WVSOM fall magazine 2021 Keeping Bright Minds Burning: Shining a Light on Mental Health

a publication of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine FALL 2021

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,

care in rural areas.

A message from the President

As I reflect on the past academic year, I realize that it certainly has been unlike any I have experienced in my 40 years of medical education. The pandemic dominated every aspect of our individual lives as well as the life of our institution. In successfully meeting those challenges, we have identified strengths, recognized weaknesses and are applying lessons learned as we continue to battle the pandemic.

One of the most important lessons was the need to address mental health and wellness during a global health crisis. In this issue, we wanted to highlight the work of our COVID-19 Stress Relief Task Force as well as a number of activities that helped students relieve stress and feelings of isolation.

One of WVSOM’s greatest strengths is our Academic Support and Intervention Resources (ASPIRE) department, which consists of licensed counselors/learning specialists who provide strategies to help students wherever they are in their collective and personal journeys. In this issue you will get to meet the ASPIRE team. In providing invaluable services during the pandemic, they were among the superstars who made a difference in our students’ lives.

WVSOM alumni are also superstars. Several are highlighted in this issue for their achievements in battling COVID-19 and the stigma of mental illness that can follow in its wake. Additionally, we included profiles of recent graduates illustrating the varied paths our students take as WVSOM alumni.

As the past academic year came to a close, our institution marked two unprecedented events: the Class of 2024 White Coat Ceremony and the Class of 2021 Commencement Ceremony. Everyone experienced loss during the past academic year, but these two classes were uniquely affected. Because of pandemic restrictions, the first time our Class of 2024 was able to gather in person was for their White Coat Ceremony on the last day of the academic year. Equally remarkable, while graduation for the Class of 2021 represented the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication, it also was a year in which they successfully obtained residency positions under exceptional circumstances.

When in-person events were not permitted, WVSOM utilized virtual activities throughout the year, including “Conversations With the President” to help me monitor the pulse and concerns of students. And, importantly, we recognized the many campus-wide accomplishments of students, faculty and staff in virtual award ceremonies prior to the 2021 graduation celebration.

It is an especially exciting time in the history of the school as we transition to a new academic leader. Linda Boyd, D.O., vice president for academic affairs and dean, brings a wealth of experience as a seasoned medical educator and administrator, osteopathic physician and Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation commissioner. She is especially interested in the well-being of medical students and is already making an impact on the WVSOM medical education experience.

As the new academic year begins, I can feel a sense of optimism from students, faculty and staff. Everyone seems to have a renewed sense of energy, purpose and resolve to address the continued challenges of medical education.

WVSOM remains strong and vibrant. We are in the midst of construction for a stateof-the-art Testing Center, but the campus is as beautiful as ever. The alumni bricks have found a home in a new location and, of particular significance, our academic program received accolades from U.S. News & World Report for the 23rd consecutive year!

There is an African word, ubuntu: “We exist because of others; I am because of you,” which parallels the saying that “no man is an island.” That sentiment was no more evident than during this past year, and for that I am deeply grateful to each of you.

Take care and be well.

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D.

34 YEARS of academic experience

Boyd brings to the position 34 years of academic experience as a family medicine clinical educator and medical school administrator, with a record of excellence in education, funded research and course administration.

KEEPING BRIGHT MINDS BURNING: SHINING A LIGHT ON MENTAL HEALTH

The most pivotal person in determining a medical school’s academic landscape and structure is the dean, the individual responsible for faculty, students and the overall academic structure of the institution. WVSOM has a new academic leader with the announcement of Linda Boyd, D.O., as the school’s vice president for academic affairs and dean.

She began working at WVSOM on June 21, but her duties as dean started July 1 with the retirement of previous dean Craig Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP, who served at WVSOM for more than 34 years.

“It is hard for any team to change leaders, and especially when the prior dean is as well known and loved as Dr. Boisvert. I will ask the team to accept that I am a different person, though I am sure I am in some ways similar,” Boyd said.

faculty development, diversity grants, accreditation, clinical education, clinical skills, simulation, the registrar’s office and continuing medical education.

“My immediate goal is to learn the details of the school and meet the people who work at WVSOM so I can understand the strengths and talents available. I would like to have a clear vision of where we can take the school and to have a plan in place no later than the end of my first six months,” she said.

Interests in TEACHING + RESEARCH

evidence-based medicine patient education burnout/resilience functional medicine

Boyd brings to the position 34 years of academic experience as a family medicine clinical educator and medical school administrator, with a record of excellence in education, funded research and course administration.

Her nearly eight years as senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM) in Stratford, N.J., have given her experience leading a medical school.

In her role, Boyd was responsible for all divisions that deal with students and education, including curriculum, student affairs, admissions, assessment, advising,

After joining RowanSOM in 2013, Boyd helped the school transition from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine — where she received her medical degree in 1984 — to Rowan University. In addition, she helped increased the school’s class size and worked toward creating an additional medical school location, which is pending approval. She also spearheaded a comprehensive curriculum renewal, developed a simulation center and significantly increased clinical training sites.

Boyd said she is confident her leadership experience will help move WVSOM forward and she is eager for the opportunity to make an impact.

“My greatest strengths are in creating and implementing programs through clear vision, recruitment of excellent talent, team building and alignment of strategic priorities,” she said.

WVSOM named new DEAN

~ LINDA BOYD, D.O. ~

“My greatest strengths are in creating and implementing programs through clear vision, recruitment of excellent talent, team building and alignment of strategic priorities.”

DEVELOPING THE NEXT CHAPTER of WVSOM’s story

Craig Boisvert, who grew up in Vermont, has called West Virginia home for more than 33 years. He began his career at WVSOM as a faculty member and a family physician for 25 years at the Robert C. Byrd Clinic. After five years as faculty, he was selected to chair the school’s family practice section, where he served for a decade. He then became chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences for seven years.

He was selected to become WVSOM’s dean about seven years ago, a job that included supervising faculty, maintaining responsibility for the curriculum, counseling and, when necessary, disciplining students and managing the budget.

During his career, Boisvert received many awards, including the West Virginia Immunization Network Immunization Advocate Award, WVSOM’s President’s Award for Excellence for Outstanding Clinical Sciences Faculty and WVSOM’s Outstanding Employee of the Year Award. He was inducted into the American Osteopathic Association’s Mentor Hall of Fame and West Virginia Executive magazine’s annual Health Care Hall of Fame.

Her leadership skills were developed through training at the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women and the Physicians in Management courses through the American College of Physician Executives. She also participated in the Senior Leadership Development Program sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, and was recognized by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, which selected her as a commissioner in 2019.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said Boyd comes to WVSOM with extensive experience as a dean, as well as a distinguished career as an osteopathic physician, educator and administrator.

“The entire school is excited that Dr. Boyd is our next dean,” he said. “We look forward to all that Dr. Boyd will accomplish in this next chapter of WVSOM’s story.”

Boyd completed a rotating osteopathic internship and a family medicine residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, N.J. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has remained clinically active throughout her career, including work in osteopathic manipulative medicine. Her interests in teaching and research include evidencebased medicine, patient education, burnout/resilience and functional medicine. Her passion is to create a medical school environment and curriculum that allows students to excel while maintaining wellness.

PASSION

Resources to feed student passions

Boyd said many studies have shown that medical students’ stress and anxiety levels are higher than those of their peers in other terminal degree programs.

“We are taking our best and brightest people in medical school and we’re burning them out,” she said.

Students need resources that cater to what they feel passionate about, Boyd said, whether they’re opportunities for music, art or outdoor physical activity. Many campuses provide a variety of events for students to feed their souls. WVSOM is no exception, with the school’s Academic Support and Intervention Resources (ASPIRE) department — which helps students adopt effective learning techniques and provides counseling to those who experience mental health issues such as anxiety, depression or sleep difficulties — playing a pivotal role in offering those activities.

