2017 May

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Award Winning Newsletter

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May 2017 Newsletter

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Congratulations, Class of 2017!

A Year in the MSBS Program

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Testing Skills and Stressors at Cut Suit Week

Learning Through Ultrasound

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Gurpreet Kaur, OMS II, and Emil Patel, OMS II, practice ultrasound techniques at Colorado Ultrafest

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Congratulations, Class of 2017!

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Gaining Experience, Giving Care at CORE Clinic

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Graduation Award Ceremony

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Learning Through Ultrasound: RVUCOM Hosts Second Annual Ultrafest

A Year in the MSBS Program

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RVUCOM-SU Updates AirLife Denver Does a Fly-By Lesson on Emergency Transport

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Treating the Untreated in Kenya

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Providing Care in the Villages of Guatemala

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Faith and Ethics in the Midst of an Epidemic

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Get to Know RVU Staff: Deidre McGee

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Prepping for Avalanches and Dislocations at Wolf Creek

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Campus Tidbits

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Achieving New Heights

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Welcome to New Faculty and Staff

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Alumni Association Updates

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Testing Skills and Stressors at Cut Suit Week

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From Zero Gravity to Rough Seas: Aboard the USNS Brunswick

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The Presidential Medal of Excellence

by Clinton E. Adams, DO, FACHE, President and CEO

It is time again to celebrate the success of another RVU graduating class of osteopathic physicians. Families, friends and future colleagues gathered to accept the next step in realizing the dream to become the consummate, caring doctors for which they have trained. Residency training is that next step—three to seven years, depending on specialty. The journey to independent practice and responsibility is within their grasp. Their success is attributable to the focused and talented faculty at RVU. Typically, the role of the faculty is unrecognized and underappreciated, so we initiated a new tradition at commencement to recognize the faculty’s role in RVU being recognized as a leader in undergraduate medical education.

The faculty was asked to select one of their colleagues who has consistently, over multiple years, provided innovative leadership, student-focused mentorship and, above all, collegiality to be emulated. The choice was not easy due to the number of senior faculty who were nominated. I am privileged to share that Joseph Stasio, DO, FACOFP, is our first faculty member to receive the Presidential Medal of Excel-

lence, to be worn on all regalia and prominently displayed in his office.

Dr. Stasio joined RVUCOM in 2007 and is a Professor of Family Medicine and Chair of the Primary Care Department. He initiated and developed many of the new and expanded methods of instruction for clinical skills, including case-based critical thinking modules, and technical skills laboratories.

Dr. Stasio, who started his medical career as a Physician Assistant, has laid the groundwork for the clinical didactic support of RVU’s proposed Physician Assistant program.

Dr. Stasio was the first to say, although proud and grateful for the recognition, this award is a reflection on all of his faculty, colleagues, and administrative support staff.

We are delighted and honored to have such an outstanding friend, colleague, and mentor as our first recipient of this prestigious award.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, You Made a Good Match

by Thomas N. Told, DO, FACOFP, dist., Dean and CAO

Another graduation day has passed into history and, as the vibrant colors of spring fade into summer, our graduates will take their places as house staff in the myriad of hospitals across the country to begin residency. Gone from their minds will be the angst generated by the downright craziness of navigating a complex series of events bearing odd acronyms like NRMP, MSPE, VSAS, and ERAS. They will no longer be perplexed by a post-graduate employment system that has more trappings of a Las Vegas game of chance than the well-choreographed process it should be.

With each match event, I often found myself humming a modification of the familiar lines sung by Hodel to her sister in the musical production, Fiddler On the Roof: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make them a match; find them a find, catch them a catch. Matchmaker, Matchmaker, look in your website-book, and find them a perfect match." This mainly happened any time a student panicked after failing to secure a program in the first round. When that did happen, the team would spring into action, making suggestions of alternate programs or calling programs that had taken our students in the past. The time-honored strategy for success in this whole process is one I learned from our school mascot, Rocky the Fighting Prairie Dog: always have a good alternate route in case your main route is blocked. In truth, prairie dogs

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have a multitude of possible routes to choose from; those seeking a perfect match—or even a match at all— should take heed.

Since March, I have had time to reflect on the statistics for RVUCOM’s performance in comparison to the osteopathic profession’s performance nationally. This match year was not the perfect match that we all wished the Matchmaker would give us, but it was a very good match, nonetheless. The gaggle of matches (beginning with the San Francisco and Military matches, followed by the American Osteopathic Association [AOA] and National Resident Match Program [NRMP] matches) were predicted to be very challenging for our students. There was an expectation of more candidates opting for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) programs in the wake of the pending Single Accreditation System (and an unfounded rumor that some AOA programs would close before residents could complete them by June 30th). That prediction, thankfully, did not materialize and we now know that the ACGME and AOA have put into action a "No Resident Left Behind" program to ensure residencies not transitioning to the ACGME Continued on page 15

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Congratulations, Class of 2017!

RVU graduates have walked the stage of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House before. They have recited the Osteopathic Oath, led by their Alumni Association president before. They have nervously waited to be hooded and handed a diploma before.

The military graduates have marched and saluted a commissioning officer before. But this year was different: there were more military graduates onstage than ever before (twenty-six!); a faculty member was honored with the Presidential Award of Excellence; and, students graduated from the inaugural Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program.

Following introductions, the keynote speaker for the ceremony, Mark A. Baker, DO, President-elect for the American Osteopathic Association, began his speech: " Four years ago, you started as an osteopathic medical student—and today, you are my colleague. You are entering a profession that is growing by leaps and bounds. Today, one in every four medical students is enrolled in a school of osteopathic medicine. There are more than 102,000 practicing DOs in the United States—this is the largest number in history!"

Francina Towne, PhD, Director of the MSBS program, presented degrees to the MSBS graduates. "You have truly blazed a trail this year, been scholars and pathfinders, and forged the foundations of a program which will evolve and grow and serve the many who will follow in your footsteps," she said. Following the MSBS graduates, the future physicians of RVUCOM walked across stage to be hooded, designating that they now hold doctorate degrees. For many students, a loved one or mentor accompanied them onstage and performed the hooding. A special posthumous degree was presented to the family of Hans Machula, who tragically passed away earlier this year.

Led by AJ Ryan, DO '14, Alumni Association President, the class stood together and recited the Osteopathic Oath, vowing to remain ethical, professional, and compassionate in all they do. The military commissioning ceremony—the event which recognizes the ranking of officers—was led by Brigadier General Jerome P. Limoge, Jr., Assistant Adjutant General of the Colorado National Guard. The final segment of the ceremony was the presentation of the Presidential Award of Excellence, which was given to Joseph Stasio, DO, Chair of the Primary Care Department. "We are honored and privileged to have faculty of Dr. Stasio's caliber to mentor and educate the physicians of the 21st century," said Clinton E. Adams, DO, FACHE, President and CEO.

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"Patients don't put their faith in technology or procedures... they put their faith in you as their physician." - Dr. Thomas N. Told, Dean of RVUCOM

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Congratulations, Class of 2017!

Graduation Award Ceremony

Dr. Ferrill presents an award to Joshua Tartakoff

Dr. Buck presents an award to Sean McGowan, Class Valedictorian

The graduates who ranked in the Top 10% of the Class

The OPP Fellows present the Osteopathic Mentor Award to Dr. Ramey

The graduates in the Global Medicine Honors Track

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Dr. Ross presents the Outstanding Service Award to Anthony Garzone

Dr. Martin presents an award to Mariah Norby

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Class of '17

Award Recipients Dean's Award: Sean McGowan President's Award: Sarah Helwege Brandon Trusell Community Service Award: • Moriah Eberhard Excellence in Academic Achievement: • Biomedical Sciences: Mariah Norby Excellence in the Basic Sciences: • Osteopathic Principles and Practices: Joshua Tartakoff • Principles of Clinical Medicine: Bree Steinke • Medical Informatics: Jillian Thompson • Structural Medicine: Sean McGowan Excellence in the Clinical Years: • Anesthesiology: Melissa Baumann • Diag. Radiology: Brandon Sonnier • Emergency Medicine: Emily Robinson • Emergency Medicine: Ethan Saffer • Emergency Medicine: Lauren Warner • Family Medicine: Tessa Hovenden • General Surgery: Bree Steinke • Internal Medicine: Kathleen Monahan • Obstetrics/Gynecology: Mariah Norby • Pediatrics: Samantha Stough • Psychiatry: Kristin Thompson • Psychiatry: Jennifer Wygant • Subspecialty Medicine: Linda Daniel • Subspecialty Surgery: Sean McGowan Excellence in Clinical Medicine: • Kyle Sonnabend Global Medicine Award for Excellence: • Moriah Eberhard • Matthew Orobona • William Robar Military Service Award: Jonathan Walsh Outstanding Academic Excellence (Rural Track): • Tessa Hovenden • Lauren Warner Outstanding Clinical Excellence (Rural Track): • Isaac Billings • Jordan Forney Outstanding Service Award (Military Track): • Anthony Garzone Research Award: • Michael Holmboe William G. Anderson Resiliency Award: • Adam Field

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The Calm Before the Storm

Foregoing the annual Graduation Picnic, students brought their families to Denver's Punchbowl Social—a combination bar, restaurant, and amusement center—the night before graduation. Scattered around the immense building and surrounded by their classmates and friends, the graduates bowled, threw darts, and played pinball, bean bag toss, and arcade games.

This was the perfect way for the graduates to relax and enjoy time with their loved ones before the ceremony—and, ultimately, before embarking on their next adventure: residency.

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A Year in the MSBS Program

In August, RVU opened its doors to a new type of program: the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS). Upon receiving accreditation, RVU sent out the call for its inaugural class. With only fifteen spots to fill, the class took shape immediately. Coming from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of degrees—neuroscience, exercise biology, nursing, biochemistry, etc.—all students ultimately strived to enter the health care profession.

Over the nine months that followed, the students studied in the intense atmosphere of a medical school while maintaining the supportive, close-knit vibe that a class of only fifteen could achieve.

In planning the program, all departments had to come together to make the program a success. "This year has emphasized the importance of all RVU departments working closely to help out with the program—from Admissions to the Writing Center to Student Affairs and others," said Francina Towne, PhD, who was recently named as Program Director for the MSBS program. "RVUCOM faculty members worked extremely hard all year: developing curriculum, assessments, and policies, while also spending time teaching all of the MSBS program courses."

Yet it wasn't just the faculty that made the program's first year successful. "Students provided valuable feedback along the way to shape the culture of the program," said Dr. Towne. "Faculty and student collaboration and resilience was essential as everyone worked together and learned a lot this year."

During the commencement ceremony, Dr. Towne remarked, "You had no upperclassmen to lean on or seek advice. You had no precedent to follow and you had no sense of tradition on which to fall back. However, you also had no ties to the way it's always been done, no forced following of an established routine, and no ruts into which you could fall.

You have truly blazed a trail this year, been scholars and pathfinders, and forged the foundations of a program which will evolve and grow and serve the many who will follow in your footsteps."

Seven of the MSBS graduates will continue to attend RVU's College of Osteopathic Medicine, working towards their dreams of becoming physicians. Several graduates have been accepted to and will begin attending other medical schools.

