LECOM Connection Summer 2018

THE

LECOM

ONNECTION

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine SUMMER 2018

EDUCATION COMMUNITY

RESEARCH

CLINICAL

FOUR PILLARS OF STRENGTH AND SOUNDNESS

Upon sound foundations are built the greatest civilizations.

The ancient Greek adage exists as an instructive truism and one that the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has embraced as an emblematic credo. Education, community service, research, and clinical care and training have undergirded the LECOM mission from its very inception.

From the four pillars of its institutional founding have come the fruitful results of that sound foundation. These pillars of purpose constitute the foundational framework that has given rise to the magnificent attainments and valued accomplishments of LECOM and its progeny.

Education is pursued in the classic sense, embracing cognitive thinking, critical

knowledge, and the formation of a moral character comprised of honor and integrity.

LECOM recognizes that all too often in other educational institutions, students have been given answers to remember, rather than problems to solve. The direction in which education launches an individual will determine his or her future in life, for one of the many important functions of education is to develop the personality, the mind and the character of the student and to transform that student into a scholar who will find the significance of his life to self and to others.

This element of education brings LECOM to its second pillar, that of service. Community service is encouraged for the enrichment

and the betterment of the human condition.

In truth, there is nothing that more keenly demonstrates the value of one’s skills than putting them to good use for a meaningful cause. Indeed, service to humanity aids the hand of Providence.

Attendant to education and service, research – both formalizing curiosity and transforming education – involves asking questions with a focused purpose. “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” So said American astronomer and scientist, Dr. Carl Sagan. This sage commentary indeed underpins the very motivation of countless LECOM medical professionals who dedicate their time, talents and training to the

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine 1858 West Grandview Blvd.

Erie, PA 16509 (814) 866-6641 • www.lecom.edu

John M. Ferretti, DO President/CEO Marlene D. Mosco Chair of the Board of Trustees Silvia M. Ferretti, DO Provost, Senior Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Hershey Bell, MD, MS (MedEd) Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Pharmacy Mathew J. Bateman, PhD, DHEd Dean of the School of Dental Medicine Mark Kauffman, DO, MS (MedEd), PA Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Bradenton Pierre Bellicini Institutional Director of Communications and Marketing Eric Nicastro Assistant Institutional Director of Communications and Marketing Stephanie Bruce Communications and Marketing Specialist Nick Blake Public Relations Specialist Joel Welin Communications and Marketing Specialist, Bradenton

invaluable and deeply probative pursuit of discovery. From cutting-edge LECOM labs to first-rate hospital, clinic and rehabilitation settings, LECOM students advance, armed with tangible, real-world experience that prepares them for a life lived in the noble calling of medicine. Clinical education and training hones and furthers the educative, service, and research components of the well-rounded medical professional. By placing the trained scholar into active settings wherein those learned skills are tested, refined, and sharpened, a premier physician, pharmacist, dentist, or healthcare professional is developed and shaped. Creating a renaissance in the medical realm, LECOM has imbued within the larger medical community a recognition that its

four profoundly purposed plinths form an essential and indispensable foundation from which is born the consummate medical professional whose success is shared with a proud alma mater.

In the pages that follow, the LECOM Connection will, in a sense, parse the pillars, offering a more definitive view of some key attributes that have resulted in LECOM becoming a luminous gem in the field of healthcare education and the way in which its lineage has reaped the benefits.

Rebecca A. DeSimone, Esquire Chief Writer, Editor-in-Chief The LECOM Connection invites you to contribute to our publication. If you have news of alumni achievements, research or student activities, please contact the Communications & Marketing Department, at (814) 866-6641, or email communications@lecom.edu.

John M. Ferretti, DO - President/CEO 04 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

What Wakes Us in the Morning?

It is as much the mission as the sun, for it is our common purpose that propels us. It is the eager minds that wait to be ignited.

It is the notion that our neighbors’ need is a vessel to be filled. It is the knowledge that formalized curiosity can change the future. It is the certainty that clinical care stands as the vanguard of the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Indeed, these four pillars: education, community, research and clinical care serve to support the overarching mission of a grand institution, one which has become a transformative force in the field of health education and care.

As our noble calling beckons to us, the four pillars of our time-honored mission stand unyieldingly – to educate at a superlative level, to commit ourselves unabashedly to community, to foster and promote research and to advance clinical care.

As our highly trained scholars step forward with diploma in hand, they recognize also that their degree represents a marker of a past achievement linked inseparably to their obligation to the future. As they are armed with the skills and education to storm the ramparts of success, they are wholly prepared to undertake an elevating work replete with superb purpose.

Henry Ford maintained: “You cannot build a reputation on that which you plan to do.”

Attendant to producing superlatively educated medical professionals is the necessity to foster in our scholars a sterling character. Forging character has been the pursuit of LECOM since its inception. A LECOM education teaches students about compassion, courage, prudence, generosity and ethics; virtues relevant to all of us at any time in history. With those virtues as a guide, leadership shaped through service has been ever a hallmark of a LECOM degree.

As heirs of a glorious past and a heritage of inestimable value, LECOM scholars commit themselves to transmitting the torch of their brilliant tradition to future generations for they are aware of the urgency to imbue the current cultural context with the leaven of community betterment.

From our medical school to our pharmacy school to our dental school and clinics, to our residency programs and research programs, to our state-of-the-art Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, to our countless community programs and projects, to our senior centers, hospitals, and the vast nexus within LECOM Health, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is the unmatched standard-bearer of healthcare professionals.

LECOM ever has posited that great strides can be made when a resolute purpose is behind them. As a benefactor of the arts and sciences and as a marvel of erudition, the mission of LECOM – to imbue within its progeny an inextricably linked amalgam of intelligence and character – advances with unabashed fervor.

These pillars represent the foundational strength of the LECOM mission, rooted in superlative medical education and in an unyielding focus upon community betterment.

LECOM has sought to elevate the very paradigm of medical education, and the pillars of that purpose remain steadfast to this very day.

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IN THIS ISSUE FEATURE

05

Message from the President

08 The Strength and

Soundness of the

Four Pillars of LECOM

07

Credos of Our Calling - Bravery

14

Commencement 2018

16

Ronald Berezniak, PhD receives the John M. Ferretti, DO President’s Award

DEPARTMENTS

17

LECOM Honors Congressman Mike Kelly with Doctor of Laws Degree

18

LECOM Graduate Delivers Message of Hope

20

Research Day 2018

22

LECOM School of Pharmacy Earns National Honors in Script Your Future Campaign

29

88.5 FM LECOM Radio

24

Community is Our Campus

27 Student, Faculty, and Alumni Notes

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is to prepare students to become osteopathic physicians, pharmacy practitioners, and dentists through programs of excellence in education, research, clinical care, and community service to enhance the quality of life through improved health for all humanity. The professional programs are dedicated to serve all students through innovative curriculum and the development of postdoctoral education and interprofessional experiences.

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CREDOS OF OUR CALLING

Gratitude•

Often an overlooked virtue, gratitude is perhaps one of the least recognized character qualities of the current culture. The American experience focuses intently upon striving upward as one seeks to better oneself and one’s surroundings. Indeed, the pursuit of betterment is a noble one. Yet Cicero explained that “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but it is the parent of all other virtues.”