One of those activities at WVSOM is the use of open art studios, where aspiring physicians can relax, socialize and let their creativity flow in order to combat burnout. The art studios were created about four years ago by Ginger Conley, M.A., LPC, a learning specialist/student counselor in WVSOM’s ASPIRE department. She came up with the program 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, but an opportunity to develop a skill that can prevent burnout, enhance empathy and prevent mental occupational hazards,” Conley said.

The counseling team also hosted musician and wellness showcases in the 2020-21 academic year.

The musical showcase allowed faculty, staff and students to virtually share their talents and hobbies in order to encourage connection and inspiration while students mostly learned from their homes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual art for wellness showcases featured “warm and cozy” textiles created by the WVSOM community as an outlet to de-stress.

Perhaps the timeliest resource offered by WVSOM’s ASPIRE department during the pandemic was the creation of a COVID-19 Stress Relief Task Force in September 2020.

Julianna Quick, M.A., Ed.S., LPC, a learning specialist/student counselor at WVSOM, and Roy Russ, Ph.D., WVSOM’s associate dean for preclinical education, created the Stress Relief Task Force as a forum through which students could make administrators aware of their concerns. The campus organization helped give medical students a voice in ensuring pandemic-related stress was addressed. It included one student representative from each of the four graduating classes enrolled at WVSOM.

The group’s objective was to assess students’ level of pandemic-related stress and find ways to speak to their concerns. Quick, who co-chaired the task force with Russ, said ongoing communication played an important role in achieving that goal.

“The administration had already done a lot of things to address students’ needs,” Quick said. “But we felt it was important to get together with the students at least once a month so that everybody was on the same page. We wanted to know what they needed and what they were struggling with.”

As an example, Quick said that during one group meeting, a student representative explained that his class needed more information about the

federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act that was signed into law in March 2020 and how it might benefit West Virginia’s higher education students.

Quick said the task force also addressed questions about where students who were on rotations last year could obtain personal protective equipment. Additionally, it helped students connect with stressdecreasing initiatives and events offered by WVSOM, such as virtual yoga sessions, and a field day that was organized by several campus clubs, which gave students a chance to socialize and participate in outdoor activities while adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines.

In addition to the student representatives, the Stress Relief Task Force comprised faculty from WVSOM’s biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, and osteopathic principles and practice departments, as well as staff from the school’s Clinical Evaluation Center, National Boards and Exam Center, Statewide Campus, Office of Student Life and Office of the President.

Olivia Giambra was the group’s first-year student representative during the 2020-21 academic year.

WELLNESS

She said the task force was an example of WVSOM’s dedication to those who are pursuing a medical degree at the school — a commitment that remains even during unusually challenging circumstances.

“COVID-19 has dictated so much of our lives, and it’s causing things to constantly change and requiring students to be aware of updates,” Giambra said. “I’m happy that WVSOM took the initiative to address students’ concerns and not brush them under the rug.”

Boyd said that as the new dean, it’s important to share her dedication to wellness with the school community.

“As the dean, you need to articulate the vision to everybody and make it clear that this is where we’re heading. And why we’re heading there is just as important,” she said. “We need to produce doctors who are as humane, altruistic and caring as when they walked in the door and not burn them out while they’re in medical school. We want to keep those ideals intact and nurture and grow them rather than extinguish them.”

It became an important issue for Boyd when she was a physician who treated patients who happened to be burned-out medical students.

“I think this has been germinating for a long time. Earlier in my career, I worked in student health at two different medical schools as a physician and I saw all different types of health science students,” she said.

“Hearing over and over the stress they were under and the psychological impact of the grueling nature of medical school, which is overwhelming and unrelenting, and how that affected them physically and mentally — to

see how much distress we were causing them was worrisome to me.”

Boyd said that for years she has watched young, smart and caring medical students become burned out, depressed and disillusioned by the demands of medical school.

“We need to provide support, care and mentorship along the way, as well as teach students how to maintain balance, health and wellness throughout their training. It is also important to build in breaks in the schedule to allow students to decompress, rest and reinvigorate themselves periodically so they can maintain the rigorous training,” she said.

More opportunities for breaks throughout the academic year is the most effective way to promote wellness, Boyd said. One approach might be restructuring the curriculum to allow for exams on Fridays in order for students to have the weekend off. While the WVSOM academic schedule for fall was set before Boyd took on the role of dean, she plans to implement more substantial changes in the spring and next fall for a more “pared down” schedule.

A school where mental health thrives

EDUCATION

WVSOM administrators have been hopeful that the beginning of a new academic year means moving toward a more typical medical school experience. However, one focus of orientation, which took place the last week of July, was the school’s continued precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boyd, who began her role as dean weeks before orientation, said that although this school year’s procedures represent a return to relative normalcy after the socially distanced 202021 academic year, the school is still making accommodations to keep students and employees safe.

“I’d like to say that COVID-19 is over, but it’s not,” Boyd told students. “Our students, staff and faculty are over 95 percent vaccinated. That creates an environment that allows us to be in a room together and an environment where you can get through school and not worry about getting sick. But having the vaccine doesn’t fully protect you, so I want you to be safe.”

To that end, WVSOM placed students in alternating seats while attending in-person lectures, and grouped students into “pods” of four during labs to facilitate contact tracing in case of an outbreak, Boyd said. Additionally, all

students and faculty are required to wear KN95 masks during labs and team-based learning sessions, and students are encouraged to remain masked in lectures. Boyd said WVSOM’s COVID-19 guidelines are similar to those used by other higher education institutions for the opening of the academic year.

Also during orientation week, members of the ASPIRE staff spoke about the importance of maintaining wellness, managing stress and avoiding burnout; discussed suicide awareness and prevention; and hosted a scavenger hunt that had students roaming campus to promote exercise, outdoor activity, teamwork and creativity.

New academic year brings a relatively normal experience

The ASPIRE team plans to continue to offer wellness activities in the upcoming academic year as the effects of the pandemic linger, such as Self-Aware Integrated Learning (SAIL) program workshops. The workshops will focus on the active learning cycle, self-care and stress management, test-taking and time management. The program is designed to offer students tools to promote a successful transition into medical school.

“The SAIL program is a yearly offering that has been provided for students for many years,” Conley said. “In addition to the separate workshops, we offered a two-day intensive to the Class of 2025 before the academic year began.”

In addition to the department’s annual events, ASPIRE will begin offering monthly student support lunches to focus on developing healthy habits for wellness and academic success. Conley said the department was inspired by the book Atomic Habits, by James Clear, to offer the events.

Members of the WVSOM community who need a moment away from the rigors of medical school can use the school’s mindfulness meditation room, Room A422, located on the fourth-floor quad of the main building. The room is open mornings, afternoons and evenings on weekdays and weekends.

The room is equipped with an “antigravity” chair that simulates the stress-reducing position astronauts assume during liftoff, meditation cushions that help support a person’s sitting posture, a CD player featuring guided meditations, and a treadmill for walking meditation. The room is available on a walk-in basis.

“We often talk about mindfulness in our work, so the room was developed a few years ago as a place where students could take a break and practice mindfulness meditation,” Quick said. “It’s a nice space to relax if you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

WVSOM’s new dean will make her passion for students’ mental health a priority.

“We have to hold everybody accountable. The students are pushing for it because it’s what they want. The faculty are going to hear the necessity of it. And the administration will help to implement it. It takes a full-circle approach, which is important for making anything happen,” Boyd said. “Medical students need support from their family and friends, and support from their school. Of course you need some level of internal resilience as a medical student, which develops with the hard knocks you have had in life — some people call it grit — but we still need to do better. I tell students, ‘I can’t make medical school easy, but I can make it kinder and gentler.’”

