GCSOM Journal - Summer 2019

Journal Summer 2019

The

For alumni, community and friends of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Preparing students to meet the needs of an underserved population Improving care for patients with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders

Alumni feature

Geisinger Commonwealth graduate fulfills dreams as neurosurgeon When he was growing up in Baltimore, Nelson Sofoluke, MD, loved computers.

Delving into the mechanics behind what made a program run appealed to his curiosity, and he was delighted by the immediate responses when he tweaked a program. In fact, he was fairly certain he was going to have a career in computers — until his junior year at the University of Maryland, when he took a neuroscience course. That class sparked his deep fascination with the brain and the ways surgeons can revive lost function by fixing the brain or nervous system.

“When I began to think about medicine, I felt that I would be choosing to do all of the things I loved most — solving problems, thinking critically, being a detective,” he said. Since Dr. Sofoluke’s call to become a surgeon came late in his college career, he began to look for master’s degree programs where he could get the basic science prerequisites necessary to apply to medical school.

“The master of biomedical sciences program was my introduction to Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine,” he said. “I chose it because I liked the community — it was small and I felt at home there. The school was so integrated with the community that I instantly felt a part of it. One of my favorite events was the Alley Oop for Autism basketball tournament. All of my friends in the community came and played in it — it was open to everyone.”

Dr. Sofoluke also fondly recalls sharing small group discussions with Gino Mori, MD, a retired Scranton surgeon who decided to audit the first two years of medical school just for the intellectual stimulation. “In effect, he graduated with us,” Dr. Sofoluke said, adding that he admired Dr. Mori’s dedication to lifelong learning.

As a medical student interested in the highly competitive field of neurosurgery, Dr. Sofoluke said Geisinger Commonwealth’s longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) in his third year gave him an important advantage. “Because of the block/ LIC combination, I was in the operating room every week — straight block rotations wouldn’t have allowed that. I was able to have that repetition with the instruments and gained skill with my hands,” he said. “And I had very good teachers. That experience gave me confidence that helped a lot when I started residency.”

Now in his second year of a seven-year residency at Geisinger, Dr. Sofoluke says working in the OR has fulfilled his dreams. “Neurosurgery has very high rewards because the risk is so great,” he said. “When someone has a deficit, and the surgery fixes it and function returns, the reward you feel is amazing. But I also think of how wrong things can go, so when patients trust you to touch them despite that risk, it’s humbling. Sometimes it’s nerve-wracking, but it’s always humbling.”

geisinger.edu/AlumniSpotlight

Nelson Sofoluke, MBS ’13, MD ’17 Residency: Geisinger Medical Center Specialty: Neurosurgery Hometown: Owings Mills, Maryland

The Journal A publication by the Department of Marketing and Communications: Venard Scott Koerwer, EdD Vice President for Strategy & Planning Vice Dean for Graduate Education Professor of Organizational Systems & Innovation Elizabeth Zygmunt Director of Media and Public Relations

A message from the president and dean

Heather M. Davis, MFA Director of Marketing and Communications Brian Foelsch Senior Graphic Designer Jessica Martin Managing Editor

Board of Directors

A June 2019 article in the journal Academic Medicine noted a disturbing gap in medical education. As the journal reported, “People with disabilities constitute 22.2 percent of the population in the United States, and virtually all physicians have people with disabilities in their clinical practice across a wide range of diagnostic groups. However, studies demonstrate that people with disabilities are inadequately served by the healthcare system, leading to high costs and poor outcomes.” The problem, the authors noted, is that “medical students receive limited training in the care of people with disabilities.”

Future doctors are prepared during their medical school years to interact with many different populations. Recent diversity and inclusivity efforts have made cultural competency an important learning outcome in curricula throughout the country. Yet it is still all too common for a future doctor to meet his or her first patient with a disability during residency training — a time when learners are most likely overwhelmed by myriad other situations that are new to them. Imagine how much resident stress we could relieve and how much better we could make care for people with disabilities if this patient population was introduced to future doctors much earlier.

I am proud that, at Geisinger Commonwealth, students are leading the effort to incorporate more exposure to patients with disabilities into our medical school curriculum. Our students and our faculty members Michelle Cornacchia, MD, and Youngjin Cho, PhD, secured a competitive grant from the National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine that will be used specifically to prepare medical students better to treat patients with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders by introducing them to such patients in their very first year.

No patient should feel neglected or misunderstood. At Geisinger Commonwealth, our curriculum will ensure that our doctors in training have the skills they need to make every patient feel cared for — in every encounter, every time.

Sincerely,

Robert Dietz, PE, Chair Virginia McGregor, Vice Chair Pedro J. Greer Jr., MD V. Chris Holcombe, PE David H. Ledbetter, PhD, FACMG David B. Nash, MD, MBA Deborah E. Powell, MD Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD Steven J. Scheinman, MD

Geisinger Health Foundation Nancy Lawton-Kluck Chief Philanthropy Officer Robin Endicott, CFRE Vice President, Philanthropy Andrea Mulrine, CFRE Senior Director Jane Kanyock Director of Major Gifts Chris Boland Director of Alumni Relations Dorothy Williams Administrative Assistant Jannine Cloud Data Entry Clerk On the cover: Thomas Davis, MD, and Geisinger Commonwealth student Avisha Shah look on as Michelle Cornacchia, MD, interacts with patient Adam Strouse in the Comprehensive Care Clinic.

Read more on page 2.

Steven J. Scheinman, MD President and Dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Geisinger Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer

Source: Academic Medicine Issue: Volume 94(6), June 2019, pp 781–788 Copyright: (C) 2019 by the Association of American Medical Colleges Publication Type: [Perspectives] DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002686 ISSN: 1040-2446 Accession: 00001888-201906000-00029

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Improving care

for patients with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders Faculty leaders and a new grant, secured with student help, aim to better prepare students to meet the needs of an underserved population When Michelle Cornacchia, MD, was growing up in New Jersey, she lived near a beloved aunt with an intellectual disability. “I didn’t realize that there was anything different about her until I had a friend over — she cried when she saw my aunt. That really shook me. It broke my heart,” she said.

Afterward, Dr. Cornacchia resolved to prevent such misunderstandings in the future. “I volunteered for things like Special Olympics. I wanted to share my love for individuals who are not like everyone else — not everyone understands or sees how beautiful they are,” she said.

During her residency training, Dr. Cornacchia had the opportunity to work in Baylor College of Medicine’s Transition Medicine Clinic in Houston. The clinic addresses the needs of adults with a chronic childhood disease or disability who will still require treatment but for whom pediatric care is no longer available. Diseases and disabilities may include conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders or spina bifida. What struck her the most about the experience was how poorly prepared she felt to care for this underserved patient population.

“These patients are well above the cutoff for being underserved,” she said. “They need more time and more resources. Doctors need more training to treat them. Because of their challenges as adults, these patients end up hopping from provider to provider — the stories are heartbreaking,” she said.

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Fortunately, today Dr. Cornacchia is in a position to change that.

As an internist, she spends part of her time in Geisinger’s Comprehensive Care Clinic, which was founded by Thomas Davis, MD, to care for adolescents and young adults with pediatric-acquired chronic medical conditions. In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Cornacchia also acts as a preceptor for Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine third- and fourth-year medical students. Earlier this year, she and a group of Geisinger Commonwealth students received a grant from the National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine (NCIDM) that will be used specifically to better prepare medical students to treat patients with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders (see box).