It is important to not allow one's life to be driven or directed by a discontented striving. In so doing, one grows to be focused more upon that which one is owed rather than upon that which one has been given.

One may lean toward depression or despair as a fixation upon loss or when desires seem out of reach. Blinded by the bad obscuring the good, one fails to see the wisdom in that astute person who chooses to see the glass half full instead of half empty.

Studies have found that gratitude is deeply tied to one’s complete health and happiness. However, the seminal message is not that gratitude makes one happy or that one should pursue it with one’s own happiness as the goal. Gratitude is a virtue that directs or orients the soul and mind. It is a keen and palpable awareness of the gifts that one

has received from one's history, from one's accomplishments, from family, from community and from God. Gratitude serves as a clearing vision; for when one sees the gifts in one's life for that which they truly are, one will give thanks for them, and will begin to demonstrate a positivity that accomplishes great ends and that energizes others.

When one is grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.

Gratitude makes sense of the past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow; for it offers to the existence of man the full fruit of a great and enriched society.

LECOM encourages the cultivation of a grateful heart in its scholars as they endeavor to accomplish great ends through the use and application of their expert education and training.

For this, and for the many reasons that surround the value of this important attribute of mind and soul, Gratitude is a Credo of Our Calling.

Gratitude is a sign of noble souls and it is the most exquisite form of courtesy. ~ Aesop

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The Strength and of the Four Pillars of LECOM Throughout American history, our people have toiled to build the greatest nation on Earth. In times of challenge, we have stood together proudly proclaiming our heritage based upon the pillars of our founding.

The same can be said about the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), which has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to become the largest medical college and the only osteopathic academic health center in the nation. LECOM has accomplished this pinnacle of attainment through a consistent and unremitting commitment to excellence across its foundational pillars.

The four pillars that define and underpin that glimmering LECOM mission, that create the indelible imprimatur of excellence are: education, community, research, and clinical care. These are the foundational plinths that serve to support the overarching mission of a grand institution.

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Indeed, the Four Pillars of LECOM represent the strength of that mission – rooted in superlative medical education and in an unyielding focus upon community betterment. LECOM tirelessly has sought to elevate the very paradigm of medical education and the pillars of that purpose remain steadfast to this very day.

Ensuring Excellence in Education The commitment to exceptionalism in education is found at the center of the LECOM mission. The wisdom of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in building a medical education hub has proven both indispensable and resolute.

FEATURE

Soundness With a national economic impact of more than one billion dollars, LECOM stands as an indelible example of American exceptionalism.

Having doubled its economic impact within a five year period, LECOM is an irrefutable template for success in medical education.

As educators across the nation seek ways in which to stretch medical education dollars, LECOM is making sure that students can graduate with less debt by offering one of the most affordable tuitions in the country while still maintaining the highest quality of education.

LECOM accomplishes this end with an exceptionally expert faculty at a favorable faculty-student ratio. The faculty is charged to assure that students are prepared to excel at national board exams and to qualify for post-graduate opportunities to advance their careers. LECOM board scores highlight superlative education as students taking national medical, pharmacy, and dental examinations consistently have maintained a pass rate at, or above, the national averages. These facts

support and elucidate the gleaming hallmark of quality education that is offered at LECOM. LECOM students have achieved these excellent test results by rigorously maintaining professional and educational standards as instilled by the school. To help ensure success, the College has implemented a host of programs, educational paradigms, and learning tools to assist students in passing the licensing examinations.

LECOM scholars, steeped within an integrity-driven and character-building honor code, are educated in the most comprehensive manner ensuring the graduation of medical professionals who are capably trained and profoundly skilled. The results are recognized by teaching hospitals across the country as they accept LECOM graduates into some of the most prestigious residency programs in the nation. In recent years, 100 percent of the College of Osteopathic Medicine graduates have matched

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into residency programs; and each year, an increasing number of new Doctor of Pharmacy graduates are selected for hospital residencies.

Championing a Commitment to Community Service In the realm of community service (the second of the LECOM Pillars), the College has stood consistently in the vanguard.

The College places an elevated value upon its mission and upon its educational goals as it stresses the importance of preparing students to become service-oriented osteopathic physicians, pharmacy, and dental practitioners. To that end, two out of three LECOM students participate in community service while managing the weighty course work of a doctoral or master’s program.

Underscoring the value of the community service undertaken

by LECOM, the College has been recognized on the prestigious President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll presented by the National Community Service Corporation. This honor pays tribute to the work of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who support local communities through their commitment of time and service.

As a member of the President's Honor Roll, LECOM highlights its strong mission of volunteerism and service-learning efforts and it 10 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

underscores its principle as a civic-minded institution. LECOM serves as an exemplar to each community in which it has laid its cornerstone by supporting organizations that possess similar goals and aims as those endorsed by LECOM. The College promotes health care, wellness, education, and improving the well-being of children and adults throughout the community.

As a champion of important community organizations and programs, LECOM has, time and again, demonstrated a strong commitment to the Erie, Bradenton, and Greensburg communities, generously supporting organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, the housing authorities, free clinics, police and fire departments, and many more organizations and civic groups. A 2016 Tripp-Umbach economic study shows that LECOM and its affiliates generate nearly $6.2 million dollars annually in charitable donations, volunteer services, and the provision of free health care.

In Erie, LECOM serves as the lead agency for Safe Kids Erie, an organization that seeks to advance child health and safety across a broad spectrum of educational and awareness programs and offerings.

Last year, LECOM Safe Kids Erie programming reached more than twenty-five thousand people at ninety events with the help of more than four hundred volunteers. Safe Kids Erie concluded 2017 with the highest program totals in its history; and it earned ten grants, a remarkable feat for a local group. Grants were awarded to advance reading, bicycle safety, fire safety, infant health, gun safety training, and physical fitness.

FEATURE

For the second year, LECOM Safe Kids Erie was one of only nineteen local groups selected to receive a Helping Today Grant from the Erie Community Foundation. The substantial grant award advances prevention projects that battle Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

During the grant period, LECOM affiliates, Medical Associates of Erie (MAE) and Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH), partnered with Safe Kids Erie to highlight the need for SIDS education and they distributed 200 pack-and-play cribs to new families.

Each summer, many LECOM students sacrifice their only break during their four years of medical school to participate in the Bridging the Gaps Program – a program that places these students in more than 20 social service and health care agencies where they can, and do, make a difference in the lives of the people who are served by those groups.

LECOM scholars develop projects that address key needs such as prevention of teen pregnancy, building self-confidence, elder health and wellness, and hospice care.

Other outreach programs find LECOM students offering after school and summer mentoring for children; carrying the message of healthy lifestyles into the community through health fairs and poison prevention programs; and raising thousands of dollars each year by participating in the fundraising efforts of many local health service organizations such as the Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Heart, and Diabetes Societies, as well as other associations.

Through these services and a panoply of others across its campuses, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine affirms its continuing mission to service, understanding always that the best way in which individuals can find purpose is to lose themselves in the service of others. LECOM holds fast to the truism set forth by John Adams and resoundingly echoed by LECOM President and CEO John M. Ferretti, D.O. that if one succeeds in laying out oneself in the service of mankind, one has succeeded.