Beyond the classroom:

consequences seem obvious, including financial, social, educational, occupational and housing issues, as well as the loss of friends and loved ones and ongoing medical issues.

While mental health is a priority at WVSOM, it is also garnering more attention nationally due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to celebrities who are voicing concerns, such as gymnast Simone Biles, who sat out of competitions during the Summer Olympics due to mental health concerns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the pandemic has been associated with mental health challenges related to the morbidity and mortality caused by the disease and to mitigation activities, including the impact of physical distancing and stay-athome orders.

During late June, 40 percent of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use, the agency reported. Symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased in the U.S. during the period of April to June 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.

Gretchen Lovett, Ph.D., a WVSOM psychologist and professor of clinical sciences, said isolation caused by the pandemic may contribute to individuals not seeking help.

“The pandemic has cut into the number of people seeking care for medical and mental health reasons. COVID has kept some people home and more isolated than ever. We will learn more as we analyze this data in terms of what happened during 2020-21, and it is still ongoing. We do know that overdoses and deaths from overdose were significantly up during COVID,” she said.

According to a June survey, 13.3 percent of U.S. adults started or increased substance use to cope with pandemicrelated stress or emotions, according to the CDC study.

Though society is growing more accepting of mental health issues, there is still work to be done to lessen the stigma.

“Mental struggles are a normal part of life. We have stress leading to depression and anxiety as well as to substance use problems, and many kinds of trauma and loss that have significant emotional and behavioral effects,” Lovett said. “It is on each of us to demonstrate acceptance in our daily lives and in our communities for people who are struggling with mental, psychological, emotional, stress or substance issues. It touches all families.”

Research on the extent of the pandemic’s impact on mental health is still ongoing. However, some

“The consequences are so varied, vast and significant and people are different and were in different situations when the pandemic hit our world, that it is hard to state how this will affect people,” Lovett said. “For so many people, the COVID-19 pandemic is going to have long-term, traumatic psychological effects as well as very real, impactful and sustained economic and practical effects which, in turn, will have their own consequences. We can ask: What is the consequence of a child losing a year’s worth of reading skills? What is the consequence of a family losing their source of income? What is the consequence of having a friend pass away from a pandemic-related illness? There are so many questions, situations and consequences. I think the best we can do is to try to stay open, to listen to our fellow human beings and realize that this upheaval of the global community will have ongoing consequences for a long time.ˮ

Lovett said that even though studies have begun to show the pandemic’s impact on mental health, these outcomes cannot be discussed as if they are in the rearview mirror.

“It is hard to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of a traumatic event when the event is still ongoing,” she said.

How a pandemic can have long-term implications on mental health

WVSOM commencement speaker urged new physicians to take on the �ture

For 179 graduates, four demanding years of lectures, labs, exams and clinical rotations finally paid off. On a crisp spring morning on the campus of WVSOM, another class of medical students officially became physicians.

One year after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift to a virtual commencement ceremony, WVSOM was able to return to an in-person event, modified to accommodate the need for continued safety precautions. Participation in the ceremony was optional for those earning their degree, and guests were scattered inside campus buildings where they watched via livestream.

Student milestones: Graduation

In the weeks leading up to WVSOM’s largest annual event, administrators and staff stayed busy preparing for the ceremony. Employees examined each student’s records to verify they had met graduation requirements, and beautification efforts made the campus, already colorful with springtime splendor, look its brightest. A tent large enough to allow for social distancing was assembled on the parade field, and lighting equipment and a sound system were installed.

Finally, on May 29, graduates were honored at WVSOM’s 44th annual commencement ceremony. Members of the Class of 2021, clad in black-and-green gowns, gathered to receive their diplomas and listen to statements prepared by the school’s president, the class president and this year’s keynote speaker, Craig Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP, WVSOM’s then-vice president for academic affairs and dean, who recently retired after more than 33 years with the school.

In his address, Boisvert commented on the complications students faced in completing medical school during a pandemic. He noted that the class was forced to transition from in-person rotations to online due to a scarcity of personal protective equipment, and that travel restrictions further constrained clinical experiences.

“Many of you were extremely limited in ‘out’ rotations this past year as hospitals attempted to decrease the spread of COVID by limiting the travel of medical students. Yet 97 percent of you were able to get residencies and have jobs starting in July,” Boisvert said. “It’s now time to look at what the future might have in store for you — planning for your careers, perhaps getting married, starting a family or adding to your family, starting to pay off student loans and eventually, as now I am, looking at retirement.”

Despite the challenges the world has been through, Boisvert said, new physicians must be prepared to respond to changing circumstances and be willing to lead the medical profession in the years ahead. He called on graduates to commit themselves to a life of selflessness and courage.

“We entered medicine because we wanted to be able to help others. Yet too often we sit and think about what others can do for us and fail to think about what we can do for them,” Boisvert said. “You may not know it, but the future of medicine, the health care system and medical education lies in your hands. … You will find that at times you are presented opportunities that you might not be eager to take on, but you realize you’re the best person to take on that challenge based on the situation. Will you fear the future and refuse the challenge, or will you take on the future and shape it?”

“Will you fear the future and refuse the challenge, or will you take on the future and shape it?”

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

Evan Tyree, president of WVSOM’s Class of 2021, also spoke of the obstacles students faced in earning medical degrees during a global health crisis. He expressed hope that the confidence gained from overcoming these difficulties would help prepare class members for an uncertain future.

“It would be nice to say the next phase of this journey will be easy: We did the hard work, got the ‘doctor’ title and it’s smooth sailing from here. While that might be nice, that is not what being a doctor is about. This career is about striving to always learn, to continue improving ourselves with the goal of providing the best possible care for the people whose lives depend on us. Perhaps it was good that our road through medical school was littered with as many obstacles as it was. We’ll be faced with more hurdles as we transition into our new roles as physicians,” Tyree said.

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, praised students for their resilience and their dedication to osteopathic medicine, noting that WVSOM has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s best medical schools for 23 consecutive years. He urged students not to shrink from adversity.

“I know you are proud of what you have accomplished both as a class and individually, as you should be,” Nemitz told graduates. “I am confident that you will continue to represent yourselves and WVSOM with the same level of enthusiasm, service and professionalism that you have demonstrated these past four years. … I hope every day you wake up and try to do your best. Some days you will succeed and other days you won’t. That is why we are given another day.”

After class members received their diplomas, Boisvert led them in reciting the osteopathic oath, which acknowledges a graduate’s transition from student to physician.

Cousins of David Judy, Class of 2005

CAL GLOVER

TYLER GLOVER ZACKERYJOHNSON THOMAS

Son of Shawn Johnson, Class of 1992

Brother of Michael Johnson, Class of 2020

Brother of Monique Oye, Class of 2018 Michelle Oye, Class of 2019 Melissa Oye, Class of 2020

Class of 2021

Legacy Graduates

JOHN MANCHINIV

Grandson of John Manchin II, Class of 1978

DAVID OYE CLAYTON SP ENCER

KN O WLES

Brother of Ross Knowles, Class of 2015

DANIELWILLI AMSON

Cousin of Matthew Phillips, Class of 2019

Son of Alan Spencer, Class of 1986

WVSOM graduates given $60,700 at awards ceremony

WVSOM students in the Class of 2021 were recognized for their achievements in medical school during a virtual Graduation Awards Ceremony on May 26. Graduation awards totaled $60,700.

The class consisted of 179 graduates, with 116 graduates entering primary care residency programs and a 97 percent residency match rate.

