A NEWSLETTER FOR THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY
JUNE 2026
Congratulations to all the medical students on your outstanding achievement of graduating from medical school and embarking on the next phase of your journey into residency! Your commitment to patient care, continuous learning, and professional development will undoubtedly serve you well as you navigate the demands of residency training. Find a list of graduates on page 3.
JUN 03
JUN 16
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 OSU-COM Dean Boyd Burns, DO OU-SCM - Int. Dean
Lily Robistow, MS-4, OU, SRC Chair Ha Huynh, MS-3, OSU, 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 Kulsum Siddiqui
James Webb, Jr., MD Matthew Wenger, MD
Mark McElreath, MPA Executive Director TCMS & TCMS Foundation mark@tcmsok.org
Joetta Cunningham Director of Operations TCMS joetta@tcmsok.org
Pam Oppelt Care Coordinator Project TCMS pam@tcmsok.org
Ashley Bishop Development Coord. Project TCMS ashley@tcmsok.org
TCMS Foundation Board Meeting At TCMS, 6 PM
TCMS & OSMA Host Lunch for incoming OSU Residents at Crucial Conversations
JUN 21 Happy Father’s Day from TCMS and the TCMS Foundation!
JUN 22 TCMS Hosts Breakfast for incoming OU Residents at Schusterman
JUN 28 TCMS and OSMA Drillers Night at ONEOK Stadium 6:00 PM, Join us for an evening of fun, food, baseball, and fireworks. Seating is Limited so Register Now!
JUL 03 Independence Day (Observance) Offices Closed In Observance of Holiday
JUL 04 Independence Day
JUL 08 TCMS Board of Directors Meeting At TCMS, 6 PM
JUL 10 TCMS & OSMA Host Lunch for incoming OU Medical Students
AUG 07 OSMA Board of Trustees Meeting 10:00 AM at OSMA in OKC or via Zoom
PROPER PRESCRIBING CME DATES (VIRTUAL)
JUL 18 SEP 12 NOV 13 DEC 05 Friday, July 18, 12-1 PM Friday, September 12, 12-1 PM Thursday, November 13, 6-7 PM Friday, December 5, 12-1 PM
Speaker: Cori H. Loomis, JD., McAfee & Taft Free for OSMA members & $75 for non-member physicians
To sign up, or for more information, contact Katie
Congratulations to all the medical students on your outstanding achievement of graduating from medical school and embarking on the next phase of your journey into residency! Your hard work, dedication, and passion for medicine have brought you to this significant milestone in your career. Your commitment to patient care, continuous learning, and professional development will undoubtedly serve you well as you navigate the demands of residency training. Congratulations once again on your graduation and best wishes for a successful and fulfilling residency ahead. Please join TCMS in congratulating these 2026 graduates. *The list of graduates is provided by their respective schools.
