WVSOM Magazine • How a medical school adjusted during a pandemic • Winter 2021

a apublication publicationofofthe the West West Virginia VirginiaSchool SchoolofofOsteopathic OsteopathicMedicine Medicine

How a

FALL/WINTER WINTER2020 2021

MEDICAL SCHOOL

PANDEMIC adjusted during a

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4 How a medical school adjusted during a pandemic

48 Research WVSOM researcher received grant to study coronavirus WVSOM research technicians

50 Faculty & Staff New Hires and Transitions WVSOM celebrated outstanding employees, retirees

55 Alumni Letter from the board president

14 Graduation

Remembering Vickie Roane Annual Mid-Winter CME Davis named alumni of the year Beckett recognized in hall of fame Class notes

30 Graduate Profiles 38 Spring Awards 40 U.S. News & World Report recognition 41 WVSOM art studio 41 Rural Practice Day

42 Mini-Med School 43 Front lawn project 43 Institutional strategic plan 44 Just Say KNOW camp 46 Opioid epidemic series 47 WVSOM Board of Governors

Advertising 54 WVOMA WVSOM Campus Store

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68 WVSOM Gala sponsors

62 Foundation Letter from the director Feed more in 24 Partnering with GoMart Gifts to WVSOM

75 We’d like you to meet...

Lisa Seldomridge

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A message from the President

a publication of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

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Our mission statement The mission of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is to educate students from diverse backgrounds as lifelong learners in osteopathic medicine and complementary health-related programs; to support and develop graduate medical education training; to advance scientific knowledge through academic, clinical and basic science research; and to promote patient-centered, evidence-based medicine. WVSOM is dedicated to serve, first and foremost, the state of West Virginia and the health care needs of its residents, emphasizing primary care in rural areas.

Change isn’t easy, and it’s something few of us enjoy. But the world is continually filled with change, and for better or worse, it’s a natural and unavoidable part of life.

Often, it’s how we respond to that change that determines our success, and 2020 required all of us to learn to deal with new situations. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered nearly every aspect of the way we live and has certainly affected medical education.

But difficult circumstances call for innovative solutions, and I’m proud to say that the response of WVSOM employees and students has been incredible, allowing us to seamlessly transition to a virtual environment.

Our adaptability and ingenuity allowed us to keep employees working and to continue to safely offer our students the exceptional osteopathic education they expect, all at a time when the role of physicians seems more important than ever.

In this issue of the WVSOM Magazine, we focused on sharing information about the efforts our administration, faculty, staff and students made to adjust to social distancing guidelines and other safety precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19. You’ll learn how departments across WVSOM worked together to ensure as many employees as possible could work from home during the first months of the pandemic, and how a careful plan of action was established to bring personnel and students back to campus when it was safe to do so. You’ll also read about the changes we made to the way we delivered our curriculum, and the benefits and challenges of a primarily online learning environment.

The WVSOM community also came together to aid external organizations and individuals. The school’s Center for Rural and Community Health raised funds for area food charities and joined

an effort to ensure seniors had meals while isolated at home, among other projects. The school also sponsored the 3-D printing of face masks and donated personal protective equipment to local first responders, while individual staff members were busy making hand-sewn masks and delivering care packages.

It’s gratifying to see how dedicated our employees and students were to giving back to the community when it was needed the most.

The pandemic meant that a number of our annual events were restructured as virtual presentations instead of taking place in person. I can’t tell you how much I missed watching our hard-working graduates walk across the stage to accept their diplomas. Seeing the new class of students during the Convocation and White Coat Ceremony is a yearly highlight, too, and it was disappointing that we couldn’t welcome our first-year students in the usual way.

Medical school may have looked different in 2020, but even in the midst of uncertainty, I’m pleased that WVSOM has remained true to its mission to educate lifelong learners and to serve the needs of West Virginia and its residents. We’ve worked hard to ensure that WVSOM continues to be a leader in osteopathic medical education, and we’ll never stop finding ways to do so, no matter what changes the world brings.

That’s one thing that will always stay the same.

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. WVSOM.edu

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HOW A MEDICAL SCHOOL ADJUSTED DURING A

PANDEMIC WVSOM made changes in curriculum delivery, offered virtual events, worked to keep campus community safe.

Medical schools prepare students for careers in health care. They teach aspiring physicians how to handle health disparities and unforeseen emergencies. But nearly overnight, WVSOM had to make adjustments to the way it delivered curriculum to students, evaluated employees working from home and established safeguards to keep the campus in Lewisburg, W.Va., safe due to a once-in-a-lifetime event — a pandemic.

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THE CAMPUS SHUTDOWN At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal guidelines forced people to work and learn remotely, so WVSOM students, faculty and staff made the switch from learning and working on campus to online for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

The decision to do so was made by WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., in response to the pandemic and in abiding by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s stay-at-home directive for the state.

WVSOM classes moved to online curriculum delivery at the end of March 2020.

“Luckily, we were near the end of our academic calendar, but each year of medical school — from the first year, when a student is just getting started, to the fourth year, when a student is near graduation and about to begin residency — is completely different,” said Craig Boisvert, D.O., WVSOM’s vice president for academic affairs and dean. “It has taken a great deal of effort among WVSOM employees in various departments, who have had to adjust how we offer a quality education to our students during this unprecedented time.

And it continues to evolve.”

GOING VIRTUAL FOR THE

WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY WVSOM.edu

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PRECLINICAL EDUCATION When West Virginia’s stay-at-home order went into effect, WVSOM’s administration and staff worked quickly to alter the way lectures, exams and other essential pieces of medical education were offered to students.

WVSOM’s associate dean for preclinical education, Roy Russ, Ph.D., said that thanks to help from other campus departments and from his own staff, the transition to online-only preclinical education took less than 24 hours.

The school’s media services and information technology departments ensured lectures were livestreamed, and preclinical education staff generated calendar invitations for each lecture so that students could easily attend live classes using their school-issued computers. Approval for the changes was sought and obtained from the Higher Learning Commission, the largest accrediting agency for postsecondary educational institutions in the U.S. “In terms of content delivery, there were fewer disadvantages than anticipated,” Russ said. He explained that exams were administered via students’ computers, as was the case prior to the stay-at-home order. However, instead of taking exams on campus, students were permitted to take them from their home locations.

Lucas Betterton was a first-year student at the end of the last academic year. He said that despite some internet connectivity issues, he found the online learning environment easy to use, and in some ways, even beneficial.

“In a classroom where there are 200 of us and somebody puts their hand up, it’s sometimes difficult to get the professor’s attention, but that doesn’t happen online,” Betterton said. “People also might be better able to articulate their question when they can write it down and have it pop up on the professor’s screen. As ironic as it is, social distancing may have brought us closer to some of the faculty and brought us closer as a class. Shared hardships can result in friendships.”

“As ironic as it is, social distancing may have brought us closer to some of the faculty and brought us closer as a class. Shared hardships can result in friendships.” ~ LUCAS BETTERTON ~ WVSOM STUDENT

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ADAPTING TO THE IN-HOME CLASSROOM WVSOM.edu

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with the use of personal protective equipment and other safety protocols.

PREDOCTORAL EDUCATION: THIRD AND FOURTH YEARS At WVSOM, a student’s first two years of a four-year program are spent on campus in Lewisburg, W.Va., while the latter two years are spent on rotations in clinics and hospitals throughout WVSOM’s Statewide Campus. At the start of the pandemic, a majority of the school’s third- and fourth-year students had in-person rotations paused by the Coalition for Physician Accountability, which includes the American Osteopathic Association, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and other physician organizations.

Third-year students, who were in the heart of rotations, were trying to complete core rotations in specialties such as emergency medicine and pediatrics. Students who had completed part of their core rotations in hospitals moved to completing their rotation online, and syllabi were modified for an online format. Students who were completing their entire core rotations online then were required to complete the clinical portion during their fourth year.

Fourth-year students who were preparing to graduate at the end of May had only one or two required rotations to complete. Most of those students had matched to residency locations in March, just before social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders were put into place.

Predoctoral education students completed a predetermined number of interactive cases online and completed additional reading requirements. In one instance, faculty worked with WVSOM’s media services team to create a video about a patient encounter in which students took a patient’s history and wrote a physical, an alternative to the typical face-to-face encounter.

Online clinical rotations were once again shifted at the beginning of summer 2020, and by July most hospitals and clinics were once again allowing in-person rotations 8

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As was the case with second-year students, third-year students faced the challenge of postponed national board exams. COMLEX Level 2 board exams, which are required before a student can begin his or her fourth year, are typically completed in June. While the pandemic may have altered the board exam schedule, many testing locations reopened when COVID-19 cases decreased, and almost all third-year WVSOM students completed the COMLEX Level 2 by September, according to Arthur Rubin, D.O., WVSOM’s associate dean for predoctoral clinical education.

While rotations within the state of West Virginia returned to in-person learning by fall, a few Statewide Campus programs remain online. Education Days — mandatory monthly didactic days where students gather at a clinical site within their region to learn about a clinical topic, listen to physician lectures or perform hands-on skills labs — are presented via live online lectures. Additionally, all fourth-year rotations, which typically can be completed out of state in a student’s final year of medical school, currently must be completed in West Virginia. No in-person residency interviews are taking place this academic year, but WVSOM’s Statewide Campus regions have accommodated fourth-year students by providing professional audiovisual interview rooms at hospitals for conducting virtual residency interviews with potential employers.

VIRTUAL TEACHING: WVSOM FACULTY ADAPT TO ONLINE INSTRUCTION Students may have been on the receiving end of online learning, but WVSOM faculty had to make major adjustments in order to deliver online classes.

Jack Thatcher, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, was the director of the renal course, one of the first courses to move entirely online after pandemic shutdowns.

“There was definitely a learning curve,” he said.

“Preparations for online delivery were significant, requiring numerous communications and beta testing.”

WVSOM has heavily relied on its Cisco Webex system for the delivery of online classes. Employees in the information technology and media services departments have been available on campus, where faculty teach to empty classrooms, to assist with technology problems as they arise.

Additionally, staff members who oversee student testing in the school’s Exam Center have had to manage the online delivery of quizzes and exams for students studying remotely.

“One issue is delivering lectures and active learning experiences to empty classes, which is strange to say the least,” Thatcher said. “Students can submit and answer questions through the chat room, but it’s not the same as having them there. You lose all nonverbal communication, and you can’t feed off their energy.”

Though there are some advantages to the classroom in the form of virtual office hours and chat functions during lectures, Kristie Bridges, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Thatcher said delivering medical curriculum online isn’t ideal.

“Delivering content is only part of the equation. I may be old-fashioned, but I still haven’t found a virtual activity that comes close to the learning I’ve seen happen when you get students in a small group, ask them to show you something or do something, and are able to give them immediate feedback. That’s when the lightbulb moments usually happen,” Bridges said.

WVSOM has no plans to make the move from on-campus to online courses permanent, but just as medical schools across the nation are adapting to new ways of teaching and learning, so has WVSOM. “This is a necessary response to a serious global situation,” Thatcher said. “One positive is that it has been an opportunity for faculty, staff and administration to set an example of dealing with a challenge in a collaborative and professional manner.”

IMPLEMENTING CHANGES FOR A NEW ACADEMIC YEAR Nearly four months after its shift in operations, WVSOM incorporated a detailed plan that allowed first- and second-year medical students to begin the new academic year and employees to return to campus.

Students were asked to return to Lewisburg in mid-July in order to isolate before orientation began. Students participated in drive-through COVID-19 testing stations in mid-July, where they also received personal protective equipment, including a KN95 mask, a cloth mask that was hand-sewn by WVSOM staff and a face shield. First-year students also received their school-issued computers.

Russ said COVID-19 test results allowed administrators to identify positive cases, enforce a quarantine and conduct contact tracing. Only students who produced a negative test were allowed on campus to start the new year. Of the more than 400 first- and second-year students who were tested for the virus, only one student tested positive at the start of the academic year. The student was immediately isolated and did not result in any additional infections.

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Medical school during a PANDEMIC The school made significant changes to the environment in which students participate in osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) labs, which provided them the hands-on training that is a necessary component of osteopathic medical education. The school’s Conference Center was divided into sections to accommodate small groups, or “pods,” of no more than 22 students each. Each pod of students participated in OPP, clinical skills and anatomy labs together to limit unnecessary interaction and potential virus spread.

While labs must be conducted in person, faculty continued to deliver lectures by livestreaming and then archiving content.

Boisvert oversees the school’s COVID-19 task force, which is made up of six administrators and faculty members. He said he is confident that WVSOM’s plan ensures the greatest continued protection in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

“WVSOM considered many different factors in how to bring our students back to Lewisburg to start a new school year in the safest way possible while also keeping in mind safeguards for our employees and members of the community. We feel like we have taken the necessary steps to do our part in limiting the spread of the virus,” he said. “Most students understand that these are unusual circumstances, and while the school year might be different from what they expected, they are more than willing to follow our recommendations for the safety of all.”

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS WVSOM’s information technology and media services departments played an essential role in the effort to deliver livestreamed classes.

Kim Ransom, WVSOM’s chief technology officer, said employees worked for months to make it easier for faculty and students to adjust to the realities of lectures delivered remotely.

“Faculty weren’t used to using Webex for lecturing, and students weren’t used to participating in that manner.

But I think it has gone smoothly,” she said.

Before the pandemic, faculty delivered lectures to students in the classroom, and those lectures were recorded to a flash drive and uploaded to an academic management system known as eMedley for later review.

The change to livestreamed learning, however, meant lectures needed to be viewable in real time.

That transition required creative solutions, said Michael Fowler, WVSOM’s director of media services.

“We didn’t want faculty to just share their screen and talk in front of a laptop,” Fowler said. “We wanted them to be able to put on a microphone just as they would if they were teaching to a full room, providing superior audio quality for the recording and for students who are watching live. Also, our staff is in the classroom at all times. We load the PowerPoint and we make sure the Webex session looks and sounds good. Faculty already have enough going on, so we made it so they can just come in and give their lecture.” In addition, students were able to ask the faculty questions live via the chat function.

That wasn’t the only aspect of the lecture experience that had to change.

In the classroom, students were able to answer multiple-choice questions using “clickers” that sent their responses to an audience-response system called TurningPoint. With students watching lectures from their homes, clickers were no longer an option.

“When we stopped bringing students into the classroom, getting their responses became difficult,” Fowler said. “We spent time working with TurningPoint to find ways to allow students to respond remotely.

Ultimately we worked it out so that students can respond using a mobile device or web browser.”

Ransom said she’s pleased with the way staff members have worked together to safeguard the school’s commitment to its students.

“Our employees have really come together in a service-oriented fashion to make sure faculty, staff and students have the technology they need,” she said. “We’re doing our part to get through this crisis, just like everybody else.”

Another step that was taken by the information technology team to help safeguard the community was the construction and placement of telethermographic systems, or digital temperature devices, around campus to identify people whose temperature is elevated. The portable stations, consisting of a device about the size of an iPad, use facial recognition to pull information from a directory, read a person’s temperature and send an email to the appropriate department when an elevated temperature was detected.

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EMPLOYEES CALLED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY WVSOM employees returned to campus in mid-July after a governor mandated shut-down where everyone worked from home until March. And while many of the school’s in-person events, including graduation, convocation and awards ceremonies, were either canceled or shifted to virtual events, WVSOM employees stepped up to show their support and become involved in community service during the pandemic. They did so by hand-sewing masks to be distributed to WVSOM students, employees and Robert C. Byrd Clinic staff.

WVSOM, the Greenbrier County Health Department, the Greenbrier County Board of Education and other local agencies partnered in March 2020 on the 3-D production of masks modeled after N95 masks to aid in the supply of personal protective equipment. A total of 1,414 N95-style masks and 44 face shields were donated to the county health department for health care workers.

Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, Greenbrier County Emergency Ambulance, Quinwood Emergency Ambulance and White Sulphur Springs EMS visited the WVSOM campus to show their appreciation for the supplies. The school also purchased items for area fire and law enforcement agencies.

WVSOM, the school’s Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH), the WVSOM Foundation and the WVSOM Alumni Association partnered in the Feed More in 24 challenge, which called on participants to walk or run within their communities, find sponsors and donate the funds to a food charity of their choice. [Read the full story on page 64.]

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said, “WVSOM is part of the community, and we’re happy to help the people in our county who keep us protected. If they get sick, then they’re not going to be able to do what they do. It’s essential that our providers are properly protected so that they can continue to do their job.”

The Feeding Seniors/Saving Businesses program began as an idea by local attorney Jennifer Keadle Mason to connect isolated seniors during the pandemic with meals provided by area restaurants. WVSOM established a hotline to accept calls from those who needed meals, groceries or pharmacy items delivered to their homes. Calls were fielded by a WVSOM CRCH staff member, who then registered callers for the service requested, provided encouragement and, if needed, directed the caller to additional resources in response to their specific need. Program participants received meals five days a week, delivered by a volunteer from their community.

Maintaining safety, keeping medical students on track to graduate, keeping employees working and considering what can be done for the community have been Nemitz’s key concerns throughout the pandemic.

In April 2020, WVSOM staff members provided care packages for truckers who ensured the region’s stores remained stocked and infrastructure kept operating during the pandemic. Joyce Martin, a program and outreach coordinator in WVSOM’s CRCH, was among the employees who gathered at the Westbound West Virginia Welcome Center, located off Interstate 64 near White Sulphur Springs, to distribute the bags. Each care package contained snacks and sanitizers.

In May, local emergency personnel gathered to thank WVSOM for a contribution of personal protective equipment. Representatives from the Greenbrier County 12

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“The past year has been challenging, but we knew our position within the health care community meant that we had a duty to take action. The changes we’ve made ensure that we can continue to provide unsurpassed training to those who will serve the future health needs of West Virginia and beyond, and that we can do so in as safe a manner as possible,” Nemitz said. “Now, more than ever, it’s essential that WVSOM serve as a community leader, and being a leader means responding quickly and appropriately to new circumstances. I think we’ve done that.”

Delivering content to students is the most critical responsibility of any medical school. WVSOM is no exception, and although the school’s mission goes beyond educating tomorrow’s physicians, priorities continue to shift to ensure that students receive the quality osteopathic medical education for which WVSOM is renowned — even in the midst of a pandemic. As always, WVSOM strives to prepare its students to be frontline workers and to enter the health care profession as proud alumni.

“The last few months have been challenging, but we knew our position within the health care community meant that we had a duty to take action.”

WVSOM PRESIDENT JAMES W. NEMITZ, PH.D.

DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WVSOM HAS CONTRIBUTED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TO THE COMMUNITY.

CARE PACKAGES BOTTLED WATER SNACKS MEALS RUBBER GLOVES PERSONAL CARE ITEMS HANDMADE CLOTH MASKS GROCERY DELIVERIES HAND SANITIZER INSPIRATIONAL BOOKLETS TYVEK SUITS GOWNS SURGICAL GLOVES KN95 MASKS FACE SHIELDS DIGITAL THERMOMETERS MONETARY DONATIONS PHARMACY DELIVERIES WVSOM.edu

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Student milestones: Graduation

Alumna health officer

delivered virtual WVSOM graduation speech Every spring, WVSOM hosts a commencement ceremony to celebrate students who are earning Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degrees. The same dedication to acknowledging each medical school graduate was given to the Class of 2020 — except the most recent commencement recognized graduates virtually.