Geisinger Commonwealth student Doug Wells was a member of the team that prepared the grant application. “The whole idea of the grant is to help medical students get comfortable with patients with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders (IDD) early in their training,” he said, adding that residency — or even a third-year rotation — is far too late in training to meet such a patient or the first time. “With the help of our community partners, we’ll make sure first- and secondyear students meet standardized patients with an IDD and talk about this patient population in their case-based learning. Dr. Cornacchia will also teach clinical skills to third- and fourth-year students at the Comprehensive Care Clinic.”

School of Medicine rising fourth-year student Avisha Shah has learned from Dr. Cornacchia in the clinic. She said her discomfort with people with an IDD took her by surprise the first time she had to examine one of Dr. Cornacchia’s patients. “I found it hard to connect,” she said. “I never learned how to conduct a physical exam on someone in a wheelchair. It’s hard to continue with an exam when a nonverbal patient grows agitated when you are pressing on the abdomen. Dr. Cornacchia helped me so much.

She is truly inspiring. She takes her time and asks questions about social and personal issues that might affect how compliant the patient will be with the care plan — will they take their meds, do they have transportation?”

Ms. Shah said she has observed Dr. Cornacchia apply the tenets she teaches her students — lessons Ms. Shah knows will serve her well in residency. Dr. Cornacchia described her approach, saying her first goal is to get to know the patient better. “Before science, medicine is an art,” she said. “You should always talk to the patient, even if they are nonverbal. They can sense and understand that you want to connect. You will learn so much and enjoy treating your patients more when you talk to them. I want to know what the patient likes and doesn’t like, what they look like when they are at baseline, what they look like when they feel good.”

there are things we can’t change, but that we can help — we can do things to help patients swallow more easily, have therapy on their hands, walk with braces. We can prevent infections in our patients who are dependent on ventilators or feeding tubes.

We can address social and mental health issues like depression and PTSD. These patients have such complexity. We can’t fix everything, but we can improve things so that our patients reach their full potential.”

Ms. Shah said her time with Dr. Cornacchia has taught her to make care delivery as personal as possible and to find ways to bond with her patients. “You can only learn to do this through experience,” she said. “I don’t know what my specialty might be in the future. I’m open to everything, but I aspire to be a doctor like Dr. Cornacchia. She is so caring, humble and patient. She taught me to have confidence when I see a patient different from how I am. I’m ready to take on that role as a doctor and I’m glad I didn’t have to wait until residency to learn these lessons.”

Geisinger Commonwealth medical students Douglas Wells, Emily Herman and Avisha Shah are the “student champions” responsible for helping principal investigators Michelle Cornacchia, MD, and Youngjin Cho, PhD, secure the National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine (NCIDM) grant. The trio recently received scholarships from the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD) to attend and present their research on “Caring for Patients with Differing Abilities: Enhancing Medical School Curriculum” at the 17th annual AADMD conference in Rochester, New York. They also served as panelists discussing the topic of student involvement in the transformation of medical school education.

At the conference, Doug Wells received the AADMD Future Leader Baton Award for outstanding leadership and service for his efforts to improve the quality of healthcare for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities. He was also appointed national chair of the Student/Resident Committee of AADMD.

Ms. Shah said she learned this first step from Dr. Cornacchia’s example. “We had a nonverbal patient who would cry every time you touched her. Dr. Cornacchia learned that she liked to knit, so now the patient knits scarves while we examine her. When we see her, Dr. Cornacchia asks about and compliments the scarves.

It’s made a huge difference,” she said.

The next step, Dr. Cornacchia said, is to understand that quality of life is important to everyone. “My patients are not trapped in a body. They are beautiful and joyful,” she said. “And it’s our job to help them meet their goals. Students must understand that

From left are Geisinger Commonwealth medical students Avisha Shah, Douglas Wells and Emily Herman.

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Limited resources, limitless learning

The Geisinger team of Ashka Patel, DO (second from left), Christopher Cummings, MD (third from right) and Kelly Baldwin, MD (far right), interact with Zambian neurology residents at University Teaching Hospital in Lukasa.

Zambia challenges residents with unusual pathologies, fewer diagnostic tools

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As an undergraduate at West Virginia University (WVU), neurologist Kelly Baldwin, MD, said her career plan didn’t necessarily include medicine. “I didn’t always know I wanted to be a doctor. I thought I was going to be a teacher,” she said. “Then, when I was accepted to both a post-baccalaureate program and medical school, I found I was more excited about being a doctor, so that’s what I did.”

Although she chose to attend WVU’s medical school, Dr. Baldwin’s desire to teach never really faded. Instead, certain experiences Dr. Baldwin had at WVU influenced how, where and why she teaches.

“As a medical student, I spent two summers in Zambia as part of a global health team,” she said. It was an experience she found deeply fulfilling, both intellectually and emotionally. As a physician, Dr. Baldwin was challenged by the range of unusual pathologies in her Zambian patients and the incredible care gap that exists in the developing world. As a human being, the gratitude of the patients touched and overwhelmed her. This compelling introduction to global health convinced her that clinical time spent at a location like the University Teaching Hospital in Lukasa, Zambia, could offer a depth of experience doctors simply cannot get in the U.S. So, when she became Geisinger’s neurology residency program director, Dr. Baldwin devoted herself to becoming a clinician educator and to building a global health curriculum and annual rotation for her trainees.

“When I was researching possible locations for the global health experience, Zambia stood out as the best option. Zambia is a country that accepts all people and is known regionally for their cultural acceptance of foreign physicians. The learning and working environment is incredibly rich, allowing for our trainees to see disease pathologies that do not exist in Danville,” she said. “The University Teaching Hospital (UTH) is huge: 1,600 beds. And the pathology is different. The neurologists at UTH treat infectious diseases like malaria, HIV, tuberculosis and opportunistic infections of the central nervous system every day. They also see very advanced presentations of conditions like neuropathy — 10 years and no treatment.”

With the help of Omar Siddiqi, MD, and Deanna Saylor, MD, neurologists who live and work at the University Teaching Hospital in Zambia, Dr. Baldwin launched the first resident rotation in March of 2019. “Our team was composed of myself, Cynthia Correll, MD (epilepsy), Christopher Cummings, MD (stroke), three internal medicine residents, one neurology resident and one advanced provider.”

One of the most exciting things about this rotation, Dr. Baldwin noted, is the ability to collaborate with the Zambian neurology residents. She said that although she is technically one of the attendings for the Zambian trainees at the hospital, in the end it is they who teach her and her residents. “The medical system in Zambia is different. I am precepting full-fledged doctors who’ve been in residency for five years. They’re brilliant and they teach me and my learners all things internal medicine, and most importantly how to practice neurology in a resource-limited setting,” she said.

Dr. Baldwin’s dream is to ultimately send a team of residents and attendings every six months to Lukasa. For the time being, she contents herself with one visit every fall. “I want to build a really robust international neurology rotation for our residents at Geisinger, and I want to do it in Lukasa because it is more impactful to stick with one location. I think it’s important for residents to learn in resource-limited settings, to see people of different cultures and values, and most importantly to give themselves to a humanitarian cause greater than themselves. It makes them better doctors — and better humans,” she said.

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AtlantiCare and Geisinger Commonwealth team up to offer students expanded clinical experience

hospital will provide an urban experience, while the mainland facility offers an older, more suburban population. It’s a great cross section of patients. The students will see a wide range of pathologies.”

Dr. Zampino noted that the Atlantic City hospital is a Level 2 trauma center, and the mainland hospital offers maternal/fetal medicine and has a neonatal intensive care unit — advanced services not every hospital provides.

Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, president and CEO, Geisinger; Lori Herndon, RN, BSN, MBA, president and CEO, AtlantiCare; Marilouise Venditti, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer, AtlantiCare; and Steven Scheinman, MD , president and dean, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

On July 11, AtlantiCare, a member of Geisinger, and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine announced an educational partnership agreement establishing AtlantiCare clinical sites as a Geisinger Commonwealth regional campus. That same day, 16 third-year medical students became the first School of Medicine cohort to begin their clinical education at both AtlantiCare Regional Medical Centers in Atlantic City and on the mainland in Pomona. The students will also receive clinical instruction at dozens of AtlantiCare outpatient sites throughout southern New Jersey.

Dominick Zampino, DO, an AtlantiCare hospitalist and program director for AtlantiCare’s internal medicine residency program, has been named regional associate dean of the campus. He said the new campus will offer a unique learning experience for Geisinger Commonwealth students. “We have a diverse patient population — and a large one that, in the summer, swells from 35,000 to 3 million people,” Zampino said. “The Atlantic City 6

Steven J. Scheinman, MD, Geisinger Commonwealth’s president and dean, also explained the value of the partnership. “We share AtlantiCare’s purpose — to build healthy communities,” he said. “That’s why we are tremendously excited about this new campus. We know our students will receive excellent clinical instruction in a number of settings that will open their eyes to the unique and varied health problems of different populations. Learning to deliver care that is specifically designed to address those needs is the very essence of building healthy communities.”

AtlantiCare sites are accustomed to teaching medical students, according to Dr. Zampino. “Our clinical sites have hosted medical students from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, so we already have a robust educational structure in place. What’s new for us is the regional campus structure that will support and develop clinical faculty,” he said. “I am particularly excited about the ways that having Geisinger Commonwealth students and a formal campus structure will enhance our graduate medical education.

This raises the bar and gives our residents a chance to act as teachers and mentors — and the School of Medicine has the resources to help them develop.”

The AtlantiCare campus will be Geisinger Commonwealth’s fifth regional campus, joining North, South, Central and Guthrie. The school has a sixth regional campus in Doylestown, Pa., devoted exclusively to graduate students in its master of biomedical sciences and professional science master’s programs.

Dr. Zampino predicts the AtlantiCare campus will be a popular choice for Geisinger Commonwealth medical students’ third- and fourth-year rotations for several reasons.

Of course, he acknowledges, the Atlantic City hospital’s seaside location is attractive.

More importantly, however, are the potential breadth of clinical experiences, the trauma center and neonatal intensive care unit and the experience students will gain documenting in AtlantiCare’s electronic health record — all features that enrich the learning environment.

Students in the first cohort assigned to the AtlantiCare campus are: • Shijo Benjamin, Bensalem, Pa. • Shradha Chhabria, Stroudsburg, Pa. • Mahrukh Choudhary, Philadelphia, Pa.

For Shradha Chhabria, the contrast between the wealth of the casinos and the poverty in some nearby neighborhoods was striking. “My intention in becoming a physician has always been to work with marginalized and underserved populations and toward the mitigation of health disparities both domestically and globally,” she said. “I chose the AtlantiCare campus because I want to learn how to do so effectively in the clinical space from the first day of my hands-on training. I also felt at home during my visit because everyone at AtlantiCare is dedicated to creating a strong, positive and community-oriented learning environment with an intentional lack of the fear and intimidation that can easily exist in high-level medical training sites. Plus, I am looking forward to enjoying life on the shore in my downtime!”

• Xianhan (Mary) Fei, Lincolnshire, Ill. • Rachel Fulton, West Chester, Pa. • Jessica Knapp, Hatboro, Pa. • Tara Knox, Philadelphia, Pa. • Kenneth Lam, Orange, Calif.

• Haley Lombardo, Yardley, Pa. • Meghan Loser, Belding, Mich.

• Connor Magura, Horsham, Pa. • Kishan Patel, Pittston, Pa. • Jasmine Santos, Willow Grove, Pa. • Julia Shamis, Richboro, Pa. • Navindra Tajeshwar, Queens Village, Md. • Alice Thompson, Pittsburgh, Pa.

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Student entrepreneurs’ health data app wins award

Two Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine medical students have developed an app they hope will restore people’s control of their personal health data, as well as open up new ways for researchers to access health data without having to sink considerable resources into purchasing the data from large corporations. The idea recently won admiration — and a financial prize — from judges and attendees at a regional business plan competition.

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Matt Hope of Wyomissing and Evan Porter of Jefferson City, Mo., are the founders of Summa, a new healthcare technology company they founded to create a way for researchers to access personally generated health data, or PGHD. PGHD is the exponentially growing reservoir of consumer-owned data collected by FitBits and apps that track everything from a person’s diet, heart rate and sleep to personal stress levels. It even includes genetic data people purchase when they go to companies like 23 and Me to learn more about their heritage.

Data generated in this way present a rich, untapped resource for researchers connected with organizations too small to have the means to purchase “big data” in the way that large pharmaceutical companies can, for example. Mr. Summa’s idea is to connect these types of researchers directly, via an app, with the people generating the data. The app lets researchers access the data while keeping control in the hands of the consumer.

Mr. Porter said he had long been fascinated by the idea of “decentralized ownership of a person’s digital life.”

“It’s a weird paradigm in the current marketplace that you are left out,” he said. When he met Mr. Hope at Geisinger Commonwealth, they talked a lot about the problem and began to imagine a solution in which people control their data and are empowered to share it with researchers as they wish. The solution they envisioned would also benefit researchers working at institutions with limited resources.

Mr. Hope provides a scenario to explain the concept. “Suppose a university psychology researcher wants to assess something like resilience. Maybe they are interested in how resilience impacts student academic performance or patient health outcomes. To do these research projects today, researchers would use survey instruments to gather subjective data from their study participants.

But what’s interesting is that new evidence suggests that things like heart rate variability can be used to measure stress resilience in a quantitative, objective fashion.

“With Summa, the psychologist would not only be able to

distribute survey instruments to their student and patient populations, but also collect data from participant devices like Fitbit to assess heart rate, activity levels, sleep and more,” Mr. Hope said. “With access to all this data, researchers will be able to ask new questions and test them in novel ways. We believe this can make a big difference in academic research and healthcare quality improvement.”

Mr. Hope and Mr. Porter first entered Summa in the TecBridge Business Plan Competition in 2018. TecBridge, a regional nonprofit founded to stimulate the tech economy of northeastern Pennsylvania, hosts the Business Plan Competition annually to provide mentorship and nurture the ideas of students from 14 area institutions of higher education. The process culminates in a competition, complete with financial prizes for the best business plans.

“That first year the judges told us we had a great idea — but not a business. Going through the process was helpful. It really helped us to prepare,” Mr. Hope said.

In 2019, Summa returned to the competition with a clearly delineated plan for launch — including beta testing of the app — and won the Wild Card prize. Some of the concrete plans that impressed the audience included planned pilot testing with the Psychology Department at Western Colorado University; introduction of the Summa app for Geisinger Commonwealth students to use in their required Longitudinal Community Health Impact Projects (L-CHIPs); and a beta test with Geisinger sports medicine.

Mr. Hope, who has taken an approved leave of absence from his fourth year of medical school, will devote the upcoming year to developing and executing the plan. Mr. Porter, who is in the Air Force, will continue school but stay as active as he can with Summa.

“We believe strongly in the power of technology to effect better health outcomes,” Mr. Porter said. If their app works as planned, Summa will do just that.