The event recognized 18 students who graduated with honors. In addition, 26 students were recognized as members of Psi Sigma Alpha, a national osteopathic scholastic honor society. Nine students were recognized with the American Medical Women’s Association Glasgow-Rubin Certificates of Commendation for Academic Achievement. Thirty-eight students received cords reflecting their membership in Sigma Sigma Phi - Nu Chapter, a national osteopathic medicine fraternity that supports medical scholastic excellence. Seven 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 John Janousek as this year’s winner.

The Olen E. Jones Jr. and 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 John Janousek as this year’s winner.

The Opal Price Sharp Memorial Fund was created in memory of the wife of WVSOM’s first president, Dr. Roland P. Sharp. Opal Price Sharp worked alongside Dr. Sharp in the early years of the school, using her journalistic skills to promote WVSOM’s mission throughout West Virginia. Jordan Ormsby received the award for dedication to osteopathic medicine.

The Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia Farson-Smith-Earley 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. This year’s recipient was Kayla Odle.

The Donald Newell Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior is presented to a student who, in the opinion of his or her classmates, best exemplifies the qualities of scholarship, osteopathic professional interest, leadership and citizenship. This year’s recipient was Benjamin Keaton.

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

The Drs. John and Nancy Chambers Memorial Scholarship Fund is given to a student who intends to practice medicine in an underserved community and who had a strong academic performance. The scholarship honors two former WVSOM professors. This year’s recipient was Kayla Odle.

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 a couple of months after her birth. This year’s recipient was Kayla Schlosser.

The Dr. Catherine A. Bishop Scholarship Fund recognizes a fourthyear student committed to a residency program in West Virginia. This year’s recipient was Christopher Brown.

The David Hinchman, D.O., Emergency Medicine Award was created 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 award is given to a graduating student who intends to enter an emergency medicine residency. This year’s recipient was Heather Farr.

The Stephanie Dawn Barragy Memorial Scholarship was established 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. Kate Warren was this year’s 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. This year’s scholarship was presented to MacKenzie Sloas.

This was the inaugural year for the Eugene McClung, M.D., Family Scholarship. The scholarship was created by McClung’s family to honor his service to the medical profession. McClung was a graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine and was a U.S. Army Purple Heart recipient. He practiced internal medicine in Lewisburg from 1957 until his death in 1988. The scholarship recognizes a first-generation college graduate who exhibits a strong interest in community involvement. This year’s recipient was Kaley Kuntz.

The Antolini Family Scholarship, created by Michael Antolini, D.O., Class of 2012, was presented for the first time this year through the WVSOM Foundation. The scholarship was created to recognize a graduating student who demonstrates leadership and who has positively impacted the campus or community. This year’s inaugural recipient was Benjamin Keaton.

The Legacy Scholarship Endowment was created by the WVSOM Foundation in an effort to help offset the cost of medical school for WVSOM students. It is given to a West Virginia resident who

intends to stay in the state to practice medicine after completing a residency. This year’s winner was Natan Harel.

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, provides awards to graduating students who have been accepted into MSOPTI residency training programs in the state. This year’s scholarship recipients were Michaella Gaite, Lucas Goodwin, Kassie Johnson, Vincent Morra, Kerry Woods and Whitney Workman.

The West Virginia Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians Award was presented to Micaela Ramsey. 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.

WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative (RHI) recognized 14 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 Salima Conteh, Leslie Elmore, Lori Fedorczyk, Chris Gauthier, Caroline Gormley, John Janousek, Thomas Knowles, Stacy Lane, Hannah Lugg, Sara Maguina, Kayla Odle, Maria Rana, Emily Rider and Jennifer Voorhees.

Two students from each of the seven Statewide Campus regions received Statewide Campus Outstanding Student Awards for their third- and fourth-year clinical rotations. Benjamin Kastenbauer and Chloe Saba received

recognition for the Northern region; Christopher Brown and Kristy Farmer received recognition for the Eastern region; Katelyn Bennett Levi and Heather Farr received recognition for the Central East region; Aisha Imam and Brandon Smyth received recognition for the Central West region; Hannah Lugg and Kyle Varon received recognition for the South East region; Stephanie Haddad and Steven Veselsky received recognition for the South Central region; and Melinda Kizziah and Emmanuella Oyogoa received recognition for the South West region.

The Order of Vesalius Award is presented to a student who has served as a graduate teaching assistant in the biomedical sciences department. Kyle Varon was presented with this year’s award.

Vincent Morra and Micheala Taylor were honored with the RAMS Head Award The award is given to students who served as graduate teaching assistants in the osteopathic medical education department.

The Clinical Sciences Award, which recognizes students who served as graduate teaching assistants in a clinical sciences or family medicine capacity, was awarded to Ashley Gebo and Brandy Sweeney.

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 Chelsea Bunce, Hannah Lugg, Christopher Brown and Kyle Varon.

The Donna Jones Moritsugu Memorial 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. This year’s recipient was Emily Varon, spouse of Kyle Varon.

Dr. Samira Ibrahim

“The scholarly pursuit of knowledge enhances our understanding of what we’re doing, and it’s ultimately better for our patients.”

Grad made research, textbook contributions highlights of medical school

Students at WVSOM have ample opportunities to reach beyond the boundaries of classroom learning and clinical experience and expand into scholarly activity. For Samira Ibrahim, D.O., research became an essential part of her time in medical school.

The Class of 2021 graduate co-authored a variety of publications while at WVSOM. As part of an anatomy elective during her third year, Ibrahim worked with WVSOM Professor Peter Ward, Ph.D., to author “Tissue Adhesives for Hernia Mesh Fixation: A Literature Review,” which was later published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science. The study analyzed postoperative outcomes of inguinal hernia mesh fixation using fibrin and cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives compared to standard suture or tack fixation.

physiology and disease processes, and it helps you become a better physician. It’s also how we find new cures, treatments and ways of managing complex diseases.”

Ibrahim discovered her penchant for research during her undergraduate years. At the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering, she worked with biohybrid solar cells, which use the protein complexes that facilitate photosynthesis in plants to harvest renewable energy from sunlight. Doing so involves an expensive-to-use tool called a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), and Ibrahim found a way to reduce her college’s costs by constructing her own STM probes — sharp tips that typically cost hundreds of dollars each — at home using a self-built electrochemical device.

Engineering might not seem like a traditional path to a medical career, but Ibrahim said she wanted an undergraduate education that would be challenging enough to prepare her for medical school.

“For me, engineering was a perfect segue into medicine,” she said. “Both fields are high-stakes, and both require critical thinking and teamwork, where each player has an equally important part in pursuit of the goal.”

She also co-authored “Pediatric Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy: Technique and Scoring System,” which proposed a standardized method to score and perform drug-induced sleep endoscopy in children with obstructive sleep apnea. Additionally, she participated in a study named “Costs and Charges for Pediatric Tonsillectomy in New York State,” published in Cureus earlier this year, that sought to determine the factors affecting the cost of pediatric tonsillectomies in New York state. Ibrahim had never attempted to analyze health care costs previously, but the Tennessee native is no stranger to pushing beyond her comfort zone. In fact, she thinks all medical students should do so.

“The scholarly pursuit of knowledge enhances our understanding of what we’re doing, and it’s ultimately better for our patients,” she said. “I encourage every medical student to pursue research, whether it’s an original investigation, a case study or a literature review. It improves your understanding of

During her final year at WVSOM, Ibrahim served as a contributing author for the 2021 edition of First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, a preparatory textbook for a national board exam taken by some D.O. students and all M.D. students at the end of the second year of medical school. In that role, she was responsible for creating, revising and proofreading about 100 pages of text about gastrointestinal medicine, immunology and public health sciences. Ibrahim said she was honored to be asked to work on the book.