It was WVSOM’s first-ever virtual graduation ceremony. The move from an in-person to an online event concluding the students’ four years of medical school was necessary due to safety guidelines. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, didn’t stop WVSOM employees from making every effort to help graduates feel special during the celebratory occasion.

In all, 188 participating medical students in the Class of 2020 received their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degrees during the school’s 43rd annual commencement ceremony on May 30.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said a virtual graduation ceremony was unique in the school’s history.

“The coronavirus pandemic has affected “The coronavirus pandemic all of us in so many different ways. We has affected all of us so many especially understand thatintoday as we different ways. and We men especially honor the women of the Class of 2020 in a virtual understand thatceremony today asrather we than being together on our beautiful honor the women and men of campus one last time as a class,” he said.

the Class of 2020 in a virtual ceremony rather than being together on our beautiful campus one last time as a class,” he said.

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“On behalf of me, my family, the faculty and your new D.O. family, I salute you for your accomplishments. Be proud of yourselves, embrace your profession and, most of all, welcome to the family.” ~ SHERRI YOUNG, D.O., CLASS OF 2003 ~

“Graduating from medical school is a big deal. In spite of the challenges of the times, we are here today to honor and celebrate you for your incredible accomplishments. I hope you are with family members and other loved ones celebrating this moment. I hope you are soaking up the glory of your achievement, which you have earned and so richly deserve.”

Sherri Young, D.O., Class of 2003, delivered the keynote address to graduates, their families and friends, WVSOM faculty and guests, and other viewers. At the start of her speech, she

shared a message about how plans can change and a person’s life can take a turn for the unexpected.

“I’d like to impress you by opening with a quote by some well-known philosopher or scholar; however, I think John Lennon of the Beatles said it best: ‘Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.’ Four years ago, when you started medical school, you planned to be on a stage today,” Young said. “We are celebrating the Class of 2020 but in a different way … Before, there would be a huge tent with thousands of people. You’re

watching graduation at home by yourselves or with a couple of family members or loved ones. This is a different time. Life happens.”

Young is the executive director and health officer of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and is the first woman and the first osteopathic physician to hold the office. She is considered one of West Virginia’s leading experts on immunizations and gave a keynote address at the International Zika Conference and Workshop. She addressed how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the medical field and will affect graduates who entered residencies and began their careers as physicians.

“A virus has caused just about everything in the world to come to a screeching halt — everything from the economy to the state to the national government. It has changed everything we do in our daily lives. You are graduating medical school. After four years of hard work and long hours, your life is coming together. Now suddenly we’re pulled apart.

The world may never go back to being exactly the way that it was before. Your professional life isn’t going to be exactly how you envisioned it, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. During the pandemic, we’ve learned a thing or two about washing our hands, keeping social distance and taking care of ourselves as well as taking care of others.”

The virus, Young said, has made everyone a bit more human, and she expects graduates in the Class of 2020 will pick up the pieces and figure out where to go in their careers.

“You are the arbiters of the new normal. But you’re not invincible; we are not invincible. You’re human and it’s OK not to have all the answers. Don’t be afraid to cry. Don’t be afraid to be afraid. The first pulse you take in any emergency is your own. Know that you can’t fix everything, no matter how much you may want to.”

Young concluded the keynote address by sharing the importance of teamwork and calling on graduates to use the pandemic to write their page in history.

“On behalf of me, my family, the faculty and your new D.O. family, I salute you for your accomplishments. Be proud of yourselves, embrace your profession and, most of all, welcome to the family,” she said.

One member of the WVSOM family is Class of 2020 President Emmanuel Dimitri Foko Tito, who explained in the class address that his classmates

ROBERT MULLIN, CLASS OF 2020

shared a photo wearing his graduation regalia in front of the WVSOM Alumni Tower.

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were a team from the beginning, sharing lectures and board materials, learning how to listen to recorded lectures at double speed and reminding one another of deadlines.

“Four years ago, we came together from various cultures, family dynamics and majors of all kinds.

But we realized we all had one thing in common, a goal that united us, to become physicians. Some classmates came with a base of medical knowledge; others got their first taste of the complexities of medicine; some of us were enthusiastic, others were anxious; and a small group were pretty chill. But we were all excited and ready to rise to the challenges we were all soon to face,” Foko Tito said.

He recalled that each member of the Class of 2020 left behind family and friends in order to dedicate time to studies and to take care of patients they had yet to meet. He also shared how the town of Lewisburg adopted each of them and enriched their lives.

“I’ve heard the expression, ‘I’m a part of all those who I have met.’ To have met these people, to have formed these bonds, to have had the privilege of receiving the education with honor today, and to have the opportunity to contribute to others has been a gift of a lifetime,” he said. “We are a part of all we have met here at WVSOM. As we move on, let us not forget we are not just physicians, we are osteopathic physicians. We understand the patient beyond the illness — their history,

their circumstances. We cannot forget about the marginalized, those without access to adequate health care, patients of various socioeconomic status, those without transportation or means to receive adequate care. We must advocate for all of them.”

Nemitz expressed empathy for graduates who have faced unexpected obstacles throughout their four years, from entering medical school when a flood devastated southern West Virginia, to being the first class to experience a combined residency match within a single accreditation system, to beginning their careers as physicians amidst a global health crisis.

“This is an incredible class and they have endured some unusual events during their four years as medical students,” he said. “Throughout it all, the members of the Class of 2020 have shown professionalism, grit and determination to succeed while also remembering to help others.”

Nemitz quoted William Osler, co-founder of Johns Hopkins Hospital, in a thought to share with the graduates: “The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head.”

He said the graduates have been given a solid foundation on which to practice medicine, but added that their education is just the beginning.

“Remember that you are part of the rich osteopathic medical tradition. Your hands can be your eyes, and your spirit and intuition can guide you as much

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LISA HALL, CLASS OF 2020

shared a photo wearing her graduation regalia.

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as your mind. Remember to take care of yourself, your mind, body and spirit. You will not be able to help others if you don’t care for yourself,” Nemitz said.

Nemitz and Craig Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP, vice president for academic affairs and dean, led the ceremony and awarded the degrees.

WVSOM Board of Governors Chair Steven Sarver; WVSOM Faculty Council Chair Peter Ward, Ph.D.; WVSOM Alumni Association President Robert Olexo, D.O.; and West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association President E. Michael Robie, D.O., provided brief messages to graduates.

Others who made contributions to the graduation ceremony were Dallas Marsh, a member of the graduating class who sang the national anthem, the Greenbrier River Brass Ensemble, which provided the processional and recessional music, and Ward and Rebecca Morrow, Ph.D., who read the names of graduates as each was honored individually.

The ceremony concluded with the dean leading the reciting of the osteopathic oath, which officially acknowledges the transition from student to physician.

Along with the graduates’ diplomas and graduation programs, WVSOM provided gift boxes to the graduates with items to assist in their celebration. They received photo props, confetti, champagne lollipops, West Virginia specialty items such as popcorn and chocolate, a WVSOM-sealed insulated Yeti cup, a WVSOM pennant, umbrella and bookmark and from the WVSOM Alumni Association a yard sign, cooler and engraved brick to be placed at the front of the school’s main building on campus.

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LEGACY FAMILIES Family traditions have long been an important part of WVSOM’s history. Legacy students — students with family members who previously graduated from WVSOM — exemplify the great pride many of our graduates feel toward the school that helped them become osteopathic physicians. Legacy students are often children of WVSOM alumni, but we’ve also had students whose siblings, aunts, uncles or cousins attended WVSOM and passed down their love for the institution to younger relatives. We’re thankful for the loyalty shown by those families who choose to make attending WVSOM a tradition. It inspires us to work tirelessly to improve the osteopathic educational experience we provide and to earn the enduring trust you’ve placed in us.

OUR CLASS OF 2020 LEGACY GRADUATES ARE:

Meenal Balakrishnan

• Sister of Maanasi Puranik, Class of 2008

Allison Daniel

• Cousin of Howard Lafferty, Class of 2007

Christopher DeBord

L Students who are members of a legacy family are indicated on pages 22-29 with a "L" icon.

• Cousin of Jeff DeBord, Class of 1987

Clinton Deering

• Son of James Deering, Class of 1978 • Brother of Caytlin Deering, Class of 2013

Michael Johnson

• Son of Shawn Johnson, Class of 1992

Evan Muscari

• Son of Michael Muscari, Class of 1984 • Brother of Kyle Muscari, Class of 2013 • Nephew of Sam Muscari Jr., Class of 1981

Ryan Naum

• Nephew of Scott Naum, Class of 1987 • Nephew of George Naum III, Class of 1990

Samantha Nibert

• Cousin of Scott Keffer, Class of 1996

Melissa Oye

• Sister of Monique Oye, Class of 2018 • Sister of Michelle Oye, Class of 2019

Mitchell Rice

• Brother of Janice Rice, Class of 2010

Davis Wood

• Son of Greg Wood, Class of 1989 • Nephew of Ralph Wood, Class of 1982 • Nephew of Vic Wood, Class of 1987 • Nephew of Norm Wood, Class of 1997 • Cousin of Matt Wood, Class of 2006

• Cousin of Nick Muscari, Class of 2011 • Cousin of Zach Halsey, Class of 2014

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Student milestones: Graduation

Awards ceremony totaled

$37,200 to WVSOM graduates WVSOM students in the Class of 2020 were recognized for their achievements in medical school during a virtual Graduation Awards Ceremony on May 29. Graduation awards totaled $37,200.

The class consisted of 188 participating graduates, with 126 graduates entering primary care residency programs and a 99 percent residency match rate for the class.

The event recognized 19 students who graduated with honors. In addition, 27 students were recognized as members of Psi Sigma Alpha, a national osteopathic scholastic honor society.

Eight students were recognized with the American Medical Women’s

Association Glasgow-Rubin Citation for Academic Achievement. Forty students received cords reflecting their membership in Sigma Sigma Phi, a national osteopathic medicine fraternity that supports medical scholastic excellence. Ten graduates were recognized with special coins for their military service.

The WVSOM Alumni Association

Roland P. Sharp Graduate Award

was created to honor the values of WVSOM’s first president. The award honors a graduating student who exemplifies Dr. Sharp’s vision of holistic care and service. The WVSOM Alumni Association selected Alexandria Carter as the 2020 winner.

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The Olen E. Jones WVSOM

Foundation Academic Achievement Award is presented to a student graduating in the top 10 percent of the class. The WVSOM Foundation Board of Directors selected Lauren Fravor as the 2020 winner.

Amina Hamza received the Opal Price Sharp

Memorial Award

for dedication to osteopathic medicine.

The Student D.O. of the Year

acknowledges a student’s commitment to his or her school, community and the osteopathic profession. The 2020 recipient was Emmanuel Dimitri Foko Tito.

The Highmark Blue Cross Blue

Shield West Virginia Farson-SmithEarley Award is presented to a fourth-year student who has matched to a West Virginia primary care residency with the intent to practice in a rural area. The recipient was Evan Muscari.

The Donald Newell

Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior

is presented to a graduating student who, in the opinion of his and her classmates, best exemplifies the qualities of scholarship, osteopathic professional interest, leadership and citizenship. The 2020 recipient was Emmanuel Dimitri Foko Tito.

The John and Nancy Chambers Memorial Scholarship is given to a student who intends to practice medicine in an underserved community and whose academic performance was strong. The scholarship honors two former WVSOM professors. The 2020 recipient was Devin Welsh.

The Olivia Claire Obrokta Pediatric Award recognizes a student who is committed to serving in a pediatric specialty. Deena Obrokta, D.O., Class of 1994, established the award after losing her granddaughter after only a couple of months. The recipient was JessieAnn Flowers.

The Dr. Catherine A. Bishop Scholarship Award recognizes a fourth-year student committed to a residency program in West Virginia. The 2020 recipient was Langley Regester.

The Gwen Clingman Memorial Scholarship is presented to a student who has demonstrated a commitment to community service throughout his or her time in medical school. Amina Hamza was recognized with the scholarship.

The David Hinchman, D.O., Emergency Medicine Scholarship was established by

Brant Hinchman, D.O., Class of 2012, to honor his retired father, from WVSOM’s Class of 1982, and others who have helped medical students become emergency medicine physicians. The scholarship is given to a graduating student who intends to enter an emergency medicine residency, and for 2020 was in memory of Dr. Dennis Small. The recipient was Chizite Iheonunekwu.

The Stephanie Dawn Barragy Memorial Scholarship was formed to honor Charles and Jean Cornell’s daughter, who was a victim of suicide.

The scholarship recognizes a student committed to working on behalf of mental health issues, with a focus on patient care and intervention.

Dallas Marsh was the 2020 scholarship recipient.

The Dr. William R. Holmes Scholarship is awarded to a student who has shown determination, persistence and commitment in pursuing a medical education. The 2020 scholarship was presented to Raymond Dobson.

The MSOPTI Rural Scholar program aims to increase the likelihood that students from West Virginia medical schools will self-select residency programs located in the state, establish a relationship in the community and commit to practice medicine in that area. MSOPTI, in partnership with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, provided awards to two graduating students who have been accepted into MSOPTI residency training programs in the state. The 2020 scholarship recipients were Thu Nguyen and Madison Chase McCreary.

The U.S. Public Health Service

Excellence in Public Health Award is given to a student who has developed and implemented a program advancing the overarching goals and achieving the objectives of Healthy People 2020. The student must also have developed and implemented a program that addresses the priorities of the National Prevention Strategy. The 2020 recipient was Emmanuel Dimitri Foko Tito.

The West Virginia Chapter of the

American College of Emergency Physicians Award was presented

to Gurmaninder Singh. Each year the organization recognizes one student from each of the three medical schools in West

Virginia whose performance in clinical rotations reflects an understanding of and commitment to the delivery of emergency care.

RURAL HEALTH

INITIATIVE WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative (RHI) recognized 11 graduates who

participated in the program. The RHI program is designed to enhance the rural primary care curriculum at WVSOM and produce graduates uniquely qualified to practice medicine in underserved communities in rural West Virginia. Those recognized were Allison Collier, Joshua Ennis, Joshua Fleming, Emmanuel Dimitri Foko Tito, Kelsey Full, Madonna Gribble, Adrian Hackney, Carly Heatherly, Hannah King, Langley Regester and Kelsey Scott.

Two students from each of the seven Statewide Campus regions received awards for their third- and fourth-year clinical rotations. Lucy Chisler and Raymond Dobson received recognition for the Northern region; Nicholas Bowers and Lillian Harry received recognition for the Eastern region; Natalie Osiecki and Lauren Searls received recognition for the Central East region; Lauren Burton and Lisa Hall received recognition for the Central West region; Lauren Fravor and Jason Gilbert received recognition for the South East region; Samantha Nibert and Devin Welsh received recognition for the South Central region; and Alexis Borden and Jacob Helsel received recognition for the South West region.

The Order of the Vesalius Award is presented to students who have served as graduate teaching assistants in the biomedical sciences department.

Adam Goodcoff and Lindsey Kent were presented with the awards.

given to students who served as graduate teaching assistants in the OPP department.

The Clinical Sciences Award, which recognizes a student who served as a graduate teaching assistant in a clinical sciences or family medicine capacity, was awarded to Lauren Burton.

The Merck Manual Award for Academic Excellence is presented to the top two female and top two male students based on grade point average in their class. The awards went to Lauren Fravor, Erika Michelin, Nicholas Bowers and Austin Patterson.

The Donna Jones Moritsugu Award recognizes an osteopathic medical student’s spouse or partner. The recipient exemplifies the role of a professional’s partner in providing support to their family and the osteopathic profession.

The 2020 recipient was Shishira Nanjangud Sreenivas, spouse of Sahil Parag.

99%

residency match rate for the Class of 2020

Students who received a graduation award are indicated on the following pages with a gold ribbon icon.

Crissandra Digges and Monika Marcinkevicius were honored with the RAMS Head Award. The award is

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Student milestones: Graduation L

Brittney Aguiar

Yunus Ahmed

Jordan Allen

Ashveen Bains

Meenal Balakrishnan

Kayle Barndt

B. Chase Bennett

Garin Bergeson

Angelica Bialczak

Matthew Blake

Steven Boehm

Alexis Borden

Nicholas Bowers

Kylee Brech

Kristen Bruce

Anthony Bucca

Lauren Burton

Alexandria Carter

Jacob Cauvel

Madison Chase McCreary

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Elliott Chiartas

Lucy Chisler

Allison Collier

Amanda Connolly

Allison Daniel

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Christopher DeBord

Clinton Deering

Kayla Delmar

Karine Delroux

Crissandra Digges

Raymond Dobson

Keaton Dubois

Pavitri Dwivedi

Farrah El-Khatib

Joshua Ennis

Alison Estep

Trenton Ferguson

Joshua Fleming

Jessie Flowers

Cody Fluharty

Emmanuel Dimitri Foko Tito

Lauren Fravor

Kelsey Full

Ashley Gaing

Alyssa Gates

Alaric Gee

Meena Gella

Taylor George

Mariam Gheissari

Jason Gilbert

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Student milestones: Graduation

Adam Goodcoff

Nolan Green

Madonna Gribble

Justin Griffith

Adrian Hackney

Lisa Hall

Amina Hamza

Lillian Harry

Aaron Hartkop

Carly Heatherly

Jacob Helsel

Zachary Henderson

Ashley Henning

Meghan Hernandez

Aaron Hess

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Adam Hoffmann

Joseph Holjencin

Chizite Iheonunekwu

Michael Johnson

Vincent Kaykaty

Lindsey Kent

Christine Kerr

Danielle Kerr

Aditya Kesari

Afra Khan

Schyler Kidd

Hannah King

Joshua Kinsey

Jeffrey Kiser

Blayne Knapp

Muhannad Kurtom

Tenchee Lama Tamang

Jacqueline Lamson

Jacob Lane

Jesse Laverdiere

Ethan Leabhart

Jessica Lee

Tiffany Lee

Vernon Leung

Carl Levy

Caylan Liew

Cassandra Lilli

Linda Logan

Reina Lopez

Nathaniel Lucey

David Malekooti

Monica Mansour

Monika Marcinkevicius

Dallas Marsh

Miesca McFarland

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Student milestones: Graduation

Tiffany McGary

Madison McLachlan

Jessica Mercado-Ortiz

Marina Metzler

Gene Michael

Erika Michelin

Dustin Miller

Skye Miller

Aamir Mohiuddin

Zain Mohiuddin

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Seth Moomaw

Robert Mullin

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Evan Muscari

Janani Naidu

Ryan Naum

Samantha Nibert

Phillip Nichols

Melissa Oye

Jimmy Pan

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Abdulrahman Nazif

Anna Nelson

Thu Nguyen

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Aban Nikoonezhad

Jeffrey Niles

Natalie Osiecki

Sahil Parag

Madeline Parson

William Paster

Rini Patadia

Sidharth Patel

Austin Patterson

Drew Phillips

Preetha Phillips

Adam Polinik

Ameer Quadri

Brandi Quintanilla

Pratima Ramkissoon

Shreena Reddy

Langley (Salyers) Regester

Alicia Rego

Mitchell Rice

Scott Rice

Elizabeth Richter

Meg Riley

Kelsi Rogers

Cristina Romaniello

Jeanette Klamfoth Rosevear

Landon Rosevear

Brittany Ross

Cameron Rowe

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Student milestones: Graduation

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Emily Rowlands

E. Dylan Saunders

Stephen Scharf

Derek Schoppert

Kelsey Scott

Lauren Searls

Shikha Sharma

Jordan Shay

Andrew Shehata

Ali Shuayto

Jacob Shumac

Randal Shumway

Stephen Sinclair III

Gurmaninder Singh

Rohini Singh

Michael Sisler

David Smith Jr.

