Issuu

TULSA MEDICINE TULSA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY

A NEWSLETTER FOR THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY

AUGUST 2026

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine welcomed its largest class in history as 217 first-year medical students received their white coats and began their journey toward becoming physicians. The Class of 2030 includes 180 students in Oklahoma City and 37 in Tulsa, reflecting the college’s continued efforts to strengthen Oklahoma’s physician workforce. Find more on page 3.

Address: 5315 S. Lewis Avenue Tulsa, OK 74105-6539 Web: tcmsok.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS 02

Calendar of Events

Table of Contents | Leadership | Staff

OU-COM Welcomes Largest Class

Ad: Trust Company of Oklahoma

Physician Appreciation Night / Scholarship

Ad: PLICO MedPro

Prenatal Care Study / Recovery Care Program

08-09 New Maternal & Addiction Recovery Care

Phone: 918.743.6184 Fax: 918.743.0336 Email: tcms@tcmsok.org

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUG 04

TCMS & OSMA Host Lunch for incoming OSU Medical Students

AUG 04

TCMS & OSMA Host Social for Tahlequah OSU Medical Students 6-8 PM, at Kroner & Baer

AUG 07

OSMA Board of Trustees Meeting

AUG 21

Women in Medicine Social

AUG 27

Physician and Project TCMS Volunteer Appreciation Night

12 PM, at OSMA in OKC or via Zoom

6 PM, at TCMS Charcuterie Boards & Wine - Lets Toast to end of Summer and Hello Fall. See page 11 for more details.

6 PM, at the Main Event, Tulsa Enjoy 3 hour of arcade games, bowling, laser tag, elevated ropes, food, and more! See page 5 for more details.

Women in Medicine Summit - Sept 18 @ OKC

Welcome New Members

Women in Medicine Social - August 21 @ TCMS

Sept 02

TCMS Foundation Board Meeting

Ad: Touchstone Medical Imaging

Sept 07

Labor Day

LEADERSHIP TULSA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY - BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Webb, Jr., MD

Sharon D’Souza, MD

Henry Haskell, MD

Ondria Gleason, MD

Stephen Bruns, MD

Geoffrey Chow, MD

Chris Emerson, MD

Diane Heaton, MD

Brian Macha, MD

Reetu Singh, MD

Sharon Smallwood, MD John Tedesco, DO

Ex-Officio Members

Dennis Blankenship, DO Boyd Burns, DO OSU-COM Dean OU-SCM - Int. Dean Lily Robistow, MS4, OU, Ha Huynh, MS3, OSU, SRC Chair SRC Vice-Chair

TCMS Foundation - Board of Directors David Griffiths, MD

Peter Aran, MD

Sharon D’Souza, MD

Ondria Gleason, MD

Michael Hairston, CTFA Martina Jelley, MD

Brian Macha, MD

David Minielly

James Webb, Jr., MD

Matthew Wenger, MD

Mark McElreath, MPA Executive Director

TCMS & TCMS Foundation

Kulsum Siddiqui

6 PM, at TCMS Offices Closed

Sept 11-12 Oklahoma Allergy and Asthma Society (OAAS) Annual Meeting

OKANA Resort, OKC 7:30 AM - 2:00 PM Contact Joetta Cunningham for more info

Sept 22

OSDS Regular Scheduled Series

Sept 23

PLICO Grand Rounds

More details to come 5 PM, at TCMS

PROPER PRESCRIBING CME DATES (VIRTUAL) SEP 11 NOV 12 DEC 04

Friday, September 11, 12-1 PM Thursday, November 12, 6-7 PM Friday, December 4, 12-1 PM Speaker: Cori H. Loomis, JD., McAfee & Taft Free for OSMA members & $75 for non-member physicians

STAFF

mark@tcmsok.org

Joetta Cunningham TCMS Director of Operations

joetta@tcmsok.org

Pam Oppelt Care Coordinator

Project TCMS

pam@tcmsok.org

Ashley Bishop Development Coord.

Project TCMS

ashley@tcmsok.org

To sign up, or for more information, contact Katie Kemper, 405-601-9571, kemper@okmed.org, or visit www.okmed.org *Signed into law in 2018, Oklahoma’s Senate Bill 1446 mandates that all physicians complete one hour of CME in pain management per year. To help Oklahoma’s physicians better understand how this new law impacts their practice and patients, the Oklahoma State Medical Association is hosting special CMEs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. This one-hour event offers insight to the legal issues affecting pain management and an overview of the new laws connected with prescribing opioids to patients. All Oklahoma physicians with a DEA license are required to take this one hour course annually.

FEATURED ARTICLE

OU College of Medicine Welcomes Largest Class in School History at White Coat Ceremony By April Wilkerson

As faculty members helped first-year medical students into crisp white coats, the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Class of 2030 crossed an important threshold. The annual White Coat Ceremony marked the beginning of their journey from aspiring doctors to future physicians, symbolizing the trust, compassion and responsibility that come with caring for patients. The 217-member class, the largest in the college’s history, includes 180 students in Oklahoma City and 37 in Tulsa. “The white coat is one of the most recognizable symbols of any profession,” said Ian Dunn, M.D., executive dean of the OU College of Medicine, “and the White Coat Ceremony is a tradition observed at medical schools all around the world. It formally welcomes you into the profession of medicine and symbolizes your commitment to its principles, standards and enduring values.” College of Medicine faculty members cloaked students by modules – the small learning communities that will become their academic home during the first two years of medical school. Each group of students studies together, shares dedicated space and builds close relationships throughout the preclinical curriculum. The ceremony also represents the College of Medicine’s dedication to meeting Oklahoma’s healthcare workforce needs. The college is incrementally increasing its enrollment by 40% to address the critical demand for additional physicians. Ultimately, the class will number 232 students. David Teague, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, served as the keynote speaker for the event. He challenged students to embrace both the privilege and responsibility of becoming physicians.

Tya Logan, center, is among the 217-member class who received their white coats this year. She has worked as a flight paramedic for 10 years. Photo by Jonathan Kyncl.

“We proudly admitted you, but you still had to choose us,” Teague said. “We will reward that confidence with innovative, professional instruction. You must take ownership of your progress, but we will partner with you. You signed on for amazing experiences and unlimited opportunity. The privilege is immeasurable. How you curate it matters greatly.” For Tya Logan, the moment she received her white coat represented the fulfillment of a dream years in the making. Before entering medical school, she worked as a flight paramedic for 10 years, most recently with OU Health Air Kids One. Caring for critically ill patients and their families taught Logan the importance of clear communication and of being a calm, trustworthy presence during some of their most difficult moments. Logan has been interested in cardiology since she was young. Her mother worked as a cardiac nurse, and as a teenager, Logan pored over her mother’s textbooks, even teaching herself how to read EKGs. She now hopes to become a pediatric cardiologist, combining her fascination with the heart and her passion for caring for children. “Getting my white coat made it seem real, like I’m finally going to be a doctor,” she said.

August 2026 | Tulsa Medicine | 03

04 | tcmsok.org | August 2026

EVENTS - MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

Physician Appreciation Night at Main Event Tulsa County Medical Society and Oklahoma State Medical Association

Join the TCMS and OSMA for an evening of fun, food, and appreciation — open to members and nonmembers alike! Bring your colleagues, friends, and family for a night filled with connection and entertainment. This event is FREE but registration is required. JOIN US FOR A NIGHT OF: All-You-Can-Play Arcade (3 hrs) 22 Bowling Lanes Delicious Food & Drinks Laser Tag Billiards Tables Gravity Ropes And more! When: Thursday, August 27 6:00-9:00 PM Where: Main Event - 7830 S Santa Fe, Tulsa, OK 74132

Click Here to Register

PRE-REGISTER NOW - Space is Limited

Deadline Approaching - Student Scholarships Tulsa County Medical Society and TCMS Foundation The TCMS Foundation is pleased to announce that it is now accepting scholarship applications from the OU-TU School of Community Medicine and OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Medical Students. From July 1 to August 31, 2026, medical students are invited to apply for this prestigious scholarship opportunity. The Scholarship Fund was established in 1964 as a 501(c)3 organization from proceeds received from a communitywide mass immunization for Polio sponsored by TCMS. In 2010, the fund became a program of the Tulsa County Medical Society Foundation. The Fund had a total of $31,500 in the beginning. It was envisioned that approximately $2,500 annually would be presented until the fund was depleted. To date, over $1.57 million in scholarships has been given to 1,351 medical students. The number of applications received annually ranges from 40 to 50. The Educational Assistance Award Scholarship aims to support and empower the next generation of healthcare professionals by providing financial assistance to eligible candidates.

Click Here to Apply To be eligible, students must be in good standing and enrolled in their second, third, or fourth year in the 20262027 academic year at OU School of Community Medicine or OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. TCMS Foundation Scholarship Fund - Click Here to Give Now The TCMS Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is dedicated to: Supporting Education: Providing scholarships to medical students through educational and charitable giving. Creating a Lasting Legacy: Ensuring the enduring impact of the Tulsa County Medical Society.

August 2026 | Tulsa Medicine | 05 09

NEWS & UPDATES

Invite to Participate in Perinatal Care Study University of Tulsa - Clinical Psychology Dear Physicians, Providers, and Staff, My name is Jasmin Kurien and I am a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Tulsa conducting a brief study on healthcare providers' experiences caring for women who are immigrants during the perinatal period. If you have worked with immigrant women during pregnancy through one year postpartum, I invite you to complete a 15minute anonymous survey. Your perspectives will help inform future training, clinical practice, and policy to improve perinatal care. Participants may also enter a raffle to win one of ten $25 gift cards. Use the “Complete Survey” link.

Complete Survey If you are eligible, I would greatly appreciate your participation. If you know colleagues who may be eligible, please consider forwarding this email and flyer to them. Support staff can take the survey too! Anyone who has experience working with immigrant mothers during the perinatal period are welcome to participate. OB-GYN, Family physician Physician assistant Nurse (e.g., RN, BSN, APRN, NP, CNM, CRNA) Midwife, Doula (e.g., birth doula, postpartum doula) Social worker (e.g., BSW, MSW, LCSW, LMSW) Other (please specify) Thank you for your time and for the care you provide to Oklahoma families. Best, Jasmin Kurien, M.A. Doctoral Candidate, Clinical Psychology University of Tulsa jak2034@utulsa.edu

New Maternal & Addiction Recovery Care Program Oklahoma State University OB/GYN OSU Maternal & Addiction Recovery Care (OMARC) is a new program based within OSU OB/GYN for women who are pregnant or up to 12 months postpartum with active or historical substance use concerns. To our knowledge, we are the first program in Oklahoma to directly integrate OB and addiction medicine care. An OSU Addiction Recovery Clinic provider joins our OB clinic to provide integrated care, with care coordination support also available to patients. OSU Maternal & Addiction Recovery Care is now accepting referrals for pregnant and postpartum patients affected by substance use disorders. The program brings together obstetric care, addiction medicine, and care coordination so patients can receive integrated, compassionate care in a supportive, trauma-informed setting.

To refer a patient, please complete the attached referral form and fax it to 918-586-4528. For questions about eligibility or the referral process, call 918-586-4530. Providers with internal EPIC access, typically OSU and Saint Francis providers, may also submit a referral by searching for Behavioral Health Addiction and selecting the department OSC Addiction OB. CLICK HERE for more information as well on the next 2 pages. Thank you for keeping OMARC in mind for patients who may benefit from coordinated pregnancy and substance use treatment. August 2026 | Tulsa Medicine | 07

08 | tcmsok.org | August 2026

August 2026 | Tulsa Medicine | 09

10 | tcmsok.org | July 2026

UPDATES FROM TCMS

Welcome New Members!

By joining TCMS and OSMA our members are among friends, colleagues, and peers, who share their interest, concern, and dedication, to the medical profession. Our strength relies on individual members like these, who are committed to making an impact on the field of medicine. Share with them the opportunity to join! Have them visit www.tcmsok.org/join or have them contact Mark or Joetta at 918.743.6184 or email tcms@tcmsok.org.

Juliana C. Bryant, MD

Bernard N. Robinowitz, MD

Ophthalmology

Retired Dermatology

Triad Eye Institute 918.252.2020 Specialties LenSx® Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery Toric, Trifocal and Extended Depth of Focus Lens Implant Surgery SLT (Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty) Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery iStent Hydrus ABiC

Women in Medicine Social - Friday, August 21 Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall! Tulsa County Medical Society & Oklahoma State Medical Association Join your fellow women physicians for an evening of connection, conversation, and community at Tulsa County Medical Society. This special gathering is designed to bring together women physicians and residents from across Oklahoma to build meaningful relationships, share experiences, and strengthen our network of support. Enjoy chatting with fellow women in medicine while meeting TCMS Immediate Past President and current board member, Ondria C. Gleason, MD, TCMS President-Elect Sharon D'Souza, MD, and TCMS Past President and current board member, Sharon Smallwood, MD, who are committed to empowering and advancing women physicians throughout our state. Whether you're a seasoned physician or resident, we invite you to come connect, learn, and be inspired. Admission is complimentary; however, donations will be accepted on-site to help offset event costs and support future opportunities for women in medicine. We hope you'll join us for an unforgettable evening of networking, mentorship, and friendship. The strongest careers are built through meaningful connections.

Click Here to RSVP August 2026 | Tulsa Medicine | 11

TULSA MEDICINE | A Newsletter for the Medical Community 5315 S. Lewis Avenue Tulsa, OK 74105-6539 Return Service Requested