Katie Ambrose, MD
Pathology
University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha NE
Benjamin Arbuckle, MD
Transitional
Healthcare Education System
TUCSON, AZ
Radiation-Oncology
University of Arizona COM-Tucson TUCSON AZ
Zachary Arnold, MD
General Surgery
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Braden Bayless, MD
Internal Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Molly Bayless, MD Internal Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Cora Brown, MD
Family Medicine
In His Image TULSA OK
Christopher Dahnke, MD
Anesthesiology
University of Oklahoma COM-OKC OKLAHOMA CITY OK
Phu Dang, MD
Transitional
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
GAINESVILLE GA
Radiology-Diagnostic
University of Missouri-Kansas City KANSAS CITY MO
Sydney Folger, MD
Pediatrics
Medical College of Georgia AUGUSTA GA
Ashley Gorton, MD
Family Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Samuel Larsen, MD
Medicine-Primary
University of Colorado SOM-Denver AURORA CO
Carson Loncarich, MD
Medicine-Preliminary
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Radiology-Diagnostic
OSU Center for Health Sciences TULSA OK
Hagan Matlock, MD Internal Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Gregory Merrell, MD
Family Medicine/Urban
In His Image TULSA OK
Andrew Nguyen, MD Neurology
University of Oklahoma COM-OKC OKLAHOMA CITY OK
Manh Nguyen, MD Internal Medicine
OMECO OSU
TAHLEQUAH OK
William Ruley, MD
Otolaryngology
Tulane University SOM NEW ORLEANS LA
Cory Sadler, MD
Family Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Danielle Safo, MD
Anesthesiology
University of Oklahoma COM-OKC OKLAHOMA CITY OK
Maryam Saleh, MD
Pediatrics
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System RICHMOND VA
Camden Schinnerer, MD
Family Medicine
Delaware Valley Community Health PHILADELPHIA PA
Canisia Tatah, MD
Internal Medicine
Meharry Medical College-TN NASHVILLE TN
Taylor Kirstyn Internal Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Mary Thompson, MD
Psychiatry
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Todd Webb, MD
Internal Medicine University of Colorado
SOM-Denver AURORA CO
Whitekiller Madison
Obstetrics-Gynecology
University of New Mexico SOM ALBUQUERQUE NM
Blake Wofford, MD
Internal Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-Tulsa TULSA OK
Joanna Yoon, MD
Internal Medicine
University of Oklahoma COM-OKC OKLAHOMA CITY OK
Released in January 2026, the Medicare WISeR model is leveraging AI vendors in traditional Medicare to perform prior authorization for certain services in our state and five others.
To help inform advocacy on this issue, AMA and OSMA are asking physicians to complete a survey regarding their experiences with the WISeR program. If you have encountered prior authorization requirements under this new program, please complete this survey.
The Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA), the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (OKAAP), the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) and the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association (OOA) are gathering physician input on the current state of Oklahoma's Medicaid (SoonerCare and SoonerSelect) managed care programs and the anticipated impact of federal budget changes.
This survey should take approximately 6 minutes to complete. Your responses will directly inform our advocacy priorities and communications. Take the WISeR Survey Take the Managed Care Survey
is our 5th Annual OSMA/TCMS Drillers Night. We have reserved the Coors Light Refinery Deck. Capacity is limited, so register now before tickets are gone. We look forward to this social event with food, drinks, baseball, and fireworks!
When: Sunday, June 28 at 6:00 PM
Cost: FREE - Admission to the ballgame, food and drinks included, 1 Drink Ticket Available.
Who can attend: Any TCMS Member plus one guest.
How to RSVP:
Online - Click on Registration Button
Call - 918.743.6184
Email - mark@tcmsok.org
Because this is a no charge event, we politely ask you make every effort to attend if you RSVP.
REGISTER HERE FOR DRILLERS NIGHT
Journal Record
OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center has received a $2 million gift from the Stuart Family Foundation to support its expansion to Tulsa, aiming to increase access to comprehensive cancer care in northeastern Oklahoma. The expansion is expected to allow patients in Tulsa and surrounding areas to receive treatment closer to home. Historically, many patients in the region have had to travel long distances for cancer care, creating delays in treatment, financial strain and added burdens on families.
Stephenson Cancer Center-Tulsa will bring advanced cancer services to the region, with the goal of helping more patients begin and continue treatment within their communities. The Stuart Family Foundation was created in 1971 by Tulsa civic leaders Harold C. Stuart and Joan Skelley Stuart to support charitable, cultural and educational institutions across Oklahoma. The foundation’s work has continued through multiple generations of the Stuart family and remains focused on supporting Oklahoma nonprofits.
Susan Peterson, a trustee of the Stuart Family Foundation and daughter of Jon R. Stuart and Dee Dee Stuart, said the family’s motivation for the gift is rooted in its ties to the university and the city of Tulsa. “Our motivation to support the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center stems from our love for both OU and Tulsa,” said Susan Peterson. “The Stuart Family Foundation always tries to be supportive of OU whenever we are able, and to have the opportunity to take part in the building of this world class center in Tulsa is something we just couldn’t pass up.”