Kelsey Smith

Guru Somesan

Abigail Staton

Ethan Stephens

Rebecca Szer

Michelle Taylor

Zachary Tilley

Loc Tran

Eda Turgut

Dahnish Valiani

Joshua Van Allen

Christina Veith

Thomas Wall

Jed Walsh

Caitlyn Walters

Devin Welsh

Majd Wess

Lyndie Wilkins

Patricia Wilt

Davis Wood

Lance Workman

Coy Yasler

Gary Young

Christina Zheng

Noorel Zia

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Graduate Profile

WVSOM grad navigated

difficult pregnancy in final year of medical school DR. ALISON ESTEP, CLASS OF 2020

B

ecoming a parent can be a roller coaster of emotions even in the simplest circumstances. But experiencing a difficult pregnancy and giving birth while in medical school is a combination that could be a challenge for any mother.

Class of 2020 graduate Alison Estep, D.O., and her husband, Class of 2019 graduate Aaron Estep, D.O., met that challenge head on.

“It wasn’t easy, but if there was one thing we wanted more than to be doctors, it was to be parents,” Estep said. “We knew that if we waited for the ‘right time,’ it might never come, so we decided to just take the plunge.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The St. Marys, W.Va., native, who is in the midst of a pediatrics residency at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Va., met her husband while the two students were running track at different high schools. They attended West Virginia Wesleyan College together, and because both were drawn to the philosophy of osteopathic medicine, WVSOM seemed the natural next step.

“WVSOM was the only place I even considered. I immediately clicked with the school,” she said. “I liked the more holistic type of medicine the osteopathic profession teaches, and I liked the idea of treating the whole person and learning to use my hands to treat patients.”

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“People thought I was crazy, and it was definitely difficult.

But you find a way to make it work because you have to make it work.

Being a mom is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

“It wasn’t easy, but if there was one thing

we wanted more than to be doctors, it was to be parents.”

In May 2019, the Esteps’ lives changed — in more ways than one.

“I found out I was pregnant the weekend my husband graduated from WVSOM. It was a really good weekend!” Estep said.

Aaron entered a family medicine residency at the Carilion Clinic, while Alison completed her fourth-year rotations. It was just after a rotation in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Marietta Memorial Hospital in Marietta, Ohio, that complications with the pregnancy set in.

At 23 weeks, Estep started experiencing preterm contractions.

Any infant born before the 37th week of pregnancy is considered premature.

“I’d been on my feet a lot and was pushing myself a little too hard,” she said. “I had finished an NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] rotation four weeks earlier, so I’d seen firsthand what preemie babies had to go through. I saw babies born at 23 or 24 weeks having to be resuscitated, or needing long-term stays in the NICU, hooked up to machines. That definitely made it scary for us.”

Estep’s doctors said she needed bedrest, so she worked with her preceptors and the WVSOM administration to take a two-week leave from school. Estep said the experience taught her to take additional precautions during the rest of her clinical studies.

“When I returned to rotations, I worked hard on being mindful and knowing when to take a minute for myself,” she said. “My preceptors were really understanding, and I was thankful for that.”

The break, and subsequent changes to her routine — being seated while in patients’ rooms, staying attuned to when she needed water or food, monitoring the pregnancy closely — paid off. In January 2020, Estep gave birth to a daughter, Teagan, at Parkersburg, W.Va.’s Camden Clark Medical Center, the facility at which she’d just completed a pediatric hospitalist rotation. Born at 39 weeks, Teagan was a full-term baby.

Ironically, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent switch to a virtual learning environment, gave Estep time to become accustomed to her new role as a parent before she began her residency.

“They canceled rotations at the hospital, so I was able to come home and complete online learning while watching Teagan. I know it was a stressful time for everyone, but for me it was a blessing in disguise because I only had to go back off my maternity leave for a week,” Estep said. “I’m so thankful that I’ve gotten to spend all this time with my daughter.”

Aaron Estep praised his wife for her determination in overcoming multiple challenges in such a short span of time.

“Ali is the strongest person I know, and she has accomplished so much in the past year,” he said. “Besides the pregnancy scares, she overcame morning sickness during her COMLEXPE exam. She’s the absolute best mom to our daughter, and she somehow found a way to balance being a new mom and being a fourthyear medical student. It’s been quite a year for our family.”

Alison said she wouldn’t change anything about her family’s recent challenges. Her advice to couples considering parenthood while pursuing demanding professional goals is to just go for it.

“I would encourage people to not be afraid of doing something like this,” she said. “People thought I was crazy, and it was definitely difficult. But you find a way to make it work because you have to make it work. Being a mom is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

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Graduate Profile

Paying it forward:

After his parents sacrificed for his education, one WVSOM grad gave back by teaching his classmates DR. ABDUL NAZIF, CLASS OF 2020

“I started in January 2020, lecturing three days a week. Then from March until the end of May,

I taught every single day.”

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C

lass of 2020 graduate Abdul Nazif, D.O., knows what it means to give without expecting anything in return.

He experienced it in his own family while growing up, and his parents’ selfless acts instilled in him the desire to help others reach their goals.

school to help him accomplish his dream of becoming a doctor. During his time at WVSOM, Nazif decided to follow his family’s lead in another way, as well: He wanted to give back to others just as his parents had given to him.

Nazif was born in Damascus, Syria, and raised in Saudi Arabia, where his mother worked as a family physician and his father was a civil engineer. In an effort to give their children access to the best possible education, Nazif’s parents immigrated to the United States when he was 12, settling in a suburban community just north of Allentown, Pa.

Midway through his fourth year, he began helping second-year students study for the COMLEX Level 1 and USMLE Step 1, the board exams aspiring physicians must pass before beginning clinical rotations that make up the third and fourth years of medical school.

It’s not uncommon for professionals relocating to the U.S. to face the prospect of starting their career over, and Nazif’s family was no exception.

His father earned a living working at gas stations for several years before finding work as an engineer. Nazif’s mother chose not to take the board exams required to be licensed as a physician in the U.S., focusing instead on raising Nazif, his brother and two sisters.

“In Arab countries, people dream of coming to the States because it’s where everyone thinks the better life is,” Nazif said. “We had an amazing life in Saudi Arabia, but when we came here we really struggled. We were very, very poor and we didn’t know English. I felt lost, because there wasn’t a single thing that was similar to what I was used to. The culture, the way you dressed, the way you interacted with people — it was all different.”

Nazif’s parents encouraged their children to work hard to pursue their dreams. Long drawn to the sciences, Nazif considered becoming a pharmacist before deciding to follow his mother — and by this time, his brother as well — into the field of medicine.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Philadelphia’s Temple University in 2015, and thought WVSOM would be the best medical

Nazif took an exhaustive approach to teaching exam prep. At first on campus, then, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, via teleconferencing applications, he led students through detailed summaries of the information they’d learned in their time at WVSOM. Nazif said between 30 and 80 students viewed each of his teaching sessions, which lasted up to five hours a day.

“I went over everything they’d learned in the first two years of medical school,” Nazif said. “I also taught testtaking strategies and how to study properly, and made sure I covered all the necessary ground for students to have great outcomes. I started in January 2020, lecturing three days a week. Then from March until the end of May, I taught every single day.”

Nazif said juggling the teaching sessions and the demands of his own education wasn’t easy.

“I was still a medical student myself, doing schoolwork and getting ready for residency — but it was worth it, because a lot of the second-year students trusted me to help them score well.”

One student who benefited from Nazif’s sessions was then-WVSOM Student Government Association President Aaron Byczynski, who said he appreciated the interactive nature of Nazif’s teaching style.

discuss a topic and ask us questions about it. If we didn’t know the answers, he’d go through it in more depth,” Byczynski said. “He focused on making connections between different parts of the material. For example, he would connect the cardiac system to the renal system and explain how they function together, telling us what we needed to know from the broad topics to the nitty-gritty details. Best of all was the way he helped facilitate getting our class together to teach each other.”

In June, Nazif began an internal medicine residency at Indiana University School of Medicine. The move to Indianapolis has allowed him to reconnect with his family who inspired him — in particular, his brother, who is completing an internal medicine residency at the school.

“My brother and I always planned to work together,” he said. “We slept in the same room our entire lives, and we traveled the world together.

Medical school was the only time we were separated. Now we’re together again, and it’s a cool experience.”

For Nazif, family is what ultimately led him to realize the importance of “paying it forward.”

“What my mom gave up for us made me more mature,” Nazif said. “She wanted us to be successful, and she felt what she did was worth it. Our lives when we came to the U.S. weren’t easy, but it was a good experience to learn and grow from.”

Being generous with one’s time is an essential part of being a medical professional, Nazif said, noting the long hours many doctors find themselves devoting to their patients.

“You have to sacrifice if you’re a physician,” he said. “I feel like my life now is mostly dedicated to helping others, and that makes me happy.”

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Graduate Profile

WVSOM grad assisted

West Virginia Mask Army during start of pandemic DR. LINDSEY KENT, CLASS OF 2020

S

hortly after COVID-19 spread throughout the world and a pandemic was declared, a group of physicians in southern West Virginia formed an organization that helped distribute surgical masks to health care workers across the state.

Lindsey Kent, D.O., Class of 2020, was completing her last few months of rotations in Charleston, W.Va., when the virus reached the U.S. and her daily routine switched from shadowing a physician in a physical environment to finishing her course work virtually. That’s about the same time she received a call from a friend who helped jump start the West Virginia Mask Army and called on Kent to help coordinate the logistics of mask distribution.

“After about seven days of everything closing down, they reached out and called me for some ideas. They had a distribution process in their heads but the masks weren’t getting out fast enough,” she said. “The question was: How do we get the masks out, and how do we reach the frontline workers and those at highest risk first?”

Kent said through the contacts she had made at WVSOM and in the state, along with a robust West Virginia Mask Army website, the organization went through a trialand-error period but eventually

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created a more efficient distribution process.

“Our turnaround time from when the masks were made to when they were delivered to hubs was about 24 hours. The whole point of the West Virginia Mask Army was to be like a mini-Minutemen militia.”

Kent’s role, along with her friend and WVSOM classmate Monika Marcinkevicius, was to evaluate website requests in relation to the available supplies and prioritize location needs. They spent about eight to 10 hours each day making phone calls to administrators at medical facilities, nursing homes and in-home care organizations to assess supply and demand. She said she realized that West Virginians were humble in their requests, often asking for far fewer supplies than they actually needed.

“At the start of the pandemic it kind of felt like the movie Groundhog Day, where we all were waking up, not leaving the house and trying to stay safe. But the West Virginia Mask Army added purpose to every day. So many of us at that time were looking for a solution to the problem. I felt like I was going in so many different directions. When I got the call, I knew this was what I could do to help.”

Being involved in the logistics of mask distribution didn’t just fill a void for Kent during lockdown — it offered an organic transition into the health care profession, allowing her to jump right into a health care crisis on the cusp of graduating from medical school.

“It felt like it all just clicked. It felt right. All these things that I had been preparing for — from my first and second year of gathering medical information to my third and fourth year of teaching and learning — were what I was involved in during the pandemic,” Kent said.

“So much of what we did, including working with different levels of health care teams, came together in this experience. I felt I was part of the medical community, and it energized me going into residency. It was very stimulating.”

The feedback the West Virginia Mask Army received from the community was uplifting, Kent said, and confirmed the East Troy, Wisc., native’s decision to stay in West Virginia and start her medical career in pediatrics at Charleston Area Medical Center.

“Knowing there is such a [health care] need in West Virginia and that there are disparities within the culture is so unique and different,” she said. “I learn the most where I

“So many of us at that time were looking for a solution to the problem. I felt like I was going in so many different directions.

When I got the call, I knew this was what I could do to help.”

have the most autonomy. To be able to see a wide array of diseases and disease states in a small population is one reason I wanted to stay in the state for residency.

West Virginia has a family feel and I can get to know people on a one-on-one basis. To be able to personally and professionally connect with people is important to me.”

“West Virginia has a family feel and I can get to know people on a one-on-one basis.

To be able to personally and professionally connect with people is important to me.”

Although the West Virginia Mask Army’s efforts slowed during the summer, members planned to ramp up the making and distribution of masks when schools opened.

Kent stepped away from her role, but before she did, she trained three new fourth-year medical students to fill the role.

Teaching seems to come naturally to Kent, who was a graduate teaching assistant in WVSOM’s anatomy department. While at WVSOM, she was a member of the school’s Atlas Club and Professionalism and Leadership in the Medical Setting (PaLMS) program.

She was also heavily involved with research projects throughout medical school.

“I’m grateful for everything WVSOM has taught me, and I’m happy with my decision to come to West Virginia and stay here,” she said. “It really has been life changing.”

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Graduate Profile

WVSOM grad was the only osteopathic physician selected to

cardiothoracic surgery residency DR. JASON GILBERT,

I

CLASS OF 2020

t is a huge responsibility for a physician to hold a patient’s heart in the palm of their hands, but Jason Gilbert, D.O., Class of 2020, is ready to take on that responsibility. In fact, he has been ready since 2012, when he assisted in a surgery while working as an open heart anesthesia technician and licensed practical nurse.

At the time, Gilbert was on call for a procedure to repair an iatrogenic coronary artery perforation, and the heart surgeon he was assisting, who became his closest mentor, told him he had the hands of a heart surgeon and that one day he’d need Gilbert’s help fixing his heart.

“From that moment, I became inspired to devote my life to heart surgery and the open heart team,” the Syracuse, N.Y., native said. “Soon after that experience, I requested to become trained as an open heart surgical technologist and gained a tremendous amount of experience in cardiac surgery. Working as a first and second assistant, in addition to my surgical tech duties prior to medical school, has been useful and expedited my surgical training as a medical student.”

Between his work in cardiac surgery as an anesthesia and scrub technician and his training as a licensed practical nurse in outpatient cardiology, Gilbert was involved in more than 1,700 open heart surgeries before he started medical school.

“WVSOM was the only medical school I was accepted into.

They took a chance on me when no one else would, and I will forever be grateful.”

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“On my first day in the operating room, the OR manager told me I was privileged to have the

opportunity to become an integral member of the most highly technical surgical team at this hospital. Those words inspired my passion, commitment and humility on this journey.”

But he didn’t always have intentions of becoming a heart surgeon. His plan was to become a nephrologist.

Studying and treating kidneys was of interest to Gilbert, who took care of his grandfather, a dialysis patient.

After undergraduate school, Gilbert decided to attend nursing school to gain experience in health care before medical school. Once he completed nursing school, he tried to find a job at a dialysis center but reluctantly accepted a job in outpatient cardiology. That decision changed his life.

“I ended up enjoying it beyond my expectations and wanted to learn and grow in that field of medicine. One day while taking care of a patient, her daughter, who worked as an LPN in cardiac surgery, told me, ‘I really like the way you take care of my mother, and I have an LPN position available in cardiac surgery assisting anesthesia if you’re interested.’ I enthusiastically accepted her offer and started the following month. On my first day in the operating room, the OR manager told me I was privileged to have the opportunity to become an integral member of the most highly technical surgical team at this hospital. Those words inspired my passion, commitment and humility on this journey,” Gilbert recalled of the moments that played a pivotal role in defining his career choice.

After graduation, Gilbert began a cardiothoracic surgery integrated pathway residency at the University of Kentucky. He was the only osteopathic physician in the country in 2020, and in the previous three years, to match

in the residency, which has only 37 available spots annually.

“It makes me proud to represent WVSOM and the osteopathic profession in this way, and I will continue to be an enthusiastic ambassador for the profession,” he said. “WVSOM was the only medical school I was accepted into. They took a chance on me when no one else would, and I will forever be grateful.”

Medical school is demanding of one’s time, but Gilbert said he sacrificed even more of his personal time to better prepare himself for such a competitive residency. He started completing board prep questions during his first semester of medical school, and continued to do so every weekend and during every school break.

“I did this to help aid in recalling core concepts of what I was learning,” he said. “I was told that my board scores were an essential piece of the application process, so I took that very seriously. I ended up doing more than 25,000 practice questions before I took USMLE/COMLEX Step 1.”

In addition to his basic studies, Gilbert worked on research projects with WVSOM faculty; prepared publications, including one for the American Heart Association; completed an externship at Charleston Area Medical Center; and was involved in presenting to the West Virginia chapter of the American College of Surgeons, winning second place in the medical student case presentation competition.

Gilbert, the first physician in his family, also served as class president during his first year at WVSOM and as Pathology Club president during his second year. Through that position he began a board prep lecture review series where he wrote and delivered review lectures for classmates.

WVSOM’s option of archiving lectures and allowing students to re-listen to lectures at home during the first two years of medical school was an ideal way for Gilbert to absorb information efficiently because he could listen to concepts he didn’t understand multiple times.

“This allowed me to complete practice questions after every lecture to see if I was understanding what was just taught before moving on to the next lecture,” Gilbert said. “Other unique WVSOM policies, such as four weeks of an away rotation in the third year and all of fourth year, were critical for me to tailor my educational experiences to my ultimate goal.”

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2020 SPRING AWARDS W

VSOM recognized medical students for their academic and community achievements through scholarships and employees for their commitment to educate the future physicians.

The school’s annual Spring Awards Ceremony was a little different last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, scholarship and award recipients were acknowledged during a virtual ceremony on April 30. A total of $370,076 was distributed through 30 scholarships, awards and certificates of appreciation.

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS WERE: The Dr. Roland P. Sharp President’s Award and Foundation Award of Excellence for Student Achievement is given to a first-year student based on academic performance, osteopathic professional interest, leadership and citizenship.

The 2020 winner was Lindsey Ray. WVSOM Alumni Association Scholarships are given to two students who exemplify scholarship, osteopathic professional interest, leadership and citizenship. The winners were Nathaniel Jordan and Heather Reeves.

The Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association Scholarship is presented to two students who excel academically and show strong leadership, determination and discipline. The 2020 recipients were Lindsey Ray and Elizabeth Sheppard.

The Fredric W. Smith Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student completing his or her second year of medical school.

The student must plan to practice family medicine and have a strong interest in the school and community. The winner was Nathaniel Jordan.

The West Virginia Emulation Endowment Trust/Dr. Olen E. Jones Jr. Scholarship was established in 2016 and named after Olen E. Jones Jr., Ph.D., who served as president of WVSOM from 1987 to 2009. The scholarship is awarded to West Virginia students based on literary and scholastic attainments, morality, leadership and physical vigor. The 2020 scholarship recipients were Haley Craig, Natan Harel, Matthew Santer and Loc Tran.

The Legacy Scholarship Endowment was created by the WVSOM Foundation in an effort to help offset the cost of medical school for WVSOM students. The 2020 winners were Kelsey Scott, Jaime Basham, Alexandra Bowman, Abigail Sedgwick and Aarron Ward.

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The Jarrell Family Award was given for the first time through the WVSOM Foundation. The newly established award recognizes second-year students who are West Virginia residents with preference given to females from Raleigh, Fayette, Boone or Kanawha counties. The inaugural winners were Alexandria Arthur and Haley Craig.