As for the MSBS program, RVU is currently reviewing applications and building the Class of 2018, which will begin with Orientation on August 2nd. While the first class consisted of fifteen students, the incoming class will increase to 25. Moving forward, there will be more of an integration with the students of RVUCOM, including shared learning experiences and increased opportunities for socializing and networking.

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President's Award: Diego Puentes Dean's Academic Excellence Award: Hannah Douglas Humanitarian Award: Stella Chan

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Treating the Untreated in Kenya

In December of 2016, doctors around the country of Kenya began striking, due to low pay and excessive work hours. In a country that already faced a major shortage of health care providers (two physicians for every 10,000 people)—as well as an ongoing drought which led to a shortage of food and water—this was devastating to its citizens. In some isolated villages, the nearest health center is at least 3-4 hours away and might very well be unmanned, anyways.

It was amid this health care crisis that RVU students and faculty unknowingly traipsed for a four-week medical outreach rotation near Mt. Kilimanjaro. The health care providers—a collection of 13 RVU students, 2 faculty members, and 11 volunteers—traveled to fifteen villages over the course of two weeks in January, treating approximately 2,000 Maasai patients living in the Kimana district. The patients had a wide range of medical issues, due to the lack of consistent health care and water. "The Maasai have very little water available to them, clean water even less so," said Camille Z. Bentley, DO, MPH, FACOFP, Chair of Honor Tracks and Special Programs. "This leads to health-related problems and many of children are malnourished." Over the course of the trip, they performed nutrition screenings and dewormed over 2,000 children. The students also treated skin infections, respiratory infections, and trauma injuries (such as burns).

In addition to the struggles the patients were dealing with, the students dealt with their own stresses: "It was a great challenge working under a scorching sun, traveling 1-2 hours to and from work on a bumpy dirt road, working until we treated every patient that had walked to see us." Every day, they carried their own food and water for the day, as well as a portable pharmacy and many bags of supplies and medicines.

Despite the stressful conditions, students practiced taking patient histories, performing physical exams and osteopathic manipulation techniques, working with a translator, prescribing medications, and presenting cases. Students rotated through the pharmacy and triage area, allowing for new medical experiences. "The clinical experience they received...certainly [improved] both their competence and confidence in working with patients," said Dr. Bentley. "This was an excellent trip and a great medical learning and personal growth experience for the students."

The few times they were not working, the group found ways to relax and rejuvenate: they visited both an elephant and giraffe orphanage, toured a bead factory, and even attended a traditional Maasai wedding. After working for eight days straight, students stayed overnight at the Severin Safari Camp in Tsavo West National Park, allowing for a bit of downtime.

On their final night in Kenya, students were treated to a barbecue party which included Maasai songs and dances.

This trip was sponsored by the Hands for Health Foundation, a non-profit organization co-founded by Dr. Bentley. Dreamweaver International, whose volunteers joined the RVUers for part of the trip, aims to provide impoverished people around the world with education, health care, and compassion programs.

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Water Filtration project

Beans for Bomas

Health Survey Project

Hillary Minich, OMS III, headed up the project of providing water filters to each of the communities the group visited in Kenya. This involved buying five-gallon buckets, assembling the filters, and training people on how to operate and maintain the filters. "This was an extremely timely project," said Dr. Bentley. "Because of the existing drought, clean water is very hard to find." Along with contributions by Dr. Jill Pitcher, the Rotary Club of Parker primarily funded the project.

Rebekka Lee, OMS III, is leading the project of buying, bagging, and providing maize and beans to families living in the Bomas (which are rural Maasai villages). A single meal of beans or maize (enough to feed four people) will be provided to each mother living in the Bomas. "Adequate food supply is always an issue in this area, but due to the drought, mothers and their children were going hungry," said Dr. Bentley. Donate at handsforhealthfoundation.org/boma-beans.

Hands for Health, NFP, was asked to conduct a Health Assessment survey to assist a physician in building a hospital and providing the appropriate care to people in the area. Dr. Bentley developed the survey and conducted interviews with the chief or chairman of each community they visited.

Third-year students Bobby Nieland and Manny Lewis organized and analyzed the data collected from the surveys, determining recommendations for future services.

Students and Physicians Work Together in Ecuador Over a week in February, twenty-four RVU students journeyed through the mountains of Ecuador. They traveled to San Juan and Illumen, rural towns outside of Otavala, to treat indigenous people who lacked access to steady health care. The students worked in schools and in tents, serving over 400 patients.

Students assisted with intake and triage, developing diagnoses, taking histories, performing examinations, and presenting to the attending physicians. The physicians were "very impressed with the knowledgebase and skills of our students," reported Tina Underwood, Director of Clinical Simulation and Assessment, who acted also as Director for the Ecuador medical outreach trip. First- and fourth-year medical students were paired together (along with a translator and an Ecuadorian physician) to increase the learning experience. As a team, they operated the pharmacy and lab. "The group worked very well together," said Ms. Underwood.

This trip was the result of many organizations working together: Hands for Health, NFP; the Ministry of Health; Otavala Rotary Club; and Jatari. Additionally, they were helped by many volunteers and local physicians, and Mark Backlin, who organizes the trips annually.

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Providing Care in the Villages of Guatemala Students and faculty traveled to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala in March for a one-week medical rotation. During that short time, they operated clinics in four communities: San Antonio de Palopo (which required taking a boat across the lake), Naguala, San Andreas, and Patanal Escuintla. "We were met by many eager townspeople that helped us set up our clinic for the day," said Ann Trawick, DO, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, who was the Director for the trip. "The Guatemalan people are so gracious and appreciative of any help they can receive."

Matthew Homsi, OMS II, described an elderly patient with osteoarthritis in both of her knees: "She was a candidate for a steroid/lidocaine intra-articular knee injection and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to perform the procedure. This experience really helped to give me confidence in approaching situations I may not feel comfortable with initially."

"I was honored to be with the amazing students and the other doctors that came on the trip," said Dr. Trawick. "They all truly had a heart for the people. I was so impressed watching the students jump at every opportunity to help. [It was] especially neat seeing them using their handson osteopathic training to help the many people with musculoskeletal complaints. The group worked so well together and everyone came away with a meaningful experience."

Class of 2020 Global Medicine Track Students Back row: Kayla Gray, Rohindeep Singh, Andrew Wojtanowski, Austin Forbes, Dane Rana, Jenna Hoobler, Kaia Jystad, Ali Rakestraw Middle row: Roxana Valles, Richard Rodriguez-Brizuela, Matty Zemel, Alexis Grasse, Krysta Sutyak Front row: Kiara Blough, Torri Igou, Alexandra Lee

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Faith and Ethics in the Midst of an Epidemic At times, health care can seem cold and unemotional. Whether it takes the form of a physician not seeing the scared human behind the patient or the insurance company callously charging exorbitant costs, it's easy to forget about the heart of the industry. For students in the Global Medicine Track, situations in which they must question their ethics, their courage, and their commitment will become commonplace in their future practice. In April, new track students watched the documentary, "Facing Darkness," a film about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014. They were then challenged with questions which forced them to consider their principles and opinions.

What is the responsibility of doctors regarding epidemics like Ebola?

"I believe physicians practice their best medicine and make the most impact when they serve in the capacity that they feel led, whether that is cosmetic surgery in the richest city in the U.S. or providing basic primary care in rural Africa. Every type of medicine is vital and necessary for the betterment of humankind." - Alexis Grasse "I would like to think that I would [jump] at the opportunity to help in a world crisis—but I also know that it is easy to say from the comfort of my home in the United States. While I don't think it is necessarily the responsibility of doctors to take action in the event of an epidemic outbreak, by the very nature of most physicians, we would feel inclined to help, if given the opportunity." - Kayla Gray

"The emotional, social, and spiritual ties you build with people in trying times are ones that cannot easily be forgotten..."

- Kiara Blough

"As physicians, we have an ethical responsibility to help during medical crises. However, when it comes to the situation as seen with ebola, the ethical responsibility of the physician to help is far less clear as they are putting their own lives at stake.

Personally, I think that even with this distinguishing risk, I would find myself called to help treat the sick." - Krysta Sutyak

What role, if any, does faith play in healing?

"I believe faith does play a role in healing. It is faith that gives many people their meaning and sense of belonging in the world. Often, it is what people cling to most when they develop major health problems. Their faith will be the lens through which they view their affliction and their fate." - Alexis Grasse "I think faith plays a huge role in every aspect of medicine. Belief in belonging to something bigger than yourself, having someone to talk to, and feeling that someone is looking out for you, in whatever form that may take, often becomes fundamental in sustaining those in life-threatening conditions." - Krysta Sutyak "Faith plays as pertinent of a role as the patient needs it to. Not only can it dictate how people can receive healthcare, but it also prepares them for more serious diseases and end-of-life decisions." - Andrew Wojtanowski

When is it appropriate to evacuate sick and/or highly contagious patients for treatment in unaffected areas/hospitals?

"I believe it is appropriate to evacuate sick and highly contagious people only under properly controlled circumstances. It's hard to think that the American, white, male physician's life was any more "important" than the thousands of others that were suffering and dying from the disease [in reference to the infected physician who was transported to the U.S. for treatment].

However, it is the reality of our privilege of being American and the life we were born into. I believe this is why it is so important to serve others and the less fortunate." - Kiara Blough "From a public health perspective, it is probably never appropriate to take an infected and contagious patient into an unaffected area. However, it is not in our human nature to just turn away when one of our own is in need of help." - Kayla Gray "I wouldn't say [it] is too risky. I believe that many of us have been training for this sort of practice for quite some time.

Given that there are still actions in place to restrain possible spread of infection, it may be unethical to deny treatment. I'm not saying that it isn't risky—but I feel that it can be done responsibly." - Andrew Wojtanowski

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Prepping for Avalanches and Dislocations at Wolf Creek In the snowy mountains of Pagosa Springs, skiers at Wolf Creek Ski Resort were treated to a curious sight: a group of medical students standing in the chilly temperatures, poking long sticks deep into the snow in a methodical and careful fashion.

These students—many of them members of the Rural and Wilderness Medicine Honors Track—were practicing techniques for rescuing victims of avalanches. As part of an annual lesson in winter safety and rescue, the students practiced driving poles toward the ground in an effort to locate potential victims in the simulated avalanche. They also worked with specially-trained avalanche dogs and learned how to "package" a patient to transport them down the mountain. While in extreme temperatures, the primary focus of treatment is on transporting the patient, students also learned techniques such as opening the airway, providing oxygen, and extreme splinting for quick treatment.

In addition to learning about avalanche rescues, the students practiced treating ski- and snowboardrelated injuries. During one segment of the workshop, students huddled around an injured skier (who was actually a classmate wearing a cut suit). In assessing the injury, students observed that the patient was experiencing a chest trauma (tension pneumothorax). After treating the patient, they returned to the warmth of the ski patrol headquarters, where they practiced treating other ailments through the use of the cut suit and an electronic simulator.

Beyond the hands-on experiences, the students listened to a presentation by RVU alum Corinne Reed, DO '14, on OB/GYN emergencies that might be encountered in austere environments. Next, David Ross, DO, FACEP, Director for the Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track, discussed pediatric illnesses at high altitude and trauma scenarios in wintery or isolated situations. Finally, the students learned how to reduce shoulder dislocations (among the most common of ski injuries) without the use of anesthesia, which is not readily available on a double-black diamond course.