“I’ve always had a passion for medical education. I take joy in explaining complex ideas to my peers and to the public, and First Aid was my way of doing that. The book is sold in the WVSOM Campus Store and I had it since the first day of med school, so I was always interested in getting involved,” she said.

Ibrahim said she’s proud to have been invited to contribute material to the textbook’s 2022 edition, noting that she’s working on topics that could prove useful during her residency with Coliseum Health System in Macon, Ga., where she will specialize in internal medicine.

“This year I’m involved in sections of the book on cardiology, pharmacology and gastrointestinal medicine,” she said.

“I’ll be taking care of 120 or 130 pages. I’m happy that my responsibilities are increasing each year. I think that knowledge will serve me well during residency.”

WVSOM grad went from farmer to fisherman to family medicine physician

At 19 years old, Natan Harel, D.O., deferred admission to college to work on farms in Greece. He spent many of his early adult years moving from one place to another in search of work related to agriculture and the environment.

For a while, Harel lived in West Virginia, where he would garden, hunt and forage for wild edibles, trying to learn to live “off the grid” and rely on the land for sustenance. He left the Mountain State for more lucrative work on fishing boats in Oregon. Eventually, he returned to West Virginia and started his own farm with his wife — Standing Stone Farm, in Alderson, where he was raised.

family, social network, environment, diet, etc. These are foundational pieces of one’s health, and with my interests in agriculture, nutrition and social determinants of health, it seemed like the best suited specialty,” he said.

Harel’s varied experiences allowed him to forge many relationships with vulnerable populations, from the time he graduated high school until he entered medical school in his early 30s. He cultivated organic produce on his family farm for local families, schools, restaurants and farmers’ markets; he worked with Sudanese-American families by assisting their children with schoolwork; and he cooked meals for homeless populations.

“I developed long-term relationships that showed me how the health of individuals and communities depends on many factors — housing, relationships, food security, privilege, education and environment,” Harel said. “These experiences showed me the importance of caring for vulnerable, underserved populations. They also sparked my desire to practice medicine in a way that emphasizes preventive care, incorporates effective non-Western healing modalities and addresses the social determinants of health.”

Harel’s background in massage therapy, which he studied while spending a year away from college, led him to envision becoming a doctor. That experience provided a base for his education at WVSOM, where he honed his skills to master osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). He said he hopes to be able to incorporate OMT into his residency.

Harel’s life will once again pull him away from West Virginia. He has entered a family medicine residency at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., after receiving his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in May.

“I love it here. I love the people; I love the culture. My parents both transplanted and for a good reason. I appreciate the reasons they settled here. The mountains feel like they have an embrace that I’m definitely going to miss,” he said.

He thinks his broad-ranging life interests will help him fare well in residency, treating a broad spectrum of health issues presented by family practice patients.

“Family medicine is the specialty best poised to affect the foundational aspects of people’s lives. As a family medicine doctor, you have a broad view of a person that includes their

“Manipulative therapy is built into what I’d like to be doing. It’s difficult in some settings to be able to see a patient, get all the history you want, and do a physical exam and osteopathic manipulative medicine, so that might be a challenge,” he said. “But as I become more adept and keep doing the work, I think I’ll be better equipped to do OMT in an efficient way.”

Harel’s broad interests before medical school carried over during his four years at WVSOM. He was a member of the Integrative Medicine Club, where he presented and volunteered at culinary medicine events, volunteered at “Health Yeah” events in which a group of WVSOM members promoted healthy living through meetings and various health topic presentations, participated in acupuncture workshops, served as the WVSOM liaison to the national Student American Academy of Osteopathy, taught high school students

CPR through WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative program and acquired certifications in sexual assault awareness, substance misuse awareness and LGBTQ+ awareness.

Before medical school, he also spent time as a standardized patient, a person trained to portray a real patient in order to teach medical students how to evaluate and interact with patients. And while acting as a standardized patient helped Harel understand what patient encounters should be like, it wasn’t until he started visiting more hospitals with one of his children that he had a deeper appreciation for patient care.

Harel hopes to return to West Virginia once he completes his residency in Michigan.

“Every time I’ve thought about practicing medicine, it’s been with an eye toward West Virginia — the demographics of this area, the illnesses in this area,” he said. “I’d like to come back and have the tools to offer patients that would be appropriate treatment options based on those demographics.”

WVSOM graduate touts the appeal of small but growing medical specialty

Samantha Braun, D.O., was one of four students in WVSOM’s Class of 2021 who matched to a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residency. The branch of medicine — which focuses on the restoration of patients’ functional abilities and enhancing the quality of their lives following disease or impairment such as spinal cord injury, stroke or brain injury — might not be as well known to the general public as specialties such as family medicine or pediatrics. It is often mistaken for physical therapy, but the specialty is gaining popularity and interest.

“I came to medical school knowing I wanted to be in this specialty. Prior to medical school, I was a clinical research coordinator and managed FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] Phase 3-4 drug trials. In the clinic, I was with doctors who opened my eyes to the field. It’s a smaller field, but it is growing rapidly. It is not a required clinical rotation at WVSOM but can be taken as an elective,” Braun said.

Braun plans to complete four years of training in PM&R and then complete a fellowship in interventional spine and pain management. She began a residency at the University of Texas Health-San Antonio.

Braun recognizes that it is a unique time for medical students to enter a health care profession because the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t completely subsided.

“It’s one of those stories you’re going to tell your grandkids,” she said. “We don’t know where this is going, but we are learning more and everything is evolving so rapidly. The fourth year of medical school was interesting, but I tried to make the most of my rotations and learn as much as I could going into residency, which is a sharp learning curve. I will have four more years of training to sharpen my skills, and I’m ready to work in a team to help patients and be the best doctors we can be.”

Working with a team of health care professionals is another reason Braun was drawn to PM&R. It takes each member of that team, from the physician to the physical therapist to the speech therapist in some instances, to get a patient back to their optimal functional level.

Braun’s interest in the musculoskeletal system goes hand in hand with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), which she plans to incorporate into her residency training when possible.

“I am drawn to OMT because it allows an avenue for you to connect with your patient. In a physical exam, OMT provides an opportunity for physicians to deepen the rapport with patients,” she said. “I like the more holistic approach while still using modern medicine. We have to remind ourselves that there is a patient behind the screen. Being trained as an osteopathic physician will allow me to maintain that thinking and incorporate a whole-person approach to care.”

The Salt Lake City, Utah, native and outdoor enthusiast said one of the main reasons she was attracted to a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty was because it is a field that fosters a work-life balance while also allowing for handson, procedural-based medicine.

“I love life and I love medicine, and I wanted a career that could allow for both,” she said. “This area of study really allows you to specialize your practice or do general rehab.”

Braun, who wanted to become a physician since childhood, said she also wants to be a physician who practices what she preaches, which is why she stays active outdoors, regularly works out and tries to maintain mental health, even during hectic times such as attending medical school. She was a collegiate athlete who played soccer during her undergraduate years in Colorado. After college, one day in the gym, her now-husband suggested that Braun would do well in a competitive environment. Shortly after that seed was planted, Braun became interested in bodybuilding and competed in the sport for about a year.

Braun said the experience provided her determination and commitment, two qualities that are essential to convey to a patient working on their own rehabilitation.

“That was the catalyst for my passion and obsession with fitness and nutrition. It’s amazing what the body can do as far as the changes it can go through,” she said. “I think that experience gave me a tangible idea as to what patients will be going through in regard to mental struggles, physical changes and what they need to do in order to get back to their baseline after a traumatic event.”

Dr. Samantha Braun

“I am drawn to OMT because it allows an avenue for you to connect with your patient. In a physical exam, OMT provides an opportunity for physicians to deepen the rapport with patients. I like the more holistic approach while still using modern medicine.”