The Dr. William B. Mullen and Jennifer White Scholarship was created in recognition of Dr. William B. Mullen of Logan, W.Va., a physician who cared for his patient, Jennifer White, who passed away in 2011. Aarron Ward was the scholarship recipient.

The Cheryl and Michael Adelman WVSOM Leadership Scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated character and leadership during their time at WVSOM and who have the potential to be future leaders in the osteopathic profession. Jubel Puthusseril was the 2020 recipient.

Six WVSOM students received recognition for Encova (formerly BrickStreet) Scholarships donated by the Encova Foundation of West Virginia. The 2020 scholarship recipients were Jordan Allen, Lauren Cronise Searls, Lucas Goodwin, Megan Farley, Madeleine Gwinn and Anthony Aswad.

The West Virginia State Medical Association Alliance Scholarship Fund provides scholarships for medical students from West Virginia who have a desire to practice in the state after they graduate. The alliance is an organization that comprises physician spouses, who in the fall of 2016, established an endowment at each of the three medical schools in West Virginia. The WVSOM scholarship was presented to Justin Sharp.

The James R. Stookey, D.O., Manipulative Medicine Scholarship was established in honor of James Stookey, vice president for academic affairs and dean from 1988 to 2002.

The scholarship is given to a student who has demonstrated proficiency in manipulative medicine. The scholarship was awarded to Alexis Cash.

MOSS Scholarships honor the late Marlene Wager, D.O., and are presented to students who are out-of-state residents.

For 2020, 15 students received the scholarship. They were Lucas Betterton, Zachary Bloom, Andrew Colebank, Karthik Dhanireddy, Paige Evans, Sydney Gualtieri, Kylee Karczewski, Nicholas Labatch, Hannah Lynch, John Michael Pirtle, Zachary Scibetta, Kayla Setzer, Elizabeth Sheppard, Logan Smith and Riley Smith.

The Marlene Wager 10-Fingered OPP Scholarship was created by the osteopathic principles and practice department in 2008 to recognize a second-year student with outstanding skills in osteopathic manipulative treatment. Candidates are nominated and voted by classmates. The winner has his or her name

engraved on a plaque that is displayed in the osteopathic clinical skills lab. The 2020 recipient was Adam Cook.

The Paul Kleman, D.O., Family Practice Student Award (Kleman family and West Virginia Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians) recognizes a student who plans to use osteopathic manipulation in treatment of their patients and is willing to instill the importance of osteopathic principles and practice in the next generation of WVSOM students. Adam Cook received the 2020 award.

The WVSOM Family Practice Scholarship is awarded to a secondyear West Virginia student who has intentions of practicing family medicine upon graduation. The scholarship was awarded to Nathaniel Jordan.

The Ronald P. Billips Memorial Scholarship was established by a 2002 WVSOM graduate to honor his friend and classmate killed in a car accident. The award is given to a first-year student who is a graduate of Big Creek, Iaeger, Mount View, Princeton or Bluefield high schools in West Virginia or Graham, Tazewell, Richlands or Pocahontas high schools in Virginia. The award went to Hasan Muzaffer.

The Loretta Moore Memorial Award recipient is chosen by first-year students and given to a classmate who has overcome obstacles in order to succeed. Paige Evans was the 2020 recipient.

The Samantha Ketchem Muncy Primary Care Memorial Scholarship was established to honor Muncy, a student killed in a car accident. The scholarship is awarded to a third-year medical student from Barbour, McDowell, Taylor, Preston or Harrison counties in West Virginia who plans to remain in the state to practice in a primary care specialty. The 2020 scholarship recipient was Whitney Workman.

The Rural Physician Service Program incentivizes WVSOM students to remain in West Virginia to practice medicine. It was the first year that students were selected for the program.

Students agree to practice at an eligible service site within the state and receive enhanced rural health training through WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative during medical school. The program is presented with financial assistance as a grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The 2020 recipients were Stacy Aleks Lane, Kayla Odle, Emily Rider, Mary Rosiek, Jennifer Voorhees and Michael Nicholas Yost.

It was also the first year for the Choose West Virginia Practice Program, a tuition waiver program that incentivizes nonresident West Virginia medical students to remain in the state to practice.

Two out-of-state students accepted or enrolled at each of the three medical schools in West Virginia are eligible for the program. The recipients receive a tuition waiver for the cost difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition and agree to practice in a primary care or shortage specialty in West Virginia for a minimum of one year. The inaugural winners were Katsiaryna Morgan and Pratima Ramkissoon.

The WVSOM Diversity Task Force – Eva Teter Hammer Award is given to a student who demonstrates an interest in osteopathic medicine and eliminating the inequities of individuals. Eric Nicolau was recognized.

The Student Government Association Leadership Scholarship is presented to first-, second- and third-year students who have mentored fellow students, shared their own resources to facilitate the learning of others, founded clubs or organized

events and brought students together in new and creative ways. The recipients were first place Haley Craig, second place Sidharth Sahni, third place Jacob Paul and fourth place Jessica Vu (Class of 2023); first place Sam Stein, second place Heather Reeves, third place Brooke Grill and fourth place Molly O’Neil (Class of 2022); first place Benjamin Keaton, second place Noah Jordan, third place Raymond Lam and fourth place Caroline Gormley (Class of 2021).

The Student Government Association Character Scholarship is presented to first-, second- and third-year students who possess and demonstrate characteristics that may sometimes go unnoticed but are noted by peers. The 2020 recipients were Nidhi Dheman, Katherine Spurlock, Niharika Vedherey, Shawn Plyler, David Williams and Lindsey Ray (Class of 2023); Graham Federico, Conor Wilson, Adam Cook, Diana Duong, Jacob Redden and Blake Jones (Class of 2022); and Salima Conteh, Molly Deakin, Chris Gauthier, Joseph Chafardon, Kayla Schlosser and Kathleen Herman (Class of 2021).

The Community Outreach and Relief Effort (C.O.R.E.) recognizes members for their service. For 2020, six students were honored for participation in the program. They were Jaime Basham, Chia-Chen “Jane” Chuang, Brooke Grill, Jacqueline Khalil, Sam Stein and Hannah Wheeler.

The Fredric W. Smith Community Service Award recognizes a campus organization or club that demonstrates a commitment to the Lewisburg community, the WVSOM community and classmates. The Student Advocate Association was given the 2020 recognition.

A Special Award Presentation recognized Student Government Association President Aaron Byczynski and Vice President Stephanie Arnold. The award recognizes service and leadership to WVSOM and the student body.

WVSOM FACULTY AND STAFF WHO WERE RECOGNIZED BY STUDENTS WERE: The Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP) Integration Teaching Award is given to faculty members recognized for their efforts in teaching, as well as those who have excelled in integrating OPP in their classes. The winners were Tuoen Liu, M.D., Ph.D. (biomedical sciences), Maple Landvoigt, M.D. (clinical sciences), and Porsche Beetham, D.O. (adjunct clinical sciences preceptor).

The Atlas Club Golden Key Award is given to a biomedical sciences faculty member and clinical sciences faculty member selected by students. The recipients were Marc Benson, Ph.D., and Brian Kendall, M.D. The Student Government Association Appreciation Recognition is given to employees by SGA members for their work and support on behalf of medical students. The 2020 recipients were Jeff Dowdy, on behalf of the institutional services staff; Brian Kendall, M.D.; Gretchen Lovett, Ph.D.; Aaron McGuffin, M.D.; Andrea Nazar, D.O.; Abdul Nazif; James Nemitz, Ph.D.; Jeremy Proctor, D.O.; and Adam Sydenstricker, on behalf of the food service operations staff.

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WVSOM listed fourth in nation by

22

Consecutive Years

U.S. News & World Report for primary care residents

The 2021 edition of the U.S. News & World Report's “America’s Best Graduate Schools” recognized WVSOM for the 22nd consecutive year.

The report shows that 70.2 percent of WVSOM graduates from 2017 to 2019 entered primary care residencies upon their completion of medical school.

The recognition is evidence that WVSOM is successfully achieving its mission to support and develop graduate medical education training that encourages graduates to enter primary care residencies.

“We have always been confident that we are one of the leading medical schools in the nation to offer programs to graduates that make it easy for them to want to choose to practice in primary care and, for many, in rural or underserved areas,” said WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. “The fact that we continue to be recognized for producing primary care residents is evidence that WVSOM is fulfilling its mission each year with new graduates.”

Once students successfully complete medical school, they enter a residency program to further expand their knowledge in specific fields of study. While primary care, which encompasses family practice, internal

medicine and pediatrics, is the leading specialty of WVSOM graduates, they are well prepared and can choose to practice in any specialty, and do practice in a variety of specialties such as surgery, urology, pulmonology and dermatology.

“WVSOM’s curriculum and complementary programs are focused on educating students to be the most well-rounded physicians they can be. We strive to educate students as lifelong learners in regard to their medical career and in serving the communities in which they live. While WVSOM does place an emphasis on educating students who want to enter primary care residencies, our graduates are represented in most specialty areas,” said Craig Boisvert, D.O., WVSOM’s vice president for academic affairs and dean.

Medical school deans and senior faculty from across the U.S. determined the U.S. News & World Report listings based on educational programs. Results were collected from a survey of accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools across the country. The report recognizes institutions that offer top programs spanning fields of study such as business, law, medicine, engineering and education.

"We strive to educate students as lifelong learners in regard to their medical career and in serving the communities in which they live."

- CRAIG BOISVERT, D.O., WVSOM’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND DEAN 40

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WVSOM’s art studio helps relieve medical school stress, reduce burnout Physicians are entrusted with the crucial responsibility of caring for people. But as rewarding as that role can be, the long hours and constant focus on helping others can lead to stress, anxiety and, over time, burnout.

creative arts can prevent or treat burnout and vicarious trauma in the medical profession.

They’re also finding that when students engage in or talk about art, it enhances their empathy, and for the medical school population, that’s an important thing.”

For about four years, WVSOM has been experimenting with an unexpected method of combating burnout among its hard-working medical students: the use of open art studios, where aspiring physicians can relax, socialize and let their creativity flow.

The American Counseling Association defines vicarious trauma, also known as compassion fatigue, as emotional residue from working with people who have experienced trauma.

Ginger Conley, M.A., LPC, a learning specialist and student counselor in WVSOM’s Academic Support and Intervention Resources (ASPIRE) department, created the art studio program in 2017 after attending a conference hosted by the American Art Therapy Association. She said research is emerging that shows creative work can have numerous benefits for people in health professions.

“This is more than just a study break,” Conley said. “They’re finding that engaging in

There is anecdotal evidence of the positive effect making art can have on those studying medicine. Aarron Ward, a student in WVSOM’s Class of 2023, has attended multiple art studios in the past and said she finds the tension-relieving and social aspects of the sessions beneficial.

“I’ve found the art studio to be very relaxing.

It just kind of takes all the stress away,” Ward said. “I love it because it’s something I can do to take a break from my studies, and I’ve become good friends with another student who participates in it.”

WVSOM event emphasized benefits of practicing medicine in rural communities Medical students and their significant others heard personal stories from physicians who have spent their careers practicing rural medicine when WVSOM hosted its ninth annual Rural Practice Day in March 2020.

The aim of Rural Practice Day, a program of the school’s Rural Health Initiative, is to recruit, inspire and encourage WVSOM students to live and work in rural communities. Rural doctors offered stories about the benefits and rewards of serving in underserved areas while answering questions from current students who are considering following a similar path.

Nick Yost, Class of 2022, said the event offered a way for students to take a step

back from the stress of medical school and look at the bigger picture.

has a wide-ranging impact on osteopathic medical students.

“For me, a West Virginia resident, it was a great opportunity to hear from rural doctors and learn about my future role in a rural setting,” Yost said. “My goal is to be an integrated member of my community, whether that means coaching little league, serving on town council or taking on other roles. Having the opportunity to hear these stories motivates me to keep pressing on and working hard for my future patients.”

“It was exciting to hear so many stories and candid responses. One student let me know that this was just what he needed to remind him why he is pursuing rural medicine,” Thacker said. “We hope attendees gained a better understanding of what living and working in a rural area entails, from the very practical to the potentially profound.”

Rebecca Thacker, WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative program coordinator, said she has seen firsthand that Rural Practice Day

In all, 92 people participated in Rural Practice Day, including 56 students.

Donated door prizes were distributed to attendees, including an iPad Mini, gift cards from Otter & Oak and Amazon, a Yeti cooler, a blanket, Blenko glass, handmade soap, Holl’s chocolates, tickets to tour the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, W.Va., and swag bags assembled

by WVSOM’s Statewide Campus and the WVSOM Alumni Association.

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WVSOM event transformed local citizens into medical students Since physicians are often tasked with showing patients how to live healthier lives, doctors are also lifelong teachers. At WVSOM’s 11th annual Mini-Med School, medical students gained experience in educating residents of Lewisburg and surrounding areas on a variety of health-related topics.

The event, hosted by the WVSOM Student Government Association in March 2020, allowed students to hone their teaching skills while providing community members two evenings of information on topics such as lung health, CPR and emergency room procedures.

Fawn Valentine, of Alderson, has participated in MiniMed School for about five years. She said that as a person who is involved in community service, she enjoys receiving information about health and well-being.

“I come here because I want to learn,” Valentine said. “The information is valuable, and I’m able to apply it not only to my own life but to others I know as well. I often find myself telling people, ‘I learned that in Mini-Med School.’”

Sherry Sutterby, of Lewisburg, is another repeat MiniMed School attendee. She said she appreciates that the event allows the osteopathic medical school and the greater community to be of service to one another.

“It’s a fun way to meet the new class of doctors and give them a chance to improve their communication skills, and it also provides the public important information about staying healthy,” Sutterby said. “Even though I come every year, I’m always learning something new.”

For the 2020 event, eight WVSOM student clubs led 43 guests through a variety of interactive and lecture-based learning experiences. Sessions on the first evening included CPR; cardiopulmonary physical exams; cranial nerve exams; and 42

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43 guests • 58 WVSOM students lung anatomy, including the physiological differences between a healthy lung and an unhealthy one.

Sessions on the second evening included an obstetric introduction to twin pregnancies; a demonstration of osteopathic manipulative treatment; X-rays and an overview of medical approaches used in the emergency room; and a discussion of the gastrointestinal tract, including a colonoscopy demonstration.

Each session provided the information necessary to help attendees “treat their own patient” at the conclusion of the evening.

In all, 58 WVSOM students participated in the 2020 Mini-Med School, which was overseen by Andrea Nazar, D.O., chair of WVSOM’s clinical sciences department, and student Nathaniel Jordan, a past WVSOM T.O.U.C.H. (Translating Osteopathic Understanding Into Community Health) coordinator. Jordan said the event was a success.

“We did this as an effort to inform and inspire the young and old alike,” Jordan said. “Participants walked away with a better understanding of what goes into their own health care, and that’s extremely rewarding for the students, staff and faculty who put so much time and energy into creating the event. We’re grateful for the continued support of the community.”

WVSOM completed work on front lawn project In late 2019, WVSOM began a construction project to revamp the “green space” between the school’s main building and Lee Street and to renovate the retaining wall along Lee Street due to its poor condition.

The new wall and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk were added on the street-facing side and completed in spring 2020, and trees were removed from the green space for safety reasons and to reduce pressure on the wall from root growth. Later phases included repaving the school’s circular drive, additional landscaping and adding new accessible and visitor parking spaces.

The stairway leading to the building’s central entrance was renovated, and decorative stone was added to the retaining wall in the areas adjacent to the pillars that

line the stairway. A wide path of “brick pavers” — brick-like blocks that are designed to withstand the pressure of being walked on — was laid between the steps and the entrance, and pavers engraved with the names of WVSOM Alumni Association donors will be added at a later time. In addition, three flagpoles were put in place. The West Virginia state flag, the U.S. flag and the WVSOM flag now grace the main building entrance facing Lee Street.

Among the final renovations made to the Lee Streetfacing side of WVSOM’s campus was the completion of a permanent electronic sign adjacent to the school’s Silo Lane entrance. The billboard is used to publicize WVSOM events.

WVSOM set institutional strategic plan The WVSOM Board of Governors approved a new institutional strategic plan for the 2020-25 academic years that focuses on the school’s mission and builds on previous strategic plans that have guided WVSOM’s growth.

expansions and new buildings; expanded research facilities; increased community partnerships and growth in the school’s Center for Rural and Community Health; and national award recognition to help raise awareness of the school’s reputation.

The five-year plan encompasses five areas of focus: educational excellence, research, community outreach, infrastructure and reputation. Each focus area includes a set of specific goals and activities to promote their attainment. The strategic plan affirms that education is the institution’s primary focus, with the other four areas supporting the educational mission.

The drafting of the new strategic plan followed the direction set by an ad hoc strategic planning committee created in March 2019 that included representatives from administration, alumni, the WVSOM Board of Governors, faculty, staff, students and members of the Lewisburg community. The group created a strategic plan outline that was reviewed by each constituent group, and the strategic plan was revised based on input from the groups prior to submission to the Board of Governors for approval.

“A strategic plan is an essential part of any higher educational institution’s growth and will give us a path to reach the next stage in our continuing evolution as one of the nation’s most respected medical schools,” said Edward Bridges, Ph.D., WVSOM’s vice president for administration and external relations, who led the effort to develop the plan. “We’re certain that our plan will help us maintain the highest level of educational quality for our students, serve our students and our community to the best of our ability.”

WVSOM’s previous strategic plan, implemented in 2015, resulted in initiatives including infrastructure

Departments and key stakeholders within the institution are building on the institutional strategic plan’s core statements by developing departmental plans, strategies and appropriate accountability measures.

The institutional strategic plan can be found on WVSOM’s website.

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NEUROSCIENCE CAMP let high-schoolers explore the senses

WVSOM’s Just Say KNOW weeklong camp may have moved to a virtual format in 2020, but that didn’t stop its high-school-aged attendees from learning about science, medicine and the osteopathic medical school.

The switch in format, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed organizers to expand the camp’s reach beyond West Virginia and deliver interactive education to young people as far away as Colorado. Forty campers participated in the program, which was titled “Neuroscience: Perception or Reality” and focused on the body’s sensory systems.

It was Hunter Wamsley’s third year attending the camp. The Asbury, W.Va., resident hopes to become a physician and said attending Just Say KNOW will help him reach that goal.

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“I want to go into a health care career, and this helps me narrow my search,” he said. “It gives me information on careers I hadn’t thought about before.

At last year’s camp, on anatomy, I really enjoyed the neurology unit, and with this year’s topic being neuroscience, it made me want to go into that field even more. They presented the information in a way that was really understandable.”

Just Say KNOW is designed to introduce ninth- through 12th-graders and recent high school graduates to topics related to science and medicine. The camp is taught by WVSOM student interns and an undergraduate intern under the supervision of faculty. The 2020 event took place June 15-19 and was overseen by Karen Wines, a WVSOM biomedical sciences instructor, and

Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D., a WVSOM biomedical sciences assistant professor who serves as the camp’s director.

In addition to lectures, the camp emphasizes education through handson activities designed to appeal to young learners. In 2020, campers built models and drew images of anatomical structures within the eye and ear, listened to sound clips illustrating different levels of hearing loss, attempted to describe unseen objects based solely on their sense of touch, smell or taste, and discovered how medical imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans can help diagnose illnesses.