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Promoting Research and Discovery The third LECOM Pillar centers upon the scholarly research undertaken by faculty and students.

In January of 2017, LECOM opened its newly renovated research center in a capacious locale next to the main campus in Erie. Completely redesigned, refitted, and comprehensively renovated to advance basic science and clinical research, the new LECOM West Research Facility provides usable space three-times that of the former LECOM research lab.

The center is furnished with state-of-the-art, safety-focused equipment and cutting-edge devices. LECOM faculty members from all campuses may utilize this facility.

In recognition of the research conducted by faculty members, LECOM has been awarded research grants to develop and conduct meaningful investigations and to probe complex realms of discovery.

LECOM was the recipient of a major grant to examine Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) a major cause of infertility. Under the keen eye of Diana Speelman, Ph.D., Director of Research for the College of Medicine, her team conducted investigations into the most common hormone disorder in women. The team’s goal was to counter the undesirable side effects of current therapies. Their findings indicated 12 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

that regular yoga and weekly osteopathic manipulative treatments confer benefits upon women with PCOS, obviating the need for pharmaceutical intervention.

Since A.T. Still first postulated the principles of osteopathic medicine, researchers have sought a way to verify the results of osteopathic manipulation. LECOM Anatomy Professor Randy Kulesza, Ph.D., is collaborating with Auburn University Professor Vitaly Vodyanoy, Ph.D., who has used his patented microscopy system to confirm the existence of a primo-vascular system that could provide a scientific foundation for acupuncture and other treatments such as osteopathic manipulation. Together, the LECOM and Auburn researchers are testing the hypothesis that a nearly invisible network - when activated by acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation, pressure, or laser - releases stem cells that flow to organs where they replace injured cells and become organ cells. Their results could provide insights into the key osteopathic principle that the body has the innate ability to heal itself.

As part of its educational mission, LECOM determined that additional training in research forms a key component of medical education. To that end, the College established the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) with an emphasis upon research, a goal of which results in the publishing of the students’ findings. Since the inception of the program, 34 students have earned the MSBS degree.

Further emphasizing the LECOM mission to support and to advance postdoctoral training in primary care and to provide programs of postdoctoral instruction and training in the art, science, principles,

FEATURE and practice of osteopathic medicine, the Lake Erie Consortium for Osteopathic Medical Training (LECOMT) was developed to support and to ensure quality osteopathic medical education through graduate medical education sites paired with the College. During each academic year, LECOM and LECOMT provide extensive Research Support Grants.

Scholarly activity, both in basic science and in clinical medicine, is being advanced and encouraged by alliances that allow partnering hospitals and office-based programs to pursue research.

Intriguing research, as performed by faculty, students, and residents, remains a fundamental goal of LECOM. Each year, many of their research projects appear in medical, dental, and pharmacy publications, as well as in peer-reviewed journals.

From the Annual LECOM Research Days, an expansive array of interprofessional exchanges replete with poster presentations and expertly presented lectures, to LECOM Masters Students mentored in the arena of basic science research, the research paradigm is now well positioned to set a new standard in the field.

Additionally, the Masters in Medical Education at LECOM is tremendously useful in training future educators who collaterally support and benefit both the research and the clinical education areas.

Furthering Clinical Training The fourth LECOM Pillar centers upon the unswerving dedication of LECOM to advance clinical education for all students through a network of teaching hospitals and clinics.

To prepare new LECOM physicians, pharmacists, and dentists to transition into their residency programs or clinical practices, it is incumbent upon the College to build a solid base of medical knowledge available through first-hand experience alongside those doctors who have years of experience in providing health care to their patients. The College has worked with clinical faculty to develop an intricately-laced network of clinical rotations.

This broad network of clinical faculty makes a commitment to teach students in their hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies.

The first clinical rotations began with just one location - Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH) - a teaching hospital. The administration had the prescient vision to build LECOM into a powerhouse of medical education. As the College grew, and as the demand for clinical education and residency programs increased, LECOM and hospital administration established a goal to develop and create an Osteopathic Academic Health Center with its own physician group, hospital, and medical college. Medical Associates of Erie (MAE) became the clinical practice component. With the additions of LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, Corry Memorial Hospital, LECOM Senior Living Center, LECOM Senior Living Communities, LECOM Nursing and

Rehabilitation Center, LifeWorks Erie, and the Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County, LECOM Health has become a highly innovative health care and education system that strives to add to the quality of life of its neighbors by bringing total health care to the community. Each of these affiliates serve as a clinical education rotation site for medical and pharmacy students.

In addition to the Erie, Greensburg, and Bradenton campuses – where preclinical education takes place – LECOM boasts seven regional campuses for students in their third and fourth years of clinical education. Through core clinical rotations at these sites, medical students begin to learn the responsibilities of providing high quality health care as they see patients under the supervision of their preceptors.

The regional campuses are located in Erie and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; in Elmira and Yonkers, New York; in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida; and in San Diego, California. A Regional Dean at each site oversees the students who receive their clinical education from hospital residents and attending physicians.

Students are educated within the local health systems for yearlong clinical rotations with an option to remain for a second year. This template has ensured that LECOM maintains adequate clinical training for every third-year and fourth-year medical student.

LECOM has alliances with more than 100 additional teaching hospitals and clinics offering more than 1,600 adjunct faculty members who actively impart practice knowledge upon eager scholars. Those rotation sites expand across nine states, from New York to California, with the majority of sites in Pennsylvania and in Florida.

The School of Pharmacy also relies upon hundreds of preceptors at community, retail, and hospital pharmacies to provide hands-on experience for LECOM students. The Introductory Pharmacy Practice

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COMMENCEMENT 2018 LECOM COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES CELEBRATE NEW GRADUATES

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The number of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) alumni increased by more than one thousand when LECOM Commencement Ceremonies concluded this spring for LECOM Erie, LECOM at Seton Hill, and for LECOM Bradenton.

The ceremony in Erie, Pennsylvania was held on Sunday, May 27, 2018, at Erie Insurance Arena; and the event included graduates of all programs for LECOM Erie and LECOM at Seton Hill. The Bradenton Commencement ceremony followed a week later, on June 3, 2018, at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.

Diplomas were awarded to 266 LECOM Erie scholars who were enrolled in the twenty-second College of Medicine class. Joining them were 103 LECOM medical school scholars enrolled in the sixth class at Seton Hill. The LECOM School of Pharmacy in Erie graduated 140 students in its fourteenth class. Also receiving LECOM diplomas were 33 candidates for the Masters of Medical Education Degree (three dual degrees), 42 candidates for the Masters in Health Services Administration (21 dual degrees) and six candidates for the Masters of Biomedical Sciences Degree.

The Bradenton Commencement ceremony included conferral of degrees upon 189 Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine graduates, 154 Pharmacy scholars (including 23 Distance Education graduates), 100 LECOM School of Dental Medicine graduates, 60 Masters of Medical Science scholars and 20 Masters in Health Services Administration graduates.

The Distance Education students were the first graduates of the LECOM School of Pharmacy Distance Education Pathway.

Prior to the conferral of degrees in Bradenton, Ron Berezniak, PhD received the John M. Ferretti, DO President’s Award for Outstanding Service. Dr. Berezniak is retiring from LECOM this year, after his nearly 15 years of dedicated service.