Dr. Zackery Johnson

“When it was time to start looking at where to apply, I knew I didn’t want to go anywhere else. WVSOM was home for me.”

Grad continues family tradition of compassion for the community

When Zackery Johnson, D.O., was in eighth grade, he watched his father, WVSOM Class of 1992 alumnus Michael “Shawn” Johnson, deliver a baby in his family’s driveway.

Nearly three decades later, Johnson, who graduated in the school’s Class of 2021, considers that evening a pivotal moment in his decision to pursue a career in medicine.

“It was a Friday evening, and we were getting ready to watch my older brother play football,” Johnson said. “A family friend who was nine months pregnant came to the house because she was in labor and wanted my dad to ride to the hospital with her. They didn’t even get backed out of the driveway before they pulled back in. The baby was coming.”

The elder Johnson sent his sons into the house while he brought a life into the world, then had them help bring the newborn girl inside to warm by the fireplace.

“The whole thing was surreal, and I can still picture it as plain as day,” Johnson said. “The ambulance showed up about 15 minutes later and took the mom and baby to the hospital and my dad rode with them. Everything went smoothly. It was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced, and it was the moment my interest in being a physician went from a childhood dream to knowing for sure that is what I wanted to do.”

Zackery’s father, who works as an emergency physician at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Ronceverte, W.Va., isn’t the only member of the Johnson family with a WVSOM connection. His older brother, Michael, graduated in the Class of 2020 and is training in a family practice residency at United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, W.Va. His father’s sister, Jill Cochran, Ph.D., RN-BC, FNP, is an associate professor in the school’s clinical sciences department.

Johnson was raised in Crawley, W.Va., about 20 miles from WVSOM’s campus in Lewisburg, W.Va. After earning a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from West Virginia University, there was never a question as to which medical school he hoped to attend.

“When it was time to start looking at where to apply, I knew I didn’t want to go anywhere else. WVSOM was home for me. My dad went to WVSOM, my brother had just been accepted, so it was the only place I applied to,” Johnson said.

He lived with his brother during his first year of medical school, and found there were unexpected benefits to following an older sibling to WVSOM.

“It was great having an older brother to guide me,” Johnson said. “If I had a question about something, I’d peek across the room and ask him if he had any advice. Anytime I had questions about what we were studying in a particular subject, or what rotations to do, he was there. It definitely made life easier.”

Like his father, Johnson is interested in specializing in emergency medicine. He entered a residency at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, a city in southwestern Pennsylvania with a patient population similar to that of southern West Virginia, where he hopes to one day return to practice.

Johnson said his father’s dedication to others continues to inspire him.

“Seeing the impact my dad had on the community is the reason I went through all this,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen him stitch patients up in our dining room. I’ve seen him make home visits even when he’s not working. He loves taking care of people, and he always made it seem fun. To have that same compassion for the community I take care of is what I’m hoping for. I just want to be half the physician he is.”

2021 SPRING AWARDS

two students who excel academically and show strong leadership, determination and discipline. This year’s recipients were Olivia Giambra and Harrison Solomon.

The school’s annual Spring Awards Ceremony took place virtually again in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scholarship and award recipients were acknowledged during a presentation on April 1. A total of $346,814 was distributed through 30 scholarships, awards and certificates of appreciation.

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS WERE:

The Student D.O. of the Year award acknowledges a student’s commitment to his or her school, community and the osteopathic profession. This year’s recipient was Ryan Jensen.

The Dr. Roland P. Sharp President 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. This year’s winner was Harrison Solomon.

WVSOM Alumni Association Scholarships are given to two students who exemplify scholarship, osteopathic professional interest, leadership and citizenship. The winners were Andrew Colebank and Haley Craig.

The Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association Scholarship is presented to

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 Haley Craig.

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. This year’s scholarship recipients were first place Haley Craig and second place Seth Graham, Abundance Hunt and Michael Yost.

The Jarrell Family Award recognizes a second-year student who is a West Virginia resident, with preference given to a female student from Raleigh, Fayette, Boone or Kanawha counties. This year’s winner was Sarah Daniel.

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. Ashton Mullens and Kayla Vaughan were the scholarship recipients.

The Drs. 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. Nathaniel Jordan was this year’s recipient.

Seven WVSOM students were recognized for receiving the Encova Scholars Award, donated by the Encova Foundation of West Virginia. This year’s recipients were Anthony Aswad, Megan Farley, Lucas Goodwin, Madeleine Carroll Gwinn, Abundance Hunt, Tanner Moore and MacKenzie Sloas.

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 fall of 2016 established an endowment at each of the three medical schools in West Virginia. This year’s WVSOM scholarship was presented to Jared Zopp.

The James R. Stookey, D.O., Manipulative Medicine Scholarship was created 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. This year’s scholarship was awarded to Lindsey Ray.

The MOSS Scholarships honor the late Marlene Wager, D.O., and are presented to students who are out-ofstate residents. This year, 15 students received the scholarship. They were Spencer Brewer, Gabriella Bruzzese, Eleana Estrella, Alanna Gordon, Jenny Kaiser, Trevor Lovell, Nicole Newman, Samuel Plaska, Andrea Smiley, Delanee Stapp, Jesse Tate, Luna Thapa, Devin Towne, Simon Werkhoven and Braden Zimmerman.

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

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

skills in osteopathic manipulative treatment. Candidates are nominated and voted on by classmates. The winner has his or her name engraved on a plaque that is displayed in the osteopathic clinical skills lab. This year’s recipient was Ryan Russell.

The Paul G. 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 treating patients and is willing to instill the importance of osteopathic principles and practice in the next generation of WVSOM students. Nidhi Dheman received this year’s 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 Mary Rosiek.

The Loretta Moore Memorial Scholarship Fund recipient is chosen by first-year students and given to a classmate who has overcome obstacles in order to succeed. Julian Metro was this year’s 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. This year’s scholarship recipient was Kelsey Steele.

This was the first year for the Libby Kokott, D.O., Memorial Grant, which was established by Kokott’s four children in 2020 to honor a woman who, against all odds, became a physician at the age of 50 (from WVSOM’s Class of 1993). Kokott helped hundreds of patients in her 20 years as an internist, and her hope was that others could do the same. This year’s inaugural winner was Optimum Robinson.

The WVSOM Diversity Task Force – Eva Teter Hammer Award is given to a student who demonstrates an interest in osteopathic medicine and in eliminating the inequities among individuals. Ashnee Patel was recognized this year.

The U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award recognizes medical students who have positively impacted public health in their communities. It is given to a student who has developed and implemented a program advancing the overarching goals and achieving the objectives of Healthy People 2023. Consideration is also given to students who have developed and implemented a program that addresses the priorities of the National Prevention Strategy; made a significant benefit to a medically underserved community; completed research that advances the goals of Healthy People 2023 and the National Prevention Strategy; or conducted health activities in collaboration with public health agencies. This year’s recipient was Trang Vu.

The Rural Physician Service Program incentivizes WVSOM students to remain in West Virginia to practice medicine. 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. This year’s recipients were Jaime Basham, Andrew Colebank, Jacob Redden, Keirston Sutherland and Alfredo Wong Jr.

The Choose West Virginia Practice Program is a tuition waiver program that incentivizes nonresident West Virginia medical students to remain in the state to practice. 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 winners were Jona Dajbabic, Katerina Mastronardi and Christopher Musil.

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 Alanna Gordon,

Abundance Hunt and Harrison Solomon (Class of 2024); Bailey Borycki, Haley Craig and Mark Haft (Class of 2023); and Brooke Grill, Abdul Mannan and Heather Reeves (Class of 2022).

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. This year’s recipients were Matthew Parsley and Kayla Vaughan (Class of 2024); Sara Carder and Caroline Chen (Class of 2023); and Diana Duong and Jacob Redden (Class of 2022).