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General news

Class of 2019 celebrates successful Match Day On March 15, 97 students at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine learned their residency placements during the National Resident Matching Program’s “Match Day,” an event at which all fourthyear MD students around the country simultaneously open their envelopes to learn where they will spend the next three to seven years training in specialties.

Geisinger Commonwealth students who matched into Geisinger residencies included: • Ian Coote, emergency medicine • Christian Bohan, neurosurgery • Amy Sudol, internal medicine • Mikael Horissian, pediatricspreliminary to be followed by dermatology at Penn State Hershey • Katherine Chung, transitional to be followed by diagnostic radiology at Stony Brook Teaching Hospital • Kathleen Nealon, general surgery • Eduardo Ortiz, dermatology Match Day by the numbers: • Anesthesia – 6 • Dermatology – 4 • Diagnostic Radiology – 5 • Emergency Medicine – 7 • Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) – 1

Seen from left are Geisinger board member Virginia MacGregor and Geisinger CEO and President Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, with Geisinger Commonwealth students newly matched to Geisinger residencies, Katherine Chung, Christian Bohan and Amy Sudol, along with Steven J. Scheinman, MD, Geisinger Commonwealth president and dean, and Steven R. Youso, president and CEO of Geisinger Health Plan.

• Family Medicine – 5 • General Surgery – 9 • Internal Medicine – 19 • Medicine-Emergency Medicine – 1 • Medicine-Pediatrics – 2 • Neurosurgery – 1 • Obstetrics/Gynecology – 5 • Ophthalmology – 1 • Orthopaedic Surgery – 3 • Pathology – 1 • Pediatrics – 10 • Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation – 3 • Psychiatry – 8 • Radiation Oncology – 1 • Thoracic Surgery – 1 Due to transitional or preliminary years, residency numbers may not correspond to number of graduates.

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Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine graduated 7th MD class, 10th MBS class Commencement held May 5

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine this year conferred 97 doctor of medicine (MD) and 96 master of biomedical sciences (MBS) degrees upon students in the graduating class of 2019.

Commencement ceremonies were held Sunday, May 5, at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre.

Members of the School of Medicine’s male and female a cappella groups — the Flatlines and the CereBellas — sang the national anthem, and Sister Ruth Neely, MSN, CRNP, of the Wright Center for Community Health Ryan White Clinic delivered the invocation. Rabbi Peg Kerschenbaum of Congregation B’nai Harim, Pocono Pines, offered the benediction.

Holly J. Humphrey, MD, was keynote speaker.

Dr. Humphrey is president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation and former dean for medical education and Ralph W. Gerard Professor in Medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Greetings were offered by Robert J. Dietz, School of Medicine board chair and Jaewon Ryu, MD, JD, Geisinger president and CEO. Sarah Hayek, MD ‘15, and a surgical resident at Geisinger welcomed the graduates to Geisinger Commonwealth’s growing Alumni Society.

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Colleges Building Community: Beyond 10,000 meals Healthy Food Fest moves the needle on food insecurity In August 2018, Colleges Building Community committed to tackling food insecurity in Scranton-area neighborhoods. The effort led by Geisinger Commonwealth Master of Biomedical Sciences students made 10,000 meals to share with families in 5 Scranton elementary schools.

That was just the beginning. The 10,000 meals event was used as the occasion to launch a multi-institution case study whose goal is to achieve measurable change in food insecurity in the Scranton region. At the event, students learned about what drives food insecurity in our community. Then they zeroed in on themes of education and access as the key to reducing food insecurity. On April 6, those themes

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formed the next steps toward making our neighborhoods hunger-free zones.

The Healthy Food Fest helped parents by providing fresh produce and connecting them with resources, and it educated children about making better food choices.

Children and their families had fun and learned about food and health. By offering cooking demonstrations, cookbooks chock-full of healthy recipes built on readily available ingredients, and lessons on how to add more fruits and vegetables into an everyday diet, the Healthy Food Fest was an important step in reducing local food insecurity.

Taking your diet to heart The key to health, it seems, lies at the end of your fork. That’s the message cardiologist Robert J. Ostfeld, MD, delivered at the eighth installment of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s Preventive Medicine Lecture Series on April 18.

Robert J. Ostfeld, MD

Dr. Ostfeld’s talk, “Confessions of a Reformed Cardiologist: A Plant-Based Diet and Your Heart,” stitched together personal reflections, stories of amazing transformations plucked from his patient files and scientific data — including research studies and medical imaging — to demonstrate the powerful benefits of adopting a plant-based diet.

Seen from left are Robert W. Naismith, PhD, a founder of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and of its Preventive Medicine Lecture Series; Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, The Wright Center, a lecture series cosponsor; Robert Ostfeld, MD; Sonia Lobo, PhD, Geisinger Commonwealth associate dean for Research & Scholarship and associate professor of biochemistry; and Jean Hayes, a member of the Preventive Medicine Lecture Series advisory committee.

Jefferson College of Population Health, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine announce partnership Four third-year medical students are the first Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine cohort to be accepted to the Jefferson College of Population Health’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program.

Jefferson College of Population Health and Geisinger formed a unique partnership that will provide up to 10 Geisinger Commonwealth medical students with scholarships that cover the cost of tuition to pursue their MPH during a year off between their third and fourth years of medical school. It will launch as a three-year pilot program. The program was conceived

by Geisinger board member David Nash, MD, founding dean of Jefferson College of Population Health, as a means to advance the MPH program goals of preventing illness and promoting and protecting human health by educating future clinicians to be effective advocates for their patients and to gain the knowledge and skill needed to effect policy change.

Vanessa Thiel of Bensalem said she was excited to hear she had been accepted to the program. “I really wanted to do this. It will make me a better physician,” she said.

Nathan Hoff of Honesdale plans to pursue psychiatry as his medical specialty, so he was sold when Program Director Rosemary Frasso, PhD, pointed out that mental health is a largely untapped area of public health research. “Being able to unite my interests in policy and mental health while completing my thesis project really piqued my interest,” he said.

Cynthia Ciccotelli of Yardley hopes to pursue her passion: primary care and preventive medicine. For this reason, she said the MPH will be invaluable. “In particular, one of my career goals is to work as a family physician in an underserved area,” she said.

“I truly feel that having the MPH will open up doors for me to impact the policies behind how healthcare is delivered.”

Sahil Pandya of Allentown said being accepted to the program fulfills a longstanding dream. “As an undergraduate at Muhlenberg College, I minored in public health. When Dr. Nash visited the School of Medicine, I remembered how passionately I felt about understanding how population and personal health interact. I hope to practice emergency medicine, so it’s important to understand issues like cost and access and to know how to direct patients to appropriate care and manage chronic conditions.”

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Geisinger Commonwealth launches Professional Science Master’s degree program Training program prepares students for careers in biomedical research Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine announced it will offer a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree that will prepare scientists for careers in laboratory research in industries including biotech, life science, pharmaceutical, academia and government. The program is designed for working professionals, with evening classes held exclusively at the Doylestown campus, located in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center. Applications are now being accepted at geisinger.edu/PSM. “Geisinger Commonwealth’s PSM program builds upon our partnerships with industry and links our faculty and students to cutting-edge research,” said V. Scott Koerwer, vice dean of the School of Graduate Education. “The program was developed with input from a board of industry leaders, including representatives from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Arbutus Pharmaceuticals, JBS Life Sciences and Genesis Biotechnology Group, among others. It is designed to provide job-ready lab skills to students with an interest in research, and also includes a business focus that will help students understand the needs of the future employers in the biotech sphere.”