In Erie, LECOM President and CEO, John M. Ferretti, DO conferred upon Congressman Mike Kelly an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree recognizing the statesman’s outstanding service to country, his stalwart work in the arena of healthcare, and his great support of the osteopathic mission as advanced by LECOM. The entire event, across all campus locales, was a grand triumph as more than one thousand superlatively trained LECOM healthcare graduates have now gone forth to answer their calling and to better each community into which they venture.

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JOHN M. FERRETTI, DO PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE Microsurgery Pacesetter, Ronald Berezniak, Ph.D.

The Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Director of Clinical Education at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine bears weighty responsibilities in a variety of areas including, academic affairs, student affairs, recruitment and institutional research; however, Ronald Berezniak, Ph.D.’s remarkable skills far outpace those two titles, prestigious though they may be. Dr. Berezniak received his doctorate in Science Education from the University of Pennsylvania where he performed his doctoral research in Microsurgical Education.

Proving the adage that few things are impossible to diligence and skill, it was there that Dr. Berezniak wrote a major microsurgical training manual and developed a model microsurgery training program that is used throughout the world. His training model is central in educating physicians in microsurgery; and his method assists physicians, both in microsurgery and in transplant surgery. Indeed, the expansive list of Dr. Berezniak’s publications in the transplant and microsurgical fields extends page upon page.

Dr. Berezniak has lectured extensively at colleges, hospitals and medical centers

throughout the United States, offering presentation topics that include microsurgical education, medical curriculum development and assessment, osteopathic medical education, problem-based learning, and clinical and graduate medical education. His lectures are always the highlight of educational programs and seminars; and his credentials in the field of microsurgery are of considerable renown.

Prior to Dr. Berezniak’s doctoral work, he was graduated in 1971 from Bloomsburg State College in Pennsylvania with a bachelor of science degree in General Science. He earned his MA in higher education from Glassboro State College in Glassboro, New Jersey in 1986, where he focused upon developing a Curriculum Guide in Microanatomy. In 1996, Dr. Berezniak completed his post-doctoral research in Medical Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to receiving his position as Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Director of Clinical Education at LECOM, a position that he has held since 2003, Dr. Berezniak served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, as Director of Clinical Education, Professor of

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Health Professions Education, and as Executive Director of OPTI-West at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pomona, California.

In 2005, Dr. Berezniak was named a Fellow in the Association of Osteopathic Directors and Medical Educators.

Recognizing his expert work in administering microsurgical training programs, his research in transplant surgery and his noteworthy work in microvascular surgery, LECOM has embraced Dr. Berezniak as a celebrated member of its family of educators.

Dr. Berezniak has distinguished himself as a brilliant instructor at LECOM. He is an educator who embodies the principle that example is not the main method by which to influence others, it is the only method. His pioneering work and his pace-setting track record continues to demonstrate that he does not follow where a path may lead; he instead, travels where there is no path and he leaves a trail.

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Common Man to Statesman LECOM Honors Congressman Mike Kelly with Doctor of Laws Degree Congressman Mike Kelly is a cherished and stalwart friend of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). He is a dynamic and powerful force for good. He is a common man in the best and most honorable sense of the phrase. As a well-respected national legislator from the venerable Third Congressional District of Pennsylvania, his work on the House Ways and Means Committee, and on the Social Security, Health and Trade Subcommittees have highlighted his valuable contributions to our nation. His work has created and continues to create an enduring and positive mark upon our state and indeed, upon our country as a whole.

Kelly is possessed of the virtues of small-town America, those of sincerity, determination and integrity. His plain-spoken manner and his genuine decency became an immediate political asset, fostering bonds across boundaries and among leaders that served to advance the success of great causes, many of which have served to protect our American Constitutional principles, to expand health care into rural areas, and to safeguard our trade policies around the globe.

Through all of these worthy endeavors, Kelly inspires those around him with his keenly articulated sense of purpose.

Born in Pittsburgh, Kelly was raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he has lived for more than 50 years.

After graduating from Butler High School in 1966, he attended the University of Notre Dame on an athletic scholarship, after which he returned to Butler to work at Kelly ChevroletCadillac, Inc., a company founded by his father in the early 1950s. Kelly took ownership of the dealership in the mid-1990s and he expanded its operations.

Prior to entering Congress, he served on the Butler City Council and he sat on the boards of several local and civic organizations, including the Housing Authority and the Redevelopment

Authority of Butler County, and the Moraine Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

In recognition of his extensive volunteer and charitable work, Catholic Charities awarded him its Mary DeMucci Award. The Mayor of Butler designated October 26, 2001, as Mike Kelly Day for his commitment to his hometown.

Throughout his life and through all of his business practices, Kelly revered the qualities of an exalted mind, a steadfast character, and a virtuous spirit. The faith-filled, grounded guidance that shaped his devotion to family, to education, and to purposeful and honest business dealings have underscored his life's work.

Taking on and overcoming a spate of government regulations that sought to destroy his business and to derail the hundreds that he employed, Kelly successfully ran for Congress to take his fight for the common man to Washington.

His family and friends were with him on January 5, 2011, when Kelly was sworn into office as the United States Representative of the Third Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

Kelly is a former Secretary and Treasurer of the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Initiative, which has donated more than $130 million to childhood cancer research institutions nationwide. He continues to work with the organization as a lawmaker.

Dedicated to improving education, Kelly founded the Butler Quarterback Club and the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation. The organizations provide unique and innovative educational programs for students in the Butler Area School District.

Kelly and his wife, Victoria, a former elementary school teacher, also established the Mary McTighe Kelly Creative Teaching Grant for

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Defying the Odds, Pursuing a Dream LECOM Graduate Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) graduate Tyler Liebgott has defied the odds along an arduous journey that has brought him to the momentous milestone of receiving his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree.

The twenty-two year old native of Murrysville, Pennsylvania is living with Mitochondrial Disease, Complex I Deficiency. Mitochondria are structures within a cell that are responsible for more than 90 percent of cellular energy.

Mitochondrial disease occurs when the mitochondria fail to produce enough energy for cell or organ function.

The disease has no cure; and often it portends an increased mortality rate, particularly when diagnosed at an early age.

Liebgott was diagnosed in 1996, at the age of four. He spent his childhood under frequent hospital care. During his lifetime, Liebgott has endured 38 surgeries; and as a child, he spent three years in hospice care. His heart has stopped three times, including twice while undergoing life-saving surgery at the age of 12. “My parents were told that I would never be able to do the things that normal children do, such as attend school and play sports,�

Liebgott explained.

Wheelchair bound as a result of the disease and missing the opportunity to attend school with other children, Liebgott was homeschooled until the third grade.

Liebgott recalls one of his best memories as that of a Make-A-Wish trip with his family to Disney World. Despite the fact that he was

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Delivers Message of Hope unable to enjoy many of the rides, the event stands out as a joyous occasion shared with those closest to him. Understanding, even at an early age, that the disease could end his life prematurely, Liebgott was possessed of a positive and optimistic outlook.

“I always knew that death was a possibility for me, and it never scared me,” Liebgott stated. “My mother and I would have many conversations about saving a bed next to mine for her in heaven and how I was not afraid to die. I knew that I would be going to the land of peace and happiness,” he affirmed.

His path was not to be curtailed and the fortunate Liebgott grew older and stronger.

He returned to school with a determination to give back to the world that he was grateful to inhabit.

He began working as a Youth Ambassador for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation in Pittsburgh.

Suddenly, on October 31, 2008, Liebgott’s life was forever changed.

“I awoke with horrific stomach pain that led me to the Children's Hospital of the Pittsburgh Emergency Department. I spent hours in excruciating pain,” he recalled.

Liebgott had an obstruction in his small intestine that required emergency surgery.

Though his heart stopped twice during that surgical procedure, he survived, spending a week in a post-surgery medically-induced coma.

“Once I awoke, I realized that I needed to inspire other teenagers by sharing my story,” Liebgott revealed. At the age of 16, Liebgott began offering motivational speeches at local high schools, with his first inspirational foray before an audience of approximately 1,300 students and faculty.

“I spoke about the power of hope. The feeling that I experienced after concluding my speech and the many people who approached me to share their struggles led me to continue the motivational speaking,” he explained.

By the time Liebgott reached his senior year of high school, he had founded the Trust in Hope Foundation, which helped children and families in the Pittsburgh area who were affected by mitochondrial disease.

The knowledge that he was not alone in his struggle propelled Liebgott forward to inspire others. “I was motivated to give back to the community because I was grateful for all of the time that my family, friends, neighbors and community dedicated to my care,” he said.

After graduating from high school, Liebgott’s passion to continue helping others intensified further. The young man set off upon his journey to become a pharmacist.

“I first thought that I would become a pediatric hematologist and oncologist, but then I started working in a community pharmacy and I observed the powerful relationships that my supervisor had built with his patients. I knew that was exactly what I wanted in my career,” he affirmed.

Recalling the highly-skilled members of the medical teams who helped him overcome his disease, Liebgott is now preparing to do the same.

Although currently, there is no cure and he is still battling the disease, Liebgott does not see it as a burden. In fact, it is the opposite to him.

“Mitochondrial disease has been the best thing that has ever happened to me because it has taught me the value of life. If I could do it all over again, I would choose the same life because each and every obstacle that I have overcome has led me to exactly where I am,” he stated.

“I am taking this path because this has always been a dream of mine,” he said. “I never wanted my disease to set me apart from anyone or to prohibit me from reaching my dreams. I have always wanted to receive my doctorate and to work in the healthcare field.

LECOM has made that possible. I wanted to do this so that I could give to my patients the hope that my doctors gave to me,” the graduate emphasized. Concluded Liebgott, “I am doing this to make a difference in the world, and to share the power of hope.”

LECOM takes immeasurable pride in Liebgott, a committed healthcare professional, who will share the profound power of hope and his adroitly-honed training as he goes forward to care for others.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 19

RESEARCH DAY 2018 LECOM Mission Lauds Research Day

20 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

More than 311 students and 51 faculty members participated in the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Bradenton Interprofessional Research Day 2018. The spring event, on the Florida campus, highlighted one of the core components of the LECOM mission, research, as students and residents marked the noteworthy day with their presentation of abstracts, posters and lectures.

The LECOM mission statement pledges to prepare future osteopathic physicians, pharmacists and dentists through programs of excellence in research.

It is not surprising that this occasion found students and residents alike determinedly presenting their scientific studies and sharing their findings. Research, both varied and probative, undertaken by LECOM Bradenton students and residents was plentiful.

Michael Foss, received second place honors in the Poster Session with a study featuring Epsom Salt Induced Acute Liver Failure.

Victoria Cocozza, Danielle Lang, and Nisha Ramchander under, the leadership of Thomas Quinn, DO, clinical professor of Osteopathic Medicine, garnered the third place prize with a poster focusing upon Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment as Taught at the American School of Osteopathy from 1893 to 1895.

The Research Day Poster Session (Pharmacy) was met with a plethora of analysis and study as the first place award was received by Ghazal Blair, Mavis Sakyi, Derek Whitecotton, Rashad Dalaq, Linh Tran under the auspices of Dr. Kelly Scolaro for their research into the benefits and risks of prophylactic antibiotics for asthma/ COPD.

The LECOM Bradenton Interprofessional Research Day First Place awards were presented to: Ghazal Blair, Mavis Sakyi, Derek Whitecotton, Rashad Dalaq, Linh Tran under the auspices of Kelly Scolaro, PharmD, associate professor of Pharmacy Practice.

Second place in the Pharmacy Poster Session was awarded to Lindsay Diez, Jessica Fabian, Darryl Jones, Robin Kim, and Anshuli Patel, and Ivy Vu under the mentorship of Victoria Reinhartz, PharmD, assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice, for their piece focusing upon Novel Approaches in Heart Failure.

The highest honor for the Research Day Student Poster Session (Medical) was awarded to Kevin Shahbazian for his research designed to aid neutropenic AML patients.

The Pharmacy Session third prize was bestowed upon Yi Kim, Janelle Paramore, Liliana Reyes, Zeba Siddiqui, Stephanie Sugarman, Kaytie Weierstahl under the

leadership of Stephanie Peshek, PharmD, professor of Pharmacy Practice, for research entitled Implementing CFTR Modulator Treatments to Preserve Lung Functions in CF Patients.

The Research Day Dental Poster Session found the first place prize being awarded to Maia Bartels, Grant Ross and Setu Shaw, under the auspices of Richard Michaud, DMD, professor of Endodontics, for their research regarding in vitro methods for evaluating endodontic materials flow.

Second prize went to Sandra Wolf and Stephanie Vazana under the direction of Thomas Yoon, DDS, Director of Research and Director of Specialists for their research investigating simulated immediate implant placement.

The third prize in the dental poster category was awarded to Charlotte Haught and Shayna Zalec under the auspices of Mark Zmiyiwsky, DDS, professor of Dentistry, for their research addressing the Integrity of Nitrile Examination Gloves after use in a Dental School Clinic.

The entire 2018 Research Day event proved to be a resounding success and it underscored the profound and weighty value of LECOM research and the constant commitment to the mission which defines LECOM exceptionalism.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 21

LECOM School of Pharmacy Earns National Honors This spring, the National Consumers League (NCL) and its partners announced the winners of the Seventh Annual Script Your Future Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a competition designed to encourage health-profession students and faculty from across the nation to develop creative ideas, events, and initiatives to raise public awareness about the importance of medication adherence.

22 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

The 2018 Medication Adherence Team Challenge is part of the National Script Your Future public awareness campaign coordinated

by NCL with support from its partners and the Challenge sponsors: the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

To promote the importance of medication adherence in the communities of Erie, Pennsylvania and Bradenton, Florida, students contributed a total of 1,142 volunteer hours through 35 service events.

The 2018 winners included the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy. To earn national finalist designation, LECOM pharmacy students in Erie, Pennsylvania and in Bradenton, Florida created dozens of community awareness events to demonstrate the importance of taking medications as prescribed by physicians and as recommended by pharmacists.

From January through March, the pharmacists, physicians, students and faculty collaborated with an array of other healthcare professionals.

The message was simple: to promote the importance of medication adherence in the communities of Erie, Pennsylvania and Bradenton, Florida. Students contributed a total of 1,142 volunteer hours through 35 service events, which (in conjunction with social media efforts) reached approximately 37,000 people.

medical and dental students to reach these underserved groups.

The noteworthy undertakings included the Give Kids a Smile event, Project Rainbow, multiple Turning Points Clinic Health Fairs, events at the Red Barn Flea Market and various Mobile Home Clinics.

In addition to pharmacists, physicians, dentists and students from each of these professions, nurses were recruited specifically to broaden the interprofessional exchange at many of the events.

Students and faculty volunteered more than 240 hours to care for more than 600 children,

elderly, minorities and other underserved patients within the Manatee County community.

Nearly three-out-of-four Americans do not take their medications as directed. This deficiency in medication adherence may lead to devastating results, particularly for people with chronic conditions. National health advocacy leaders have recognized medication adherence as a public health priority. Improved medication adherence leads to better health outcomes and to reduced total healthcare costs.

LECOM is proud to participate in this worthy endeavor and to congratulate the 2018 champions.

The School of Pharmacy students also earned a Focused Award for Health Disparity/ Underrepresented Community Outreach. The Health Resource and Service Administration (HRSA) has designated Erie County and Manatee County as “Medically Underserved,” and as a “Health Professional Shortage Area for Primary Care Providers.”

More than 35 percent of these populations fall below 200 percent of the poverty level.

These combined factors have resulted in public health crises for the counties. A crisis is defined as inadequate access to care for the medically vulnerable and as an overutilization of ambulances and emergency rooms.

The Script Your Future competition allowed pharmacy, medical and dental students from LECOM to provide a substantive benefit upon these underserved populations. A majority of the events were focused upon improving adherence and disease education of minorities, children, the elderly and homeless populations.

Pharmacy students worked with LECOM

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 23

COMMUNITY IS OUR CAMPUS

SDM Bradenton Pirates

Erie Bridging The Gaps

Erie LESA

Bradenton White Coat

On July 3, 2018, LECOM Night at LECOM Park highlighted oral health as Bradenton students distributed toothbrushes, sunscreen, and printed materials about the Group Practices Dental Clinic to attendees. Although a rainstorm caused a two-hour delay, the game began with a first pitch tossed by fourth-year School of Pharmacy student, Joseph Jianetti to Marty, the Bradenton Marauders mascot.

Earlier this summer, the LECOM Emerging Scholars Academy (LESA) was held at LECOM Erie. Throughout the weeklong program, local high school students worked alongside current LECOM students and faculty to become familiarized with aspects of medical, dental and pharmacy school.

24 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

As part of the Bridging the Gaps Program, Michen Dugan, OMS-II (far right), spent her summer as an intern at LifeWorks Erie. Dugan’s summer project was entitled, Dancing for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit. She shared the healthful benefits of movement and her love of dance with the members at LifeWorks Erie.

LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy students along with Distance Education scholars received their white coats during the White Coat Ceremony on June 15, 2018. LECOM graduate, Revika Matuknauth and Dean Katherine Tromp recited the Oath of the Pharmacist during the event.

COMMUNITY IS OUR CAMPUS

SOP Clinical Research Challenge

Erie Softball Game

Seton Hill LESA

Mental Health Task Force

LECOM School of Pharmacy students, Shannon Haberman, Emma Wysocki and Brianna Kousin received second place honors in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Clinical Research Challenge. More than 80 schools from across the nation competed in the challenge.

Earlier this summer, the LECOM Emerging Scholars Academy (LESA) was held at LECOM at Seton Hill. The weeklong event enabled local high school students to become familiarized with aspects of medical, dental and pharmacy school by working alongside LECOM students and faculty.

LECOM Erie students, faculty and staff welcomed the arrival of summer with the annual students versus faculty and staff softball game. This year, faculty and staff came away with the victory.

At a conference in Las Vegas, Molly Johannessen, Ph.D.; Erika Allen, Ph.D.; Stephanie McKenney Geoff, OMS-IV; and Melanie Dunbar, Ph.D., presented the accomplished work of the LECOM Mental Health Task Force.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 25

Join the

Why choose a

LECOM Health LECOM Family of Physicians doctor?

Treating Erie’s Families

LECOM Health doctors belong to the only academic health center headquartered in northwestern Pennsylvania – LECOM Health.

We are the physicians of Medical Associates of Erie - the Clinical Practices LECOM Health doctors provide medical care and teach of LECOM. Our goal is to provide to our at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the nation’s patients the very best osteopathic, whole largest medical school. person care – mind, body and spirit – for a lifetime of optimal health. LECOM Health doctors accept all major insurances.

You can become part of the only LECOM Health doctors’ primary hospital is Millcreek Community Osteopathic Academic Health Center in the region’s leading hospital for geriatric care, Hospital, the nation led by the Lake Erie behavioral College of health, rehabilitation, wound care and orthopedics.

Osteopathic Medicine.

LECOM Health doctors can refer patients for specialty care Currently, we are seeking physicians anywhere – Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or wherever is best for the in ENT, General Surgery, Neurology, care and convenience of the patient.* Pediatrics and Rheumatology for our expanding practices.

LECOM Health doctors belong to Medical Associates of Erie and practice Family Medicine, Gastroenterology, Please contact Dennis Styn at General to Surgery, Geriatrics, Integrative Medicine, (814) 868-2504 or dstyn@lecom.edu Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Orthopedics, learn more about available opportunities.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Podiatry and Primary Care and Medical Specialties.

*Specialty care insurance coverage depends upon a patient’s insurance company.

WELCOME TO WELLNESS

WELCOME TO LECOM HEALTH

LECOM

H E A LT H

MEDICAL ASSOCIATES OF HOSPITAL ERIE MILLCREEK COMMUNITY

LECOM Health doctors. Choose one today to join a health system that will focus on your overall wellness for life.

LECOM Health doctors. Choose one today to join a health Visit LECOMHealth.com/clinical-practices Visit LECOMHealth.com/phys system that will focus on your overall wellness, for life.

NOTES

STUDENT NOTES College of Medicine Saarah Chaudhri, OMSII, was one of eight medical students selected to attend the Scaife Medical Student Fellowship in Substance Use Disorders.

Trisha Emorgo, OMSIII, co-authored an article entitled Validity and Acceptance of Color Vision Testing on Smartphones. The piece was published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology.

Edward McCrink, OMSIII, co-authored an article entitled, A Novel Technique for the Fixation of Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures: A Telescoping Lag Screw. The piece was published in the Journal of Orthopaedics.

Marie Gabriel, OMSIV, was chosen to receive the 2018 Student DO of the Year Award at LECOM Bradenton.

Hayley Goldner, OMSIV, was named Student Representative of DOCARE International, a medical outreach organization dedicated to education and to healthcare provision in underresourced communities around the world.

Joshua Patton, OMSIV, co-authored an article with School of Pharmacy student, Megan Barber, P4, entitled, The Great Sunscreen Debate: Which Type is Best for You? The piece was published in Memorial Hospital Healthy Living.

Neel Thakkar, OMSII, recently was installed as a Student Board of Trustee for the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association.

Christian von Gizycki, OMSIII, was a recipient of the 2018 Excellence in Public Health Award, presented by the United States Public Health Service, Physicians Professional Advisory Committee.