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 Pediatrics Club was given this year’s recognition.

A Special Award Presentation recognized Student Government Association President Jacob Paul and Vice President Cameron Brown. 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 for their efforts in teaching and for excelling in integrating OPP into their classes. The winners were Kristin Stover, Ph.D. (biomedical sciences), Dina Schaper, D.O. (clinical sciences), and Suzan Myles, 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. This year, SGA members thanked all WVSOM employees for their contributions in helping students navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

WVSOM Class of 2024

STUDENTS RECEIVED WHITE COATS during special ceremony

Medical students across the country dream of the day they will receive their white coat — a symbol of their commitment as a medical professional in a health care career.

At WVSOM, students usually receive their white coats during a convocation ceremony that takes place at the beginning of their first year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and large group restrictions, Class of 2024 members had to wait nine months to receive their coat, but 174 first-year students who participated in the in-person White Coat Ceremony in May finally did. The event was livestreamed for family members.

“I was asked to give a brief history of the White Coat Ceremony. This is a relatively new ceremony,” Craig Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP, the school’s former vice president for academic affairs and dean, told students. “When I entered school, there was no such thing as a White Coat Ceremony. According to Wikipedia, it originated in 1989 in Chicago, but the first fullfledged ceremony occurred in 1993 at Columbia University. WVSOM’s first White Coat Ceremony occurred in 1999 with the Class of 2003, making this our 22nd annual White Coat Ceremony. Not all medical schools have a White Coat Ceremony, but over 100 do.”

Medical students navigate a long path to become physicians. The White Coat Ceremony marks the Class of 2024’s commitment to a life of health care service and is the first step in one’s medical school journey. The coat symbolizes a student’s pledge to the

osteopathic profession and to serve communities and individuals.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., praised the class for persevering through an especially challenging year and for being resilient in the face of change and uncertainty.

“Medical education is a difficult, demanding path at any time, but it has been especially true during the COVID pandemic era. But here we are at the end of your first year of medical school and you have made it,” he told students. “Although you still have three more years ahead of you, you have demonstrated that you are well on your way to earning your white coats.”

Boisvert said having a white coat comes with privileges that increase as students progress through their training and as they are permitted to wear longer coats.

“Your white coat has a patch that shows the world that you are from WVSOM. By giving you that patch, we have taken on the responsibility to make sure you are adequately trained. By wearing this patch, you have agreed to abide by WVSOM policies and procedures and to meet our standards,” he said. “Everything you do from this point on is a reflection of the school and every other graduate who has come before you. I encourage you to keep your coat and your reputation clean. Congratulations, Class of 2024. Welcome to the profession.”

WVSOM first welcomed students in the Class of 2024 with a virtual video presentation at the end of August 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation was offered as a nontraditional way of officially welcoming first-year medical students after the start of the academic year.

“Congratulations, Class of 2024. Welcome to the profession.”

~ CRAIG BOISVERT, D.O., FACOFP ~

Craig Boisvert, D.O., recognized in Health Care Hall of Fame

“Being able to participate in people’s lives and help them with their health care needs is extremely rewarding.”

~ CRAIG BOISVERT, D.O., FACOFP ~

Months before he retired this summer, Craig Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP, was named a West Virginia hall of fame inductee.

WVSOMS's former vice president for academic affairs and dean, along with 10 other health care professionals, were inducted into West Virginia Executive magazine’s annual Health Care Hall of Fame.

Publication staff honor professionals who have an impact on health care in West Virginia. That may mean 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.

“I graduated from medical school 39 years ago. I was in practice for 29 years, 25 in Lewisburg, and have been associated with WVSOM for 33 years. It certainly is nice to have received this honor,” said Boisvert.

Boisvert began his career at WVSOM as a faculty member and was a family physician for 25 years at the Robert C. Byrd Clinic. After five years as faculty, he was selected to serve as chair of the school’s family practice section, where he served for a decade. He then became chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences for seven years. He was selected to become WVSOM’s dean about seven years ago.

The Vermont native, who now considers West Virginia his home, said there are many rewarding aspects to being a health care professional in West Virginia.

“Being able to participate in people’s lives and help them with their health care needs is extremely rewarding. Watching students move through their years of medical school and graduate as physicians is extremely rewarding. Having the opportunity to participate on state and national committees and organizations to improve health care is also extremely rewarding. I can honestly say it does not seem like I have been doing this for almost 40 years, and that it has been a rewarding experience,” he said.

Boisvert said being a medical school dean is similar to being a school principal. His job included supervising faculty, maintaining responsibility for the curriculum, counseling

and, when necessary, disciplining students and managing the budget.

Throughout his more than three decades in the medical field, he has received many awards, including the West Virginia Immunization Network Immunization Advocate Award, WVSOM’s President’s Award for Excellence for Outstanding Clinical Sciences faculty and WVSOM’s Outstanding Employee Award. He has also been inducted into the American Osteopathic Association’s Mentor Hall of Fame.

The osteopathic physician said he is grateful to have been recognized with awards for his work during the course of his career, but was more grateful each year to see students join him as colleagues.

“Obviously, we all appreciate recognition that our work is important and our efforts have been noticed,” he said. “Those of us at WVSOM are reminded yearly of our efforts when, at graduation, 200 new physicians cross the stage, receive their diplomas and join the health care ranks.”

Boisvert said he is pleased West Virginia Executive recognized the work of health care professionals in West Virginia.

“Health care is so important to a state. Often start-up choices made by businesses or choices by individuals of where to retire are dependent upon health care availability. Health care makes a huge economic impact and is a leading employer in this state. I think it is perfectly appropriate for the magazine to acknowledge the contribution of the industry through its yearly Health Care Hall of Fame edition,” he said.

Each award recipient’s story can be found in the Winter 2021 edition of West Virginia Executive

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said it was fitting for Boisvert to be recognized in the Hall of Fame.

“I could not be happier for my longtime colleague for being inducted into the Health Care Hall of Fame after a long, distinguished career as a physician and medical school educator and administrator. Dr. Boisvert is an outstanding example of a person who has truly made a difference in the lives of others. I wish the best for him and his family as he begins the next phase of his life.”

West Virginia Immunization Network Immunization Advocate Award

WVSOM’s President’s Award for Excellence for Outstanding Clinical Sciences faculty

WVSOM’s Outstanding Employee Award

Chair of the school’s family practice section for a decade Chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences for seven years

WVSOM’s educational camp reached high-schoolers from 7 states

Young people from as far away as Colorado joined WVSOM for this year’s installment of Just Say KNOW, the school’s free educational camp for high-school-aged students, which took place in June.

Like last year’s camp, the 2021 event took place virtually, with organizers and instructors livestreaming lectures, demonstrations and talks by special presenters from WVSOM’s campus in Lewisburg, W.Va. The goal of the annual camp is to promote curiosity about science and medicine among ninththrough 12th-graders and recent high school graduates.

A total of 26 campers participated, 17 of whom were from West Virginia. Other states represented were Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In addition to daily review sessions, updates and quizzes, Just Say KNOW consists of interactive activities that highlight hands-on learning. This year’s camp was led by WVSOM students Kaylee Kriner and James Easler, with assistance from undergraduate intern Lexie Mizia. Camp leaders worked under the supervision of biomedical sciences faculty members Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D., and Karen Wines, M.S.

The theme of the 2021 camp was “Just Say KNOW to Combating a Pandemic: Careers in Medicine.” First-time participant Ama Ackon-Annan, of Beckley, W.Va., said attending the camp strengthened her interest in pursuing an education that will allow her to become a family practitioner.