Photo courtesy of Katie Teixeira, OMS II

Class of '20 Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track Students

Back row, Ryan Shillingburg, Tara Bjorklund, Adela Miller, Tanner Bond, Kate Wilcox, Charlotte Ballantine, Brady Hansen Front row: Jordan Baugher, Madisen Janssen, Rachel Landin, Kirstin Anderson, Iris Hardarson, Braden Anderson, Danielle Lattes Not pictured: Elizabeth Stoll

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Practicing for Rotations at Emergency Medicine Boot Camp In April, third-year students participated in the Emergency Medicine Boot Camp, an annual to help them prepare for emergency medicine rotations and residency applications. The students began the boot camp with lectures on "Planning the Sub I," "Chest Pain Differential Diagnoses You Must Know," "A Quick Overview of the Primary Survey," and "How to Present an EM Case to a Resident/Attending."

Students then rotated through skills stations. At one station, they listened to case presentations. At another, they walked through a trauma simulation, in which they had to determine the cause of the trauma and the best course of treatment. At one station, they practiced suturing on a cadaver and, at the last station, they learned how to assess and open airways. Following lunch, they practiced "Ultrasound Training for the Emergency Doctor."

Dean's Message, continued

will be able to graduate all their residents before closure. To my relief there were a respectable number of places left over when the dust cleared.

It is now apparent to me that our allopathic colleagues are just as engaged in making sure our osteopathic residency programs are preserved as we are. They need our residency numbers too!

Statistics show that 99.34% of graduates got a job in a residency program nationally. While this dropped slightly from the year before, remember three new Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine graduated their first classes this year, generating an increase of 500 graduates to the matching process.

Fewer students chose the AOA/Placement Match than the year before and many applying to AOA programs listed only their top choices, knowing a mismatch would automatically put them into the NRMP match with more programs and another chance. Nationally, 51.74% of graduating seniors chose the NRMP/SOAP and 42.53% chose to enter the AOA/Placement Match. The Military Match accounted for 4.28 % of total graduates, leaving a very small cohort of students matching outside the four standard matching programs or wishing not to match at all.

RVUCOM's numbers were a bit different, with about 60% of our graduates choosing to enter the NRMP Match (which was higher than the national average) and a lower-than-average amount of graduates choosing AOA programs at 40%. One statistic that caught my eye is that RVUCOM was the only osteopathic school to achieve 100% placement in the NRMP Match. All of our students that entered the ACGME programs match were placed into a residency. This represents a good sign for the future when we have a single unified match.

RVUCOM was also one of 15 osteopathic schools that achieved 100% placement of our graduates into residency programs. These results did not happen by chance, but were the product of a very cohesive group of educators working together to formulate the best strategies and pathways for our students. We know (just as did Hodel did in the final lyrics of the song) that "playing with matches, a grad could get burned." That is why we continue to strive for perfection in our methods and services so every graduating senior will experience that perfect match.

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Testing Skills and Stressors at Cut Suit Week "This was an incredible opportunity to not only teach second-year students what I learned last year, but to also learn from residents and attendings." "My motivation for my studies has shifted from 'doing the best I can' to 'being able to save a person from death." "This is incredibly unique that many of our medical student colleagues do not have the opportunity to experience." "It was eye-opening and extremely valuable."

Following a grueling week of explosions, gunshots, blood, and screams, students who participated in Intensive Surgical Skills Course (ISSC) were effusive with their praise.

The week-long course, nicknamed "Cut Suit Week", is held at Strategic Operations in San Diego, California each May. Second-year military students are pushed to their stress limits as they are forced into trauma scenarios again and again, treating patient after patient. "[While acting as an emergency room physician] a patient presented with hemothorax and foreign body penetrations," said an anonymous student in a follow-up survey. "I was immediately swarmed by the patient's associates, inquiring about their buddy and causing general chaos. My mind went blank and I could not think of how to proceed. The experience of feeling helpless to save the life of my patient was invaluable and [motivated me] to improve my knowledgebase and better prepare myself for the real world experience of saving a life."

Strategic Operations (makers of the cut suit) provide actors, props, sets, and pyrotechnics for the purpose of training medical students and other emergency professionals.

This in-depth training has been proven through various studies to increase the knowledge and skills of the participants, allowing students to feel more confident and competent when practicing medicine with actual patients. "I started my surgery rotation knowing my instruments, suturing, hand tying, and sterile technique better than any of my peers."

Class of '20 Military Medicine Track Students

Back row: Cameron Lindemann, Yiwei Jiao, Charles Curtis, Andrew Mason, Nolan Andres Middle row: Tina Wilson, Marco Grieco, Parker Spriggs, Steven Prueitt, William Robinson, Joshua Bradford Front row: Corin Archuleta, Hayden Springer, Michelle Kautz, Peter Stacy, Christopher Wilkinson

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From Zero Gravity to Rough Seas: Aboard the USNS Brunswick Last year, he floated through the air; this year, he floated along the ocean. For two weeks in February, Anthony LaPorta, MD, FACS, Director for the Military Medicine Track, served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Investigator aboard the USNS Brunswick in an ongoing study to test the ability to perform surgery in difficult conditions. They had the goal of performing surgery in rough sea conditions—and they got their chance when they reached Sea State 5 (which is categorized as having waves between 8-13 feet high)!

Along with Dr. LaPorta, there were two other surgeons/investigators, three anesthesiologists, eight scrub techs, eight medics, and three operating room nurses. In all, they performed over 100 operations (between 8 to 12 per day). Dr. LaPorta's role (and that of the other investigators) was to observe the surgeries and determine: Was the surgery performed correctly? Did the sea state affect the surgery? Would the patient have survived the surgery?

They focused on the four war-time surgeries that were most commonly performed in the last decade: laparotomy to control a hemorrhage, external femur fixation, external pelvic fixation, and ankle guillotine amputation. Along the way, they practiced crichothyromoties, intravenous placements, chest decompressions, and airway clearing. The surgeries were performed using specially modified cut suits, which allowed the participants to experience the most realistic surgery scenarios possible.

At the conclusion of the experiment, Dr. LaPorta stated, "While the data is pending, the SME surgeons all strongly believe the surgeries were successful, including at Sea State 5."

The Difference a Light Can Make

As part of the ongoing research regarding tactical lighting in special operations medical procedures, students conducted on-campus experiments in March. Among the participants were Jared McLaughlin, OMS III, and Jeffrey Wake, OMS III (pictured at left), in addition to Dr. Anthony LaPorta and Dr. David Ross. For the study, several participants practiced suture repairs, while employing different color lighting conditions. The goal is to identify lighting colors that are adequate to do the medical procedures studied (as an alternative to the standard white light, which cannot be used in certain combat conditions).

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News from RMOPTI

There has been a lot of hubbub in the world of graduate medical education regarding the merging of allopathic and osteopathic residency programs...and Rocky Mountain Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institution (RMOPTI) is right in the middle of it. This process, known as the Single Accreditation System, will allow residents to "demonstrate achievement of common milestones and competencies," according to the American Osteopathic Association. It is expected to be fully implemented by 2020.

What does this mean for RMOPTI and its residency programs? The Sky Ridge Family Medicine Residency Program— which recently achieved initial accreditation status in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)—has registered for the 2017 National Resident Matching Program, which is the primary match for allopathic medical students.

Additionally, Parkview's Internal Medicine Residency Program and Sky Ridge Medical Center's Internal Medicine and Neurology Residency Programs have already received their AGCME accreditations.

Program Milestones The Sky Ridge Internal Medicine Residency program reached a new milestone: the first resident to be published while attending the program! Dr. Monet Meter is a graduate of University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and is a first-year resident.

Her research, "Suspected Pulmonary Metastasis of Actinic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma," was published in Case Reports in Surgery, volume 2017. Congratulations, Dr. Meter!

Coming up in the next school year, RMOPTI will begin hosting workshops and scenarios. The workshops will feature ultrasound and simulation components, designed to teach residents and allow them to practice essential skills they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn. For more information about the workshops, contact Jodie at jwang@rvu.edu.

Students Honor Donors at the Memorial Ceremony The annual Donor Memorial Ceremony is an event that is formed entirely by firstyear students in honor of the donors who graciously offered their bodies to medicine upon death. The students show gratitude by performing songs, dances, and spoken-word pieces.

At the Donor Memorial Ceremony this year, Walter Buck, PhD, Chair of the Structural Medicine Department, welcomed guests and discussed the commemorative plaque that each class year provides in memory of the donors. This year's quote was written by Monica Dzwonkowski, OMS I: "Death is not the end - for you will live on in the hearts of those who loved you, and in the minds of those who have gained wisdom from your selfless donation."

Among the many performances, Angela DiCosola, OMS I, read "The Gift of You," Harmonjot Singh, OMS I, performed an uplifting Bhangra dance, and Brent Wilkinson, OMS I, (pictured at left) closed the ceremony with a song, "Something to Celebrate," on guitar.

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Gaining Experience, Giving Care at the CORE Clinic

by Eugene Masters, OMS II

Some of RVU's students have opened a 501(c)(3) non-profit, student-run clinic! The Center for Osteopathic Outreach, Research, & Education (CORE) provides free medical care to our underserved neighbors in the Parker community. If CORE sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because some of our Casual Dress Monday proceeds are donated to CORE each month!

Thank you for supporting this awesome initiative!

The clinic was originally founded by third-year students Ali Zaidi and Phillip Mann. They had experience working with free clinics before matriculation and they wanted to continue their involvement in such projects throughout their school years. Since RVU was still a relatively new school at the time, a student-run clinic had not yet been formed. SDs Zaidi and Mann embraced RVU’s value of service, choosing to expand their own service to the community by forming the CORE Clinic.

Their vision was to form a student-run clinic, providing an opportunity to learn the administrative aspects of running a clinic, a consistent location for first- and second-year students to apply their classroom and clinical knowledge skills on real patients, a platform for future research projects, interaction with local members of the healthcare community, and free health services to the local medically underserved families and individuals. They spent their first two years forming the foundation for the clinic by researching legal statutes, reaching out to lawyers for support with legal documentation, researching other free clinics in the area, and obtaining official 501(c)(3) status.

In February of 2016, with boards and rotations looming in their near futures, SDs Zaidi and Mann reached out to the Class of 2019, asking for new leaders who could continue the project. Hayley Hellstern, OMS II, Taylor Reiser, OMS II, and I applied, committing ourselves to further develop the clinic. Over the last year and a half, we worked together to find a physical location for the clinic, to gain donations and financial support from local charities and businesses, to reach out to local physicians for their support and oversight, to gather medical equipment and supplies, and, finally, to open the clinic’s doors to its first patients.

S SDs Hellstern, Zaidi, Master, and Reiser

This year, CORE Clinic partnered with the Sky Ridge Medical Center's Family Medicine Residency Program. Thanks to the enormous commitment

by Dr. Stephanie Chiu, Program Director, the clinic hosted its first open night on February 7th. The Church at Parker has graciously allowed us to use its space on Tuesdays from 5-9pm. As of this writing, CORE Clinic has been open for 6 nights, has seen 15 patients, and has had 2 physicians, 3 residents, and 34 RVU students volunteer!