In a “proprioception party” to learn about the often-overlooked sense that makes us aware of our body’s position and movement, campers tried bouncing

a beach ball while keeping their eyes closed, walked through an obstacle course while balancing a cup of water, and watched instructors use hula hoops to illustrate how structures within the ear help the body maintain balance.

the 2020 program also included a showcase that allowed attendees to demonstrate to their families what they’ve learned.

Campers also learned about medical professions, osteopathic manipulative medicine and about WVSOM. Staff from the school’s Rural Health Initiative spoke about the program and showed photos of medical students exploring issues related to health concerns that are common in West Virginia. An employee of the school’s Clinical Evaluation Center provided a video tour of the facility, and WVSOM faculty members shared information about research they have conducted. As with past camps,

The camp concluded with the presentation of awards to the 2020 medical student interns, Lindsey Ray and Allison Silber, Class of 2023, and undergraduate intern Lexie Mizia. Wines said the interns' dedication made the virtual format effective and the camp rewarding for the 40 participants.

“I see this as a big step in the development of a virtual platform for WVSOM’s high school outreach programs,” Wines said. “The camp was a success because of the passion of the people involved, who took the concept and a basic skeleton of a schedule and turned it into a fun, interactive immersion in how we understand the environment around us. We enjoyed getting to know the campers, and we hope to see them back, either in person or online, next year.”

Previous camps in the series have included Just Say KNOW to Drugs, Just Say KNOW to Infectious Diseases and Just Say KNOW to Anatomy. The theme of the 2021 camp will be Combating a Pandemic: Careers in Health Care.

MEDICAL STUDENT SAID GOODBYE TO JUST SAY KNOW “The camp was a success because of the passion of the people involved, who took the concept and a basic skeleton of a schedule and turned it into a fun, interactive immersion in how we understand the environment around us.”

KAREN WINES, WVSOM BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES INSTRUCTOR

It was the final year of involvement with Just Say KNOW for Lindsey Ray, a WVSOM student who has participated in the camp in various roles since 2014. Ray began attending the camp as a high school student, served as an undergraduate intern for three years, and in 2020 served as a medical student intern with the camp.

At the end of the program, Just Say KNOW director Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D., emphasized that Ray has played an integral part in the camp’s growth and presented her with a stethoscope engraved with her name. Ray said the program has been tremendously influential to her.

“I fully believe I would not be here at WVSOM if not for the exposure to the field of medicine the camp provided me,” she said. “Some of this year’s campers have been here as long as I have, and I’ve loved watching them learn and grow. Medical school is hard at times, and the excitement of learning new things sometimes gets lost when there’s a lot of material and not much time to absorb it.

Being involved in camps like Just Say KNOW reminds you to be a role model and resource for the students just like you who will be taking your seat in the next few years.”

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Series on opioid epidemic

highlighted personal stories, medical information

The weekly series took place from Jan. 6 to Feb. 3, 2020.

FIRST SESSION:

INTRODUCTION As a teen, Allie Rambo went from being a 4.0 student who loved playing basketball and softball to an opioid addict who once tried to get heroin delivered to the homeless shelter where she was staying. The Logan County, W.Va., native recounted her story of addiction and recovery during a session of a WVSOM educational series addressing the opioid epidemic.

Rambo lost several close friends to opioid use. One low point came when, upon learning that yet another friend had fatally overdosed, her first inclination was to help herself to the drugs he left behind.

“All I could think was, ‘I need to get to the room to see if he left any pills, because I’m in pain right now emotionally and physically, and I need something to numb this,’” she said.

Rambo was one of about a dozen speakers who participated in a set of presentations sponsored by WVSOM’s Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH) and Neuro-Psych Club. It was the school’s second year offering a series on the topic of opioids, following 2019’s successful series.

They were made possible through a State Opioid Response grant for

professional development provided by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities.

Haylee Heinsberg, M.Ed., WVSOM’s CRCH director of education, said the opioid epidemic has brought to West Virginia increased overdose death rates, infectious diseases related to intravenous drug use, foster care demands, and legal and financial hardships. The presentations were intended to bring new perspectives and information on the epidemic to WVSOM students, who received a 2020 Opioid Educational Series certificate if they attended all five sessions. In all, 119 students received certificates.

“This crisis affects us all,” Heinsberg said. “The educational series aimed to prepare the next generation of physicians to address the opioid epidemic with compassion, evidencebased strategies and collaboration.

Our goal was to increase knowledge and reduce stigma to promote medical students’ understanding of the epidemic and improve the way students on rotations and physicians in practice communicate, connect and care for those who are struggling with opioid use disorder.”

“For future physicians, it’s important to have that exposure, especially before we go into our third- and fourth-year rotations. It’s something we need to have more awareness of, given that opioid abuse is so prevalent in the Appalachian area and throughout West Virginia.”

Haylee Heinsberg, M.Ed., WVSOM CRCH director of education Julianna Quick, M.A., Ed.S., LPC, WVSOM Neuro-Psych Club advisor Leaders of the Neuro-Psych Club

SECOND SESSION:

FACES OF RECOVERY AND PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES Mark Trent, photojournalist who has documented the lives of West Virginians in the epidemic Former opioid users who successfully recovered: Allie Rambo Regina Rambo Steven Little

THIRD SESSION:

FIRST RESPONDERS, FAITH-BASED INTERVENTIONS, JUDICIAL/LEGAL PERSPECTIVES Jan Rader, fire chief of Huntington, W.Va. Necia Freeman of Brown Bag Ministries William Thompson, drug court judge in Boone and Lincoln counties

FOURTH SESSION:

NON-OPIOID PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT AND OTHER TOOLS Rob Londeree, R.Ph. Deborah Schmidt, D.O., ACOFP, WVSOM associate professor and physician acupuncturist

FINAL SESSION:

HEALTH CARE PROVIDER MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT James Berry, D.O., addiction medicine and psychiatry specialist

DAWID GERLACH, PAST PRESIDENT OF THE WVSOM NEURO-PSYCH CLUB

“ I ONCE FELT EMPTY. Today, I feel full.

I feel accomplished in being able to share who I am. I’ve submerged myself into my sobriety, my family and the strong people around me, and every day I try to be better than I was yesterday.”

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~ ALLIE RAMBO ~

Two WVSOM alumni appointed to school’s

BOARD OF GOVERNORS W

est Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appointed Frederick Morgan, D.O., and Todd Smith, D.O., to the WVSOM Board of Governors, the body that oversees the financial, business and educational policies under which the school operates.

The new board members, whose appointments became effective July 1, succeed outgoing members Charles Davis, D.O., and Cheryl Schreiber, respectively.

Additionally, Aaron Byczynski, WVSOM Class of 2022, was elected to join the Board of Governors as a student representative, replacing Jubel Puthusseril, Class of 2021.

The WVSOM Board of Governors consists of nine lay members appointed by West Virginia’s governor and three elected representatives, one each from the school’s faculty, staff and student body.

TODD SMITH, D.O.,

WVSOM Class of 1997, is an internist and president of Blue Ridge Internal Medicine in Princeton, and is affiliated with Princeton Community Hospital.

Smith is a chairperson of the hospital’s medicine department and of its Special Care Committee. He is a member of the American College of Osteopathic Internists.

Smith earned a bachelor’s degree from Concord College before attending WVSOM. After receiving his medical degree, he completed an internal medicine residency at Grandview Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio.

FREDERICK MORGAN, D.O., WVSOM Class of 1991, is an orthopedic surgeon at the Orthopedic Center of the Virginias, located at Princeton Community Hospital in Princeton, W.Va., where he is vice chairman of the surgery department. He is a junior board examiner for the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics and a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Morgan also serves as an assistant professor for WVSOM. Morgan earned a bachelor’s degree from Concord College before attending WVSOM. After receiving his medical degree, he completed a rotating internship and orthopedic residency at Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He completed a fellowship in adult reconstructive surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Morgan lives with his family in Bluefield, Va.

He lives with his family in Princeton, W.Va.

CHARLES DAVIS, D.O.

CHERYL SCHREIBER

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RESEARCH

WVSOM researcher received grant to study coronavirus “You don’t dream of being in the midst of a pandemic, but as a virologist and scientist it’s exciting to contribute to the scientific community, and that makes it immediately meaningful.”

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hile some scientists were hard at work trying to create a vaccine for COVID-19, other scientists, like Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D., have been researching the virus to better understand how the virus replicates in living cells.

~ CRYSTAL BOUDREAUX, PH.D.

Boudreaux, an assistant professor in WVSOM’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, was awarded a West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI) grant in the amount of $30,000 at the beginning of July.

The one-year grant is being used to study the mechanisms of ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus infections, such as coronavirus and rotavirus.

“We’re not necessarily looking at human subject studies or a population of people we know are infected with SARS-CoV-2. This is the basic science aspect of the research,” Boudreaux said. “Our findings will contribute to the biological understanding of how these viruses interact with host proteins to provide better targeted treatments.”

The model used in this study includes infecting cultured laboratory cells with live strands of a version of coronavirus that causes the common cold and evaluating its replication cycle. The strands, which are safely studied in a controlled environment, might also be evaluated through the use of fluorescent microscopy and with gene expression at the nucleic acid level and at different protein levels.

Boudreaux said that as a virologist she is eager for the opportunity to study a virus that is having a broad impact on the world.

“We can all say we would never have thought we’ve lived through a pandemic. You hear about the pandemics in Africa, in South America and in Asia — with SARS, MERS and

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Ebola — and any contribution of science during a pandemic excites and terrifies you. You don’t dream of being in the midst of a pandemic, but as a virologist and scientist it’s exciting to contribute to the scientific community, and that makes it immediately meaningful.”

The WVCTSI is a program aimed to increase research capacity in the state of West Virginia and to improve the health of West Virginians. The WVCTSI is funded by a National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences NIH (NIGMS) grant, #5U54GM10492-04.

Additionally, Boudreaux received a West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Major Research Project Award for research directed at understanding the mechanism of viral replication in a family of viruses (rotavirus) that causes gastroenteritis in children. She will receive $300,000 over a three-year period to carry out the research, which is supported by a NIH (NIGMS) grant, #P20GM103434.

RESEARCH

WVSOM’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs The technicians who work behind the scenes to support WVSOM’s research faculty play an essential role in the school’s scientific investigations. WVSOM’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs employs several research assistants as well as a laboratory instructor

Chris Butler

Chris Butler is a research assistant who works with principal investigators Imaan Benmerzouga, Ph.D., Tuoen Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and Christopher Pankey, Ph.D. Butler’s tasks range from growing cells and analyzing DNA for cancer research to handling chemical hygiene for his department. The latter function includes the labeling and storage of chemicals and working with outside organizations to ensure their proper disposal. Butler said he has enjoyed investigating healthrelated topics and helping to promote the advancement of medical knowledge since joining WVSOM in 2014.

Vianny Soto

Vianny Soto is the newest addition to WVSOM’s research assistant staff.

Since joining the school in June, she has provided support to Jacob Neumann, Ph.D., conducting microscopy work to compare the effects of different treatments on tissue for Neumann’s studies of hippocampal neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia. Soto also will assist Dovenia Ponnoth, Ph.D., in research dealing with cardiopulmonary pharmacology. “I’ve always been drawn to science,” Soto said. “It’s interesting to do the same experiment using various treatments and see the different outcomes that can result.”

assistant and a facilities supervisor. We’d like to introduce you to these indispensable employees, each of whom brings a wealth of expertise to the faculty members whose work they contribute to.

Shea Hatcher

As WVSOM’s academic laboratory instructor assistant, Shea Hatcher facilitates students’ participation in lab activities and serves as the primary contact for the school’s Fredric W. Smith Science Building. She is also a research assistant who helps Shinichi Asano, Ph.D., Jandy Hanna, Ph.D., and Kristin Stover, Ph.D., execute their research goals by conducting experiments, performing data analysis and other tasks. Additionally, Hatcher, who has been with WVSOM since 2009, serves as an exam proctor for first-year students.

Ben Straight

For Ben Straight, the “benchwork” involved in conducting experiments is his favorite part of the job. “I like working with my hands,” he said. “It’s like cooking: You have a procedure that you follow in order to get a certain result.” Straight is a research assistant to Marc Benson, Ph.D., Marina Diioia, Ph.D., and Tuoen Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and a WVSOM employee of four years. He recently has been spending much of his time growing bacteria and purifying proteins. Straight also produces chemicals and performs data analysis, among other tasks.

Barbara Sanders Barbara Sanders has supported WVSOM’s research program for nearly 32 years. She manages one of the school’s research facilities, ensuring equipment is maintained and resources are in working order, and oversees its budget. Sanders interacts with faculty investigators, research technicians, community members and facilities personnel, and serves on institutional committees for research safety and ethics.

She said she enjoys the camaraderie she and the technicians share, as well as the specialized knowledge that’s an essential part of her job. “There’s always something new to learn,” she said.

Michelle Vanoy-Warner In her role helping Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D., study virus replication, Michelle Vanoy-Warner performs lab work such as maintaining cells, using western blots and other applications to detect proteins, keeping the laboratory stocked with supplies, and purchasing equipment as needed. She celebrated her 10th anniversary as a WVSOM research assistant in 2020, and even in a year when microbes were particularly destructive, Vanoy-Warner takes great interest in investigating them. “I’ve always enjoyed working with viruses,” she said. “They’re fascinating to me.”

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FACULTY & STAFF

New hires Mark Waddell, D.O.

Associate professor of clinical sciences

Staff news

Mark Waddell began working at WVSOM June 15. On July 1, Waddell began serving as assistant residency director for the family medicine residency program. Waddell has worked as a physician in West Virginia throughout his career, including serving as emergency department medical director for Braxton County Memorial Hospital. Prior to receiving his D.O. degree from WVSOM, Waddell received a Bachelor of Science degree from Alderson Broaddus College in Philippi, W.Va. Waddell has served as a preceptor, oncampus ACLS instructor and WVSOM Alumni Association Board member and past president.

WVSOM faculty member selected as ‘master preceptor’ A WVSOM faculty member was selected as a 2020 Master Preceptor Award recipient by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP).

Andrea Nazar, D.O., professor and chair of WVSOM’s Department of Clinical Sciences, was nominated by a WVSOM student for her dedication to precepting osteopathic medical students. Preceptors provide clinical medical training and mentoring to medical students in their first through fourth years and often work in training residents.

“It is truly a privilege to work with our students in the classroom, clinic and in their abundant community service activities,” Nazar said. “I am honored to have been nominated by one of our fourth-year students and selected by the ACOFP committee.”

Experienced practitioners who choose to provide supervision often have a great impact on students like Emmanuel Dimitri Foko Tito, a 2020 WVSOM graduate who was inspired by Nazar’s teaching since his first year in medical school.

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Dovenia Ponnoth, Ph.D.

Associate professor of pharmacology Dovenia Ponnoth started working at WVSOM on June 29.

Ponnoth served as a tenure-track assistant professor at the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy, Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she taught in classroom and small group settings, coordinated courses, and supervised graduate students. She has a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical and pharmacological sciences from the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from the University of Mumbai, India. Ponnoth has research and teaching experience in pharmacology, toxicology, physiology and genetics, specifically in the areas of cardiovascular and pulmonary pharmacology/physiology.

“From her first clinical skills lecture in our first year of medical school, Dr. Nazar has inspired our class with her devotion to student learning. Her lectures were structured to include pertinent standardized patient encounter information with a twist applied to board materials. Her teaching style has strengthened my confidence in my clinical skills and has increased my passion for patient care,” he said.

Foko Tito said that as a preceptor, Nazar has dedicated her time to training medical students to care for the whole patient.

“She has taught us that we are not just physicians but osteopathic physicians,” he said. “She has educated me to look beyond the biology of the illness. In her practice, she is known to explore socioeconomic, cultural and spiritual factors that can influence patients’ health.”

Nazar, a full-time WVSOM professor, also serves as one of 3,545 clinical preceptors who work with WVSOM students.

The ACOFP is a professional medical association that represents more than 20,000 practicing osteopathic family physicians, residents and students throughout the U.S. The awards recognize preceptors for their sustained commitment to excellence in the training, education and mentoring of osteopathic medical students in family medicine, according to the ACOFP website.

FACULTY & STAFF

Chelsea Feger, D.O.

Christopher Kennedy, D.O.

Chelsea Feger began working at WVSOM on July 24. She is a WVSOM graduate and completed a family medicine residency at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Ronceverte, W.Va. Prior to receiving her D.O. degree, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in religious studies from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. In addition to serving as a graduate teaching assistant at WVSOM, Feger worked as an emergency medical technician/ responder, a substitute teacher and a neurobiology teaching assistant.

Christopher Kennedy started working at WVSOM on July 27. Kennedy is a WVSOM graduate and completed a family medicine residency at WVU Medicine-United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, W.Va. Prior to receiving his D.O. degree, Kennedy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and psychology from West Virginia University.

Assistant professor of clinical sciences

Assistant professor of clinical sciences

Brandon Rose, D.O.

Regional assistant dean for the Statewide Campus South Central Region Brandon Rose started working at WVSOM on July 13. Rose received a D.O. degree from the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville, Ky., and is a graduate of Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky., with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. He completed an internal medicine residency at Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston, W.Va., and served as inpatient rotation director of the West Virginia University-Charleston Division internal medicine residency.

Transitions

E. Dwight Bundy, D.O.

Hilary Hamric, D.O.

Art Rubin, D.O.

Gail Swarm, D.O.

E. Dwight Bundy began a clinical sciences faculty position in December 2019. Following a career with the U.S. Army, Bundy practiced family medicine and occupational medicine in Beckley, W.Va., and Lewisburg, W.Va., from 1997 to 2009, and has worked with WVSOM students in some capacity since 1987.

He served as regional assistant dean for the South East Region of WVSOM’s Statewide Campus for six years.

Hilary Hamric became the regional assistant dean for the Statewide Campus South East Region. In this role, Hamric will monitor the progress and performance of the region’s students. As regional assistant dean, she will serve as the chief academic, administrative, financial and public relations liaison for WVSOM in the region, which includes Beckley, Princeton, Bluefield and Lewisburg.

Hamric has a D.O. degree from WVSOM and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from West Virginia University, and has been a faculty member in the clinical sciences department since completing a pediatric residency in 2017.

Art Rubin accepted the position of associate dean for predoctoral clinical education. In this position, Rubin will be administratively responsible for the third and fourth years of the WVSOM curriculum and, in conjunction with the associate dean for preclinical education, for the components of clinical education that occur in the first and second years of the curriculum. Additionally, he will oversee and direct academic, administrative, financial and public relations functions for WVSOM’s Statewide Campus, Clinical Evaluation Center, Rural Health Initiative, and Center for International Medicine and Cultural Concerns, including the supervision of assistant deans. Rubin joined WVSOM in 2009.

Gail Swarm accepted the position of assistant dean for clinical sciences.

In this position, Swarm will oversee the department of clinical sciences and work with the associate dean for predoctoral clinical education to ensure that the educational infrastructure and assessment protocols and practices for WVSOM’s clinical skills are innovative, cuttingedge and aligned with strategic initiatives; facilitate research and other endeavors designed to advance WVSOM's initiatives and mission; and contribute to the advancement of the institution and the education of students. Swarm joined WVSOM as a member of the faculty in 2003.