“There is a huge demand for professionals with both laboratory and business skills,” said John Kulp, PhD, regional assistant dean for the Doylestown campus. Dr. Kulp, who is also an associate professor and director of Academic Affairs at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute (BSBI) and CEO of Conifer Point Pharmaceuticals, noted that the setting for the PSM program is

uniquely suited to preparing tomorrow’s laboratory scientists.

“The PSM will be offered at the School of Medicine’s Doylestown campus, which is housed at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, a biotech incubator with more than 40 life-sciences firms, as well as BSBI and the Hepatitis B Foundation. So not only will we prepare students for in-demand jobs, we are placing them in close proximity to potential employers and mentors.”

Geisinger Commonwealth’s master of biomedical sciences degree is now online Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s School of Graduate Education now offers a new way for students to earn their master of biomedical sciences (MBS) degree.

Beginning with the upcoming fall semester, students who want to attend professional school — like medical, dental or optometry — or those who wish to enter or advance in a health-related industry have the option to complete their MBS degree completely online. To apply or to learn more, call 570-504-9068 or visit geisinger.edu/MBS.

Dr. Steven Scheinman leads effort to build universal curriculum for patient safety Steven J. Scheinman, MD, president and dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and executive vice president for Geisinger, was a keynote speaker at the Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s seventh annual World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit in January in Huntington Beach, Calif. At the summit, he announced a comprehensive patient safety curriculum for health professionals that was developed by a Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) workgroup, which he chaired along with Margrit Shoemaker, MD, a member of the Geisinger Commonwealth faculty.

The curriculum is innovative in that its modular structure can be used by any learner in the healthcare field — be they medical students, nurses or technicians — at any stage of professional development, from novice to expert. This scalability makes the program a universal approach to teaching patient safety.

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Taylor Nursing Rehabilitation Scholarship Keeping young physicians in our region Keeping young people in the region and replenishing the local physician workforce are essential elements of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s mission. Fortunately, the surrounding community generously supports that mission through scholarships. Driving down student debt is perhaps the most effective means we have of encouraging students to remain in the region to serve their neighbors — and to choose primary care specialties where the need is greatest.

Qualified students who come from Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Moosic, Old Forge or Taylor have been able to count on support from a scholarship created by the Taylor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Health and Wellness Fund of the Luzerne Foundation. The scholarship is based on need, merit and involvement in community activities, and first preference is given to students who intend to practice in northeast Pennsylvania.

Working through the Luzerne Foundation, the Taylor Nursing Rehabilitation Scholarship is provided by the board of directors of the former Taylor Long-Term Care Center to benefit Geisinger Commonwealth medical students who are natives of the geographic area that the nursing facility served.

Here are a few Geisinger Commonwealth students who have benefited from the scholarship:

Alex Anzelmi, Class of 2021 Mr. Anzelmi grew up in Old Forge and volunteers with the Luzerne County Habitat for Humanity. His commitment to service drew him to medicine. “I have always found fulfillment in helping others. I want a career that requires me to never stop learning and growing as both a professional and an individual — medicine fulfills both,” he said.

He hopes to pursue cardiology.

Jordan Chu, Class of 2019 The Chu family moved to Old Forge around the time Jordan Chu graduated from high school. During his undergraduate and medical school years, Dr. Chu organized and hosted Geisinger Commonwealth’s annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament to benefit the Northeast Regional Autism Center at Friendship House. He also served on the School of Medicine’s Turkey Trot committee, which raised more than $10,000 for Friends of the Poor. Dr. Chu visited local elementary schools for career fairs to talk to kids about why he chose a career in medicine.

Dr. Chu is now in residency to become a pediatrician, training at St. Christopher’s Hospital in Philadelphia.

Jason Homza, Class of 2020 Upon high school graduation, Mr. Homza enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served from 2003 through 2007, including deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received several meritorious promotions and awards during his service, including the combat action ribbon for actions in Iraq, and reached the rank of sergeant before completing his enlistment.

Mr. Anzelmi’s older brother, Frank Anzelmi, MD ’17, also received the Taylor Nursing Rehabilitation Scholarship during his four years of medical school. He is now a neurology resident at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia.

Mr. Homza returned home and settled in Moosic. After graduating from Wilkes University, he was hired as an 11th-grade earth science and physical science teacher at Scranton High School. The area physician shortage played prominently in his desire to change careers. “Medicine was always my dream career, but I never really took the opportunity to pursue it. The more I learned about the unique and challenging healthcare needs of our community, the physician shortages and the impact that I can have with a medical career, the more I leaned toward leaving my teaching job and starting medicine,” he said. Mr. Homza has an interest in interventional radiology.

Sabrina Brunozzi, Class of 2019

Nicole Marianelli, Class of 2019

Sabrina Brunozzi graduated from Old Forge High School and worked full time to support herself throughout her undergraduate years in Philadelphia. She has been committed to women’s health through various volunteer activities over the past eight years. Dr. Brunozzi, who was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, said, “It means a lot to me that my peers selected me as someone in our graduating class who embodies humanism in medicine and that I am someone who they would want taking care of their family members.”

Nicole Marianelli grew up in Old Forge and has always been committed to service, volunteering at a medical clinic, an outpatient therapy facility, softball clinics and supply drives for the underprivileged. At Geisinger Commonwealth, Dr. Marianelli was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society, the Pediatric Outreach Group, the American Medical Women’s Association and the American Sign Language Club. She created an experiment for Super Science Saturday, an outreach project for young women to get exposure to science, and has helped coach a local girls’ softball Little League team.

Dr. Brunozzi has just begun her residency in obstetrics/ gynecology at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J.

Dr. Marianelli has just begun a pediatrics residency at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware.

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Academic appointments around Geisinger Commonwealth William Jeffries, PhD, has joined the school’s leadership team as vice dean for Medical Education and vice president for Academic Affairs, announced Steven J. Scheinman, MD, president and dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

Dr. Jeffries is one of the nation’s leading experts in medical education. He served since 2009 as senior associate dean for medical education at the University of Vermont, responsible for its offices of curriculum, academic affairs, student affairs and admissions.

In that capacity he oversaw the university’s complete curricular rewrite, which made the entire curriculum active learning, and founded the teaching academy. In his career, he also spearheaded the launch of three branch campuses in three different states.

Amy Allison, MPH, will assume the role of associate dean and library director in September. In that position, she will create, in concert with Geisinger administration and library staff, one health sciences library system that will serve all Geisinger facilities, including all hospitals and the School of Medicine. She will report to the chief academic officer.

Ms. Allison has worked for 11 years at Emory University’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, first as a clinical informationist, then as head of Clinical Informationist Services and finally as associate director of the entire library, where she oversaw all public service points for Woodruff, including four hospital branch libraries, reference, instruction and clinical and research specialty services.

Lawrence Sampson, MD, has been named new associate dean of the Guthrie Campus, replacing Thomas VanderMeer, MD. Dr. Sampson is a graduate of Brown University, Yale School of Medicine and is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.

He completed his surgical residency at Maine Medical Center and his fellowship in vascular surgery at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

His tenure at Guthrie extends more than 20 years, during which time he has contributed in a wide variety of leadership roles and currently serves as chief of the Section of Vascular Surgery. Over the years, the surgical residents and medical students have recognized him with numerous teaching awards. He is pursuing his certificate in medical education at Geisinger.