Medical students can volunteer to see patients and gain clinical experience. The patient workflow was designed to partially resemble third-year rotations, allowing students to practice for the future. The clinic is overseen each night by an attending physician or resident. First- and second-year students work in teams to gather a patient’s medical history, perform physical and osteopathic exams, present their findings to a resident or attending, and type a real SOAP note into the electronic health record system. This also provides students with an exceptional opportunity to begin networking with health care professionals in the area. Currently, patients can be seen for acute sick visits, general wellness checkups, sports physicals, and nurse visits (such as checking blood pressures and blood sugar levels).

CORE Clinic’s aim for the future is to expand its hours, locations, and types of offered medical services. We are also seeking to partner with other training programs and specialties in order to strengthen team-based services and cooperation and to expand learning opportunities. With boards and rotations now looming for the Class of 2019, new members from the Class of 2020 have been selected to continue these efforts: Tanner Bond, Charles Curtis, Jennifer Irvine, Jillianne Nanadiego, and Amelia Sneve. If you are interested in volunteering as a student or attending physician, please go to www.CoreClinic.org and click “Volunteer” to sign up!

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Celebrating Service and Successes at the Preceptor Reception There are few roles as critical to the success of a medical student than that of the preceptor. Through a preceptor—a physician who supervises medical students in a clinical setting—students encounter their first patients. Under the watchful eye of their preceptors, the students glimpse the real world of health care. As students continue through their rotations, they encounter different specialties, different settings, and different health problems in their patients.

To thank the preceptors for their selfless work, the Clinical Affairs Department hosts regular Preceptor Receptions around the state. These receptions also allow the Coordinators, who may know their assigned preceptors so well but only over the phone, to finally meet in person. At the receptions, preceptors have the opportunity meet and network with other local preceptors and colleagues.

And, of course, they have the chance to win some sweet prizes (literally sweet, as the gift baskets were from Kneaders). This year, certain preceptors were honored with Service Appreciation awards for going above and beyond in their work with the students. Among those honored were: Dr. Shyamala Venkatram of Critical Care and Pulmonary Consultants; Dr. Josh Emdur of Boulder Community Hospital; and, Dr. Lance Lazatin of Lakeside Youth 'N' Kids Pediatrics.

Clinical Affairs Hosts Hospital Day for Third-Year Students The Office of Clinical Affairs hosted its seventh annual Hospital Day on March 10th with representatives from ten residency programs around the Mountain West Region. This event was open to all third-year students who are preparing for their residency interviews, as well as curious first- and second-year students.

Kyle LaValley, Rocky Mountain OPTI Administrator, said, "Hospital Day is always a great opportunity for students. Being able to get information from program directors, coordinators, and other staff from residency programs face-to-face, allows students to start the relationship-building process in a more personal way than via email or phone."

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Rocky Vista Health Center Updates

Four years ago, when Roy Merrill took over the Rocky Vista Health Center (RVHC) as the Practice Administrator, it was at twenty-five percent capacity—today, the ten-room facility is at one-hundred percent! Currently, they have thirty-four Internal Medicine Residents, working five at a time, under the supervision of two Board Certified Medical Doctors. With at least two opinions, residents gain experience and patients receive excellent care. In July, RVHC will welcome its fifth class.

As part of the new curriculum, the clinic will be offering secondyear RVU students an "Early Clinical Experience," which will include an opportunity for them to shadow a resident for one afternoon each semester. In addition, students in the proposed Physician Assistant program will do some shadowing in the mornings.

With some recent additions to staff, RVHC is now able to offer a variety of specialty-care services, including; • Psychology: Dr. Doug Henning brings over thirty years of experience in psychology, and is available to provide counseling to patients.

• Podiatry: Dr. Steven Albert (see column at right) is a wellknown Podiatrist with almost 40 years of experience in the field. He will be available at RVHC to see patients one day a week.

• Gynecology: Dr. Mark Berland currently owns a private practice in Aurora and has 45 years of experience in the field. He will be available at RVHC to see patients one day a week.

• Neuromusculoskeletal Manipulation (NMM): Starting in July, there will be an osteopathic resident available three afternoons a week to offer NMM. After several attempts, Roy Merrill will be retiring (for good, he says!) in June. He has been with us for the past four years and, in that time, has accomplished so much for RVHC and RVU as an organization. His work has been greatly appreciated and he will be missed dearly.

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Dr. Stephen Albert is the newest member of the RVHC team. He was born in Oklahoma, lived on both the east and west coast while in training, and has lived in Denver now for forty years: "It’s beautiful here and I like the weather for the most part—except for when it snows!"

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Basic Medical Sciences then a Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine, both from California College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco. He completed podiatric surgical residencies at Valley Forge Hospital and Medical Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania and at California Surgery Center and Hospital in Oakland.

He has forty years of experience in the podiatric field, the entirety of which he spent in the Surgical Service division of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver. Additionally, he served for a time as Chief of the Podiatric Section at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. At one time, he also served as President of the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine. He has taught at various medical and podiatric schools, including Oklahoma State University, Barry University, and University of Des Moines.

Upon coming to RVU, he noted, "I really like the spirit here! Everyone is so friendly." He will be at RVHC one day a week to teach students and residents. "We are trying to build the patient base so [the students and residents] can spend time with me and see some of the patients."

One of Dr. Albert's hobbies is coffee roasting. He is even planning a trip to Hawaii to pick up some Kona coffee beans this year that he will bring back to roast. "It takes about 30 minutes to roast the beans [in my electric drum roaster] and the coffee is much better than what you get at a coffee shop." He also enjoys dining and traveling.

Most recently, he traveled to Europe, Washington D.C., and Africa: "I learned a lot [on the African safari]. Our guide talked about everything from navigating by the stars to surviving when you are around animals that can kill you." His next destination will be San Francisco, where he will sample some of the local wineries.

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Learning Through Ultrasound: RVUCOM Hosts Second Annual Ultrafest RVUCOM collaborated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, as well as the Colorado Ultrasound Group to host the second annual Colorado Ultrafest on Saturday, March 18th. It was the largest ultrasound event in RVU’s history with nearly 270 participants from both medical schools.

Students attended ultrasound workshops which included prenatal, abdominal, cardio, vascular, and ocular sessions. They also practiced probing techniques on live models using cutting-edge ultrasound machines (provided by such sponsors as SonoSite, Philips, GE, Mindray, Clarius, BK Ultrasound, SonoSim, and Signostics). "This event helped me feel more confident with handling the equipment and identifying structures,” said Tate Correll, OMS II. " I was able to refine my skills and learn new techniques and tricks. Everyone has something to gain from Ultrafest, regardless of their skill level."

Keynote speakers were Wilma Chan, MD, EdM, Inaugural Director of Ultrasound Education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Rachel Liu, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, President of the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound and Chair-elect for the ultrasound section of American College of Emergency Physicians. "The keynote speakers impressed upon us the importance of being kind to ourselves in times of not knowing and that we have signed up to be life-long learners, which is a beautiful thing!” said Andrea Thomas, OMS II. This year’s Colorado Ultrafest was organized by RVUCOM students: Codee Champney, OMS II, Chair; Daniel Coates, OMS IV, Marketing and Tech Manager; Cicily Hummer, OMS I, Medical School Outreach; Jake Lammers, OMS II, Catering and Prize Coordinator; Daniel Morrad, OMS II, Industry Manager; Jordan Verlare, OMS II, Volunteer Coordinator; Andrew Wojtanowski, OMS I, Extra Equipment Coordinator; and Ashley Woodworth, OMS II, Financial Manager. "The team did a great job organizing the event," said SD Morrad. "Everything was managed very well."

Thomas N. Told, DO, FACOFP, dist., Dean of RVUCOM, added, "The skills that you gained from this exercise—along with your dedication to learning this art—will serve you well in your clinical years and, eventually, the patients in your practice."

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Practicing the 7 Components of Wellness "It is said that small incremental changes lead us to becoming better versions of ourselves," said Zeerak Haider, Director of Student Life. At this year's DO Day of Wellness—a national initiative that is celebrated uniquely by osteopathic medical schools—activities were designed to assist the student body in the journey to enhance their overall health and wellness.

With help from Nisa Fraser, OMS II, and Roxana Valles, OMS I, serving as joint Vice Presidents of Student Welfare, first- and second-year students experienced a well-rounded education in the seven components of wellness at various stations: Financial, Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Occupational, Social, and Environmental. Students received financial tips, learned to juggle, practiced using proper form during push-ups and planks, centered their emotions through mandala art, relaxed with OPP techniques, learned about saving energy as a medical student, and ate healthy snacks (but also, ice cream).

In recapping the event, Dr. Haider said, "We hope that the student body enjoyed participating in the activities at each station and gained the knowledge and skills to assist them in making small incremental changes to enhance their overall health and wellness."

Across the Country and Home Again with the Admissions Department The Admissions Department has been busy recruiting for the next cycle, attending various career events around the country. Some of the events included George Washington University, John Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Vanderbilt, Portland State University, San Diego State University, and University of Michigan in addition to various events in our own home state of Colorado. Everywhere they went, said Cyndi Windecker, Admissions Counselor, "we are approached by preceptors and physicians telling us how great a graduate or rotating student from RVUCOM is."

In February, the Admissions Department hosted the Aurora Lights program, in which high school students visited the campus to learn about osteopathic medicine. Following several OMM demonstrations, they explored ultrasound, led by several RVU students. The high-schoolers then attended a Q&A panel with special guest, Aaron Jones, OMS-I , who had graduated from the Aurora Lights program.

In April, Admissions hosted Career Connect, which gives high school students exposure to a variety of careers. For the event, the Anatomy and OPP Fellows provided demonstrations, while other students walked the high-schoolers through using ultrasound machines. Afterward, there was a panel for questions about the health care industry and being a medical student.

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Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Southern Utah

Creating a Sense of Community at RVUCOM-SU David Park, DO, Campus Dean for RVUCOM-SU, presented to the economic development leaders of the Five County Association of Governments in March, where he discussed the mission and vision of RVUCOM-SU. The new Southern Utah campus will have an estimated annual economic impact of $18 million for the region.

During his presentation, Dr. Park expressed the importance of creating community partnerships with elected leaders, local businesses, and schools in this region. "Rocky Vista University is looking forward to being a strong and integral community partner in Southern Utah," he said. "We look forward to collaborating with many local organizations and groups to contribute to the growth and success of this region."

The Five County Association of Governments is a regional government agency that administers local, state, and federal programs and funds in Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, and Washington counties of Utah. The economic development group works with public and private partners to support their goals by providing resources and opportunities for collaboration and cooperation that strengthens communities and the Southern Utah economy.

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Building a healthier future

RVUCOM-SU Admissions on the Road

RVU was invited to present to eighthgraders of Hurricane Middle School in March. The middle-schoolers have been exploring future career paths throughout the year and had gathered to learn about the career of a physician.

one heart at a time

As the number one cause of death for women in the United States, heart disease is killing one out of every three women, according to the American Heart Association.