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FACULTY & STAFF

WVSOM celebrated retirees, employees’ awards and years of service RETIREES

WVSOM celebrated employee achievements by honoring retirees, recognizing employees for years of service and awarding faculty and staff for their extraordinary work in advancing the institution.

Elaine “Charlie” Brown 42+ years of service

Deborah Harvey 9+ years of service

Roger Sams 43+ years of service

Darlene Wright 33+ years of service

“I think there’s a sense of community that is stronger than ever at WVSOM, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everyone working together, cooperating and figuring out how we can meet the challenges we are facing, both in our personal lives and our professional lives,” said WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. For 2020, WVSOM’s Office of Human Resources hosted the Employee Celebration virtually.

LIVING OUR MISSION AWARD The award is presented to WVSOM staff who exemplify professional excellence, an understanding of and commitment to WVSOM and a commitment to achieving the school’s mission. Winners were: Jonah Bowen

Jonathan Mabry

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Nicholas Cornwell

Eddie Miller

Stella Dodrill

Shawn Morgan

Mike Fowler

Jennifer Seams

Kyle Jones

Dawn Thomas

Carrie Lawrence

Joseph Wagner

STATEWIDE CAMPUS PRIDE AWARD

RISING STAR AWARD

The award is presented to an employee in one of the seven Statewide Campus regions who goes above and beyond in their service to WVSOM and the students they serve. The employee is people-oriented, respectful, innovative, dedicated and effective.

Hilary Hamric, D.O.

The award is presented to a newly hired employee who has already demonstrated a strong commitment to the school, an understanding of how their position supports the school’s mission and a commitment to working with others to engage the school’s future.

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Alicia Winters

Mike Fowler

THE PRESIDENT’S OUTSTANDING FACULTY AWARD

The award is given annually to selected employees who are identified to the president through a vote by WVSOM faculty and staff as outstanding employees for the current academic year, recognizing exceptional and dedicated service to WVSOM. The goal of the award is to raise awareness in the campus community of the indispensable contributions made by the employee to the quality, diversity and overall mission of WVSOM. Joseph Wagner

FACULTY & STAFF

THE PRESIDENT’S OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE AWARD

The award is presented each year to members of the faculty in recognition of their excellence in teaching and commitment to osteopathic medical education.

Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D.

Deborah Schmidt, D.O.

Peter Ward, Ph.D.

Employees who achieved 20 or more years of service to WVSOM Kim LaBrie 20 years

Rich McMahan 25 years

Jack Thatcher, Ph.D. Chester Loudermilk 25 years 20 years

Bob Foster, D.O. 40 years

Karen Ayers 30 years

Professor emeritus, tenure and promotion to associate professor Malcolm Modrzakowski, Ph.D. Leslie Buchanan, D.O. professor emeritus

tenure and promotion

Thomas Richardson, D.O. tenure and promotion

Maple Landvoigt, M.D. tenure and promotion

Dina Schaper, D.O. promotion

Jacob Neumann, Ph.D. tenure and promotion

Rebecca Scopa Kelso, Ph.D. promotion

“We’ve had a rich history, and WVSOM will continue to excel at what it does.

That’s because of you and your commitment to the work that we do. We will work together to continue to build on the incredible foundation and history of this school.” - WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. WVSOM.edu

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WVOMA IS YOUR VOICE AT THE LEGISLATURE, REPRESENTING YOUR PROFESSION AND YOUR PRACTICE

JOIN US: 121 st

119 TH ANNUAL CME AT THE GREENBRIER

ANNUAL CME AT THE GREENBRIER

120 TH

CONFERENCE Nov. 4-7, 2021

ANNUAL CME AT THE GREENBRIER

CONFERENCE

122 nd

CONFERENCE Nov. 2-5, 2023

Nov. 3-6, 2022

ANNUAL CME AT THE GREENBRIER

CONFERENCE Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2024

TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.wvoma.org • 304.793.6842 *Credits are recognized by the AOA Council on CME. The complete program schedule will be posted when it becomes available.

SERVING THE WVSOM COMMUNITY. Those outside the WVSOM campus community may shop online at WWW.WVSOM.EDU/STORE We look forward to reopening to the public at a later date.

M E RC H A N DI S E AP PA RE L TE X TBO O K S M E D IC AL S C H OO L E Q U I PME N T

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Visit us at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s STUDENT CENTER WWW.WVSOM.EDU/STORE CINDI KNIGHT, WVSOM CAMPUS STORE BUSINESS MANAGER 304.647.6299

Hello fellow alumni,

Your membership is necessary for our growth.

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. As I reflect on the past year and its challenges, two things are clear to me. First, now more than ever, I am incredibly proud of our WVSOM alumni and the work they are doing on the front lines of this pandemic. The year was not easy for anyone, and you have sacrificed so much every day, physically, mentally and emotionally. Second, although we live all around the world and face different hurdles, we are all connected by the school that gave us the strong medical education that empowered us to heal and cemented our desire to help people.

We each took the same oath when we graduated, one that we continue to live out daily. I can’t thank you enough for making WVSOM proud.

This pandemic has cast a long shadow over normal routines and events. For the WVSOM Alumni Association, the Alumni Weekend was canceled and the Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar was moved to an online event. This virus has taken away our ability to come together physically, but by leveraging technology we have been able to stay in contact, share stories and conduct seminars. The alumni association has been able to adapt by offering virtual CME opportunities, and they have been quite a hit; our first-ever Online Summer Seminar Series had 132 attendees.

ALUMNI

From Alumni Association Board President

Rob Olexo, D.O. Class of 2001 WVSOM Alumni Association President

We will all march forward together, knowing that even in a time of uncertainty and struggle, our values and our mission stay the same. And since we are united by mission, let’s continue our elevation by association.

If you are not a member of the WVSOM Alumni Association, I encourage you to join at the following link:

Dr. Olexo is board certified in family medicine. He works as a family physician at a rural Federally Qualified Health Center through Rainelle Medical Center in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

my.wvsom.edu/Alumni/Forms/NewMembership 1951-2020

Andrea Victoria “ Vickie” Roane, who made WVSOM her workplace for more than 40 years, passed away June 21, 2020, in Charleston, W.Va., at age 69. A native of Lewisburg, W.Va., Roane joined the school as a secretary in 1976, working with early faculty members and later with Fredric W. Smith, a former WVSOM vice president. In the 1990s, Roane transitioned to the Office of Alumni Relations, where she maintained alumni records and WVSOM Alumni Association memberships, compiled minutes for meetings of the WVSOM Alumni Association board and assisted with preparations for the school’s annual White Coat Ceremony, among other tasks.

Roane is remembered by former co-workers for her friendliness, tireless work ethic and ever-present smile. Shannon Warren, WVSOM’s director of alumni relations, recalled Roane’s

kindness to other employees and her dedication to the alumni and students she served. “She was always the friendly voice on the telephone, at alumni events and behind every white coat given to new students,” Warren said. “Vickie typed the name of every WVSOM graduate at least once during her years at WVSOM.” Robert Holstein, D.O., a Class of 1979 graduate who was named WVSOM’s Alumni of the Year in 2019, said Roane was a genuinely caring, conscientious staff member whose commitment to the school’s mission ran deep.

“Vickie was one-of-a-kind, with a wonderful spirit, a sweet disposition and a great sense of humor,” Holstein said.

“Remembering her will always evoke a smile and a cherished memory. She will be missed by so many.”

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ALUMNI

WVSOM Alumni Association’s annual Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar hit attendance record

+ PARTICIPANTS T

he WVSOM Alumni Association’s annual Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar returned to the Embassy Suites in Charleston, W.Va., from Jan. 24-26, 2020.

Attendance reached its highest in the seminar’s history, with more than 350 participants. The seminar included 14 continuing medical education sessions with topics such as primary care, opioids and addiction, and more recent medical issues such as vaping. Other lectures included topics such as telecardiology; evaluating patients for cardiac transplant; individualized medicine; integrating students into a clinical setting; recovery programs offered in West Virginia presented by Jacob’s Ladder, a recovery center in Aurora, W.Va.; rib mechanics and treatment; ophthalmology; thermoregulation and heat illness; legislative updates; diabetes management; and a National Acupuncture Detoxification Association introduction.

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ALUMNI

The 2020 seminar presenters were (alumni in gold):

Mitchell Rashid, M.D. Lesa Adkins, MBA, MSN, FNP-BC George Sokos, D.O. Aunna Herbst, D.O. Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed.D. Andrea Nazar, D.O. Kevin Blankenship, M.D. Thomas Richardson, D.O. David Killeen, D.O. Charles Davis, D.O. Robert Pepper, D.O. West Virginia Sen. Tom Takubo, D.O. Deborah Schmidt, D.O. David Pickering, D.O. Jason Kirby, D.O.

An alumni luncheon and annual meeting were part of the weekend’s events. During the luncheon, WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., provided a brief update to alumni about the school’s three main accomplishments in the previous year: receiving a $2 million increase in state funding, the largest in the school’s history; Higher Learning Commission accreditation being renewed during the regular review process; and entering into an agreement with Charleston Area Medical Center to expand WVSOM’s presence in the state’s capital city.

“For years we have led in primary care and rural care, but we are now the leading producer of all three medical schools in the state for physicians serving in West Virginia,” Nemitz said.

“Another thing I want to do this year is raise the visibility of our school, so

people know who we are and what we’re doing.”

At the end of the luncheon, Charles Davis, D.O., Class of 1982, was named the WVSOM Alumni Association’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni of the Year.

Other weekend events included meetings of the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine, WVSOM’s Statewide Campus, Mountain State Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions (MSOPTI), West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association, West Virginia American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians and WVSOM Alumni Association board. The weekend also included the MSOPTI and student research poster display, a Statewide Campus osteopathic principles and practice refresher and a Rural Health Initiative mentor and alumni breakfast.

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ALUMNI

CHARLES DAVIS, D.O., named 2020 WVSOM Alumni of the Year

W

VSOM leaders said that 2020 would be a year of vision for the medical school, so it’s fitting that an ophthalmologist was recognized for his outstanding service to his alma mater.

Charles Davis, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 1982 graduate, was named the 2020 Distinguished Alumni of the Year during the WVSOM Alumni Association’s annual Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar in Charleston, W.Va. Davis is a past WVSOM Board of Governors member and chairman, and has been recognized by his peers for inclusion in Best Doctors in America for three consecutive years and has been awarded Teacher of the Year by ophthalmology residents.

The osteopathic physician held back tears while accepting his award, stating that because of exceptional leadership by recent WVSOM presidents, he has been able to immerse himself in service to the school.

“Because of [former WVSOM president] Mike Adelman, I’ve learned so much about this institution and what a special place it really is,” Davis said.

“There are medical schools across the country, but the camaraderie, uniqueness and family atmosphere of this institution is beyond words.”

In addition to his many professional achievements and accolades, Davis is committed to community service locally and internationally. He has frequently donated his time, knowledge and finances in medical service trips to developing nations including Mozambique, Jamaica and Haiti. He also participates in Sight for Soldiers, providing free LASIK surgery for members of the U.S. military on active duty.

Davis is a physician at Davis Eye Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He is board certified by the American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. He is a WVSOM Alumni Association life member and one of the top 10 lifelong contributors to the WVSOM Foundation.

Davis is a native of Wheeling, W.Va. Before attending WVSOM, he graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1978.

After medical school, he completed a rotating internship, an internal medicine residency and an ophthalmology residency at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He and his wife, Barbara, have three children.

The WVSOM Alumni Association established the Distinguished Alumni of the Year award to annually recognize graduates who have demonstrated outstanding personal and professional achievements.

He also stated how important it was to him as the past Board of Governors chair to have been involved in the selection process of James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., as the school’s current president.

“This school is in good hands,” he said.

Robert Holstein, D.O., a 1979 alumnus, presented the award to Davis. Holstein referenced a commercial about a surgeon whose work is just “OK.” “All across the nation we have quality physicians who are graduates of WVSOM,” he said. “The recipient of this award is more than ‘just OK.’ This person is a remarkable teacher, leader and mentor and an excellent physician and member of the alumni association.”

One of the submissions nominating Davis for the award stated that he “is an outstanding representative of WVSOM who inspires excellence in others and brings honor to the school.”

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Charles Davis, D.O., and Robert Holstein, D.O.

ALUMNI

Alumnus Dino Beckett, D.O., recognized in inaugural Health Care Hall of Fame

C

hristopher “Dino” Beckett, D.O., can add hall of famer to his ever-growing list of accomplishments.

The WVSOM alumnus and nine other health care professionals were inducted into West Virginia Executive magazine’s first-ever Health Care Hall of Fame. The recipients were recognized at an awards program in March 2020 at the Cultural Center in Charleston, W.Va. According to the magazine, staff sought nominations for individuals who have had a specific impact on health care in West Virginia, whether that meant starting a unique business to meet a high-demand need, developing medical devices to improve treatment, acting as a trailblazer in the industry, leading efforts to treat underserved populations or finding unique ways to address the state’s health issues.

“It’s quite an honor and obviously very humbling to be included in the hall of fame. Just to be considered along with some pretty impressive physicians in the state is an incredible honor,” the Class of 2000 graduate said.

Beckett has practiced family medicine in southern West Virginia for about 17 years. After returning to his hometown of Williamson, W.Va., upon completing his residency, he opened a family practice and offered a monthly free clinic for patients who had little or no insurance. This led to the transition of his practice to a Federally Qualified Health Center called the Williamson Health and Wellness Center, where he is the chief executive officer and medical director. His work for his community eventually led to a farmer’s market, community garden and mobile produce truck.

While Beckett didn’t always know which medical specialty he wanted to practice, he knew he wanted to serve a rural community.

“I kind of always knew that I would end up back in my hometown shortly after I started medical school. I knew I wanted to return to a rural community, and being from a small town it worked out really well. I grew

up around some incredible people who helped me along the way — whether it was teachers, coaches or business leaders, there was a lot of influence on my life. To have the privilege to go back and take care of some of the finest people in the world, much less the state of West Virginia, is a very big honor to me,” Beckett said of being a doctor in a rural community.

The physician is no stranger to accolades. Beckett has received many awards, including the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Practitioner of the Year in 2017 and the WVSOM Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year in 2018. The alumni award recognizes graduates who have demonstrated outstanding personal and professional achievements.

Beckett said that being recognized for the wellness center’s work by organizations throughout the state is gratifying.

“It’s all about going into communities and working with community leaders to provide quality health care for a well-deserved group of people,” he said. “Anything we can do to shine a light on the work that we do as a clinic and how the residents of Mingo County are benefiting from it makes me happy.”

Each award recipient’s story can be found in the Winter 2020 edition of West Virginia Executive.

“We thought it was important to focus on these amazing people and what they have brought to the health care industry in West Virginia because while the state does have its challenges, it is also home to these smart and innovative winners who are changing the landscape of the Mountain State and the health of her residents,” wrote Kensie Hamilton Fauber, West Virginia Executive publisher.

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ALUMNI

Class notes 1979

2001

2011

R. Daniel Goff, D.O., retired Dec. 31, 2019, after 43 years as an emergency room physician and plans to travel the U.S. with his wife, Judy.

Catherine “Mindy” Chua, D.O., is chief medical officer of Davis Health System in Elkins, W.Va., where she serves as incident commander for the COVID-19 pandemic.

She maintains a clinic on a part-time basis.

Dominic King, D.O., was appointed director of clinical transformation for the Cleveland Clinic’s Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute. King and his wife, Nicole, celebrated 10 years of marriage.

Russell L. Stewart, D.O., retired Nov. 1, 2019, after nearly 40 years of primary care practice in Braxton County, W.Va.

1986 J. Belle Farmer-Bauman, D.O., retired after a career that included private practice in Elkridge, Md., and a staff position at nearby Howard County Hospital. Farmer-Bauman also served as a civilian contractor with the U.S. Air Force in Camp Springs, Md., and as medical director at a facility for the intellectually and physically impaired.

Cynthia Butler, D.O. (formerly Cindy Poff), retired from active practice on July 30, 2020.

Marianne Herr-Paul, D.O., received a gallery show featuring her wearable fiber art collection at the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pa. She maintains a website at www.beadsofathreader.com.

1993 George Moses, D.O., became medical director of Allwell Behavioral Health in Zanesville, Ohio.

1997 Forest W. Arnold, D.O., FIDSA, led the epidemiology response to the COVID-19 pandemic at University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Ky. He created an online radiological library of coronavirus patients and published studies on the topic, including one that compared regular nasopharyngeal swabs to 3-D printed swabs to detect COVID-19.

1999 Jason B. Dees, D.O., FAAFP, was named executive vice president of marketplace and chief medical officer for Molina Healthcare, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.

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Tamra Aman, D.O., is medical director of West Virginia University Physicians of Charleston Internal Medicine Specialty Clinic in Charleston, W.Va. Amy Casto, D.O., closed her St. Albans, W.Va.-based private practice, The Doctor’s House, and became medical director of Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Buffalo, W.Va.

2005

1990

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2002

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Brenda Adamovich, D.O., is a boardcertified neurologist at Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, W.Va. She has four daughters and three grandsons.

Matthew Cannon, D.O., became treasurer of the South Carolina Osteopathic Medical Society’s Board of Trustees. He serves as dean of the Carolinas Campus of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, S.C.

2006 Nathaniel Kesner, D.O., was named Dr. Gar LaSalle Medical Director of the Year for 2020 by TeamHealth Southeast Group Hospitalist Services. He serves as facility medical director of Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, S.C.

2008 Rick Fogle, D.O., a lieutenant colonel in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, trained and placed soldiers in nursing homes throughout western Pennsylvania affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fogle is a geriatrician who works in Washington, Greensboro and Clairton, Pa., with Cornerstone Care, a Federally Qualified Community Health Center.

Dawn Ruminski, D.O., purchased Valley Physical Medicine, in Fayetteville N.C., in January 2020, where she offers osteopathic manipulative treatment, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy and injections for musculoskeletal pain control.

Rehan Waheed, D.O., joined Valley Pain Consultants in Winchester, Va., and joined the editorial board of Pain Physician, the journal of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. He serves as a preceptor for WVSOM and a clinical assistant professor for the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

2013 Brittany Smirnov, D.O., received the American Academy of Dermatology’s Patient Care Hero award for her role in diagnosing metastatic lung cancer in a patient with a presumed cyst. She works in private practice in Delray Beach, Fla.

2015 Jordan Gaal, D.O., became an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, W.Va. She specializes in acute adult inpatient psychiatric care, with a special interest in individuals with intellectual and developmental disorders.

2016 Meredith Bentley, D.O., became an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, W.Va. She also serves as medical director for the Mind Wellness Center at Marshall Health and specializes in outpatient and inpatient psychiatric care for adults, with a special interest in women’s mental health.

Marshall Ochi, D.O., completed a primary care sports medicine fellowship at the University of Toledo and is a community preceptor for the family medicine residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, Ohio.

He will practice family/sports medicine and regenerative medicine at ProMedica in Toledo, Ohio. He also will serve as attending physician for the University of Toledo Sports Medicine Fellowship, team physician at the University of Toledo and team physician for Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio.

2003 Waid McMillion, D.O., married Brianna Balser on July 4, 2020, in Morgantown W.Va.

2012 Alison Stalzer, D.O., married Daniel Barry on Aug. 1, 2020, in Cleveland, Ohio.

They will reside in Mentor, Ohio, where Stalzer is a partner in a private practice OB-GYN group.

in death by his wife, Diane Viola Johnson.