Christopher Yanichko, OMSIII, and Saied Sanjari, OMSIII, competed in and finished the 2018 Pittsburgh Marathon.

School of Pharmacy Kennen Munoz, P4, recently authored an article that was published in Diabetes in Control. The article was titled “Let’s Take a Closer Look at the New Dexcom G6.”

Kaytie Weierstahl, P4, recently authored two articles that were published in Diabetes in Control. The articles were titled “Addition of SGLT2 Inhibitor when Glycemic Control Cannot be Attained with Insulin Alone” and “Lifestyle Behaviors to Reduce Risk for Type 2 Diabetes.”

School of Dental Medicine Yei-Won Lee, D4, earned the Blake Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship for the second year in a row. Blake Medical Center Auxiliary, Inc. awards scholarships to students who are pursuing a career in the field of healthcare.

FACULTY NOTES College of Medicine

Erika Allen, PhD, has been promoted to Director of Respiratory System and Co-Director of Pharmacology at LECOM. Mark Best, MD, and Robert Yellon, MD, recently co-authored an article entitled, Inferior, PosteriorInferior, and Anterior Canal Wall Overhangs. The piece was published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.

Nancy Carty, PhD, has been promoted to Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Program at LECOM. Jonathan Coffman, PhD, recently co-authored a study entitled, Use of Ion Torrent Sequencing to Assess Human Gut Microbiome Changes from an Omega-3 Rich Diet.

Greg Coppola, DO, LECOM Director of Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine, led a medical mission team to the Dominican Republic. The team provided needed medical care to the local population.

Stephany Esper, DO, has been promoted to Assistant Director of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at LECOM.

Teresa Hunter-Pettersen, MD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Medical Education at LECOM. Mohamed Hussein, DVM, recently received a Certificate of Recognition from the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. His work in developing a Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Test with the Foundational Biomedical Sciences Item Writing Workshop was highly acknowledged.

Jonathan Kalmey, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Dean of Preclinical Education at LECOM. Christine Kell, PhD, has been promoted to Director of Leadership and Board Preparation at LECOM. Jack Lee, PhD, has been promoted to Director of Physiology and Course Director of Integumentary System at LECOM. Santiago Lorenzo, PhD, has been promoted to Associate Professor of Physiology at LECOM. Later this year, Dr. Lorenzo will be inducted into the 27th Class of the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in recognition of his success with the University of Oregon Track and Field Team.

Richard Ortoski, DO, recently received the Award of Merit from the Pennsylvania Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians after successfully completing two years as President of the organization.

Mohammed Razzaque, PhD, authored an article entitled, Phosphate Toxicity and Tumorigenesis.

The item was published in BBA – Reviews on Cancer.

Kyle Scully, PhD, has been promoted to Director of Digestive/GI System and Co-Director of Pharmacology at LECOM. Aleksandr Sinelnikov, MD, has been promoted to Professor of Pathology and Anatomy at LECOM.

James Gnarra, PhD, has been promoted to Director of the Masters of Medical Science Program, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Director of Research at LECOM.

Joshua Tuck, DO, authored an article entitled, Femoral Nerve Palsy with Concomitant Patellar Dislocation in a Ballet Dancer for the journal Orthopedics.

Jeffrey Grove, DO, an adjunct LECOM faculty member, co-produced (with fellow doctor, Michael Jackowitz, DO) a Broadway musical entitled, Once on This Island. The show received a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

School of Pharmacy

Alice Hudder, PhD, has been promoted to Director of Biochemistry at LECOM.

Rahul Deshmukh, PhD, and Lana Hochmuth, PharmD, co-authored an article entitled, CRI25204 – Avelumab: A Novel Anit-PD-L1 Agent in the Treatment of Merkel Cell Carcinoma and Urothelial Cell Carcinoma. The piece was published in Reviews in Immunology.

@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 27

NOTES Deepak Gupta, PhD, and Ningning Yang, PhD, co-authored a chapter entitled, Understanding the Routes of Administration. The chapter was published in the Handbook of Space Pharmaceuticals.

Class of 2012

Class of 2016

Sohini Sarkar, DO, recently joined Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND, as an internal medicine hospitalist.

Lillian Smith, PharmD, joined the LECOM School of Pharmacy faculty.

Class of 2013

Alan Nicotra, DO, recently graduated from U.S. Navy Flight School and he received his wings as a designated U.S. Navy Flight Surgeon. Lt. Nicotra will serve as Flight Surgeon for Fleet Logistics Support Squadron VRC-40 in Norfolk, VA.

School of Graduate Studies Timothy Novak, DBA, recently joined the Citizens’ Financial Advisory Committee, a volunteer group tasked with fiscal oversight for the School District of Manatee County in Manatee, FL.

ALUMNI NOTES Class of 1997

Dina Myers, DO, and Harry Myers, DO, were recently featured in an article in The DO magazine.

The couple met during their first year of medical school at LECOM. For the past 15 years, they have been operating a family practice in Butler, PA.

Class of 2005 Benjamin Debelak, DO, recently presented a seminar entitled, Shoulder Pain and Rotator Cuff Repairs. His presentation was made during the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center Talk with a Doc Program in Clyde, NC.

Class of 2006 Kathleen Costanzo, DO, recently was named Director of the Osteopathic Focus Track in the Saint Vincent Residency Program at Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, PA. Dr. Costanzo also serves as a family medicine and sports medicine physician at Saint Vincent Family Medicine Center and she is a faculty physician in the Residency Program.

Class of 2009 Shanel Bhagwandin, DO, recently joined Jupiter Medical Specialists in Jupiter, FL, as a general surgical oncologist.

Courtney Nolan, DO, recently was married to Richard Rosen, in Monterey, CA.

Class of 2011 Lisa Karres, DO, recently received a Top Doctor Award for her work as a family physician at Medical and Surgical Associates, Inc. Family Medicine in Newark, OH.

Matthew Widmer, DO, recently received Board Certification in Sports Medicine from the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. Dr. Widmer is a family medicine physician at Firelands Physician Group in Sandusky, OH.

Class of 2014 Louis C. Cavadini, DO, and Laura A. Lombardini, DO, were married on August 5, 2017.

Jacob Cukierski, DO, was named the 2018 Resident of the Year by the American Academy of Osteopathy. Dr. Cukierski is a resident at Millcreek Community Hospital.

Daniel Erdheim, DO, was awarded the Joseph Giffin Award for Clinical Excellence at the SUNY Downstate Anesthesiology Commencement Ceremony. Dr. Erdheim will be an attending anesthesiologist at New York University Langone Medical Center – Brooklyn, NY.

Class of 2015 Kevin Hough, DO, was awarded First Place in the Clinical Innovation and Quality Improvement category at the American Geriatric Society 2018 Conference for his poster entitled, LECOM Senior Living Center Urinalysis Protocol Study Using the New McGeer Criteria.

Ryan Warner, DO, recently graduated from U.S. Navy Flight School and he received his wings as a designated U.S. Navy Flight Surgeon. Lt. Warner will serve as Flight Surgeon for Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron VMM-262 at Camp Foster in Okinawa, Japan.