In recognition of the gift, the first-floor cafe at the new facility will be named the Stuart Family Foundation Café. “We are hopeful that the Stuart Family Foundation Café will be a place of relaxation and respite for both the families of the patients being treated at the center and for the employees and medical staff who are working so hard day in and day out to give care to those in need,” Peterson said.
The Tulsa facility will include 70 exam rooms, 45 infusion spaces, three linear accelerators and imaging capabilities including MRI and PET-CT, along with space for clinical trials designed to expand as the center grows. Stephenson Cancer Center is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, and officials say the expansion will support research and patient care across the region.
“We are deeply grateful to the Stuart Family Foundation for this extraordinarily generous gift and for their long-standing commitment to the University of Oklahoma and the people of our state,” said Dr. Robert Mannel, director of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center. “As we look to the future, the support of the Stuart Family Foundation and other donors strengthens our ability to advance research, grow clinical trials and deliver innovative, patient-centered care — ensuring more Oklahomans have access to the lifesaving treatments they need, when and where they need them most.”
For more information about how to support the expansion of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, visit OUHealth.com/ways-to-give.
National Kidney Foundation
Join us for an evening of discussion and networking with your nephrology colleagues.
Topic: Emerging Concepts in IgA Nephropathy: Focus on B Cells and Key Cytokine Drivers BAFF & APRIL Featuring a live presentation by Kerry Cooper, MD
Audience: Nephrologists, Advanced Practitioners, PCPs, Nurses, and Fellows
The lecture and dinner are complimentary, but registration is required. Space is limited.
Location: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 1976 Utica Square, Tulsa, OK 74114-1416
When: 6/30/2026 at 6:00 PM
Presenter: Kerry Cooper, MD
Senior Vice President Medical Affairs, Vera Therapeutics
Moderator: Layth Al Attar, MD
Nephrologist | FASN | IgA Nephropathy Specialist | CardioMEMS Certified Nephrology Specialists of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Medical Group Management Association (OKMGMA)
When: 07/14/2026 12:00 PM, CDT
ABOUT THE WEBINAR
You didn't sign up to be an HR department, but here you are. Between hiring, performance issues, leave requests, and that one employee situation you're not sure how to handle, HR has a way of landing on the practice administrator's desk, whether you asked for it or not. This session covers the HR fundamentals every practice administrator needs to know: the employment laws that apply to your practice; how to handle employee complaints and performance problems before they become legal issues; documentation that actually protects you; and when to handle something yourself versus when to call for backup. You'll leave with practical tools you can use immediately and a clearer sense of where the landmines are. No legalese, no theory, just real answers for the people-related issues you face every day.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Katie Tanner, PHR is Founder & Principal Consultant at ClearPath HR Advisors. With over 20 years of HR leadership and consulting experience, Katie Tanner founded ClearPath HR Advisors to provide organizations with a more sophisticated, financiallyintegrated approach to human capital. Katie has developed deep expertise across all facets of human resources, including talent management, total rewards, performance management, and compliance. When partnering with an organization, she invests time in understanding the culture, challenges, and goals to ensure her recommendations are uniquely tailored to meet client needs. Katie holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Wright State University and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and a SHRM Workplace Investigations Specialist. She has been a speaker at events including USA Today Top Workplaces, Forbes School of Business, SHRM National Conference, HR Florida, SHRM Jacksonville, and several state MGMA / Healthcare Leaders Association Conferences.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
OKMGMA webinars are approved for 1.0 CE credit hour of LIVE learning from MGMA for those attending the live session. OKMGMA Webinars are approved for 1.0 CE credit hour from MGMA for on-demand listening.
OKMGMA webinars are FREE for members! You must be logged in to register.($75 non members)
5315 S. Lewis Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74105-6539
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