He is survived by two children, several grandchildren and a brother, Thomas Graham Johnson, D.O., WVSOM Class of 1985.

1982 Stephen C. Shy, D.O., of Huntington, W.Va., passed away Nov. 15, 2020.

Shy co-founded Ohio Valley Physicians in 1999, which is now called OVP Health and employs more than 300 people across five states. Other family members who attended WVSOM included his brothers Joe Allen Shy, D.O., Class of 1984, and Grant Shy, D.O., Class of 1988, and his son Stephen Shy II, D.O., Class of 2001.

1984 BIRTHS

2009 Kelly Chaney, D.O., welcomed a daughter, Maggie Jean Murawski, on June 30, 2020. Maggie joins her older brother, Milo Murawski.

2010 Sarah Claussen, D.O. (formerly Sarah Volz), and her husband, Sam Claussen, Ph.D., welcomed a daughter, Emma Renee Claussen, on July 27, 2019.

2015 and 2016 Ryan McCafferty, D.O., Class of 2015, and Molly Casto, D.O., Class of 2016, welcomed a son, Jack Conor McCafferty, on May 23, 2020.

2018 and 2019 Michael Gergel, D.O., Class of 2018, and Maria Caperelli Gergel, D.O., Class of 2019, welcomed their first child, daughter Elliana, on March 10, 2020.

IN MEMORY OF

1981 Eustace Arnold Johnson III, D.O., passed away March 26, 2020, in Queen Creek, Ariz. Arnold was board certified in family practice, emergency medicine and occupational medicine. He worked at the U.S. Air Force Academy and was preceded

Michael C. Pyles, D.O., passed away Oct. 9, 2020. Pyles served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War before attending West Virginia University and then earning a medical degree from WVSOM. He owned Pyles Family Practice in St. Marys, Ohio, until his retirement, after which he became a licensed gunsmith.

career of more than 28 years. Raised in Thorpe, W.Va., Roatsey worked as a coal miner and then an electrical engineer before attending WVSOM. He specialized in family practice in Damascus, Va.

1999 Avtar Moore, D.O., passed away Sept.

4, 2020, after a career spent practicing osteopathic manipulative medicine and complementary medicine as a family medicine physician in Lexington, Va.

2002 Dona Marie Leskuski, D.O., passed away Sept. 3, 2019, in Greenbelt, Md. She worked as a palliative care physician for Capital Caring, where she served as director of an outpatient palliative clinic, medical director of home care and medical director of inpatient hospice units.

WVSOM Alumni Association NEW LIFE MEMBERS Nov. 20, 2019 to Oct. 5, 2020

1981 1988 1991 1997 1999 2000 2000 2017 2018

Paul R. "Ric" West, D.O., passed away April 4, 2020. Dr. West resided in Marietta, Ohio.

1985 Gregory Vaughn Hazelett, D.O., passed away at his home Sept. 5, 2020. Hazelett practiced as an otorhinolaryngologist in Eastern Kentucky for more than 30 years and is remembered by his patients for his compassion, charisma and humor.

1987

John Frame, D.O. Jane Daugherty-Luck, D.O. Barbara Cortez, D.O. Ryan Newell, D.O. Erica Barringer, D.O. Vickie Cox, D.O. Jennifer Murillo, D.O. Courtney Levendorf, D.O.

ASSOCIATION

mission, United by

elevated by association

1989 Thomas “Teb” Brandt Jr., D.O., passed away Dec. 30, 2020 at the age of 64. He attended WVSOM and then Vanderbilt, completing his residency and fellowship in pain management.

Thomas Roatsey, D.O., of Bristol, Va., passed away Oct. 6, 2020, after a medical

William Boyd, D.O.

ALUMNI

Joel Gregory Long, D.O., passed away March 8, 2020, in Chico, Calif. A psychiatrist, Long was board certified in psychiatry and family practice and worked at California’s Nevada County Behavioral Health and Butte County Behavioral Health before serving in private practice.

1992

ALUMNI

ENGAGEMENTS/ MARRIAGES

SIGN ME UP! I WANT TO JOIN AND BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER.

Register online:

www.WVSOM.edu/alumni

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FOUNDATION

“Giving is not just about making a donation.

It’s about making a difference.”

– KATHY CALVIN, FORMER CEO, UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION

Building and fostering relationships is what we at the WVSOM Foundation do. We love staying in touch with our school’s graduates and loyal donors, and we enjoy collaborating with faculty and staff to understand how we can support their success.

These relationships are essential to achieving our goals to grow the foundation’s resources and better support WVSOM and its students.

We like to do our jobs by meeting, greeting, personal conversations and shaking hands, and our plan for 2020 reflected this. Of course, you know where this is going: Nothing was as planned. Like you, we at the foundation have had to find safer ways to stay engaged during the pandemic.

Social media and technology have allowed us to connect with the community. For example, we used Facebook and email to share our original Advice From Our Docs information series, gathering and offering guidance

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND PARTNERS

from WVSOM alumni who are on the front lines of the pandemic. We also provided snacks for front-line health care workers and partnered with students to raise funds for food pantries.

Even during this unprecedented time of need, the WVSOM Foundation was able to support WVSOM and its students because of donors like you.

In addition to awarding more than $190,000 in student scholarships, we were able to assist a number of students in personal crisis by distributing $10,000 from our Student Emergency Fund.

The past year has reinforced what is important and given us reasons to consider what we truly value. My personal reflection has revealed a need to adjust my life to focus more fully on the ones I love most: my family.

This realization has led me to the decision to retire from my position as executive director of the WVSOM Foundation so that I can invest more of myself in creating the life I desire with those closest to me.

I am thankful for the seven years I have served in this role, and I hope to continue to stay engaged in supporting WVSOM and the WVSOM Foundation. I believe in the value of this institution and its impact on West Virginia and the nation. I encourage you to stand with me in continuing to support this institution and grow its foundation.

No, 2020 did not turn out as planned, and our concept of relationships has certainly been altered. But this experience has been validating to all of us on the WVSOM Foundation team. It has reminded us that we are doing important work and that every donation is crucial, because our doctors are the genuine heroes at the heart of this crisis.

We at the WVSOM Foundation are excited to build our donor network in 2021. Our work is critical. Won’t you join us?

Heather Antolini Executive Director of the WVSOM Foundation

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When WVSOM student Vincent Morra dreamed up the Feed More in 24 virtual race, he didn’t know he’d end up running 100 miles in 24 hours — and raising $13,070 for a local food charity in the process.

“It’s a mental game,” said Morra, who enlisted a team to help him stay hydrated, fed and motivated during the May fundraising event he helped create. “The body is able to do it, but the trick is getting your mind to believe you can do it.”

WVSOM, the school’s Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH), the WVSOM Foundation and the WVSOM Alumni Association partnered in the Feed More in 24 challenge, which called on participants to walk or run within their communities, find sponsors and donate the funds to a food charity of their choice. With his own 100-mile run, Morra raised $8,070 for Feeding Seniors/Saving Businesses. In June, the WVSOM Foundation and CRCH presented a donation at WVSOM’s Clingman Center for Community Engagement matching $5,000 of that amount, for a total of $13,070 going to the Greenbrier Countybased program.

Besides Morra, four other members of the WVSOM community participated in the challenge — Class of 2020 graduates Lindsey Kent, D.O., and Lauren Searls, D.O., alumna Elizabeth Clark, D.O.,

FOUNDATION

WVSOM Foundation matched $5,000 for student’s food charity fundraiser and staff member Christie Trent. In all, the event raised $14,585 for four West Virginia food charities, also including the Lewisburg-Fairlea food pantry, the Manna Meal soup kitchen in Charleston, W.Va., and the Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway, W.Va. Jennifer Keadle Mason, who founded Feeding Seniors/Saving Businesses, said Morra’s run was of great benefit in helping the program provide food for those in need of assistance. She said the funds were used to purchase produce from West Virginia farmers and present it to seniors and food bank recipients.

“The hard work of Vincent and the partnership with WVSOM enables us to feed 308 West Virginia families for a month,” Mason said. “We couldn’t be more grateful.”

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said that part of the medical school’s mission is to encourage community engagement and that a lack of access to food is particularly an issue in West Virginia.

“This is an acute problem in our state, and it’s even more important with the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “There’s a desperate need to feed people. I can’t think of a better way to serve others, and I’m proud of our students who are working to actively help others in their communities.”

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FOUNDATION

Convenience store

fuels financial support

to WVSOM through coffee campaign A convenience store chain based in Gassaway, W.Va., is one of WVSOM’s latest financial supporters. GoMart and the WVSOM Foundation created the Give a Latte campaign, a sustained giving partnership in which donors receive free coffee for a year and other gifts based on the donation amount.

The campaign launched on international Giving Tuesday in early December 2019.

The partnership made sense to GoMart Treasurer Sam Heater, whose family owns the franchise, because WVSOM’s values align with his company’s.

“We see many similarities between our two organizations. We are both firmly rooted in the communities of West Virginia. We both believe in giving back to this great state that has given us so much,” Heater said.

Financial contributions and support by local businesses have many positive effects on medical students that help enhance their experience during their studies. Donations help offset student tuition through scholarships, provide students assistance to attend mission and service trips, contribute to student-run extracurricular clubs where members often participate in community service events, and contribute to campus infrastructure where students receive the majority of their education.

“We want to help shed light on the great work that WVSOM is doing through calling attention to the school and its programs. Our reach throughout the state could open new eyes to the school and its mission to give back,” Heater said. “GoMart wants to support all schools that are helping to prepare our young residents to take leadership 64

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roles in the community. We want to be a part of that in any way we can.”

The company operates more than 100 stores throughout West Virginia, along with locations in Virginia and Ohio.

Patrons who commit to as little as $5 a month to the Give a Latte campaign receive a travel mug and free coffee for a year at any GoMart location. Other gifts for monthly donations of $15 and up include cell phone power banks, stadium blankets, sweatshirts and socks, in addition to the free coffee.

“Coffee is the ‘fuel’ for a lot of people in the morning,” Heater said.

“It’s a great item to feature when you want to reach a broad audience. We have stores all across West Virginia, and by bringing awareness we hope to help open up donations from places that normally wouldn’t have known about the school.”

Heather Antolini, executive director of the WVSOM Foundation, said GoMart is a valued partner of the foundation and an integral contributor to the success of medical students.

“GoMart cares about our mission to support the students of WVSOM and recognizes the important contributions our graduates are making to health care in communities throughout West Virginia,” she said. “They are providing support for our Give a Latte campaign, and increased visibility for WVSOM, by offering unlimited free coffee refills and point-of-purchase displays encouraging others to support WVSOM in each of their stores. We truly appreciate their enthusiastic participation and support.”

100+

stores throughout West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio

$5 a month • travel mug • free coffee for a year

$15+ a month • cell phone power bank • stadium blanket • sweatshirt and socks • free coffee for a year

FOUNDATION

Making our communities stronger. One cup at a time.

We are both firmly rooted in the communities of West Virginia.

We both believe in giving back to this great state that has given us so much. ~ HEATHER ANTOLINI ~ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WVSOM FOUNDATION

This story is part of a series highlighting area businesses and organizations that have provided financial contributions and support to WVSOM.

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GIFTS TO WVSOM

Gifts to WVSOM The National Osteopathic Foundation West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association

Bailey & Wyant, PLLC CAMC Health Education and Research Institute Greenbrier Valley Medical Center Little General Stores Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC Premier Bank Inc. Raleigh General Hospital Terracare Inc. West Virginia State Medical Association Woolpert Inc. WVSOM OPP Department

Patron donors $25,000-$49,999

Benefactor Donors $5,000-$9,999

Manuel Ballas, D.O.* Catherine Bishop, D.O. Jeffery Braham, D.O.* Clyde Brooks III, D.O. Cathy Dailey, D.O.* Dr. Steven and Lori Eshenaur/Haven Ltd. Lawson Hamilton J. Robert Holmes, DDS Drs. Robert and Rachel Hunter* Samuel Muscari Jr., D.O. James Nemitz, Ph.D.* Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Obrokta Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Rubin/ Carmel-Greenfield Charitable Trust* Rosa Stone, D.O.* Lori Tucker, D.O.* Drs. Rafael and Letetia Villalobos* Lewis Whaley, D.O.*

O.J. Bailes, D.O.* David Barger, D.O.** Walter Boardwine, D.O. David Brown, Ph.D. Richard Burdeaux Sr., D.O. Cynthia Butler, D.O.** Michael Chambers Joseph Cincinnati, D.O. Curtis Cornella-Carlson, D.O. Raymond Crosby, D.O.** David Cummings, D.O. Linda Eakle, D.O. Richard Foutch, D.O. Jon Furbee, D.O.** Thomas Gilligan, D.O. Ray Greco II, D.O. Drs. Rick and Carol Greco Donald Gullickson II, D.O.** Eloise Hayes, D.O.* Lisa Hrutkay, D.O. Buddy Hurt, D.O. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas and Andrea Karrs/Dermatology Centers Inc. Gregory Kelly, D.O. Barbara Kleman John Lackey, D.O.* David Leech, D.O. Paul Lomeo, D.O. Kathleen Maley, D.O.** Malcolm Modrzakowski, Ph.D. Karen Montgomery-Reagan, D.O. Andrea Nazar, D.O. Stephen and Cynthia Olson Geraldine Painter* Dr. and Mrs. Joseph and Cheryl Schrieber Jan Silverman, D.O. Linda Smith Dr. Andy Tanner and Dewayne Duncan James Tierney, D.O., MBA* George Triplett, D.O.

Lifetime giving leaders President’s council donors $100,000+ Drs. Michael and Cheryl Adelman* James "Buck" Harless Ray Harron, M.D./ The Harron Foundation Roland Sharp, D.O. Marlene Wager, D.O. Gary White

Businesses

Encova Foundation of WV formerly Brickstreet Foundation Inc. Greenbrier Hotel Corp.

Hildegard P. Swick Estate Hollowell Foundation Inc. WVSOM Alumni Association*

Founder’s club donors $50,000-$99,999 Christopher Beckett, D.O.* Sean Brain and Jandy Hanna, Ph.D. Charles Davis, D.O./Davis Eye Center* James H. Deering, D.O., and Jodi Flanders, D.O.* John Manchin II, D.O./ The Manchin Clinic* William McLaughlin, D.O. Michael Nicholas, D.O.* Patrick W. Pagur, D.O., and Billie Wright, D.O.* Mr. and Mrs. David Rader* Carole Stookey Drs. Andrew and Tiffany Thymius* Mrs. John Tirpak Harolf Ward, D.O. Dr. and Mrs. Badshah Wazir/ Spring Hill Cardiology* Lydia Weisser, D.O.*

Donations from 2016-2020 listed by lifetime giving category Jan. 1, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2020

Dean’s Circle Donors $10,000-$24,999 Heather Antolini* Michael Antolini, D.O.* Hal Armistead, D.O., and Amelia Roush, D.O.* Helen Baker, Ph.D. Richard Blackburn, D.O., MBA* Craig Boisvert, D.O. Lois Bosley, D.O.* George Boxwell, D.O. Drs. Edward and Kristie Bridges Paul Conley, D.O.* Melanie Crites-Bachert, D.O.* Clifford Evans, D.O.* ** Allen Finkelstein, D.O.* Robert Flowers, D.O. Robert Foster, D.O. John Garlitz, D.O. Abdollatif Ghiathi, D.O.* 66

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Businesses

Businesses

Businesses

BB&T City National Bank Highmark Inc. Humana Foundation Inc. Robert C. Byrd Clinic Inc. Smith Kline & French Laboratories West Virginia Emulation Endowment Trust WV State Medical Association Alliance

John Glover, D.O.* Marla Haller, D.O.* John Hibler, D.O. Robert Holstein, D.O. Susan Ketchem Cynthia Mayer, D.O. Richard McClung, DDS Dodi Montgomery Stephen Naymick, D.O. Deena Obrokta, D.O./Liberty Pediatrics Abdul Orra, D.O.** Susan Painter, D.O.* Pete Palko III, D.O.** Drs. Bruce and Millie Peterson* Ronald Smith, D.O.** Alan Snider, D.O. R. Spencer, D.O.* Robert Stanley, D.O. Drs. Thomas and Karen Steele Drs. Russell and Sally Stewart Peter Stracci, D.O.* Daniel Trent, D.O.* Phillip Triplett Jr., D.O. Thomas White II, D.O.* Naomi Wriston, D.O.*

Businesses

Cabell Huntington Hospital Jackson Kelly, PLLC MAKO Medical Laboratories Mason & Barry Inc. MedExpress Urgent Care Meritus Health United Bank ZMM

Sponsor donors $2,500-$4,999 David Apgar, D.O. Patricia Arnett, D.O.

*Capital Campaign Donor **Class of 1982, 1983, 1990, 2003 Capital Campaign Donor

Robert Blok Jr., D.O. Drs. William and Patricia Browning Brande Carpenter J.P. Casher, D.O. James Chambers, D.O. Elizabeth Clark, D.O. Zachary Comeaux, D.O. Michael Cope, Ph.D. Jerry Edwards, D.O.** Edward Eskew, D.O. Allison Evans-Wood, D.O. Lawrence Fabrizio, D.O. Monte Finch, D.O.** C. Gallops, D.O. Richard Girardi, D.O. Michael Grillis, D.O. Lisa Hannen Jeffrey Harris, D.O., J.D. Raymond Harron, D.O. Ray Hayes, D.O.** Milton Herndon, D.O. Sharon Howard Vernon Hughes Jr., D.O. Kelly Jackson, Ph.D. Afeworki Kidane, D.O. Gregory Lagos, D.O. Forrest Lane Jr., D.O. James Lebolt, D.O. Michael Lee, D.O. Gretchen Lovett, Ph.D. Stephen Mascio, D.O. Richard Meadows, D.O. William Minor, D.O. William Moore, D.O. David Nicholas, D.O. Kara O'Karma, D.O. Charles Paroda, D.O. Lynnetta Payne, D.O. Sherry Phillips Ryan Runyon, D.O. Randall Short, D.O. Michael Shrock, D.O. Jason Shull Jessica Shull Stefanie Shull Sophia Sibold, D.O.* Albert Smith Jr., D.O. Scott Spradlin, D.O. Julia Spradlin, D.O. Natalie Stepputat Tamejiro Takubo Jr., D.O. Robert Vass Shannon Warren Noel Weigel, D.O. Danny Westmoreland, D.O. Jennifer Wildpret, D.O. George Woodward, D.O.**

Businesses

Fairmont Regional Medical Center Grant Memorial Hospital The HealthPlan The Jim Lively Insurance Marietta Memorial Hospital Radford & Radford Ream Interests Inc. Regional Healthcare Foundation

Associate donors $1,000-$2,499 Robby Aliff, J.D. David Applegate, D.O. Kimberly Ballard, D.O. Patrice Bauserman Randall Belt, D.O. Leslie Bicksler Charles Bou-Abboud, M.D. Thomas Brandt Jr., D.O.

Jeanne Wahl, D.O. James Walker, D.O. Marvin Wells, D.O. Phillip Williams Kendall Wilson Jr., D.O. Winter Wilson, D.O. Samuel Yates, Ph.D. Sherri Young, D.O.**

James Wallace Waris Waris, M.D. Colleen Wells, D.O. Thomas Westenberger Jr., D.O. Russell Winter James Wright, D.O. Mahmoud Younis Lisa Zaleski-Larsen, D.O.