Rebecca Stoudt, DNP, PhD, CRNA, has been named associate dean for Nursing Student Education. Dr. Stoudt will be responsible for the coordination, oversight and management of the experiences within the Geisinger system of Geisinger nursing students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in degree programs at other educational institutions. This includes oversight of educational partnerships, development of innovative curricula, collaboration on interprofessional experiences and assurance of the quality of learning opportunities. Dr. Stoudt previously held the position of director of special projects in the Department of Anesthesiology at Geisinger, where she provided leadership in the development and implementation of educational initiatives assigned by service line and executive leadership in collaboration with hospital medical directors and regional chief certified registered nurse anesthetists.

More details about new faculty appointments are available at geisinger.edu/RecentAcademicAppts.

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Thomas Martin, MD

Ashley Shamansky, DO

Steven J. Scheinman, MD, president and dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, announced that Thomas Martin, MD, longtime assistant chair of Pediatric Education, who played an integral role in the development and founding of the Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, will become professor emeritus.

Ashley Shamansky, DO, will assume the duties of assistant chair for Pediatric Education in the Department of Medical Education at the School of Medicine. She will continue to hold the title of assistant professor of pediatrics.

In addition to his role at Geisinger Commonwealth, Dr. Martin was also named professor emeritus in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Hershey Medical Center. He practiced pediatrics and served as associate medical director of the Family Practice Residency at Williamsport Hospital. He is board-certified in pediatrics as well as in the subspecialty of sports medicine.

In addition to numerous clinical and academic appointments in pediatrics, Dr. Martin served as team physician for the Penn State University football and wrestling teams from 1997 to 2004. He is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Shamansky is a graduate of Bucknell University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Additionally, she holds a master’s degree in public health from The Ohio State University. She completed her residency in pediatrics and an academic general pediatric fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians and the American Osteopathic Association.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine student chosen for leadership conference The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) accepted Alfred Hamilton III, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s MD Class of 2022, to its leadership development program, RISE: Developing Future Leaders in Academic Medicine & Science. AAMC selected just 50 medical students nationwide to attend the inaugural conference in Washington, D.C., held June 21-23.

AAMC invited every medical school in the United States to nominate one student who demonstrates a willingness and ability to positively impact the culture and/or learning environment at their medical school. Conference participants gained new leadership skills, as well as insights into building a career in academic medicine and science and developing a network of colleagues and role models.

Alfred Hamilton III

Geisinger Commonwealth students attend STARS summit on improving healthcare Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students Sarah Dwyer and John Piserchio, both members of the MD Class of 2022, were selected to participate in the STARS Leadership Summit in Austin, Texas, from Jan. 11 through Jan. 13.

Sarah Dwyer

Ms. Dwyer and Mr. Piserchio, along with other medical-student leaders, shared ideas and resources related to Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation. Choosing Wisely seeks to advance a national dialogue on avoiding unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures. Participants also learned about creating local and regional change in the areas of medical waste and overuse and how to drive change at their medical schools to improve the value of patient care.

Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin launched the Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship (STARS) program in 2017 with the goal of creating better health outcomes for patients at lower costs. The ABIM Foundation and the Josiah Macy Jr. John Piserchio Foundation support the initiative, which selects and gathers student leaders from across the country to coach them on the tenets of value-based care and to review Choosing Wisely recommendations.

The selected students will work with a School of Medicine faculty mentor and the Choosing Wisely STARS learning community to advance healthcare values topics in medical education.

Showcasing diversity through a multicultural fashion show Students, faculty and staff at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine celebrated their heritage, culture and diversity with a lively international potluck luncheon and cultural dress fashion show in January. Nine Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students and faculty member William McLaughlin, PhD, served as models. The event capped the school’s annual Diversity Week celebration, which included a food and toiletry drive to benefit the NEPA Youth Shelter and a screening of the documentary See What I’m Saying, a film that explores the experiences of four deaf artists as they try to broaden their reach to hearing audiences. The fashion show was preceded by an international luncheon, with foods prepared by members of the Geisinger Commonwealth community eager to share a cultural dish.

From left are students Shradha Chhabria, Nikhil Sharma, Nima Patel, Oluwaseyi Ogundana, Salma Zeb and Samantha Baah with faculty member William McLaughlin, PhD, and students Laël Ngangmeni, Elham Noori and Youngeun Choi.

Student leaders attend Latino Medical Student Association Policy Summit Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s chapter of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) participated in LMSA’s Policy Summit held in October in Washington, D.C. Second-year medical students Jasmine Santos and Andres Rodriguez are co-presidents of the School of Medicine’s chapter. Third-year student Yoseph Aldras, who served as president in his second year, is now external liaison for LMSA’s national Policy Committee. In that position, he helped plan the summit, developed promotional materials, worked with invited speakers and reviewed policy resolutions drafted by attendees at the three-day event.

Geisinger Commonwealth students seen at the LMSA Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., included, from left: Tiffany Garcia, John Piserchio, Angelica De Freitas, all members of the MD Class of 2022, with Meghan Loser, Class of 2021, and Erik Gamarra, Class of 2022.

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Class notes

MBS MD Christian Castaneda, MD, a member of the MBS Class of 2011, completed medical school at St. George’s University and an internal medicine residency at New York Presbyterian Queens in Flushing, N.Y. He recently completed his first year of fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at New York Presbyterian Queens and has special research interests in pulmonary emboli and right heart failure.

Jennifer Powel, MD, a member of the MBS Class of 2011, graduated from the Atlantic Health System Morristown Medical Center obstetrics and gynecology residency program and will begin a maternal fetal medicine fellowship at Saint Louis University.

Ashley Slack, MBS ’17, was accepted to Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and will join its Class of 2023.

Zachariah Zaffuti, DO, a member of the MBS Class of 2014, in May graduated from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glen Head, N.Y.

Save the date

Saturday, Oct. 19:

James Ackerman, MD ’14, graduated from UPMC Mercy’s general surgery residency program and will continue his training with a minimally invasive esophageal and thoracic surgery fellowship at UPMC from 2019 to 2020, followed by a cardiothoracic surgery residency at UPMC from 2020 to 2022.

Sharif Ahmed, MD ’15, completed his chief year in internal medicine and is starting a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J. Mark Ayzenberg, MD ’13, completed a sports medicine, arthroscopy and reconstructive surgery fellowship at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute. He is joining Pennsylvania-based Premier Orthopaedics and will teach the Inspira Health orthopaedic surgery residency.

Nicholas J. Drayer, MD ’15, a captain in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army, is completing an orthopaedic surgery residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash.

Trevor B. Echelmeier, MD ’13, and Scott Dalane, MD ’13, were both promoted to the rank of major in the U.S. Army in May. Sid Facaros, MD ’16, has completed his internal medicine residency training at Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, and will begin a cardiovascular disease fellowship at Summa.

Black Ties for White Coats Gala at Mount Airy Casino Resort

Robert DeGrazia Jr., MD ’16, was chosen to be a chief resident of the Internal Medicine Program at Christiana Care Health System. He assumed the chief resident role after completing his residency in June.

Friday, Sept. 27 – Sunday, Sept. 29:

Robert Gessman, MD ’13, graduated from a pain management fellowship and is now double board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine. He moved to Denver to join a private practice and was recently named co-medical director for The Surgery Center at Lone Tree.

MD Class of 2014 5-year reunion

Eleanor Gillis, MD ’14, completed a diagnostic radiology residency training at the Hospital of the

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University of Pennsylvania and in July began a breast imaging fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

John Mangan, MD ’16, is a third-year orthopaedic surgery resident at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. He was recently awarded the inaugural Richard H. Rothman, MD, PhD Prize for Distinguished Orthopaedic Resident, presented by the Jane and Leonard Korman family, close friends of the late Dr. Rothman.

This award is given to the resident who embodies Dr. Rothman’s key leadership traits, an entrepreneurial spirit, an innovative drive and a contagious passion for their work.

Kellyann Niotis, MD ’16, became chief resident in neurology at Weill Cornell. She also won the McGraw-Hill research fellowship, given to a neurology resident with great potential to be an academic neurologist.

Kevin Norman, MD ’17, was selected to be among the chief residents for emergency medicine for the Class of 2020 at WellSpan York Hospital.

Shrut Patel, MD ’16, was chosen as chief resident for Robert Wood Johnson’s JFK-Johnson Rehabilitation Institute’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency program for the upcoming academic year, 2019–2020.

Brianna Shinn, MD ’16, completed her internal medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and has begun a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Frederick Shrimp II, MD ’16, is serving as chief resident of internal medicine at York Hospital.

Joseph Marchese, MD ’13, and Ashley Blanco Marchese, MD ’15, welcomed a son, Theodore William, in June 2018. The couple lives outside Boston and both are pursuing fellowship training. Dr. Marchese will complete a fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine at New England Baptist Hospital in August and will join Orthopaedic Associates of Marlborough afterward. Dr. Blanco Marchese is pursuing a three-year fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Kate Onorato, MD ’17, and Michael Bedrin, MD ’17, became engaged in December. The wedding date is set for Oct. 12.

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Oo Htaik, MD ’13, and Swati Rushi, MD ’13, recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary in Myanmar. The couple wed in June 2018.

Aditya Eturi, MBS ’13, MD ’17, was selected chief resident for academic year 2020–2021 in internal medicine at Brown University.

The Karcutskie family celebrates his Pittsburgh match. Shown are Shireen, Charlie and their dog, Yukon.

Gregory Jones, MD ’16, in May presented at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery’s 99th Annual Meeting in Toronto.

He presented “What Really Happens at 30 and 90 Days After Pneumonectomy?” at the presidential plenary session. He is a research fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

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Charles Karcutskie, MD ’13, matched in May at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for plastic and reconstructive surgery. He will begin his training in Pittsburgh this summer after completing two years of research and five years of residency training in general surgery. In addition, he and his wife, Shireen, are expecting their first child, a boy, due in September. The couple were married in April 2018.

Shown from left are Jill Berlin, Suma Chandrasekaran and Nicole Pumariega

Annie Kate Misiura, MD ’14, and Joe Marascio, MD ’14, were married New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia and joined in the Mummers Parade down Broad Street the next day. Dr. Misiura has begun an abdominal imaging fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University following graduation as chief resident in radiology from Drexel University. Dr. Marascio will join the Radiation Oncology Department and the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta this fall after graduating from Jefferson.

From left, all members of the MD Class of 2014: Kevin Baker, Karen Leeds, Joe Marascio, Annie Kate Misiura, Elizabeth Dorn Pace, Aimee Janesky and Jason Dinko

Elizabeth Dorn Pace, MD ’14, pediatric critical care fellow at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, married Jon Pace, MD, a neurosurgery resident at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center on May 4.

A class reunion of sorts for the Class of 2015 was held in Banff, Canada. Jill Berlin, MD ’15, Suma Chandrasekaran, MD ’15, and Nicole Pumariega, MD ’15, reunited earlier this year to explore Banff National Park. Dr. Berlin recently completed a residency in anesthesia at Yale School of Medicine and will continue her training at Yale, doing a regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine fellowship. Dr. Chandrasekaran is currently a hospitalist and teaching faculty at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Dr. Pumariega completed her residency in ophthalmology at Drexel University College of Medicine and has begun a two-year vitreoretinal fellowship at West Virginia University. She will move closer to her husband and fellow classmate, Andrew Wroblewski, MD ’15, who will complete his chief year in orthopaedics next year and then start his fellowship in hand/upper extremity surgery at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh.

Take a moment to learn more about your Alumni Society, submit class notes, check out Geisinger Commonwealth news and update your contact information by visiting geisinger.edu/gcsom.

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Scholarship Days celebration Education at Geisinger celebrated its 25th year of Scholarship Days from April 30 through May 2.

Scholarship Days is an event that provides a forum for medical students, residents, fellows and faculty to gather and share their work in research, quality improvement and educational scholarship. More than 100 oral and poster presentations were presented over the course of three days.

“This year was exceptionally exciting — not only because it was the 25th anniversary, but also because we made some changes to Scholarship Days. For example, we organized the event by institute and this was the first year we included a really robust session of educational scholarship from our Medical Education Certificate Course cohort,” said Nicole Woll, PhD, associate dean of Faculty and Continuing Professional Development.

“The excitement generated around the scholarly activity could be felt throughout all three days. Our goal is to continue that excitement and to make Scholarship Days a vibrant opportunity to share and collaborate with our entire medical education community.”

Award winners Resident and Fellow Oral Presentation Session I (Surgery Institute) First place: Katelyn Young, BS, General Surgery Residency Program Second place: Ashley Jordan, MD, Plastic Surgery Residency Program Third place: Mahdi Malekpour, MD, General Surgery Residency Program

Resident and Fellow Oral Presentation Session I (multiple institutes) First place: Umar Tariq, MD, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Fellowship Program Second place: Ashish Patel, MD, Neurological Surgery Residency Program Third place: Joseph Seemiller, MD, Neurology Residency Program

Resident and Fellow Oral Presentation Session I (Medicine Institute) First place: Christopher Berry, MD, Emergency Medicine Residency Program Second place: Holly Unger, PharmD, Pharmacy Residency Program Third place: Raghu Puttagunta, MD, Med-Peds Residency Program

Resident and Fellow Case Report Presentations (Surgery Institute) First place: William Ensor, DO, Ophthalmology Residency Program Second place: Spencer Onishi, DO, Ophthalmology Residency Program Third place: Monica Rebielak, DO, General Surgery Northeast Residency Program

Resident and Fellow Case Report Presentations (multiple institutes) First place: Christine Klingaman, DO, Pediatrics Residency Program Second place: Brian Jacobs, DO, Pediatrics Sports Medicine Fellowship Program Third place: Sheela Vivekanandan, MD, Neurological Surgery Residency Program

Resident and Fellow Case Report Presentations (Medicine Institute) First place: Ruchit Shah, DO, Internal Medicine Residency Program Second place: Robert Blake Lowe, DO, MedPeds Residency Program Third place: Melanie Patel, DO, Internal Medicine Residency Program

Resident and Fellow Oral Presentation Session II (Surgery Institute) First place: Carling Cheung, MD, Urology Residency Program Second place: Robert Cunningham, MB, Minimally Invasive Surgery Program Third place: Charles Walker, MD, General Surgery Residency Program

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Medical Education Certificate Course graduates second cohort of scholars The Medical Education Certificate Course (MECC) graduated a second class of MECC scholars on May 2. The goal of the MECC is to help participants develop foundational skills in medical education. “It’s a structured faculty development opportunity that enhances the teaching and learning skills of Geisinger faculty preceptors, coaches, mentors and advisors in the clinical learning environment,” said Nicole Woll, PhD, MEd, an MECC course director.

The 2018–2019 cohort attended the yearlong course and also developed a novel curriculum for their departmental faculty and/or learners.

At the MECC graduation ceremony, beginning with back row, from left, are: Richard Davis, DO, Kyle Marshall, MD, Liam Dwyer, MD, Matthew Palmer, MD, Cynthia Correll, MD, Sarah Marks, MD, Larry Sampson, MD, Jessica Zingaretti, DO, David Avila, MD, Marissa Clifton, MD, Kathryn DeHart, MD, Laura Campbell, PhD, William Rakauskas, MD, Tanisha Robinson, MD, Dillenia Rosica, MD, Halle Ellison, MD, Jodie Reider, MD, Natalie Stinton, DMD, Kristi Shirk, and Dan Dometita, DO. Not pictured are MECC graduates Maria C. Bermudez, MD, and Jason Brown, DO.

Residency orientation Michelle Thompson, MD, associate dean for Graduate Medical Education and designated institutional officer at Geisinger, addresses 140 new doctors who compose the health system’s newest cohort of residents at an orientation session held at the Henry Hood Center for Health Research in Danville on June 17. Many doctors who complete their residency training at Geisinger remain in the region to practice medicine. In May, Geisinger graduated 131 trainees, with 26 percent of that number remaining at Geisinger in some capacity — whether through employment or continued training.

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Abigail Scholars

With Abigail Geisinger Scholars program, John Coulter finds ‘everything lining up’

John Coulter, MBS ’18

A biology class at Crestwood High School in Mountain Top, Pa., convinced John Coulter he wanted to be a doctor. But when he voiced that dream out loud, he was surprised by the negativity that greeted his aspirations. “I heard a lot of no,” he said. “The hours were too much. The paperwork was too great a burden. You had no control over your schedule. I was advised to go into physical therapy instead.

So that’s what I did.”

When he graduated from Crestwood, Mr. Coulter enrolled at Slippery Rock University as an exercise science major. He was accepted to the “three plus three” program but discovered in his fourth year that PT wasn’t for him.

“I was shadowing a DPT, and I felt it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to get more involved in prevention, rather than trying to fix problems after they occurred. I talked to an adviser and said I liked physiology, and I enjoyed interacting with people.

He said, ‘It sounds like you want to be a doctor.’”

Mr. Coulter realized the adviser was correct and his initial high school dreams were valid after all. Unfortunately, his college years hadn’t prepared him for medical school. He sat down to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and found he didn’t recognize any of the words. “I didn’t have biochemistry.

I didn’t have organic chemistry. And yet I was trying to make it work — I was using context clues to try to help me figure things out,” he said.

The experience prompted Mr. Coulter to reach out to his friend Jakob Saidman, who was then a third-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth. “He told me about the MBS program and said it would prepare me for medical school,” Mr. Coulter said.

At the time, Mr. Coulter was driving an escort car for oversized trucks traveling to West Virginia and Ohio. During those long, maddeningly slow drives, he spent a lot of time talking to the Geisinger Commonwealth admissions team. “I realized that up until that point, I’d been hearing a lot of ‘No. No. No,’” he said.

“Now, suddenly, everything was, ‘Yes. Yes. Go. Go.’” Mr. Coulter still felt hampered by the earlier negativity he

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experienced, so he told himself not to get too excited until he saw the grade on his first biochemistry exam. “I got a 100, and so I started to feel, ‘Yes, I can do this,’” he said.

Empowered by that success, Mr. Coulter blossomed in other ways at the School of Medicine. He ran for and won a leadership post on Graduate Student Council. When he ran into problems with his genetics class, he approached his professor, Greg Shanower, PhD, and asked if they could meet every week to go over the material. Dr. Shanower agreed instantly and never missed a meeting. “The level of support I received, the resources that were available to me — it was unbelievable,” Mr. Coulter said. “Everyone was so caring. I took advantage of every opportunity Geisinger Commonwealth provided.”

During his gap year, Mr. Coulter worked as a teaching assistant. In late fall of that year, he was accepted as a medical student to the Geisinger Commonwealth Class of 2023, and in the spring, he learned he was also named an Abigail Geisinger Scholar, meaning his medical school tuition will be free, provided he agrees to become a Geisinger physician.

Mr. Coulter, who hopes to become a cardiologist, said with the Abigail Geisinger Scholars program, everything came full circle. “Back in high school, I wanted to be a doctor, and I always knew I wanted to stay in this area,” he said. “Being accepted to Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and being a scholar tells me this is right. This is what I want to do. Everything is lined up right for me.”

About the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program The Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program is a purpose-driven program that selects qualified Geisinger Commonwealth medical students through a competitive application process. Those chosen pay no tuition in exchange for an obligation to work at Geisinger once they finish residency. Preference is given to students who express a desire to care for the communities Geisinger serves. Selection criteria include demonstrated financial need, academic merit, diversity and predictors of whether the applicant is likely to stay in the region Geisinger serves.

Geisinger Commonwealth wraps up successful campaign On Saturday, April 27, the Campaign for Scholarships and Innovation held its final event. The campaign was launched at Gala 2015 with a goal of $15 million. At the Campaign Close event, the Institutional Advancement team celebrated raising more than $25 million, a large portion of which is dedicated to student scholarships.

Marise Garofalo retired in June. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine will be eternally grateful for her devotion to our students and for the many ways she embodied the mission of our school.

As President and Dean Steven J. Scheinman, MD, said in his remarks, our success is measured in students, and if our fundraising efforts help to fulfill the dreams of young people and strengthen healthcare in our region, that’s money well invested.

Thank you to every donor and volunteer who made our Campaign for Scholarships and Innovation a success. Please stay engaged with the school. Our students and our community still need you! – Marise Garofalo, Vice President of Institutional Advancement

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Scholarship feature

From “didn’t enjoy school” to multiple scholarships and a research fellowship Randy Lesh of Scranton, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine’s MD class of 2022, has a very patient mother. Even as she worked three jobs to provide him with opportunities she never had, Mr. Lesh wasn’t interested in those opportunities. “I didn’t enjoy school growing up, so I was adamant about not going to college,” he said. Fortunately, his mom’s patience and a great high school chemistry teacher changed that.

“My chemistry teacher helped me enjoy school, and at the same time I was watching my grandma’s battle with colon cancer. These two events gave me the motivation and drive to pursue a career in which I could help others,” he said.

Mr. Lesh earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology from The University of Scranton. During his time in college, he traveled on service trips to Haiti and

Nicaragua and volunteered at the Leahy Center Clinic for the Uninsured. He also served as an Emergency Department volunteer at Geisinger Community Medical Center.

When he was accepted to Geisinger Commonwealth’s Class of 2022, he was awarded two scholarships, the John Menapace Scholarship and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation scholarship. Now a rising second-year student, Mr. Lesh can add an Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Carolyn L. Kuckein Research Fellowship to his resume. AOA fellowships are prestigious — just 50 awards are made annually “to foster the development of the next generation of medical researchers.” AOA is the national medical honor society. Mr. Lesh’s winning proposal for the fellowship is entitled “Developing biomarkers of therapeutic response in rectal carcinoma.”

“My research project is focused on developing a method to use an individual’s genetic information to more precisely treat their cancer,” Mr. Lesh said.

“I am working with Sanjeevani Arora, PhD, and Joshua Meyer, MD, a radiation oncologist, who are both at Fox Chase Cancer Center. We plan to obtain hybrid DNA damage recognition and repair capacity signatures from individuals with rectal cancer. We will then compare these genetic markers of DNA damage response between rectal cancer patients who responded well to treatment (had a decrease in tumor mass) and those who did not. We are interested in determining if this genetic data can predict the magnitude of benefit from neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy — a first step to shrink a tumor before the main treatment, which is usually surgery.”

For someone who didn’t think he wanted to further his education, Randy Lesh is well on his way to furthering medical knowledge for all.

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