For February's American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day, Judy Caldwell, DO, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and OMM, gave a lecture at the Southern Utah Veterans Home’s Community Education Series titled, "Emotions and the Heart." In her presentation, Dr. Caldwell spoke about how to reduce the risk factors, includ- RVU Celebrates Utah Interviewers ing finding and lowering your biometric At the end of a busy admissions season, numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, the RVUCOM-SU admissions team held an interviewer luncheon at the Southern blood sugar, and body mass index).

Utah Veterans Home, to thank the comDr. Caldwell said, by managing "Life’s munity members and RVU faculty and Simple Seven" (blood pressure, blood staff who interviewed a total of 287 cancholesterol, blood sugar, smoking status, didates this year. healthy weight, physical activity, and healthy diet), people can live a healthy life, free from cardiovascular disease and stroke. "Life’s Simple Seven work together to help you build a better and stronger life," she said. "By improving in one area, like your blood sugar levels, you are likely to improve your weight and nutrition too."

Admissions Counselor Whitney Johnson, MA, presented on the new Utah campus and the difference between allopathic and osteopathic physicians. At the end of the presentation, students asked questions about how they can attend medical school, then interacted with models of the human body.

Tera Houston, a guidance counselor at Hurricane Middle School, was grateful that Whitney took the time to visit the students: "We are fortunate to have RVU here in our community. I look forward to seeing the positive impact they bring in our community."

Earlier in the month, Whitney also presented to the Rural Health Scholars at Dixie State University and Southern Utah University and served a presenter and panelist at the Pre-Med Conference at Utah Valley University.

Interviewers gathered for the luncheon which included a delicious catered buffet, an overview of the admitted class from Julie Rosenthal, MS, Executive Director of Enrollment Management, and an on-campus housing update from Vie Van Noy, Assistant Director of Student Life. Then, awards were given out by Dr. David Park and Whitney Johnson.

Thank you to all who helped with interviewing this year at RVUCOM-SU!

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In Memory of Darby, Pet Therapy Dog At 10 years old, Darby—a dear member of the RVU community and original Pet Therapy dog—has lost his battle with lymphoma. As a puppy, Darby had been abused and abandoned by his previous owners. After months of treatment, he was adopted by Michael Tieman, MD, Chair of the Specialty Medicine Department, and his wife, Linda, from the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) in 2009. He became an official therapy dog the following year. Along with his brother, Dillon, he worked at Medical Center of the Rockies, Sky Ridge Medical Center, and Castle Rock Adventist Hospital. Under the sponsorship of the SOMA club, RVU implemented a pet therapy program in 2014—one of only three medical schools at the time to host a full-time program. Ever since then, Darby has been a familiar face on campus, cheering up and de-stressing students and employees alike.

Sigma Sigma Phi Induction Ceremony

In April, a luncheon was held to honor the RVU students who were inducted into Sigma Sigma Phi. This is an honorary osteopathic service fraternity for students who show a "high degree of scholarship and service to osteopathic medicine."

Congratulations, student doctors!

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Honoring the Good, the Bad...and the Gunners

At this year's RVU Awards Night, the SGA upped the ante with hilarious video skits, live performances ("Hi-ooo, Neuro!"), and the ever-popular gag awards (well, and a few legitimate awards thrown in for good measure).

The ceremony, which took place on May 12th, was emceed by SGA's Jonathan Singh and Roxana Valles.

Summit Club of the Year: Family Medicine Club Service Award: Hayley Hellstern (Class of '19) Roxana Valles (Class of '20) Congeniality Award: Neal Ferrin (Class of '19) Peter Stacy (Class of '20) Unsung Hero Award: George Marsh A.T. Still Award for Excellence in Teaching: Jill Pitcher and Dana Anglund William Osler Award for Excellence in Teaching: Francina Towne

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OPP Award: Shivi Yadava PCM Award: Devyn Holmstead Administrative Staff Member of the Year: Teresa Moore Faculty/Staff Gunner Award: Walter Buck Mad Scientist Award: Fernando Gomez Fighting Prairie Dog Award: Roberto Gianani (Class of '19) and Mike Jorgensen (Class of '20) Casual Monday-Friday Award: Austin Forbes Most Likely to Forget to Wash Their Hands Award: Benjamin Horn

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AirLife Denver Does a Fly-By Lesson on Emergency Transport

On a brisk day in May, AirLife Denver landed a helicopter in the field on the southeast side of the RVU campus to demonstrate to the student doctors how an emergency transport scenario might occur. "RVU and AirLife have a history of collaborating on training opportunities for their crews, our students, and the regional healthcare community," said David Ross, DO, FACEP, Director for the Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track, who organized the demonstration.

Along with the flight crew, students assessed the condition of a patient through physical examination and an electrocardiogram. Upon determining the patient had experienced a heart attack, they put him on a heart monitor and started an intravenous line. The patient then went into cardiac arrest, prompting the students to begin CPR and, ultimately, to defibrillate him. Eventually, they got the patient back into a steady heart rhythm and stable blood pressure; however, the patient was not breathing on his own. A student placed an orotracheal breathing tube, then the crew and students loaded the patient into the helicopter.

"In 2009, I witnessed a patient with life-threatening injuries being flown into Children's Hospital on an AirLife helicopter," said Eugene Master, OMS II. "That patient's story is one of the most significant events in my medical experience. When AirLife landed at RVU, I learned how the incredible medical team kept that patient alive when the odds were severely stacked against them."

This scenario was a great experience for students as they were able to deal with an "emergency" from start to finish, as well as working with different health care teams. "Having a fast reaction medical transport service can be the difference between life and death for a patient in critical condition," said Austin Forbes, OMS I. "The professionals at AirLife Denver provide a world-class service that transports desperately ill people to the best hospitals in the state in their hour of need."

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Meet RVUCOM's New Fellows!

This year, RVUCOM has broken a new record, naming 12 new Fellows for the 2018-2019 school year! The reason for the high number is to accommodate the new RVUCOM-SU campus. Six Fellows who were previously students at the Colorado campus will be moving to our sister-campus in Ivins, Utah, in order to serve as mentors to the inaugural Class of 2021. Join us in congratulating each of the new Fellows!

Anatomy Fellows - Utah Campus Neal Ferrin and Carson Ence

OPP Fellows - Utah Campus Whitney Liehr, Jordan Heser, Amanda Wolf, Aaron Yearsley

Anatomy Fellows - Colorado Campus Shay Pradhan and Erika Anderson

OPP Fellows - Colorado Campus Zeke Clemmons, Jacob Pearson, Sam Hart, Melanie White

Did you know...

RVU has added a new core value: Innovation. A series of surveys were sent out to all students, faculty, and staff to determine what this value meant to the community and how it should be described. After the results rolled in, the perfect description was added to the rest of the values:

Innovation: delivering new and creative ways to provide healthcare education while consistently demonstrating compassion, integrity, and excellence.

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Class of 2020 Student Government Association (SGA) "I am trilingual; I can speak Urdu/Hindi, English, and Spanish." ~ Jibran Khan, Treasurer "I am an ordained minister and a realtor." ~ Jonathan Singh, President

"I am passionate about medical mission work: I've been on four trips to Mexico, two to Ecuador...and I hope to go on many, many, many more!" ~ Roxana Valles, VP of Student Welfare

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"I skipped an organic chemistry exam in college to attend the Superbowl." ~ Ethan Sandler, Class of 2020 President

"I recently won a photography contest for a [photo] I took in Japan." ~ Michael Neinast, Secretary

"I was born in India and am a huge hiphop music fan." ~ Rohindeep Singh, Vice President of Operations

"I was an All-American javelin thrower in college." ~ Peter Stacy, SGA Honor Code President

"I was an Uber driver around Denver for a year before medical school." ~ Charles Litch, Curriculum Representative

"I can wiggle my ears! Also, I like to hike, ski, sail... or just take a great nap." ~ Shannon Hall, Officer of Communications

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Class of 2020 Class Officers "I worked as a camp counselor over summers as a music activity leader. I had the kids create parodies of their favorite songs [to] perform at our talent show." ~ Caitlin Porter-Smith, Curriculum Representative

"I had to play on the girls' volleyball team when I was in 7th and 8th grade [since] my school didn't have a boys' team." ~ Hayden Springer, Vice President

"I was a yoga teacher for 5 years (and studied yoga therapy) before medical school. I taught classes everywhere from a nursing home to a CrossFit gym." ~ Natalie Gould, Class Representative for Student Wellness

"I was a ballerina for 15 years (and also know how to tap dance)." ~ Krista Allen, Secretary

"I like to explore the mountains and go on hikes...when I'm home, I go play on the beach." ~ Ethan Sandler, President

"In Peru, I sutured a laceration on a man’s face. I had never attempted, practiced, or even possessed an understanding of how to suture before this event. Needless to say, it didn’t look pretty." ~ Ryan Shillingburg, Historian

"I love cliff jumping and have jumped in 5 states--and hope to get to all 50. One time, up a 5-mile trail in Yosemite, I almost fell to my death but managed to slide 30 feet down rock without getting injured." ~ Josh Bradford, Treasurer

Honor Code Representatives not pictured: Ammar Doo, Robert Seawall, and Alex Wilkins

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Employees Honored at Service Appreciation Dinner The annual Service Appreciation Dinner honors employees who have, throughout the previous year, either been promoted or reached their five-year mark at RVU. "This is a very special occasion," said Kelly Farr, Human Resources Coordinator.

"It is important to recognize people for their accomplishments. Occasions like this bring the RVU family closer together."

Five Years of Service Cassidy Chambers Sarah Chavez Dr. Antoinette Cheney Amy Cox

Andrew Flood Peter Freytag Chris Gray Eric Hansen

Dan Havens Justine Holck Deidre McGee Dennis Meidal

Jessica Mess Peter Parker Gary Pippin

Jill Pitcher, DO Andrew Stevens Judy Thornton

Teresa Moore Marissa Orona Dr. Ken Ramey Melanie Soard

Andrew Stevens Dr. Ann Trawick Jodie Wang Dr. Jennifer Williams

Promotions in 2016 Jeff Adams Cassidy Chambers Sarah Chavez Dr. Qamrul Choudhury Melissa Davidson

Dr. Joel Dickerman Kelly Farr Autumn Flansburg Hannah Golesh

Chris Gray Brian Leary Deidre McGee Dennis Meidal

RVUCOM Signs Agreement with Great Plains Area Indian Health Services RVU has recently expanded its clinical reach to the Midwest Region of the country through an agreement with Great Plains Area Indian Health Service (GPA-IHS). In March, Debra Nickell, PhD, Program Director for the proposed Physician Assistant program, visited GPA-IHS sites throughout South Dakota. The purpose was to see and meet with different facilities, to learn more about GPA-IHS, and to discuss the possibility of forming an alliance with the organization, with the hopes of opening up the possibility of rotation sites for both RVUCOM students and future PA students.

During the visits, Dr. Nickell met with representatives from several organizations: Justin Keckler of Cheyenne River Service Unit, Dr. Sophie Two Hawk of Rapid City Service Unit, Dr. Tatum Alma of Pine Ridge Service Unit, and Dr. George Ceremuga of Lower Brule Service Unit. Dr. Ceremuga, in particular, was critical to the success of the agreement and has enthusiastically embraced the partnership with RVU. "RVUCOM is honored to partner with the Great Plains Area Indian Health Service and we envision a partnership extending for generations to come," said Dr. Nickell.