Businesses

Businesses

Camden Clark Memorial Hospital Davis Memorial Hospital Hess, Stewart & Campbell, PLLC Highland Hospital Jefferies, LLC Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital Rainelle Medical Center Reynolds Memorial Hospital St. Joseph's Hospital Summit Health WV Society of ACOFP

Friend donors $500-$999 Diane Anderson, D.O.** W. Anderson, D.O. Jennifer Bailey, D.O. Derek Ballas, D.O. Marshall Barker, D.O. Beth Been, D.O. Brittany Behm, D.O. Diana Bird Dan Breece, D.O. Edward Brennan II, D.O. Michael Burton John Cavell, D.O. Benjamin Chopski, D.O. Heidi Clark, D.O. Shawn Clark, D.O. Roselia Conrad, D.O. Barbara Cortez, D.O. Cindy Currey Christopher Daniel, D.O. Joseph Dawson, D.O. David Deuell, D.O. David Dietz M. Dillard, D.O. Roderick Doss, D.O. Robert Eaton, D.O. Peter File, D.O. Stephanie Frame, D.O. Kathy Fry, M.S. Jesamyn Fuscardo, D.O. Mitchell Fuscardo, D.O. Katherine Galluzzi, D.O. Francine Greco, D.O. Bradley Hendricks, D.O. Mary Hendricks, D.O. Carl Hoyng, D.O. Mark Jeffries, D.O. Robin King-Thiele, D.O. Thomas Kleman Howard Lafferty Jr., D.O. Susan Lane Larry Leone, D.O. Wesley Lockhart, D.O. Don McFarland, D.O. Bradley Miller, D.O. Janice Miller, D.O. Frederick Morgan, D.O. Angela Pendleton, D.O. Connie Perkins, D.O. Jana Peters, D.O. Roland Powers Jr., D.O. Deborah Schmidt, D.O. Steve Shy II, D.O. Emily Thomas, D.O. Kimberly Triplett, D.O. Wendell Wager

Appalachian Regional Hospital Assurant Inc. Country Road Realty, LLC Neathawk Lumber ProGrowth Bank WVSOM Department of Biomedical Sciences

Supporter donors $250-$499 Robert Beaty David Bennett, D.O. William Bohannon, D.O. Kristina Brown, D.O. Ronald Brownfield, D.O. Kaitlyn Brunner, D.O. Alicia Carlos, D.O. Rickey Chance, D.O. Cathy Comerci, D.O. Jonathan Cook, D.O. Anthony Crutchfield Carmen Damiani, D.O.* Matthew Deitz Marian Delmore Joseph Dougherty, D.O. Ken Dravis Richard Eades Christopher Edwards, D.O. Thomas Gibbs, D.O. Amanda Goins, D.O. Paula Gregory, D.O. Jenifer Hadley, D.O. James Harman, D.O. Jessica Harvey, D.O. Karen Hausler Tommy Holbrook II, D.O. Shea Humphrey, D.O. Muhammad Husainy, D.O. Tharon Jack Todd Jamrose, D.O. Scott Keller, D.O. Cindi Knight George Lambros Jr., D.O. Maple Landvoigt, M.D. Corinne Layne Stuart, D.O. Wendy Lee, D.O. Charles Levy, M.D. Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed.D. Michael Massey, D.O. Amelia McPeak, D.O. Laura Miller, D.O. Reginald Motley, D.O. Marshall Newbern, D.O. David Oliver, D.O. Pedro Ottaviano, D.O. Marilyn Perry, D.O. David Pickering, D.O. Aiman Rauf, D.O. Victoria Roane Glenn Roberts, D.O. Sandra Robinson, D.O. Sharon Shelton, D.O. Joshua Smith Karen Snider, D.O. Wayne Spiggle, M.D. Jonathan Stanley, D.O. Samuel Stewart, D.O. Derek Stone, D.O. Lisa Stone, D.O.

Don Swift II, D.O. Ryan Waddell, D.O. Kathryn Wallington Freeland David Whitmore, D.O. Tracy Wilkerson, DDS Terry York, D.O.

Caduceus donors $50-$249 Wandell and Laurie Adkins William Alder Carl Antolini Jr. Maeve Archibald Thomas Asher, D.O. Karen Ayers Betty Baker Cheryl Baker Claudia Banner Bruce Barger, D.O. Gregory Barnett J. Bauman, D.O. Dianna Bearse, D.O. Marie Bechtel Marc Benson, Ph.D. Charles Bibbee Kathleen Bors Zachary Bosley, D.O. Chad Brady, D.O. Gina Bray, D.O. Scott Brown, D.O. Stephen Cafferty, D.O. Jennifer Calafato, D.O. Connie Calvert, D.O. Russell Carlisle, D.O. Lorraine Ciarfella Pete Cooper Tom Corman Jonathan Craun, D.O. Nicholas Dasovich Ronda Davis Matthew Davis, D.O. Ronald Dawson Salvatore DeFilippo, D.O. James Dietz Marina Diioia, Ph.D. Penny DiVita, D.O. Nicole Dotson Theresa Dyar, D.O. Philip Eskew, D.O. Carlos and Estrella Estrada Cheryl Ferrebee John Frame, D.O. Michel Fulbert Stephen Funkhouser, D.O. Amy Goetz Carl Goldberg Samuel and Loretta Haddad Zachary Halsey, D.O. Sherral Hanshaw John Happel, M.D. Holly Hardesty Jacob Harmon, D.O. Lillian Harry, D.O. Kathy Harvey, D.O. Carol Hasbrouck Marilyn Horacek, D.O. Larry Hurtubise Kimberly Kasow, D.O. Scott Keffer, D.O. David Kim, D.O. Michael Krease, D.O. Evonne Krushansky, D.O. Diane Kwitoski Thomas Lackey II, D.O. Margaret Leef Antonio Licata, D.O. Alan and Janet Lintala Laura Lockwood, D.O.

GIFTS TO WVSOM

Leslie Buchanan, D.O. Marilea Butcher Joseph Calvert, D.O. John Carey, D.O.** John Carvalho Noah Childers, D.O. Carl Colombo, D.O. Suzanne Courtney, D.O.** Michael Coyle, D.O. Tyler Cymet, D.O. Jane Daugherty-Luck, D.O. Jason Dees, D.O. Mark Dodd, D.O. Richard Durham, D.O. John Ellison, D.O.** John Facinoli, D.O. Christopher Flanagan, D.O.* Troy Foster, D.O. Darla Gallentine, D.O. Bradley Goad, D.O. Kathy Goodman, D.O. Charles Hanshaw, D.O. Ryan Harris, D.O. Holly Hill-Reinert, D.O. Brant Hinchman, D.O. Tim Holbrook Alice Hollingsworth Mark Hrko, D.O. Randal Huff, D.O. Kristy Huffman, D.O. Elizabeth Isaac Dainty Jackson, D.O. Brandon Johnson, J.D. Leonard Kamen, D.O.** Charles Kirkland, D.O. Clay Lee, D.O. Drema Mace, Ph.D. Judith Maloney, Ph.D. William Martin, Ph.D. T.A. Mashburn, Ph.D. Virgil McGrady, D.O. Satish Menon, D.O. Ernest Miller Jr., D.O. Karen Miller, J.D. Gary Mitchell Mark Mitchell, D.O. Rebecca Morrow, Ph.D. John Myer George Naum III, D.O. Catherine Noone James Paugh II, D.O. Robert Pepper, D.O. Rebecca Perry, D.O. Dallas Petrey, D.O. Bonita Portier, D.O. Mary Pozega, D.O. Michael Pyles, D.O. Angelo Ratini, D.O. Melinda Ratini, D.O. Katherine Redding, D.O. Roi Reed, D.O. Marilyn Reinemer Thomas Richardson, D.O. Madonna Ringswald, D.O. Ty Robinson, D.O. Curt Rosner Gary Sajko, D.O. Steven and Alice Sarver Rameen Shafiei, D.O. Steven Sheppard, D.O. John Sheridan, D.O. Victoria Shuman, D.O. Linda Smith, D.O. Jane Tallman, D.O. Robert Thiele, D.O. John Todorczuk, D.O. Maria Tranto, D.O. Mark Waddell, D.O. Sarah and John Wade

Jon and Christine MacQuilken Deanna Mangieri-Ross, D.O. Laura Marple Cynthia Martinsen, D.O. Dennis Mays II, D.O. Jeffrey McCormick, D.O. Brian McDevitt, D.O. Susan Medalie, D.O. Roy and Dianne Milam Donette Mizia Serge and Cindy Molinari Bridget Moore Franklin Moore, D.O. Bobbi Morgan Fara Movagharnia, D.O. Robert Murphy Stephen Naymick II, D.O. Ryan Newell, D.O. Jilian Nicholas, D.O. Mary Norris Steve Obermeyer Laura Oleson Robert Olexo, D.O. Jason Oreskovich, D.O. Katrina Ostermann, D.O. Benjamin Palmer, D.O. Jeremy Parsons, D.O. Ed Pasternak, D.O. Karla Pauley Wayne Pottmeyer Jennifer Pritchett, D.O. Julianna Quick David Rainey, M.D. Kimberly Ransom Heather Ratliff, D.O. Randall and Sandra Rhodes Gilbert Rice III, D.O. Janice Rice, D.O. Lance Ridpath Lydia Roberts, D.O. Matthew Roberts, D.O. Lawrence Rogina, D.O. Daniel Rossi, D.O. Roy Russ, Ph.D. Judith Schaffer, D.O. Eric Schneider, D.O. James Scott, D.O. Karen Sparks Thea Stewart Chris and Renee Swalm Carol and Steve Szer Lisa Trent-Newell, D.O. Mark VanBuren Lisa Vaughn, D.O. Rachel Wallace, D.O. Michael Warlick, D.O. Johnny Watts, D.O. David Webb, M.D. John Wherthey Daniel Whitmore Donald Williams Carla Wilson Robert Wiseman David Wray John Wilson, DVM Nina Yokochi-Funkhouser, D.O. Harry Young Jr., D.O. Tye Young, D.O Jawad Zafar, D.O. David and Paula Zorn

Businesses

Dana Foundation Potomac Valley Hospital WVSOM Office of Business Affairs

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WVSOM is grateful for all the support friends and donors provide to students. The generosity of the following

sponsors helped provide more than $35,000

2019

in student scholarships during the 2019 Gala. Thirty-one students were selected who exemplify academic leadership, community involvement and the osteopathic medical profession. We look forward to resuming fundraising events to recognize students and reward their efforts.

2019

We Create. You Celebrate.

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EXPERIENCE. TALENT. COMMITMENT.

CHARLESTON

WHEELING

MARTINSBURG

304.345.4222

304.233.3100

301.901.2000

500 Virginia Street East, Suite 600 1219 Chapline Street

300 Foxcroft Ave. Suite 100B Rm 8

WWW.BAILEYWYANT.COM

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Dr. and Mrs. Charles H. Davis

Proud sponsor of WVSOM scholarships

WWW.DAVISEYECENTER.COM

330.923.5676 789 Graham Road • Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221

Your destination for quality care , close to home.

When you choose Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, you’re choosing quality care from physicians and staff who care about you as a neighbor. We provide a wide range of services that we are constantly working to enhance for you and your family. You can feel confident turning to us for each of the following: • 122 Beds • 24-Hour Emergency Room • Cardiac Services and Stress Testing • Cardiopulmonary Services • Lab Services • Mammography • MRI, CT Scan, Ultrasound, and X-ray • Nutritional Counseling • OB Unit/Birthing Rooms

• ONMM & Family Medicine Residency Programs • Pediatrics • Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery • Sleep Medicine and Sleep Lab • Social Services • Surgical Services • Urology

To find out more about our care and services, visit GVMC.com or call 304-647-4411.

1320 Maplewood Avenue • Ronceverte, WV 24970 Greenbrier Valley Medical Center is owned in part by physicians.

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Medical Missions & Imaging, PC Proud sponsors and participants of the WVSOM chapter of DOCARE International and global outreach.

JAMES H. DEERING, D.O. JODI S. FLANDERS, D.O., FACOFP CAYTLIN A. DEERING, D.O., AAHIVS CLINTON B. DEERING, D.O. ALYCEN DEERING JONES, MBA KORBIN WAHLSTROM, MBA GREGORY J. SPENCER, B.A., MBA

2475 West Garrison Road • Owosso, MI 48867

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Is Proud to Support The WVSOM Gala 2019 Carvalho/Yates at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Whit Yates Senior Institutional Consultant Managing Director—Wealth Management Private Wealth Advisor 404-949-4206 whit.yates@morganstanleypwm.com NMLS# 1646403

Jack Carvalho Senior Institutional Consultant Managing Director—Wealth Management Private Wealth Advisor 404-949-4205 jack.carvalho@morganstanleypwm.com NMLS# 1646402

3280 Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30305 © 2019 Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. PWM002 CRC 2410105 02/19

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Making Communities Healthier With Comprehensive Care • Advanced Wound • Neurology Care & Hyperbaric • Oncology Medicine Center • Rehabilitation • Emergency & Services Trauma Services • Respiratory Care • Hospitalist • Robotic Surgery Program Technology • Imaging Services • Surgical Services • Interventional • Urology Cardiac Care • Interventional Pain • Women’s & Children’s Center Management

RaleighGeneral.com

304-256-4100

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Your Generosity Will Impact Generations

Plan Your Giving Now Estate planning is important.

Regardless of your age or whether your net worth is $100 or $1 billion, crafting a thoughtful estate plan lets you protect the people and causes you love most.

If you have a heart for the people of West Virginia and Appalachia’s rural communities, we’re asking you to join others who are planning bequests to the WVSOM Foundation through their wills or trusts.

Ways to Give

Donors can fund planned giving from a variety of assets, including: • Cash • Marketable securities • Real estate • Life insurance • Retirement accounts • Certain personal property (artwork, antiques, jewelry, etc.)

When you include the WVSOM Foundation in your estate plan, you will support the future health care heroes who will care for generations of families.

SE T S for

For more information about WVSOM Foundation’s Planned Giving options and to learn about our LifeLong Learners (L3) Society, call:

STUDENTS

304.647.6374

400 Lee Street North | Lewisburg, WV 24901 304.647.6374 | wvsomfoundation.org

SE TS for

STUDENT SUPPORT ANOTHER WAY YOU CAN HELP STUDENTS REDUCE THEIR DEBT.

for

TAKE A SE T

D

o you know about WVSOM’s Take A Seat campaign?

By claiming where you sat in the WVSOM classrooms,

you have the opportunity to leave a legacy of your time at WVSOM, where your journey began. In doing so, you will support future students through the WVSOM Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, creating a lasting legacy that is noted in one of the most utilized areas on campus.

QUESTIONS? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations alumni@osteo.wvsom.edu • 304-647-6373 73

WORK THRIVE

HERE HERE

Join the largest healthcare team in West Virginia.

is a Statewide Campus of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

linkedin.com/company/wvumedicinecamdenclark

Amy Rinehart, Physician Recruiter amy.marshall@wvumedicine.org 304-865-5061

Leading healthcare here and everywhere.

Come Join Our Team!

Contact Angela.Heavner@ wvumedicine.org for Physician Opportunities

Thank you for supporting WVSOM students

Hagerstown, MD

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WE’D LIKE YOU TO MEET

LISA SELDOMRIDGE Health Educator Senior

H O W L O N G H AV E Y O U W O R K E D AT W V S O M ?

I have been employed at WVSOM since May 2010, more than 10 years now.

W H A T C I T Y/ T O W N A R E Y O U O R I G I N A L LY F R O M ?

I have lived in Greenbrier County, W.Va., my entire life. I grew up in Frankford and now live in Lewisburg. I feel blessed to have been able to remain in this beautiful state, close to family and friends.

W H AT I S Y O U R FAV O R I T E S P O T ON CAMPUS?

My favorite landmark is the Alumni Tower on the Student Center. The architecture adds an elegance to campus that can be enjoyed from multiple views. My favorite view is from my own neighborhood, where it provides a beautiful backdrop to the evening sunset.

W H AT I S O N E O F Y O U R M E M O R I E S AT W V S O M ?

The funniest thing that comes to mind is when Angie Amick and I traveled with our pediatric human-patient simulators to Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg for a Statewide Campus Education Day. At the end of the day, we loaded the simulators on gurneys into the van. I looked back and noticed hospital security moving quickly toward us. I made Angie aware and she felt they were interested in someone else, but they were in fact interested in us.

Security personnel and a deputy sheriff were concerned about a possible child abduction. Everyone was relieved to learn that we were just transporting our simulated patients safely home.

HOW DO YOU, IN YOUR ROLE AT W V S O M , S U P P O R T T H E S C H O O L’ S M I S S I O N ?

I am part of a team of health educators who provide hands-on learning opportunities to supplement students’ classroom learning.

We teach within our scope of practice as well as manage or provide support in all areas. We each have an area of primary responsibility but are all actively involved in various simulation programs. We are passionate about sharing the best, most up-to-date practice information as well as the real-life experiences we’ve encountered throughout our diverse employment backgrounds.

W H AT I S I T A B O U T W V S O M ( A S A N I N S T I T U T I O N O R A S A N E M P L O Y E R ) T H AT H A S M A D E Y O U W A N T T O CONTINUE WORKING HERE?

WVSOM is dedicated to the students we serve. There is an emphasis on biomedical and humanistic education to ensure our medical students become highly educated and caring physicians. I also appreciate WVSOM’s goal of employee satisfaction and its encouragement of professional development.

H O W D O E S Y O U R D E P A R T M E N T P L AY A N I M P O R TA N T R O L E AT W V S O M ?

The Clinical Evaluation Center provides safe simulated learning environments for our students to practice and perfect patient care. Our goal is to educate dedicated learners via creative, advanced teaching and assessment modalities that will follow them throughout their medical careers. Simulation education focuses on improving patient safety and delivering quality patient care. Research has noted that mistakes made in simulation are not forgotten. Learners can recall this information and it assists in decreasing medical errors.

TELL US SOMETHING WE M AY N O T K N O W A B O U T Y O U .

The only thing I can remember ever wanting to be was a nurse. The idea of being able to help people in their most vulnerable times was important to me. I became a registered nurse in 1994 and started my career at Alleghany Regional Hospital in Low Moor, Va. I was fortunate to work with wonderful physicians, nurses and allied health professionals during my 11-plus years there. I learned about the importance of good communication between disciplines was to provide the best patient outcomes.

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West Virginia School of OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

400 Lee Street North Lewisburg, WV 24901

WVSOM POINTS OF

PRIDE

1

22

No.

Consecutive Years

WVSOM has been recognized as one of the nation’s top medical schools for 22 consecutive years.

WVSOM is No. 1 in providing primary care physicians for West Virginia.

W.Va. HEPC Health Sciences Report Card

U.S. News & World Report

1

No.

1

No.

WVSOM is No. 1 in the nation graduating primary care physicians who practice in rural Appalachia.

Academic Medicine

WVSOM is No. 1 in the nation among all medical schools graduating physicians who practice in rural areas.

Academic Medicine

IMPORTANT DATES SUMMER

SPRING

ALUMNI

ASSOCIATION

CME

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April 1

May 29

June 9-12

June 26

SPRING AWARDS • CEREMONY WINTER 2021

GRADUATION

SUMMER SEMINAR

ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE