding. There was bombarding almost every day. On the radio, we often heard of villages burned down, people killed and genocide. It was very scary.

There was a shortage of medical personnel and supplies in each city. Seeing this, I developed a desire to help people and be in a medical field.

We did not have much food or water. Each day we carried water from the local springs, sometimes several kilometers away. Electricity was off for most days, so we used oil and thread (candles were too expensive) to have light at night. In the winter, we went to the local forest and my father cut down a tree, which we all dragged to our home, cut it into pieces, and used it to stay warm over the cold winter months.

I remember being scared whether we would be able to make it through another day. I remember my parents

26

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

not eating for a few days so my brother and I could have food. I remember going with my mother to knock on other people’s doors, asking for food. It was hard.

In 1995, through family members, Jasmina Salcinovic-Spahic my aunt and uncle were able to obtain visas and moved to Atlanta. A year later, my aunt was able to send visas to my parents. We went through multiple interviews and had to undergo medical exams and lab testing before we were approved to come to the United States.

In May 1997, I came home from school one day, two weeks before the end of eighth grade. We had received a letter from the American Embassy. We left for the United States two days later. We arrived in Atlanta on May 23, 1997. We settled in Clarkston, GA, where our aunt and uncle lived, as well as many other Bosnian refugees. We started our new life with two bags of belongings. We spoke no English. Local churches and nonprofit organizations helped us with food and gave us blankets. The first year, even communicating to buy groceries was a struggle. We had a Serbo-Croatian/English dictionary and would memorize words and quiz each other every night after dinner. My father instilled in my brother and me that education was the path to a better life for us. We slept on the floor in our apartment for months, but we were happy to be in a free country, have food, and that we didn’t have to worry about war anymore.

In high school, I threw myself into studies and extracurriculars. I started college locally, in Clarkson, as a pre-med student, then transferred to Georgia State University for my bachelor of science in psychology.

While I was an undergrad, I worked part-time at CVS as a pharmacy tech. At the time, my goal was to go to medical school. But one day, a physician came by and spoke with the pharmacist about their chosen medical careers.

A LU M N I N E WS

During the conversation, the physician mentioned “PA connections with my patients – all of them veterans. I have program.” I asked: What is a PA program? He explained had some of my most meaningful moments seeing these the profession was fairly new but gives lots of flexibility to veterans smile as a result of the care I provided to them, practice in many medical specialties, and that I should look in addition to hearing their stories about war and all the into it. He offered to get me places they have visited. in touch with someone from “There was a shortage of medical Their military experiences Emory University who could personnel and supplies in each city. and war stories inspired me share more about the profesand motivated me to push Seeing this, I developed a desire to sion, and I took him up on it. myself to work even harder I shadowed PAs in family help people and be in a medical field.” and broaden my knowledge practice, dermatology and and skills. As a result, I have orthopedics. I fell in love with the profession. I applied to completed both a master’s degree in health care adminisEmory’s PA program and was accepted. I remember how tration from DMU and a doctorate of medical science from happy I was, and I never looked back. the University of Lynchburg with a fellowship in mediAfter I graduated, I moved to Iowa with my husband, cal hematology-oncology. In April 2020, the American who lived there. My first job was in family practice in Academy of Physician Assistants recognized me with the Chariton, IA. I also took call at the emergency department. Distinguished Fellow designation.

I took advantage of the flexibility of the PA profession. Not As a PA, the most rewarding experience for me has only did I move between specialties, I also chose to work been when I see my patients get and feel better as a repart time to better balance my work and family life. sult of care I provided. Throughout my career, I’ve tried At the VA, I work in medical hematology-oncology. to remember: Never give up, always keep learning and Given my experience with war in Bosnia, I instantly felt expand knowledge and skills as much as possible.

PA graduate serves profession, students as PAEA board member In elementary school, Shaun Grammer, D.M.Sc., PA-C’07, would finish his homework and circulate around the classroom to assist other students. He enrolled at Iowa State University with the initial plan of becoming a high school mathematics teacher. He instead changed his major five times, earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and exercise science and then graduated from DMU’s physician assistant program. However, teaching was always in the back of his mind.

The opportunity arose when he was invited to teach night classes at a small college in Cedar Falls, IA. He eventually transitioned to full-time educator at Indiana State University’s physician assistant program.

“I loved it. There was so much energy among the students,” he says. “I enjoy helping them realize their goals and explaining to them complex concepts, so they have those ‘ah-ha’ moments.”

Grammer now is chair of the department

of medical sciences, program director in the division of physician assistant education and an associate professor in the College of Allied Health Professions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). He also is a director at large on the board of the Physician Assistant Education Association, the national organization representing PA educational programs. PAEA provides faculty development, assistance for accredited programs and resources for students.

“I leaned heavily on the association when I was a student,” he says. “It provides so much education and support to programs and faculty. Other professionals in the association help up-and-comers. I felt I wanted to give back, too.”

Before joining UNMC in 2018, Grammer was founding director of the physician assistant studies program at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha. He served as an admissions coordinator for the program as well as an academic coor-

dinator in PA studies at Indiana State University.

“I’ve loved all of my teaching jobs,” he says.

He also is proud to be one of several DMU graduates who are PA educators, including classmates Holland Taylor, PA-C’07, now director of the University’s PA program; Angela Grundmeyer, PA-C’07, an assistant professor in the program who was Grammer’s anatomy lab partner; and Cortney Kueter, PA-C’07, a clinician at Grand River Medical Group in Dubuque, IA, and an assistant professor and admission director for the PA program at the University of Dubuque.

“DMU made a big impact on me, and the network of DMU grads is strong,” Grammer says.

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

27

CL ASS NOTES 1962 Perry Kaplan, D.O.’62, is a family physician affiliated with Jefferson Health New Jersey, including Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital, Jefferson Stratford Hospital and Jefferson Washington Township Hospital. He is boardcertified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians.

1973 Lynn Feldman, D.O.’73, M.P.H., joined the medical staff at Brook Lane Health Services in its Frederick, MD, outpatient office. She is a psychiatrist who works with clients of all ages with autistic spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety, mood and psychotic disorders. She is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry and addiction medicine.

1976 Irvin Benowitz, D.O.’76, M.S., is a practicing geriatrician with Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA. He also serves as medical director of AAA Comprehensive Healthcare Inc., a federally qualified health center in North Hollywood that serves individuals with limited access to health care, including low-income, uninsured and under-insured people. Board-certified in geriatric medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians and in family medicine/ OMT and preventive 28

Tell us about yourself! We’ll post news of marriages, births, career changes, retirements and other achievements. Either fill out the attached card or e-mail Class Note information to alumni@dmu.edu.

medicine-aerospace medicine by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons, Benowitz is a chief physician and chief flight surgeon on retirement from the U.S. Air Force, holding the rank of colonel.

John “Jack” Wood, D.O.’76, FACEP, is an emergency physician retired from clinical practice after 44 years.

He was chair, medical director and chief of staff of two emergency departments in the Sacramento area and served for seven years in the U.S. Air Force.

Wood was a physician informaticist for Dignity Health San Francisco and, for 25 years, a senior oral examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

He currently serves as a health care consultant to a large school district.

The founding medical director of the nation’s largest private paramedic and emergency medical technician training college, he continues to be the medical director for several EMS agencies in the Sacramento region; chair of the credentials and bylaws committees for Dignity Health’s five-hospital system in the greater Sacramento division; and a clinical professor in the College of Medicine, California Northstate University.

1978 William Clearfield, D.O.’78, FAAMA, DABMA, FAARFM, is the executive director of the American Osteopathic Society of Rheumatic Diseases and the medical director at Clearfield Family Medicine in Reno, NV. He lectures widely and presented original research on the endocrinology of autism at the OMED 2020 virtual symposium in October.

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

1984 Thomas Geraci, D.O.’84, after 35 years in emergency medicine, opened a new private practice, Summit Brain Health, in San Carlos, CA, as his “retirement project.”

Gary Salem, D.O.’84, FHM, is a hospitalist and founder and chief executive officer of Case Management Consultants LLC in Troy, MI, which provides hospitals, health systems and health care providers with technology-supported independent physicians as advisers. Salem also is the vice president of medical affairs at McLaren Lapeer Regional Medical Center in Lapeer, MI, and an associate professor of medicine at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

1985 Bruce Baker, D.O.’85, and Susan Naum-Baker, D.O.’85, both family medicine physicians, joined the MDVIP primary care network in Grand Rapids, MI. MDVIP offers membership-based health care with a national network of more than 1,000 primary care physicians and more than 340,000 patients focused on prevention and personalized health care.

artist during December 2020 at Chef’s Palette, a Cary restaurant.

Laurel Walton, D.O.’86, a boardcertified obstetrician and gynecologist, joined Greene County General Hospital at its My Linton Clinic’s Women’s Health Center in Linton, IN.

1989 Jodi Cahalan, Ph.D., PA-C’89, M.S.’93, M.P.H.’01, DFAAPA, was honored for her accomplishments with the 2021 Outstanding Alumni Award from the North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) Alumni Association. She served as the keynote speaker during NIACC’s 31st annual Pathways to Success event on April 9, 2021. Cahalan spent a majority of her career with Des Moines University, retiring as dean of the College of Health Sciences in December 2020.

1990

Troy Boffeli, D.P.M.’90, FACFAS, Collin Messerly, D.P.M.’18, and Tyler Sorensen, D.P.M.’18, were authors of “Ideal angle of upper and lower syndesmotic fixation based on weightbearing computed tomographic imaging in uninjured ankles,” published in the November 2020 issue of Andrea Frank, D.O.’86, the Journal of Foot and FACOI, is board-certified Ankle Surgery. Boffeli in internal medicine and is residency director clinical lipidology and at Regions Hospital/ had her own practice in HealthPartners Institute New Jersey for more than in St. Paul, MN, where 25 years. Now residing Messerly and Sorensen in Cary, NC, she is a are residents. Boffeli professional artist and art also was lead author of instructor in a medium “Accuracy of palpation called “fluid art,” a form to identify the medial of poured painting. branch of the medial She was the featured dorsal cutaneous nerve in medial column

1986

surgery: correlation of preoperative nerve marking with intraoperative findings during lapidus fusion,” published in the January 2021 issue of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Daniel S. Brandwein, D.P.M.’90, FACFAS, a Florida board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, joined the board of directors of CBD Unlimited Inc. (EDXC), formerly known as Endexx Corp., a provider of innovative phytonutrient-based food and nutritional products.

In addition to his expertise in pain management and therapeutic treatments, he has participated in clinical trials and has authored several scientific papers.

He did clinical trials with Yale University and Daniel Kiddy, D.P.M.’90, for peripheral neuropathy treatment.

1991 James Byrd, D.O.’91, is associate director of psychiatry services for the eastern region of Compass Health Network, which serves 45 counties in Missouri.

S. Vincent Grasso, D.O.’91, MSIS, M.B.A., global practice lead for health care and life sciences with IPsoft in New York, in September discussed implications of advances in information technology and artificial intelligence in an online session hosted by the Association of Academic Health Centers. DMU President and CEO Angela Walker Franklin, Ph.D., facilitated the discussion.

1992 Linda Auer, D.O.’92, an ophthalmology specialist, began providing cataract surgery at

OSF HealthCare Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth, IL. She has provided outpatient services at OSF Galesburg Clinic for the OSF Medical Group for more than 22 years.

1993 Michael Kricko, D.O.’93, is a primary care physician with AssociatesMD in Weston, FL. He is board-certified in internal medicine.

1994 Matthew Bagan, D.O.’94, is a boardcertified general surgeon at 21st Century Oncology in Port Charlotte, FL. He specializes in general surgery, including surgery of the breast and abdomen, laparoscopic procedures, upper endoscopy, colonoscopy and capsule “pill cam” endoscopy.

Teddy Lee, D.O.’94, is the facility medical director and chair of the emergency medicine department at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, NY.

1995 Brian Matthys, D.O.’95, and Sunflower Dermatology, the practice he founded in 2004 in Kansas City and St. Joseph, MO, joined Epiphany Dermatology, a company that partners with dermatologists at 58 locations in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas to provide general dermatology, skin cancer care, Mohs surgery, cosmetic services and additional dermatologic services. A board-

CL A SS N OTES certified dermatologist, Matthys is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, the American Society for Mohs Surgery and the Kansas City Dermatologic Society, which he served as president from 2012 to 2013.

Deric Ravsten, D.O.’95, is a boardcertified psychiatrist and proprietor of Life Change Associates in Pocatello, ID. He has a broad range of practice experience including working in outpatient and inpatient clinical settings with children, adults and the elderly.

1996 Matthew Dikin, D.O.’96, moved to Reno, NV, in 2017 and has been working as an intensive care locum during the pandemic. He hopes to add emergency medicine and urgent care as he practiced in Michigan.

Tim McCoy, D.O.’96, has worked as a family practice physician at MercyOne South in Des Moines for 22 years. In January 2021 he became a member of the Warren County, IA, Extension Council. He and his wife, Kathy, are co-leaders of their children’s 4H Club.

1997 Jenna Collins, D.O.’97, joined the family medicine faculty at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, the medical school of Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA. She supports students in the first-year clinical medicine and reasoning curriculum.

Board-certified in family medicine and integrative medicine, Collins previously practiced at Samaritan Health Services at the

Heartspring Wellness Clinic in Corvallis, OR. Bob Rahmanian, D.O.’97, was appointed medical director for Cypress Cove, a continuing care retirement community in South Fort Myers, FL. He also continues in his role as medical director for the organization’s in-home care business, Cypress at Home. A credentialed hospice physician, Rahmanian has 20 years’ experience as an emergency department physician and has worked with skilled nursing facilities in Lee and Collier counties in Florida for the past five years.

Arthur “A.J.” Ronan, D.O.’97, a family medicine physician, joined the MDVIP primary care network in Lansing, MI. MDVIP offers membershipbased health care with a national network of more than 1,000 primary care physicians and more than 340,000 patients focused on prevention and personalized health care.

1998 Eric Johnson, PA-C’98, a physician assistant in family practice with Ogden Clinic in Ogden, UT, was the winner of Utah’s Best of State award as Best Male Amateur Athlete and the overall winner of “Best of the Best” in the sports and recreation category. A veteran of cross-country ultramarathons, he has completed the Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) on foot several times, including finishing the 350-mile race in March 2021 in just under nine days. In 2019, he became only the sixth person ever to have completed the 1,000-mile ITI on foot in less than 30 days.

1999 Kathryne Buege, D.O.’99, practices family and emergency medicine at Mash Urgent

Care, which has several clinics in the Tonawanda and Amherst, NY, area.

Rajesh Dhirmalani, D.O.’99, a board-certified gastroenterologist with Advanced Gastroenterology Group in Union, NJ, was approved by NJ Top Docs for 2020.

He joined Advanced Gastroenterology Group in 2008 and has privileges at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, as well as Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, NJ. Christopher Harrison, D.O.’99, board-certified in family medicine, joined the medical staff at McLaren Flint. He sees patients at McLaren Flint-Fenton Family Medicine in Fenton, MI. Charles “Randy” Radmer, D.O.’99, joined Mosaic Specialty Care-West’s complement of family medicine physicians. He sees patients in the Maryville, MO, clinic and at Mosaic Family Care in Savannah, MO. He also continues to serve in the National Guard after several years of active duty military service in the U.S. Army, including deployment to a variety of countries and locations.

Robert G. Smith, D.P.M.’99, M.Sc., R.Ph., had published in the Journal of Current Medical Research and Opinion in October his article, “An argument for the use of amantadine to treat complex regional pain syndrome.” The article describes the results of his literature search focused on amantadine, memantine and ketamine as treatments for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and literature accounts centered on the effective use of amantadine to treat pain syndromes. Smith is a podiatric physician based in Ormond Beach, FL.

Reunion JOIN US FOR A VIRTUAL

MAY 26, 2021

Mark your calendars and polish your computer screen: DMU invites members of the classes of 1981, 1980, 1971, 1970 and all prior years to join a virtual reunion celebration on May 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. CST. It will be a wonderful way to reconnect with classmates, share your news and learn what’s happening at DMU (spoiler alert: a lot of great things are happening at DMU).

To register, visit dmu.edu/alumni and click on the right-hand link “Reunion.”

The reunion also will honor the 2020 DMU Alumni of the Year: Dave Kapaska, D.O.’86, M.B.A., College of Osteopathic Medicine; Scott Nelson, D.P.M.’00, College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery; and Tray Wade, M.H.A.’08, College of Health Sciences.

To read more about these distinguished graduates, visit dmu.edu/2020-aoty.

In addition, all alumni and friends of the University are encouraged to submit, by Dec. 31, nominations for the 2022 Alumni of the Year (AOTY) and for a new award, the Rising Star, which will honor a graduate of the past 15 years for noteworthy contributions to their industry or community. The DMU Alumni Association Board will select one graduate for that award and one from each DMU college for the AOTY honor. For more information or to submit a nomination, select from the “Quick Links” at dmu.edu/alumni.

DON’T LET SOCIAL DISTANCING STOP A GOOD TIME!

RSVP TODAY dmu.edu/alumni

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

29

CL A SS N OTES CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

2000 Jeffrey Ditzell, D.O.’00, offers in-person ketamine infusion therapy sessions that include psychotherapy to combat treatmentresistant depression at his newly remodeled New York City private psychiatry practice.

He went through an intensive training program with one of the top anesthesiologists at the Ketamine Institute.

Prior to opening his own practice, he served as the chief of an inpatient dual diagnosis unit, the lead attending in two psychiatric emergency departments, the lead physician of an assisted community treatment team, and the

medical director of a large multidisciplinary nonprofit organization.

Ditzell retired at the end of 2018 as lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. He has completed fellowships in addiction psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine and public psychiatry. Host of the “Psychs & The City” podcast, Ditzell has been featured in Forbes and on the website Healthline and is a medical reviewer for Insider.

Atur Kasha, D.O.’00, is a board-certified general surgeon who leads Desert West Vein and Surgery Center in El Paso, TX. He also serves on the board of directors at El Paso Day Surgery Center.

2003 Cameron French, PA-C’03, joined Alpine Dermatology in Rexburg and Idaho Falls, ID. He had practiced dermatology in Rigby, ID, for the past 17 years.

2004 Bryan Folkers, D.O.’04, FACOS, is a plastic surgeon with Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines.

2005 Rachel Balloch, D.P.M.’05, is a podiatric physician with Advanced Foot and Ankle Specialists in

CPMS alumnus takes office as ACFAS secretary-treasurer Eric Barp, D.P.M.’01, FACFAS, took office as secretarytreasurer of the 7,800-member American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) on March 4, 2021, during the virtual ACFAS annual member business meeting.

“I am honored to be selected secretary-treasurer of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons,” he says.

“ACFAS is an organization dedicated to providing education and promoting the profession. I am privileged to be part of the college and committed to advancing our specialty.”

Barp is a foot and ankle surgeon with the Iowa Clinic in Des Moines. He is board-certified in foot, reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and is an ACFAS Fellow.

Barp completed his residency in foot and ankle surgery at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines.

He lectures both nationally and internationally, and his research has been published in numerous textbooks and journals.

30

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Avon, CT. She serves as an attending physician at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, CT, a position she has held since 2009.

She also serves as an instructor in the surgery department, podiatry section, at the hospital.

Erica Carrick, M.H.A.’05, LPN, AAS, was awarded the Alumni Early Achievement Award from Des Moines Area Community College.

As a DMACC student, she helped create the nursing club Ankeny Urban Student Nurses Association, and she has continued partnering with the club. Carrick is the director of nursing at Primary Health Care Inc. in Urbandale, IA. Robert Csintalan, D.P.T.’05, joined the Corvallis Clinic in Corvallis, OR. Most of his work has been in outpatient clinics and acute care orthopedics, and he also has a background in manual therapy.

Steve Perkins, D.O.’05, continues to practice as an outpatient-based family medicine physician with the Mayo Clinic Health System, now in its La Crosse, WI, facility.

He also serves as vice chair of education for the Mayo-Southwest Wisconsin region and the administrative lead physician at the La Crosse Family Medicine Clinic.

In addition, he works in the family medicine residency program, teaching osteopathic and allopathic, nurse practitioner and physician assistant students.

2006

Amy Petersen, D.O.’06, is a board-certified pediatrician with Cornerstone Pediatrics and Family Allergy in West Des Moines.

Travis Rumery, D.O.’06, on Oct. 1 joined the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences comprehensive ophthalmology service team at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He sees patients at the UW Health Deming Way Eye Clinic in Middleton and at the Mile Bluff Medical Clinic in Mauston. He had spent the previous six years in practice with SSM Health Davis Duehr Dean Eye Care in Madison.

Shad Schrader, PAC’06, joined Steindler Orthopedic Clinic, which has several locations in eastern Iowa.

Nita Vellody, D.O.’06, was named regional medical director for Oregon at Daiya Healthcare, a multispecialty postacute physicians’ group based out of Bellevue, WA, that operates in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Hawaii. She provides leadership, training support to the facility staff and expertise in the quality assurance/performance improvement process.

Vellody also provides clinical support to Daiya Healthcare providers throughout Oregon.

2008 Leigh Farrell Bauer, D.O.’08, joined Holy Family Birth Center in Fort Wayne, IN. She and her husband, Jordan, have four children: Seamus, Virginia, Danika and Theo.

Erin Nelson, D.P.M.’06, FACFAS, CWSP, founded Foot and Ankle Specialists of Ames, IA. Paul Berger III, D.O.’08, She had been an assistant FCCP, is division chief of professor in DMU’s pulmonary and critical College of Podiatric care for the University of South Dakota Sanford Medicine and Surgery as School of Medicine well as clinical chair with DMU Foot and Ankle. She and lead investigator at Sanford Health for continues to serve as a part-time faculty member. “I-SPY COVID-19,” a national trial to reduce mortality and ventilator

requirements for critically ill patients. He also is the first Sanford Health physician to offer the Monarch Platform, a minimally invasive, endoscopic device that uses the latest in robotic technology to give physicians a realtime, three-dimensional view of the lungs to make diagnoses.

Amber Kinner, D.O.’08, joined Johnson County Healthcare Center in Buffalo, WY, in January 2021. She serves as the center’s primary hospitalist during weekdays’ daytime hours and as the dedicated physician for Amie Holt Care Center. She had been a hospitalist at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper the previous nine and half years.

Sheni Meghani, M.P.H.’08, M.D., joined Hospice of Marion County (HMC), Ocala, FL, as medical director of palliative care. She is board-certified by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, geriatric medicine and hospice and palliative medicine.

Previously, Meghani was medical director of palliative care services with the VA Eastern Kansas Healthcare System in Topeka.

Catherine Wycoff, D.P.T.’08, GCFP, CERP, is a physical therapist for humans and for horses, a Feldenkrais® practitioner and a certified equine rehabilitation practitioner in Lovettsville, VA. For more than 30 years, she has helped her patients go from fearing that aging would be the end of their riding career to having the tools they need to continue riding and taking care of their horses.

Joseph Yankey, D.O.’08, is medical director at Vitality Healthcare, a West Des Moines, IA, practice that provides regenerative medicine, plasma therapy and joint fluid therapy. He

CL A SS N OTES completed his family practice residency at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines and has more than 10 years of experience in family practice, urgent care and orthopedics.

Who as a Top Internist and Hospitalist for his exceptional work in the field of medicine. He is a physician at CHI Health Clinic Hospital Medicine (Mercy) in Council Bluffs, IA.

Kristen McGinness, D.P.M.’10, joined Cape Fear Valley Podiatry in Fayetteville, NC. The Christopher Mulder, former chief of podiatry D.O.’09, joined Iowa and assistant residency Digestive Disease Center director at the Yale as a gastroenterologist in School of Medicine, Clive, IA, on Aug. 3, 2020, she is certified by the after separating from American Board of the U.S. Army in June.

Podiatric Medicine.

2009

Megan Nelson, Alisa Olson, D.O.’10, D.P.T.’09, joined Floyd joined UnityPoint Valley Healthcare in Le Clinic Family Medicine Mars, IA. She brings with – Sunnybrook in Sioux her 11 years of hospital City, IA. Previously, she experience including was a family medicine working in skilled care, physician at Family long-term care centers, Health Care of Siouxland. outpatient care, aquatic therapy and home health. Erich Ottervanger, Nelson also enjoys D.P.T.’10, and his staff vestibular rehabilitation opened a second clinic and women’s health. location, Pleasant Hill (IA) Physical Therapy, in Jon Van Der Veer, April. He opened West D.O.’09, has operated Des Moines Physical Exemplar Care, a primary Therapy in 2012, where care practice in West he has been providing Des Moines, for three outpatient physical years. In March 2021 he therapy services and launched an urgent care/ growing his clinic. The extended care clinic that clinic director for Pleasant is an additional service Hill Physical Therapy is for his more than 500 Hailey Huey, D.P.T.’18, patient members and that who previously treated also serves nonmembers patients at West Des on a fee-for-service basis. Moines Physical Therapy.