At the end of the site visits and meetings, RVU signed a collaborative agreement with GPA-IHS to facilitate the clinical learning experience of RVU students throughout all locations. The rotations for students may vary from one month to a longitudinal rotation of 6-12 months. These sites will cover much of the Midwest region: Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The first rotations are tentatively planned to begin in July of this year.

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Get to Know the RVU Staff Deidre McGee Job Title: Coordinator for the Military Track and Surgery Simulation You will often find a trail of blood in Deidre's wake. Fake blood, that is. She is the artist behind the fake wounds and injuries that make RVU's simulations so realistic. When not actively working on a scenario, she is the caretaker for the cut suit and other simulators: repairing the wounds, cleaning it, and prepping it for the next event. However, she also coordinates many of the day-to-day details for both the Military Medicine Track (including helping students with compliance and officer training requirements). She does much of the examination preparation, implementation, and grading for Surgery Simulation. She also heads up the annual Military Appreciation Ceremony, the Military Cake Ceremony at graduation, and Cut Suit Week.

• Deidre has been with RVU since 2011 • As a side project, she works with and coordinates the RVU choir • In her free time, Deidre enjoys music and art If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I would go back to the Azores (a group of islands off the coast of Portugal) where I grew up. It was a very different environment and I have only pleasant memories.

What are Deidre's FAQs? What is the cut suit?

The cut suit is a human-worn surgical simulator with repairable skin and organs. Multiple surgeries can be performed and organs can hemorrhage via an external pump system.

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?

Don't let others define you. Follow your passion.

Who inspires you?

Oprah Winfrey. She is educated, gifted, talented, and has dedicated her life to helping others. She was able to rise above life's many challenges to become one of the most respected and successful people in America.

What is moulage?

Moulage is the art of creating mock injuries and wounds for the purpose of training military personnel and response teams to address mass casualty situations in austere environments.

Can we hire you for Halloween parties?

Sorry, I don't do Halloween parties!

How do you handle Dr. LaPorta?

In short, there is no handling Dr. LaPorta! As a world-renowned military surgeon, he is unparalleled; I am in awe of his knowledge and skills. I feel privileged to call him my supervisor and confidante. He may be a little eccentric, but being a legend comes with privileges!

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Campus Tidbits New Class of '19 Officers

Class of 2019: you have new Class Officers! You may recognize some of the officers from last year, but there are a few new ones.

Pictured left to right: Danyelle Beltz, Historian; Robert Prior, Treasurer; Briana Tillman, Curriculum Representative; Christina Velasco, Vice President; Kyle Phipps, President; Claire Clifton, Secretary Not pictured: Class of 2019 Honor Code Representatives: Cory Caroll, Michelle Levine, Jeffrey Schenck

Corin Archuleta, OMS I, along with her husband Nathanael, gave birth to a son to the world. Thomas Theodore Archuleta was born on March 22nd at 2:12 pm, weighing 7 pounds 6 ounces. Congratulations!

Opening Discussions with Violence Education and Prevention Event

In April, the Security Department hosted a series of events that focused on such issues as domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. The two-week event began with a talk by Detective Tyler Herman of the Parker Police Department who discussed stalking, how it differs from film portrayals, and the prevalence in our communities. Next, a panel comprised of Andrew Stevens, Security Supervisor, Laura Mohr, PhD, Director of Counseling Services, and Peter Stacy, OMS I, who previously served as a campus officer. The panel discussed domestic violence among medical students, peers, and future patients. "The most surprising thing I found upon transitioning [to RVU] was the amount of abusive, controlling, and violent relationships in medical school," said Dr. Mohr. "I didn't expect that. [Medical students] are self-appointed helpers.

They think they can handle it or that they can fix the person doing it."

The following week, RVU focused on the topic of sexual assault, hosting Katherine Miller from Blue Bench, and a panel comprised of Dr. Mohr, Michelle Metz, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, and Jennifer Williams, PhD, RVU's Title IX Coordinator.

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Campus Tidbits

DO Day on the Hill Nisa Fraser, OMS II, and Alexa Tyler, OMS II, visited the Capitol in March, as part of AACOM's DO Day on the Hill. These students were chosen to represent RVU due to their exemplary leadership and passion to advocate for the osteopathic profession. They spoke with senators and representatives about GME protection, reauthorization of the HEA, increasing the physician workforce in rural areas, federal loan interest caps, and in-school subsidies. "[We] were able to meet with Senator and Representative Legislative Aids to advocate for our fellow classmates," said SD Tyler. "I think advocacy starts to take shape when an idea, a bill, a regulation becomes personal. Medical school loans are personal because we're living it. Continuing to give voice to the debt we incur could be one way we shed light on what—in this moment—matters a great deal to us and those to come."

SD Fraser echoed that sentiment: "I didn't realize how a few people can make a difference in the lives of students and patients, just by reaching out to our congressmen. Thank you so much to RVU for giving me this opportunity. [It] has opened my eyes to how truly important it is to advocate for your fellow colleagues and future patients." Pictured left to right: Alexa Tyler, OMS II; Nisa Fraser, OMS II; Dr. Thomas N. Told.

"[Advocacy] takes shape when an idea becomes personal..."

Students from the Colorado Medical Society Medical Student Chapter at RVU attended the American Medical Association’s 2017 Medical Student Advocacy and Region Conference in Washington, D.C. in March. They partnered with medical students from CU School of Medicine to advocate for future patients. Alongside senators and representatives, they discussed the recently released American Health Care Act, the BRIDGE Act supporting Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status medical students, and the need for increased ACGME residency funding. Photo submitted by Katie Teixeira.

Pictured left to right: Nisa Fraser, OMS II; Aaron Jones, OMS II; Katie Teixeira, OMS II; Kiara Blough, OMS I; Taylor Reiser, OMS II; Iris Hardarson, OMS I; Catlin Caines, OMS II; Sohayla Rostami, OMS III.

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Campus Tidbits Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper proclaimed the week of April 17th to be Osteopathic Medicine Week, encouraging all Coloradans to celebrate osteopathic physicians for their contributions to the health and wellness of the state.

Additionally, he noted the contributions of RVU, having graduated 727 osteopathic physicians since 2012. "Let’s all stand a little taller and be appreciative of all the contributions our profession has made through the years," said Dr. Thomas N. Told, Dean of RVUCOM. "Remember and honor those who have paved the way to help us stand where we are today."

The SOAP Notes, RVU's own acapella group, recently performed at the Children's Hospital, singing such songs as "Hakuna Matata" from Lion King and "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 to cheer up the ailing children.

A Coordinator's Work is Never Done

"An important part of my job is to make sure our events run smoothly," said Becca Fletcher, Program Coordinator for Clinical Assessment and Simulations.

"On this day, we had an unfortunate bug going around and were down a few Standardized Patients (SPs). We always plan for that, but this time, we were still short a person." Becca, who had been an SP for five years prior to taking on her current role, leapt into action, donning the "SP gear" she always keeps in her office for such an emergency. Throughout the day, she switched between Coordinator and SP duties, donning the patient gown. "Our first priority is to take care of students, to make sure they get the best educational experience possible...this was an example of 'you gotta do what you gotta do!'"

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Achieving New Heights Highlighting the Accomplishments of Our Faculty, Staff and Physicians in Training

Stephen Albert, DPM, Podiatrist at Rocky Vista Health Center, was featured in the article, "America's Most Influential Podiatrists," in Podiatry Management. This list features "wellknown legends and up-and-coming superstars." They selected Dr. Albert for his contributions to the field, including founding a podiatric residency program and fellowship at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center; he is noted as a "nationally recognized author, educator, and podiatric political leader."

Danika Evans, OMS III, received the Emergency Medicine Residents Association Local Action Grant.

She received this grant for launching the Emergency Medicine Boot Camp, which provides additional EM skills to third-year students, in preparation of rotations and residency auditions. Other RVUers involved are: Amanda Ammentorp, OMS II; Daniel Morrad, OMS II; Adam Olson, OMS III; and, Dr. David Ross.

Tyler Gallo, OMS III, was co-author on a paper that was published in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics. The paper, titled "New Medications for the Treatment of Diabetes," reviews abstracts of various authors in relation to new medications that are being used or under investigation for the management of diabetes.

Laura Gibbons, OMS IV, recently published research in Medical Science Educator. The research, titled "A Survey of the Design of Pre-Matriculation Courses at US Medical Schools," was conducted with former RVU faculty member, Dr. Amber Heck, as well as several alumni (see the Alumni section for more information on the

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participants). Interestingly, all of the RVU students who contributed to the research wound up becoming OPP Fellows!

Tina L. Hefty, MLIS, Collection Development Librarian, presented at University of Denver's 22nd Annual Women's Conference in February. Her presentation, "Graphic Memoir: A Comic Portrayal of Women's Mental Health," discussed the unique challenges women face in regards to mental health, such as a greater disposition to developing depression, caring for a parent with dementia, raising a child with ADHD, and more. She further discussed how the use of graphic novels can be an effective tool in highlighting and humanizing these struggles.

Mallory Krueger, OMS II, attended the American Medical Student Association's Annual Convention and Exposition in Washington, DC in February. Along with Dr. Anthony LaPorta, she served as a judge for the simulation competition. In the championship round (photo below), students had to recognize the patient (who was wearing RVU's cut suit) had developed pneumothorax, then insert a chest tube.

Anthony LaPorta, MD, FACS, Course Director for the Military Track, co-authored research which was published in the American Journal of Surgery in March. The paper, titled, "Abbreviated closure for remote damage control laparotomy in extreme environments: A randomized trial of sutures versus

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Achieving New Heights Highlighting the Accomplishments of Our Faculty, Staff and Physicians in Training

wound clamps comparing terrestrial and weightless conditions," detailed the zero-gravity experiment conducted by the National Research Council of Canada last year. During the experiment, various surgeons (including Dr. LaPorta) attempted surgery in a weightless environment (created while aboard an aircraft performing parabolic flight patterns).

Additionally, they compared skin-suture versus woundclamps to test the effectiveness when facing visceral hemorrhage in a patient.

Shivi Yadava, OMS II, placed fourth in the A. Hollis Wolf Competition at the American Academy of Osteopathy's Annual Convocation.

She presented, "Listen to Your Gut," which is a clinical case presentation of a patient with a 3-year-long ear issue.

SD Yadava related this issue to the patient's 9-year history of IBS symptoms. Using cranial and biodynamic techniques, along with osteopathic treatments, she explained how and why the treatments worked. This showed the importance in treating the entire patient, rather than just the primary symptom. Through treatment, the patient's ear problems ceased entirely and the IBS symptoms improved.

The Marketing Department won two Excellence in Communications awards from American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM): Third Place in Digital Communications for the RVU Facebook page and an Honorable Mention in Targeted Communications for the 2016 Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign, which the department coordinates along with the Security Department.

Joseph LaPorta, OMS III, Tanner McClure, OMS III, and Michael Tieman, MD, Chair and Professor of Specialty Medicine, presented at the American College of Surgeons Simulation Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Their poster, titled, "Effects of a Surgical Simulation Course on Surgical Clerkship Performance," details research about the Intensive Surgical Skills Course and its effects on students. They tested stress levels, skill development, and knowledge areas of students, determining that the course significantly improves performance in areas of surgical clinical knowledge and instrument identification, and acclimates students to stress and increasing their confidence for surgery clerkship.

Legitimizing Graphic Novels as a Medical Resource

Jenifer Fischer, MLIS, Reference Librarian, and Tina Hefty, MLIS, Collection Development Librarian, were awarded the Carnegie-Whitney Grant. The grant, which is administered by a committee of the American Library Association, provides an award for the "preparation of popular or scholarly reading lists, webliographies, indexes, and other guides to library resources..." Ms. Fischer and Ms. Hefty will be preparing and disseminating an annotated bibliography that organizes and describes graphic novels written about mental illness. It is believed that this research will be especially useful to patients/ caregivers, medical professionals, and librarians. The format of a graphic novel is beneficial as the "visual aspect...skillfully reveals the deeply personal, and often hidden, side of mental illness."

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Achieving New Heights Highlighting the Accomplishments of Our Faculty, Staff and Physicians in Training

Faculty and students attended the ACOFP conference in Orlando, Florida. Mallory Krueger, OMS II, served as RVU's student representative for the Congress of Delegates. A large group of students also attended the conference, including some third-year students and graduates.

RMOPTI Hosts Inaugural Resident Research Poster Competition The Rocky Mountain Regional Osteopathic Medical Education (ROME) Conference is an annual event co-sponsored by The Colorado Society of Osteopathic Medicine and The American Osteopathic Association. This year’s event took place in February at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center in Keystone, Colorado. A new addition to this year’s program was a Resident Research Poster Competition sponsored by Rocky Mountain OPTI (RMOPTI). This inaugural event consisted of eight residents: five from Sky Ridge Medical Center and three traveling all the way from Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot, Idaho. The residents presented their posters to conference attendees and designated judges.

Three winners were awarded: • 1st Place: Dr. Leslie Benny of Bingham; "Psoriatic Arthritis: Case Presentation" • 2nd Place: Dr. Rob Lenhart of Sky Ridge; "‘Subclinical’ Hypothyroidism Presenting as Hypotension" • 3rd Place: Dr. Giovanni Crosland of Bingham; "Meigs Syndrome: A Case Report" Other participants included: • Dr. Yvonne Choe of Sky Ridge • Dr. Alex Diaz of Sky Ridge • Dr. Monet Meter of Sky Ridge • Dr. Tyson Steel of Bingham • Dr. Winay Virkud of Sky Ridge The competition was a great opportunity for residents to present their posters at a regional conference. RMOPTI anticipates this event expanding and including more participants in the future.

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Achieving New Heights Highlighting the Accomplishments of Our Faculty, Staff and Physicians in Training

AOA CONVOCATION Students, faculty and staff descended upon Colorado Springs in March to attend American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Convocation. "It is a great experience to network with osteopathic physicians from all over the country and learn more OMM skills with workshops, lectures and other great events," said Sarah Housman, OMS IV.

Research and Scholarly Activity Committee Awards Travel Grants The Research & Scholarly Activity Committee have awarded travel grants to six students and one faculty member: • Sindi Diko, OMS III; "Prevention and Management of Severe Obstetric Lacerations: A National Survey of Nurse Midwives"; ACOG Annual Conference; May 2017 • Fernando Gomez, MD, Professor of Pathology; "Why is Our Baby's Head Small? The Pathogenesis of Microcephaly Resulting from Zika Virus and Other Congenital Infections"; First International Conference on Zika Virus; February 2017 • Nathan Gorman, OMS I; "Squat Jump Performance is Not Related to Bilateral Asymmetry or Training State in College-Aged Men"; American College of Sports Medicine 6th Annual Meeting; May 2017 • Veeral Katheria, OMS II; "Early Prediction of a Significant Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) in Infants <32 Weeks GA"; Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting; May 2017 • Joseph LaPorta, OMS III, and Tanner McClure, OMS III; "Effects of a Surgical Simulation Course on Undergraduate Surgical Clerkship Performance"; American College of Surgeons Surgical Simulation Meeting; March 2017 • Patrick Wallace, OMS III; "Intentional Blade Ingestion: A Case Study Analysis on Management, Treatment, and Ethical Considerations"; Foundation for Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Case Study Poster Competition; April 2017 The Committee has limited funds available to support faculty and students who wish to present their scholarly work at an extramural meeting (including for the current school year!). Applications are considered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

For more information about the RVU Travel Grant Program, including policies and forms, please visit http://www.rvu.edu/ about/compliance/research-compliance/grants/.

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Welcome to our New Faculty and Staff!

Robert B. Barrett Assistant Director of Facilities, Department of Facilities, RVUCOM-SU Robert calls Nibley, Utah his home.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from University of Phoenix.

Robert has previously worked as Elevator Technician and Electrician for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for 18 years.

Most recently, he served as Maintenance Director and Director of Building Operations for the Southern Utah Veteranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home, in which he oversaw all building maintenance and hiring of outside contractors.

He is excited to be a part of RVU because the new building will allow for big challenges. He looks forward to setting up vendors and contractors and hitting the ground running.

Robert is the father of 10 children, ranging in ages from 9 to 31. In his spare time, he loves to fish (his favorite location is the Salt River in Thayne, Wyoming), work with people, and ride dirt bikes.

Welcome, Robert!

Steven Bart Security Officer, RVUCOM-SU Campus Steven is originally from Springfield, Illinois. He received his Associate of Science degree in Business Management at Dixie State University and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Most recently, Steven worked as a security officer at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for 12 years. After working for 19 years in corrections, law enforcement, and casino security, he is excited for a change of pace and looks forward to joining the RVU family at the new campus.

Of the drastic change in workplace environment, he said, "[Both the casino setting and the education setting] center around the anticipation of needs and problemsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and solving them before the guests or students are even aware there is a problem."

During his free time, Steven enjoys observing and participating in historical reenactments, particularly the American

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Civil War (including the 150th anniversary of Appomattox).

He also enjoys attending renaissance fairs and comic cons, as well as practicing martial arts and weightlifting. He is also a certified personal trainer.

Welcome, Steven!

Jaime Covington Administrative Assistant, Department of Clinical Affairs Jaime was born in northern California then moved to (ironically enough) Covington, Louisiana for a short time. She later moved to Colorado where she graduated from Smoky Hill High School. She attended Colorado State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (with a minor in Political Science).

Before coming to RVU, she worked at PATH International (a non-profit association that offers equine-assisted activities and therapies for individuals with disabilities) for almost eleven years. She began in the customer service department, moved to the certification department, and eventually became the Conference and Events Manager.

Of coming to RVU, she said, "I am excited to be a part of the University, to learn more about the medical field, and to help students in their process of becoming doctors with a focus on mind, body, and spirit."

Jaime enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is active in her church group and loves theater, playing games, and doing crafts. She also recently started volunteering with a group that teaches English to refugees!

Welcome Jaime!

David R. Crimin, DO, CMD Assistant Professor of Primary Care, RVUCOM-SU Dr. Crimin is a Utah native, having grown up in Richfield. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from Weber State University and earned Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed a family practice residency in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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Welcome to our New Faculty and Staff!

Dr. Crimin is board certified in Family Practice Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is also a Certified Medical Director in Post Acute and Long Term Care. Most recently, he served both as Medical Director for Richfield Rehab and Care Center and as Hospice Medical Director for Intermountain Healthcare Central Utah. Additionally, he worked as a family practice and emergency room physician. In addition to his role at RVUCOM-SU, he will serve as Medical Director and Director of Medical Education at the Southern Utah Veterans Home.

When Dr. Crimin isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working, you will often find him swimming, boating, waterskiing, hiking, fishing, and bicycling (which is how to commutes to work). He is married to his high school sweetheart, Rochelle, and together, they have four children and two grandchildren.

In June, Dr. Crimin will complete a bucket list item by participating in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, along with two of his children. As part of the triathlon, they will complete the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim, in which they will swim 1.5 miles to San Francisco in shark-infested waters without a wetsuit!

Welcome, Dr. Crimin!

In 2016, out of all the finance departments across six campuses, he was awarded the Financial Planning Coordinator of the Year award!

He only recently moved to Colorado after his partner, Kraig, relocated here for work. Upon moving, he discovered the job opening at RVU: "It was meant to be because it mirrors what I did in Lexington. I am excited to be part of a university that is educating and preparing individuals to be excellent health care professionals in a world that greatly needs them. I feel very blessed!" He enjoys getting to know people and hearing their stories. "I take great pride in my work and cannot wait to see RVU grow in Utah and beyond!"

He enjoys exploring ("you never know where you'll end up or what you'll find!"), hiking, biking, and kayaking. Of moving to Colorado, he said, "I am looking forward to learning how to snow ski and rock climb." He also would like to learn to fly an airplane, so lessons might be in his near future.

Welcome Andrew!

Octavio Escatel Security Officer, RVUCOM-SU Campus

Dan Lund Senior Facilities Technician, Department of Facilities, RVUCOM-SU

Octavio is originally from Salinas, California. He served in the U.S. Army where he completed his 1st Sergeant course (Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course), was certified as a Battle Focus Instructor, and qualified as a Rear Detachment Commander. Prior to coming to RVU, he worked in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Dan hails from Eagle Mountain, which is just south of Salt Lake City in Utah. He has attended both Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. He has worked in the facility maintenance field for about 12 years. While at Stryker Neurovascular, he served in multiple roles: Facility Technician, Environmental Health and Safety Representative, and Emergency Response Team Leader. He also worked as a Facility Technician in the Engineering Department at Mountain View Hospital, where he performed hands-on maintenance in electrical, HVAC, and general systems in the hospital, in addition to construction and remodeling.

During his free time, Octavio enjoys spending time with his grandkids and classic cars. He is married to his wife, whom he went to high school with.

Welcome, Octavio!

Andrew Fordham Financial Aid Counselor/Outreach Coordinator Andrew grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Kentucky. Before coming to RVU, he worked as a Financial Planning Coordinator for the Sullivan University System.

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In starting his RVU career, he has relocated to Southern Utah and is enjoying the red rocks and warm weather.

Dan is married to Jodi and has seven children, two of which still live at home. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the outdoors.

Welcome, Dan!

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Welcome to our New Faculty and Staff!

David Roos, Ed.D. MBA Assistant Dean, Department of Student Affairs, RVUCOM-SU Campus Dr. Roos is originally from Star Valley, Wyoming but moved to Utah in 1983 to attend college. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems, a Master of Business Administration degree, and a Doctor of Education degree, each from Utah State University.

Throughout his 23-year career in higher education, Dr. Roos has worked at Utah State University and Dixie State University in many positions, including Assistant Vice President of Student Success, Executive Director of Enrollment Management, University Registrar, and Director of Admissions.

He came to RVUCOM-SU for the chance to be at the groundlevel of a new campus in his own backyard: "The more I learned about RVU, the more I wanted to be a part of it."

In his spare time, Dr. Roos and his wife love to hike and bike; they have also recently taken up rappelling. Interestingly, he has had a Top Secret Security clearance at one point and is fluent in both Norwegian and American Sign Language.

Welcome, Dr. Roos!

Rick Simmons IT System Engineer, Department of Information Services, RVUCOM-SU Rick is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. He spent 15 years in Field Services at Hewlett Packard (HP) and six years as an Integration Engineer for CompuCom. He is certified in CompTIA A+, HP, Lenovo, Dell, and Mitel Phone System.