Class of 2018 Vidhi Patel, PharmD, authored two articles that were published in Diabetes in Control. The articles were entitled, Benefits of Obesity Management in Type 2 Diabetes and Incidence of End-Stage Renal Disease in Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes.

Matthew Kujawinski, PharmD, presented a poster at the Annual Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association Meeting in Denver, CO.

- Continued From Page 16 For many years, Dr. Berezniak has been recognized by Manatee County for his volunteerism as a board member in the Health Council of West Central Florida.

A devoted husband to his late and beloved wife, Hilda, the couple’s four children (two of whom are osteopathic physicians), reside in California.

Joseph Robbins, DO, presented a tutorial focusing upon diabetes for National Diabetes Awareness Month at the Rao Musunuru, MD Conference Center in Hudson, FL

With great pride and pleasure, LECOM named Ronald Berezniak, the recipient of the 2018 John M. Ferretti DO President’s Award.

Brogan M. Schoeneman, DO, recently graduated from the Samaritan Medical Center Residency Program in Watertown, NY. Dr. Schoeneman will remain in the Upstate New York area to practice medicine.

Dr. Berezniak is one of the many forward thinkers at LECOM and a man whose contribution to the field of medical education has earned him the distinction as a man of ideas and of implementation. One cannot build a reputation simply upon that which one intends to do. Dr. Ronald Berezniak proves that adage in the success of his labors realized in the medical educational arena. His work, though decidedly “micro” in nature is, and continues to be, monumental in accomplishment.

Jennifer M. Woosley, DO, recently graduated from the Saint Louis University Family Medicine Residency Program at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, IL. Dr. Woosley, a Captain in the U.S. Air Force, has been assigned to RAF Croughton Air Force Base in the United Kingdom.

28 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

Music, Memories and Medicine The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) completed its acquisition of WMCE 88.5 FM, the former Mercyhurst University radio station, on July 9, 2018. With the Federal Communications Commission’s final order approved, LECOM takes ownership of the broadcast station. LECOM had been operating the station as LECOM Radio since March 1, 2018 under a Public Service Operating Agreement.

Each day, Captain Dan is followed by the legendary Johnny Holiday, Commander Bill Hale, and Dr. Denny Woytek. The weekends will feature nationally known talents Wayne Smith and Rick Johnson as well as Mighty Mike Langer and Erie’s own Ms. Terri Bohen.

Big Al Knight fills the airwaves from midnight to 6 a.m.

With the non-commercial station, LECOM is able to promote the college and all of the LECOM Health affiliates. “During the broadcasts, LECOM Radio listeners will learn about the healthcare services and opportunities available to them and their families,” said Schaffner. “As we say – music, medicine and memories; each and every day.”

According to General Manager Jim Schaffner, LECOM Radio will continue to maintain the Greatest Hits format of the 60s, 70s and 80s as a public service to the Erie market.

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“We brought back and kept on the air many familiar DJs of local radio past and present,” Schaffner said. “Fans of Captain Dan Geary have been listening to him spin the hits in the mornings Monday through Friday since LECOM radio began managing 88.5 FM.”

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@1LECOM | LECOM CONNECTION 29

- Continued From Page 13

Experience (IPPE) takes place after the students’ first year of study and the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) takes place in the third year for Erie students and in the fourth year for students in Bradenton.

These platforms provide students with their first exposure to institutional, community, inpatient/acute care, and ambulatory care medicine. Under appropriate supervision, and as permitted by practice regulations, students begin to assume direct patient care responsibilities.

School of Dental Medicine students receive their clinical training on the LECOM campuses in Pennsylvania and in Florida in the state-ofthe-art LECOM Dental Offices.

Dental students in their second and third years begin seeing patients at the Bradenton campus. In their fourth year, the group of dental students is divided in half, with 50 scholars training at the LECOM Dental Offices in Erie, while the other half of the student body trains at the LECOM Dental Offices in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

At these community outreach clinics, fourthyear students use the latest diagnostic tools to provide patients with comprehensive dental care under direct supervision of licensed dentists.

LECOM supports those dedicated medical educators by providing faculty development workshops; by offering continuing medical education conferences and through the LECOM Master of Science in Medical Education Program.

As LECOM Health focused upon geriatric health care, the need to prepare more healthcare providers to serve older adults became increasingly apparent. To address the critical need for this type of care, the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging became one of only 44 organizations in the nation to receive the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program Grant. LECOM stands proudly among other top educational

institutions - including Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Duke - in the arena of research and education that is directed toward training more health professionals. The HRSA Grant constitutes a luminous achievement for LECOM since the $2.5 million award is one of the most substantive to be received by any institution in the Erie region. The Grant allowed the LECOM team to create the Lake Erie Integrated Geriatric Health Team (LIGHT). This program seeks to improve the quality of healthcare by improving clinical training environments through the integration of geriatrics and primary care delivery systems. These systems focus upon seniors who are uninsured, isolated, and medically vulnerable. Through the Grant, LIGHT has conducted almost 5,000 annual wellness visits and completed nearly 8,000 fall risk assessments. The Grant also allowed LIGHT to create a Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program. Following its initial success, LIGHT was issued a oneyear extension and an additional $778,000 to continue its valuable work; the added resources bring the total grant award to more than $3,270,000.

Committed to promoting clinical training, LECOM also provides educational grants through the Office of Clinical Education. These grants allow hospitals or LECOM-affiliated clinical sites to purchase equipment that further aids in the education of students who are rotating through those sites.

LECOM recognizes that the classroom, though flush with the latest innovations in modern medical education, cannot produce the soulful response of an elderly man receiving desperately needed care or the grateful eyes of a disadvantaged mother as she learns the way in which to care for her child. These future healthcare professionals learn to be compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the struggling, and tolerant of weak and strong alike as they encounter daily challenges in the healthcare community on their journey to become superlatively trained medical professionals.

30 LECOM CONNECTION | SUMMER 2018 | LECOM.edu

The Four Pillars of Success Ever committed to training the next generation of healthcare professionals and ever vigilant for new opportunities across all sectors of the medical arts and sciences, LECOM will continue its growth as it seeks the superlative education of its students and the well-being of the residents of each community that it serves. It will expand its research footprint and broaden an already substantial clinical training paradigm. For over a quarter century the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine has been dedicated to helping people move their lives forward to help others – and the mission continues

- Continued From Page 17

elementary educators and the Lighthouse Foundation One Warm Coat Program, which has helped collect hundreds of winter coats for students in need in the Butler community.

Kelly and his wife have four children and they are the proud grandparents of ten grandchildren.

His unremitting optimism and grass-roots experience brought not only a great man of integrity to ally with LECOM, but one steeped in the full understanding of our American traditions.

For the value of his achievements, for the many thousands that he has touched, and for the lives that he improves through his outstanding work serving the American people as a common man in an uncommon time, LECOM proudly conferred upon Congressman Mike Kelly the Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree.

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Student Scholarship Fund

AUCTIONS Saturday, October 13, 2018

Hyatt Regency Sarasota, Florida

Saturday, November 10, 2018 Erie Bayfront Convention Center

The LECOM Student Scholarship Fund helps deserving students manage the high cost of medical, dental and pharmacy school. Since the inception of the auction events LECOM students have received more than $25 million in scholarship funds.

Visit LECOM.edu/alumni for the latest auction news

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