Katie Kuehner, D.O.’06, is medical director of the urgent care clinic, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She had been Matthew Hentges, an emergency medical D.P.M.’11, FACFAS, physician at Boone, was among the authors IA, County Hospital. of “Effect of the first tarsometatarsal (modified lapidus) arthrodesis on hindfoot alignment,” published in the MarchApril 2021 edition of the Laura Burns, PA-C’10, Journal of Foot and Ankle on Dec. 1 joined the new Surgery. He is a podiatric Aspirus Medical Group physician at Western primary care clinic in Pennsylvania Hospital, Marshfield, WI. Previously, Allegheny Health she specialized as a Network, in Pittsburgh. physician assistant in gastroenterology Brian Hunziker, for 10 years.

D.P.M.’11, is a foot and ankle surgeon and Christopher founder of Fusion Holewinski, D.O.’10, Foot and Ankle Pharm.D., FACOI, based in Waukee, was recognized by IA. He completed a Continental Who’s three-year surgical

2011

2010

ALUMNI EVENTS MAY 26 Virtual DMU milestone reunion for the classes of 1981, 1980, 1971, 1970 and earlier years, with the 2020 Alumni of the Year Ceremony, 3-5 p.m. CST (see article on page 29)

OCT. 14 18th annual Glanton Event – time and format to be determined; visit dmu.edu/glanton for more information Events are subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit dmu.edu/alumni for the most up-to-date information.

residency focusing on reconstructive foot and ankle surgery at Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge, IA, where he was the chief resident during his final year. He then practiced in St. Joseph, MO, for two years before returning to central Iowa.

Marc Jones, D.P.M.’11, FACPM, FASPS, is a member of the American Society of Podiatric Surgeons (ASPS) Board of Directors and also serves on the membership committee of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). He is the lead staff podiatrist at the Mann-Grandstaff Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Spokane, WA, and secretary of the DMU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Tea Nguyen, D.P.M.’11, AACFAS, owns Pacific Point Podiatry in Freedom, CA. She completed her residency in 2014 at St. John MacombOakland Hospital in Michigan, focusing on reconstructive foot and rearfoot surgery, and a wound care fellowship

at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2015.

2012 Farwa Abid-Hoffman, D.P.M.’12, AACFAS, and Scott Hoffman, D.P.M.’11, FACFAS, are podiatric physicians and surgeons practicing in Indiana. Farwa practices with Hoosier Foot and Ankle and sees patients in Carmel and Indianapolis; Scott is with the American Health Network and treats patients in various locations in the state. They met at DMU, married in 2010 and have four sons.

Leah Brandon, D.O.’12, M.S.A.’10, medical director and staff physician in internal medicine and pediatrics for ChildServe in Des Moines, was named among the Business Record’s 2021 Forty Under 40 honorees.

Chosen by past Forty Under 40 award winners, the honorees are under the age of 40 and have

demonstrated impressive career achievements and community involvement.

ChildServe works to improve the health and well-being of nearly 4,600 children each year through specialized clinical, home and community-based programs and services.

It offers rehabilitation and care for children and young adults who have a variety of developmental delays, disabilities, acquired injuries and other special health care needs.

Ashley Dikis, D.P.M.’12, AACFAS, assistant professor in DMU’s College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and a physician in Foot and Ankle, in April 2021 was appointed Foot and Ankle’s clinical department chair. In that role, she is responsible for overseeing day-to-day patient care operations.

Michael Hubbard, D.O.’12, is a general orthopedic surgeon with the Orthopaedic Center of Hot Springs, AR. Kyle Kellum, M.H.A.’12, is the chief executive officer at Cherry County Hospital and Clinic (CCH) in Valentine, NE. CCH is a 21-bed, independent critical access hospital.

Kellum is a graduate of the first cohort to complete the National Rural Health Association Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program. He was the featured guest on the Feb. 9, 2021, edition of the podcast Rural Health Leadership Radio, where he discussed what it takes to be a successful CEO and how “creating a psychologically safe environment” can allow individuals to become the best version of themselves.

Leah Thronaum, D.O.’12, is a neurologist with CentraCare Neurosciences Headache Center in St. Cloud, MN. She has a special interest in the management of primary and secondary headaches and atypical facial pain. Thronaum completed her internship

and residency at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and attained board certification in neurology through the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry.

2013 Dante Dali, D.O.’13, joined MercyOne North Iowa Heart Center and Mason City Clinic. A cardiothoracic surgeon, he specializes in the treatment of diseases of the heart, lung and esophagus. Dali completed a fouryear general surgical residency at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and, in his final year, served as chief resident at the Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, CO. He then completed a cardiothoracic fellowship at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Abigail “Abby” Michels Keinroth, D.P.T.’13, practices at Physical Therapy Services in Kalona, IA. She and her husband, Dr. Andrew Keinroth, live in nearby Riverside.

Geoff Kraemer, D.P.M.’13, AACFAS, joined the staff of SageWest Health Care at Fremont Orthopaedics in Lander and Riverton, WY. He completed his podiatric residency at West Houston Medical Center in Houston.

Scott Lundgren, D.O.’13, is leading a new heart failure unit at Shenandoah Medical Center in Shenandoah, IA, and became an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine, division of cardiology, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

He completed his residency in internal medicine and a general cardiology fellowship at UNMC. Lundgren served as chief cardiology fellow there in the 2018-19 academic year and CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

31

CL A SS N OTES

DMU alumni serve as ACOFP Iowa leaders Jennifer Holmes Latterell, D.O.’05, C.P.E., top left, was elected president-elect of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, Iowa Chapter, at the Midwinter Osteopathic Family Practice Virtual Conference in January. She is the associate chief of staff for education and the designated educational officer at the VA Central Iowa Health Care System in Des Moines.

Sarah Parrott, D.O.’02, below left, was elected to a two-year term as a director on the chapter’s board. She is the chair of the department of family and internal medicine at DMU. Three DMU graduates remain on the Iowa Chapter ACOFP Board: Jason Sheffler, D.O.’08, who practices at Boone County Hospital, is past president. Shannon Remington, D.O.’07, of Knoxville Hospital and Clinics, is immediate past president. Noreen O’Shea, D.O.’84, FAAFP, assistant professor of behavioral medicine at DMU, continues to serve as a director.

CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

received the institution’s Internal Medicine Fellows’ Research Award of the Year in 2019.

Ryan Nielsen, D.O.’13, focuses predominantly on trauma surgery and some general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery in his practice with DMOS Orthopaedic Centers in Des Moines.

He completed an orthopedic traumatology fellowship at the Reno Orthopaedic Clinic before returning to Iowa.

Brad Willenbring, D.O.’13, joined Grand River Medical Group in Dubuque, IA, as a family physician.

Jared Wortham, D.O.’13, a boardcertified pediatrician, joined Bingham Healthcare Pediatrics, part of Bingham Healthcare, in Blackfoot and Pocatello, ID. He completed his residency in pediatrics at the Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, OH.

2014 Matthew Gorski, D.P.M.’14, joined Denver Health Orthopedics after practicing in Charlotte, NC. He completed his residency at the Veterans Administration Eastern Colorado Health Care System in Denver, where 32

he received extensive surgical training in the foot and ankle.

Cynthia Hoque, D.O.’14, and her husband, Suman, welcomed baby Evan William Hoque on Oct. 5. She is a primary care provider at Knoxville (IA) Hospital and Clinics.

Amy Olmschenk, D.O.’14, joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota St. Cloud family medicine residency program, which she completed after graduating from DMU. Andrew Ott, D.P.M.’14, earned certification as a wound specialist physician.

He has practiced at Hillsboro Specialty Clinic at Hillsboro, IL, Area Hospital since October 2018.

Stephanie Raih, D.P.T.’14, is a PRN physical therapist at Sioux Center Health in Sioux Center, IA. She began her career at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, IA. She and her husband, Darren, live in Sioux Center with their children Brody, Jordan and Aubrey.

Natalie Steinhoff, D.O.’14, joined Harlan Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery Center in Clive, IA. A board-certified

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

dermatologist with training in medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatology, she completed her one-year internship and three-year dermatology residency at Largo Medical Center in Largo, FL. During her residency, Steinhoff published articles in medical journals, including the Journal of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology; won an award of excellence in the AOCD Resident Research Paper Competition; and presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meetings. During her final year of residency, she was co-chief resident.

2015 Danielle AndersenJeppesen, M.H.A.’15, founded Romans Ranch, an equine therapy facility that opened in fall 2020 in rural Boone, IA. She has raised and trained horses for more than 40 years and is undergoing certification through Natural Lifemanship, which offers trauma-informed and relationshipfocused equine-assisted psychotherapy.

Christopher Juels, D.P.M.’15, AACFAS, and Eric So, D.P.M.’15, AACFAS, were

among the authors of “A comparison of outcomes of revision surgical options for the treatment of failed bulk talar allograft transfer: a systematic review,” published in the November 2020 issue of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Juels is a fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon with Tier 1 Orthopedic and Neurosurgical Institute in Cookeville, TN. So is a fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon with Capital Foot and Ankle in Lincoln, NE. He also was lead author of the article “Bone mineral density testing in patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty: should we pay more attention to the bone quality?” published in the March-April 2021 edition of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. He was among the authors of the review article “Outcomes of ankle arthrodesis conversion to total ankle arthroplasty: a systematic review,” published in the journal.

Shelly Sedberry, D.P.M.’15, M.S., AACFAS, has a private practice, Shoal Creek Foot and Ankle Center, in Joplin, MO. She also sees patients at Nevada Regional Medical Center, Cedar County Memorial Hospital and Ellett Memorial Hospital. She completed her residency at both Yale New

Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT, and the VA Connecticut Healthcare Center in West Haven, CT, in podiatric medicine and surgery with added credentials in reconstructive rearfoot and ankle treatment.

Johnny Severson, D.P.T.’15, joined the staff of Cuyuna Regional Medical Center’s rehabilitation department in Crosby, MN, in January 2021.

Previously, he practiced at Select Therapy in Baxter, MN, for five years, where he was the lead therapist for its Crosslake and Pine River clinics.

Kaitlyn Ward, D.P.M.’15, AACFAS, joined Family Foot and Leg Center P.A. in Naples, FL. She specializes in reconstructive surgery, complex deformity correction, micro-neurovascular repair/reconstruction, orthoplastic techniques for limb salvage and implantation of peripheral nerve stimulators for chronic pain.

2016 Erica Lensink Burger, D.O.’16, joined Gundersen Clinic in Viroqua, La Crosse and Boscobel, WI, as a psychiatrist. She completed her residency

at Hennepin County Medical Center/Regions Hospital in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. In addition to general adult psychiatry training, she has specialized training in and a passion for evidence-based integrative psychiatry, sports psychiatry and women’s mental health.

David Cain, D.P.M.’16, joined McFarland Clinic Ames Podiatry in Ames, IA, in August 2019. He completed his podiatric medicine and surgical residency at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee, WI, where he served as chief resident in his final year. Cain provides services for surgical reconstruction of foot and ankle deformities, surgical repair of fractures and tendon injuries, biomechanical assessment and treatment with orthotics and bracing, comprehensive foot care, diabetic foot care, ulcer and wound healing.

Tatem Edwards, D.P.T.’16, joined Makovicka Physical Therapy at its Waverly, NE, clinic. She had been practicing as a physical therapist in Des Moines.

She and her husband, Tony, have a two-yearold son, Dawson.

Trent Fry, M.S.A.’16, D.O., is in his first year of a pathology residency

CL A SS N OTES at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He earned his medical degree at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Lindsay Brewster Tolksdorf, D.O.’16, is a family medicine physician working in the urgent care center of the 35th Medical Group, a component of the 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan. She received postgraduate training at Scott Air Force Base/St. Louis University family medicine residency, which is a combined military/civilian program.

Theresa White, D.O.’16, joined Carevide Pediatrics in Sulphur Springs, TX. She was chief resident of pediatrics at Case Western MetroHealth in Cleveland, OH.

2017 Kristin Avery, D.O.’17, joined MercyOne Clear Lake Pediatric and Adolescent Care in Clear Lake, IA. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Brittany Waletzko Bartz, D.O.’17, offers a range of primary care services including contraceptive care, general family medicine, obstetrics, pediatric and adolescent care, preventative medicine and women’s health at Mason City Clinic in Albert Lea, MN. Matthew Boehme, D.O.’17, joined UT Health East Texas in Jacksonville as an internal medicine physician.

He completed his residency at Medical City in Fort Worth.

Casmir Ezim, D.P.M.’17, is a podiatric physician and wound care specialist with Vanguard Medical Corp. in Wasco, CA.

Kelsey Millonig, D.P.M.’17, M.P.H.’17, was featured in an interview with William Bui Tran, D.P.M.’23, in the online podiatric website, Hallux Magazine, on April 6, 2021. She completed her residency at the Franciscan Foot and Ankle Institute in Federal Way, WA, and now is a fellow at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics International Center for Limb Lengthening in Baltimore. After completing her fellowship, she plans to join East Village Foot and Ankle Surgeons in Des Moines.

Eric Valder, D.O.’17, is a family medicine physician at Osceola, IA, Medical Center in the emergency department, hospital and clinic.

Jason Weslosky, D.P.M.’17, joined the medical staff at McLaren Flint Hospital in Flint, MI. He sees patients at Professional Foot and Ankle Centers PC in Davison. Weslosky completed his residency at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township, MI. Paul Whitehouse, D.P.M.’17, joined Albuquerque Associated Podiatrists in July at the practice’s new Santa Fe, NM, office. He treats lower extremity ailments, with a particular interest in the care of traumatic injuries, deformity corrections and reconstructive surgery of the diabetic foot. He completed a three-year surgical residency at the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in Albuquerque.

Lisai Zhang, D.O.’17, a primary care physician, joined Cleveland Clinic Martin Health in Port St. Lucie, FL, on the campus of Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital. She completed her family medicine residency at Palm Beach Consortium for Graduate Medical Education, where she also served as a resident-student liaison.

2018 Hailey Huey, D.P.T.’18, became the clinic director for Pleasant Hill (IA) Physical Therapy, which was opened by Erich Ottervanger, D.P.T.’10, and his staff in April. Huey had been treating patients at Ottervanger’s West Des Moines Physical Therapy, which he opened in 2012. Huey’s clinical interests include working with patients following musculoskeletal injury and pre- and postsurgery and helping athletes to recover from and prevent future injury. She is certified in functional dry needling.

Bryant Loosle, D.O.’18, is in a four-year anesthesiology residency at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine – Baylor Scott and White Health in Temple, TX. Collin Messerly, D.P.M.’18, Troy Boffeli, D.P.M.’90, FACFAS, and Tyler Sorensen, D.P.M.’18, were authors of “Ideal angle of upper and lower syndesmotic fixation based on weightbearing computed tomographic imaging in uninjured ankles,” published in the November 2020 issue of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Messerly and Sorensen are residents at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN, where Boffeli is residency director.

Teresa Negen, D.P.T.’18, is owner of Opportunity Therapy and Clarksville Fit Club in Clarksville, IA. Sarah Dean Shetler, M.P.H.’18, Pharm.D., was among the graduates of Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to receive a Young Alumni Achievement Award during the college’s annual Health Professions Day on Feb. 25, 2021. She is the clinical pharmacist lead with Humana’s Quality Network Program in Louisville, KY, and

residency preceptor for managed care residents in Humana’s pharmacy stars and patient safety organization.

Evan Toyooka, D.O.’18, completed his residency in emergency medicine in Mount Clemens, MI, where he was recognized for his achievements both in and out of the emergency department.

2019 Sarah Abbott, D.P.T.’19, serves patients of all ages at West Des Moines Physical Therapy. Her main clinical interests include pediatrics, aquatics and medical therapeutic yoga. She also enjoys working with children and adults with physical, emotional and/ or cognitive disabilities.

William Allyn, M.H.A.’19, has served as the funeral director with Tuecke-Allyn Funeral Home and Crematory Services in Guttenberg, IA, for the past 17 years. He has been an elected member of the Guttenberg Municipal Hospital and Clinics Board of Directors for nine years and the board’s vice president for the past seven years.

He and his wife, Joy,

have four children — three daughters, Jovi, Bristol and Mila, and one son, Jagger.

Taylor Dreise, D.O.’19, plans to join the medical clinics, critical access hospital, emergency medicine group and sports medicine team of the Orange City (IA) Area Health System in the summer of 2022 following his family medicine residency in Des Moines.

Jennifer Greene, M.P.H.’19, is the health director at Appalachian District Health Department, a public health agency serving Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties, NC, and a federally qualified health center serving Alleghany and Ashe counties. She began her tenure as health director in December 2017 after serving as interim health director since November 2017 and deputy director since 2016. In her role, Greene works alongside the AppHealthCare staff team, Board of Health, Partners in Public Health Board and community partners to fulfill the department’s mission of promoting safe and healthy living, preventing disease and protecting the environment.

Megan Kavanaugh, D.O.’19, is in the second year of a pediatrics residency at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Keegan Mulder, D.P.T.’19, is a physical therapist at UnityPoint Health – Des Moines, Iowa Methodist Hospital.

2020 Yazeed Ibrahim, D.O.’20, is in his first year of the psychiatry residency program at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center in Santa Clara County, CA. Lakeisha Lommel, PA-C’20, joined the cardiology team at St. Luke’s, a regional health care system headquartered in Duluth, MN. She is board-certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Her interests include electrophysiology and interventional cardiology.

In Memoriam ’58 – Watson A. Gutowski, D.O., Jan. 5, 2021, Newtown Square, PA ’58 – Merl M. Jacobsen, D.O., Feb. 27, 2021, Aurora, CO ’64 – Ronald E. Wolf, D.O., Nov. 5, 2020, Dayton, OH ’66 – Paul F. Benien Jr., D.O., Nov. 11, 2020, Okahoma City, OK ’70 – Richard D. Arnott, D.O., Dec. 23, 2020, Montgomery, AL ’73 – Steven K. Allen, D.O., Jan. 23, 2021, Philadelphia ’73 – Garry L. Cole, D.O., Jan. 8, 2021, New Hampton, IA ’78 – Zane Craig, D.O., Dec. 25, 2020, Millersburg, OH ’79 – Regis A. Benton Jr., D.O., Nov. 9, 2020, Grand Blanc, MI ’79 – Burr C. Hartman, D.O., Jan. 26, 2021, Springville, CA ’83 – Larry W. Fish, D.O., Jan. 20, 2021, Red Bluff, CA ’95 – Patricia D. Cooper, PA-C, Nov. 20, 2020, Manson, IA

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

33

BR E ATH E D EEP

MOVING WITH THE TIDE: STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING TRANSITIONS

BY CIAR A LEWIS, PSY.D., HSP

It is a truism that change is a part of life. Yet none of us could have expected the sheer scope of transitions and losses that we experienced (and continue to experience) during the pandemic. It has challenged us to continuously adapt, while also limiting our resources for doing so. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and/or burned out, you’re not alone. To help bring comfort during times of change, try these strategies.

Drop anchor: In the face of unexpected transitions, it can feel like we are adrift in a sea of unknowns, with little to hold onto. Our first instinct is often to “do” something; to find a solution or action to make the world make sense and regain a sense of control. As a result, we often push emotions aside, where they can build and emerge in unintended ways (e.g., sleep disturbance, irritability, physical complaints).

Instead of ignoring or suppressing emotions, make room for them. Protect time in each day to get out of “doing” and into “being.” This can occur simply by acknowledging, naming and validating our emotions. This allows us to find empathy for our experiences and shifts our emotions from something to fight against to something we can feel compassion for. Ask yourself: How do I feel right now? Where do I experience this emotion in my body? If my feeling had a shape or color, what would it be? How can I express, validate or comfort this emotion?

Unhook from your thoughts: The reality gap is the difference between how we want the world to be and how it is. The larger the gap, the more distress and negative thoughts we can experience. To help disentangle from these thoughts, take an observer stance.

Try writing out thoughts and identifying themes or patterns. Label thoughts as “useful” or “not useful,” then use the “useful” thoughts to help you cope or assist with problem solving.

Imagine “not useful” thoughts being released in gentle ways (e.g., picture them drifting away as you take deep, soothing breaths).

Connect: Social support is one of the primary ways that we can cope with uncertainty and change, yet we often minimize its importance. Be intentional about connecting with safe others and asking for support. To overcome hesitancy about doing so, consider how you’ve felt when you learned that someone close to you had been struggling for some time. A typical first reaction is often, “I wish I had known, so I could have been there for you.” Turn that lens of compassion to yourself and trust that those in your life feel similarly.

Set your compass: Transitions can be a time to reflect on where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. Even changes that are painful can provide us with information about what’s important to us. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that we should ask ourselves to be grateful for events in our lives that are painful or traumatic, but we can use them to affirm who we are and what we value. Connect with your goals, purpose and motivation to guide you through change. You may ask yourself: How can I grow from this experience? What do my feelings about this change show that I care about? What do I want to stand for during this time? Who do I want to be?

Ciara Lewis, Psy.D., HSP, is director of DMU’s Student Counseling Center.

34

DES MOINES UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Honoring Edward Jenner, inventor of the world’s first vaccine MORE THAN 200 YEARS BEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS rocked the planet, smallpox had long held that dishonor, killing millions for centuries since around 10,000 BC. Its claims to infamy include killing almost seven million people during the initial decline of the Roman Empire and decimating the Aztecs and Incas. This “speckled monster” also is one of the first examples of biological warfare, when a British commander suggested using it against hostile Native Americans during the French-Indian War, 1754-1767.

Edward Jenner, a British physician and scientist, pioneered the use of cowpox inoculation to immunize against this deadly disease. Although he was neither the first to suggest this use of This image cowpox nor the first to attempt the procedure, of a young Edwa ht tp://creativ ecom

rd Jenner va ccinating a mons.org/li child is licen censes/by/ sed with CC 4.0/.

BY 4.0.

To view a co

py of this lic

ense, visit

his work validated it and led to eradication of smallpox. He also created the term “vaccination,” derived from the Latin word for cow, vacca, and cowpox, vaccinia.

The DMU Library’s Rare Book Room has an original copy of Jenner’s 1801 book that summarizes his cowpox inoculation cases, titled An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae, a Disease Discovered in Some of the Western Counties of England, Particularly Gloucestershire, and Known by the Name of the Cow Pox. In an early case, on May 14, 1796, Jenner inoculated James Phipps, his gardener’s eight-year-old son, using pus from cowpox blisters on the hands of Sarah Nelmes, a milkmaid who had caught cowpox from a cow. Although the boy suffered some discomfort, he quickly recovered and was shown to be immune from smallpox.

As the relatively rapid development of coronavirus vaccines saves lives and inspires hope they may halt the COVID-19 pandemic, we salute Edward Jenner.

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

35

3200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312-4198

Non-Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Des Moines, Iowa Permit No. 584

they are ...

Debbie and Benjamin Byers with their children, Jacob, Paige and Jackson

“GRATEFUL THE UNIVERSITY TOOK A CHANCE ON ME”

Estate gifts are great ways to ensure a strong future for DMU and its students.

Learn more by visiting

CAMPAIGN.DMU.EDU/GIFT

As a pre-health major at Central College in Pella, IA, Benjamin Byers, D.O.’01, FACOG, entered a now-defunct program in which DMU enrolled promising Central undergraduates as a way to recruit future physicians.

“I feel that DMU had such a big part in where I am today. I’m grateful the University took a chance on me,” he says.

Byers and his wife, Debbie, recently expressed that gratitude by designating a portion of their estate for DMU. They chose not to specify the gift’s purpose, allowing the University to determine where it will have the greatest impact. Their generous contribution supports DMU’s Purple & Proud Campaign and makes them members of the Legacy Society, which recognizes donors who make planned gifts or bequests to the University, and the Founders Society, which recognizes donors for cumulative lifetime gifts of $100,000 and greater.

Byers already has established a legacy in his practice as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the Center for Maternal and Fetal Care, part of the Bryan Physician Network, in Lincoln, NE. He works primarily with patients who are experiencing high-risk pregnancies.

“Being a father of three and a husband, I understand the anxiety that goes along with a highrisk pregnancy,” he says. “Even though situations can be very emotional, I try to assure patients that I have a full and objective plan. Patients want that assurance.”

Join us. Invest in us. Advance with us.