He is excited to join RVU so he can apply his IT skills to the medical field—an industry in which his mother and multiple siblings work.

Along with his wife of 40 years, Rick loves to work and play in the yard, where they have a grape vineyard, flower garden, and swimming pool.

An interesting fact about Rick is he holds an Amateur Radio License (W7RES). As a member of the Dixie Amateur Radio Club, they handle radio communication for major events,

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such as the St. George Marathon, Iron Man, and in the event of an earthquake or other emergency situation.

Welcome, Rick!

Vielane Van Noy, MS Assistant Director of Student Life and Housing Operations, Department of Student Affairs, RVUCOM-SU Campus Vie hails from Blackfoot, Idaho. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education (with an emphasis in pre-physical therapy) from Utah State University and a Master of Science degree in Health Promotion (and a certificate in Gerontology) from Brigham Young University (BYU). She is licensed as a Therapeutic Recreation Technician by the State of Utah.

Vie comes to RVU from the Southern Utah Veterans Home, where she served as Director of Community Relations for two years and Recreation Director for over three years. She also served as Program Director at The Bridge Recovery Center in St. George and as Residence Hall Advisor at BYU. The opportunity to work at RVU combines two of Vie’s passions: medicine and education. "When I learned that RVUCOM-SU was to be built here in Ivins," she said, "I saw an opportunity to use my experiences of the last 20 years to help the students have a successful, fun, and well-balanced medical school experience. I’m excited to have the opportunity to make a difference here and look forward to the adventure!"

She is married to Nate (who creates 3-D art and is a journeyman machinist) and is the mother of three boys. In her spare time, Vie enjoys volleyball, singing, dancing, running, co-ed softball, family history, and watching television. A fun fact about Vie is she was a cheerleader during her freshman year of college.

Welcome, Vie! Michael Wells, PhD Assistant Dean of Integrated Curriculum, Professor of Structural Medicine, RVUCOM-SU Campus Dr. Wells originally hails from Mt. Dora, Florida. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Doctorate degree in Medical Science with

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Welcome to our New Faculty and Staff! an emphasis in Neuroscienceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;both awarded by the University of Florida Gainesville.

Dr. Wells previously worked at Touro University in Nevada as the Chair of Basic Sciences and at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine as Professor and Department Chair of the Biomechanics and Bioengineering Department. He has also conducted research as an independent investigator for the Department of Veteran Affairs.

of the Southern Utah campus: "I came to experience the energy and challenges of starting a new division of a medical school."

In his spare time, Dr. Wells enjoys the outdoors and likes to hike and camp. An interesting fact about him is that he has been training in martial arts for almost 50 years.

Welcome, Dr. Wells!

He is excited to join RVU and to help build the curriculum

Promotions and Appointments Heather Ferrill, DO, MS, has been promoted from Associate Professor to Professor of Osteopathic Principles and Practices (OPP). In addition to her new role as Professor, she will continue to serve as Chair of the Department of OPP, as well. She has been with RVU since 2013.

Deidre McGee was promoted to Military Track and Surgical Simulation Coordinator. In this role, she will coordinate all aspects of the Military Medicine Track, from scheduling courses and handling travel arrangements to keeping records.

Additionally, she will handle surgery preparations for Surgery Simulation, maintain supplies and simulators, and handle examinations and grading. She has been with RVU since 2011.

Dennis Meidal was promoted from Technician to Senior Technician in the Facilities and Grounds Department. In this role, he will continue to provide maintenance around campus (plumbing, electrical, sprinklers, lighting, etc.). Additionally, he moves and assembles furniture, paints, runs cablesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and many other projects that pop up along the way. He has been

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with RVU since 2009 (first as a contractor, then as an RVU employee) and with Facilities since 2014.

Marissa Orona was promoted from Medical Assistant to Lead Medical Assistant at Rocky Vista Health Center. In this role, she will work with patients, acting as their first point of contact, taking vitals, and providing information to the residents and physicians. She has been with RVU since 2015.

Francina Deason Towne, PhD, has been promoted to the Director of the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program. In this role, she will direct the educational offerings of the MSBS program and work with MSBS faculty to develop curriculum, policies, program evaluation and student learning outcomes. She will also serve as the point of contact for MSBS students in terms of grades, progress, and concerns. She will continue to serve as Assistant Professor of Immunology and teach Immunology/ Hematology/Lymphoma (IHL) in the COM, as well. She has been with RVU since 2016.

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From the Rocky Vista University Alumni Association

VU

A LU M N I A SSO C I AT ION

Faculty, staff, students, and (especially) alumni, A warm and exciting welcome to each and every one of our new 144 alumni of the College of Osteopathic Medicine! Graduation occurred on Tuesday, May 16th and, as always, it was a fun and happy time. We are all proud to call you colleagues and we wish you the best as you travel on to residencies across the country. You will make fantastic physicians as you touch the lives of thousands of people. Congratulations on graduating; it is a monumental achievement and we are excited to see your impact on the profession.

A special congratulation to the Class of 2017 Valedictorian, Sean McGowan. You made medical school look easy…somehow. Well done!

I would also like to send out a huge congratulations to the 14 students who graduated as our inaugural class of Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS)! This is an enormous achievement—not only in getting the degree but also in being the class to struggle through the ups, downs, and learning curves of being the first to do something. We thank you for your patience and for your strength in laying the groundwork for classes yet to come.

Several thank-yous and recognitions are in order both to make graduation happen beautifully onstage and behind the scenes. First, for hosting the graduation ceremonies, keeping us all on track, and making sure we’re all somewhat wellbehaved, thank you to Dr. Clint Adams, RVU President, and Dr. Thomas Told, RVUCOM Dean. A big thank-you to our wonderful commencement speaker, Mark Baker, DO. Your words were light and fun but resounding and insightful. A special thank-you and salute to Brigadier General Jerome P. Limoge, Jr. of the United States Air Force for his commitment to our country and his time at our graduation to give us astute words of advice and to honor our military graduates. And, of course, the person who led a team to make this all happen behind the scenes, Erica Whatley. Graduation could not have happened as beautifully as it did without you. I know there are many, many more people who deserve a thank-you; you all know who you are. Thank you for your time and effort to make graduation such a happy day!

Another congratulation is in order to Dr. Joseph Stasio, as he was recognized as an outstanding faculty member and awarded with the first ever Presidential Award of Excellence. Dr. Stasio has been a staple member of the RVU faculty since they opened their doors and he has been an inspirational teacher and confidante to so many people. Thank you and congratulations on an incredible achievement.

Another year gone and another RVU class graduates. Congratulations to all and we look forward to welcoming our new Class of 2021 in July. We’ll see you at the White Coat Ceremony!

I encourage the new class of graduates to stay involved in the school by becoming an Alumni Association board member and by paying your alumni dues to continue pushing the school forward by allowing us to give scholarships and sponsor events for the classes behind you. Congratulations, again – go save lives!

AJ Ryan, DO '13 Alumni Association President

Thank you for Supporting the RVU alumni association!

• Clinton E. Adams, DO: $2,500 • Doug Campbell, DO: $1,000

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From the Rocky Vista University Alumni Association

V U A LU M N I

A SSO C I AT ION

congratulations to all of our alumni on their achievements!

Engagements, Marriages, and Births Lia Fiallos, DO '12, and Andrew Wendahl, DO '15, were wed in Guatemala in March, while on a medical outreach trip. They originally met on an RVUCOM mission trip to Guatemala and have gone on every medical outreach trip there since.

Matthew Puderbaugh, DO '12, and his wife, Kacie, welcomed two new additions to their family recently. They adopted baby Micah, who was born in May 2016 in Florida.

Their second child, Elijah, was born in March of this year in Landstuhl, Germany, where he is currently stationed.

Christopher Ketter, DO '15, was selected as Chief Resident at the Mercy Family Medicine Residency Program in Des Moines, Iowa. He will be starting his third and final year in the summer.

Rebecca Lewis, DO '12, received the Young Osteopathic Physician of the Year Award at the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians convention. She was selected as the winner due to her "unwavering commitment and compassion to her patients," as stated by Dave Wallace, CEO of AllianceHealth Woodward, where Dr. Lewis practices. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Lewis said, "It thrills me that I was able to receive this award by doing what I love and serving the people of Woodward...I look forward to serving the community of Woodward and the ACOFP for many years to come."

Matthew Puderbaugh, DO '12, was elected President of the Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons earlier this year. Additionally, he was selected as a nominee for the Clinical Excellence Award for the 86th Air Wing, as well as being USAFE Nominee for Flight Surgeon of the Year.

Additionally, he was accepted into a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency at the University of Minnesota, to begin in 2018.

Job Acceptances, Fellowships, and Other Accomplishments Gabriel Garcia-Ryan, DO '14, received the Dr. Robert E. Cohen Professionalism Award on behalf of the Guthrie/ Robert Packer Hospital's Department of Graduate Medical Education. The award was given due to "his commitment to professionalism" at his family medicine residency.

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Autumn Schwed, DO '14, was named Chief Resident of the Emergency Residency Program at St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Ohio. She will serve as Chief Resident for the 2017-2018 year.

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From the Rocky Vista University Alumni Association

VU

A LU M N I A SSO C I AT ION

congratulations to all of our alumni on their achievements!

Kabeer Shah, DO '14, was named Chief Resident of the Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Mayo.edu.

Posters, Presentations, and Publications Robert Lenhart, DO '14, won second place for his poster, "'Subclinical' Hypothyroidism Presenting as Hypotension," at the inaugural Resident Research Poster Competition at this year's Rocky Mountain Regional Osteopathic Medical Education (ROME) Conference. He is currently in an internal medicine residency at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colorado.

Kabeer Shah, DO '14, has published several papers on the last six months: • "Histolopathologic Review of Granulomatous Inflammation" in the Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases; • "Iatrogenic Thyrotoxicosis and the role of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange" in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis; • "Implementation of a Software Application for Presurgical Case History Review of Frozen Section Pathology Cases" in the Journal of Pathology Informatics; • "Pembrolizumab induced bulbar myopathy and respira-

tory failure with necrotizing myositis of the diaphragm" in the Annals of Oncology; • "Whole Slide Imaging Validation in Teledermatopathology" in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; • "Differential Diagnosis: Cutaneous Metastases of Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma" in Cutis; • "Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis with underlying mantle cell lymphoma: A case report and review of the literature" in Cutis.

Dr. Shah is currently in the Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota

Anthony Furlano, DO '14, Sarah Jones Ketter, DO '16, and Lauren Prest, DO '14, contributed on research that was recently published in Medical Science Educator. The research, titled "A Survey of the Design of Pre-Matriculation Courses at US Medical Schools," was conducted with former RVU faculty member, Dr. Amber Heck, and current RVU student, Laura Gibbons, OMS IV. Interestingly, all of the RVU students who contributed to the research wound up becoming OPP Fellows!

Are you supporting the RVU Alumni Association?

Your dues and donations are used to support scholarship funds, pay for alumni receptions, and other opportunities for current and future alumni members. Donate at www.rvu.edu/affiliates/alumni-association. Also, watch for an upcoming online store where you can purchase Alumni swag!

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