“I liked that they took time each day to teach us about some of the different jobs in health care,” Ackon-Annan said. “I learned that there were careers I’d never even heard of before. And I enjoyed the activities we did, like practicing interviewing

a patient, which is something that’s really important in family medicine.”

The camp’s first day was devoted to neuroscience-themed activities. Following a bingo-style game designed to help campers get to know one another, participants learned about careers in behavioral science and listened to lectures detailing the cranial nerves and explaining how information passes between the brain’s neurons. Campers made models of neuromuscular junctions from clay and watched leaders demonstrate how health care professionals test cranial nerves.

On the second day, attendees learned about the cardiovascular system. Campers studied the anatomy of the heart, investigated the functions of blood cells and created memes to help them remember what they learned. Leaders discussed cardiology-related careers and summarized common pathologies of the cardiovascular system. Additionally, employees from WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative talked with campers, and WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., spoke about the school and his own career in medical education, emphasizing the importance of entering a profession one finds fulfilling.

“The people who are the happiest are people who have meaningful work and who make contributions,”

Nemitz told campers. “It’s important to look out there and ask, ‘How do I want to contribute?’ I admire you for taking the time to learn about these professions and about WVSOM, because it may lead you on a path that will change your life.”

The camp’s third day focused on the respiratory system, with leaders providing an outline of the system’s anatomy and an overview of how breathing occurs. Leaders explained what pulmonologists, respiratory therapists and allergists do, and described problems that can occur in the lungs, such as pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Biomedical sciences faculty member Dovenia Ponnoth, Ph.D., and student researchers spoke with campers about scholarly activities, and participants made a simple working model of the lungs using a syringe and a balloon.

The event’s fourth day was about public health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a lecture on how the COVID-19 virus spreads and its effects on the brain, heart and lungs, leaders discussed public health careers. A registered nurse who worked with COVID-19 patients, WVSOM faculty member Lauren Miller, D.O., who was part of a COVID-19 task force, and a WVSOM student who is also an EMT worker spoke about their experiences during the pandemic. Campers

learned how vaccines work and how herd immunity is achieved, and were introduced to the concept of ribonucleic acid (RNA) vaccines.

The camp culminated in a finalday showcase that gave attendees the chance to demonstrate their newfound knowledge to their families. Nearly 80 people viewed the showcase via livestream, Boudreaux said, adding that this year’s camp owed its success in part to the experience gained from hosting the 2020 camp online.

“We felt we learned a lot from designing the virtual experience last year, and we were able to provide an even better experience due to upgraded technology,” Boudreaux said. “And for the campers, having gone through a full school year in the virtual world, this was like riding a bike for them. The participants loved it, the staff enjoyed it and everyone had a good week.”

Next year will be the camp’s 10year anniversary, Boudreaux said. To celebrate that milestone, the camp will return to its roots as “Just Say KNOW to Drugs,” with a theme focused on pharmacology. Boudreaux said she expects the 2022 camp to take place as an in-person event, but is hopeful the virtual component will remain in order to reach students outside southern West Virginia.

WVSOM predoctoral students assisted at vaccination clinics throughout state

When Bridgett Morrison, D.O., health officer for the Greenbrier County Health Department in Ronceverte, W.Va., needed volunteers to assist with the department’s weekly large-scale community COVID-19 vaccination clinics, she knew who to ask.

“We’re at a pivotal point in history, and in order to end the pandemic we need a lot of manpower,” Morrison said of her decision to request the support of students from her own alma mater, WVSOM. “Who better to help us than the medical students who will be providing care for our communities moving forward? It was a perfect fit.”

The Greenbrier County Health Department is one of many public health organizations throughout West Virginia where WVSOM predoctoral students, along with students from other health education institutions, have helped to ensure the vaccine makes it into the arms of those who need it. Aspiring physicians in the school’s Statewide Campus system, where third- and fourth-year students fulfill their clinical rotations in seven regions across the state, volunteered at clinics to perform tasks ranging from registering patients and preparing doses to administering the vaccine itself and monitoring for side effects immediately after the injection.

Morrison said the school’s students have shown an eagerness to help at vaccination clinics.

“They want to be a part of it,” Morrison said. “It’s interesting to watch them really get into it as the day progresses and they start to understand the gravity of what they’re doing. It’s

exciting for them to see the gratitude of the people getting the vaccines. Students have witnessed patients’ family members break down in tears of joy that they’re being vaccinated.”

Art Rubin, D.O., FACOP, WVSOM’s associate dean for predoctoral clinical education, said medical students are in an excellent position to assist local organizations in distributing the vaccine on a scale required to curb the pandemic.

“The development of safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines has been unprecedented compared to previous development timelines, but getting them out to the population is a challenge. The process for delivering the vaccine across a rural state requires a lot of volunteer manpower,” Rubin said. “WVSOM’s third- and fourth-year students are well located in their Statewide Campus regions to provide this service to local health departments and other clinic sites. Our students have stepped up to the plate and made major contributions to the effort.”

Chad Bundy, executive director of the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department, based in Clarksburg, W.Va., where 15 students from the Central East Region of WVSOM’s Statewide Campus helped speed up the process of patient registration, said aspiring physicians benefit from this work just as the public does.

“It’s great for these young doctors-to-be,” Bundy said, “because it’s an opportunity that’s not otherwise available. When they become physicians, they may be some of the first to have had this kind of experience. Gaining experience with the public is invaluable to their careers in whatever specialty they choose. And they bring with them an array of skills, so it’s good for us.”

In the Northern Region of the Statewide Campus system, which encompasses the state’s northern panhandle, WVSOM students volunteered at a regional clinic in Moundsville, W.Va., sponsored by the health departments of Marshall, Ohio and Wetzel counties, where they assisted in entering patient data as well as preparing and administering the vaccine. Students performed similar duties at the WheelingOhio County Health Department’s clinic in Triadelphia, W.Va.

WVSOM’s South Central Statewide Campus Region serves the portion of West Virginia spanning from Kanawha County to Mingo County as well as surrounding counties. Twentysix students volunteered at a Charleston, W.Va., clinic operated by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. They transported patients, served as registration clerks, screened for COVID-19, assisted with injections and were responsible for sanitization. Additionally, students from the school’s Rural Health Initiative — designed to produce graduates who are uniquely qualified to practice medicine in rural and undeserved communities — assisted in a program titled “Wild Wonderful Healthy Logan County” that worked to vaccinate area residents as well as provide community services unrelated to the pandemic.

One student who devoted time to helping with COVID-19 vaccinations was Nick Yost, a Class of 2022 student in the South East Region of WVSOM’s Statewide Campus, which serves 11 counties and the cities of Beckley, Lewisburg, Summersville, Princeton and Bluefield. He volunteered at the Greenbrier County Health Department’s clinics, held on the grounds of the State Fair of West Virginia.

Yost, who prepared hundreds of doses and administered more than a hundred injections at the site, agreed that vaccination clinics offer students in health care professions a valuable learning experience.

“Before this, I’d only done about a dozen injections, so this was a chance to get hands-on experience and a great opportunity to learn new things,” said Yost, one of 12 WVSOM students who assisted at the Greenbrier County clinic. “It’s also a good way to learn about public health by seeing how professionals from different disciplines collaborate to determine the best way to get the vaccine to the community. We had nurses, pharmacists, nursing students and medical students working together, critiquing the process at the end of each week so that we could streamline it the next time.”

Yost, a native of Mercer County, W.Va., said he found value in giving back to the community in which he lives.

“A lot of the people getting vaccinations are coming to us from where I grew up and from other nearby counties, so this is a chance to give back to the part of the state I’m from,” he said. “That’s important to me, because I want to someday practice in southern West Virginia. These are the people I’ll be helping during my career.”

“We’re at a pivotal point in history, and in order to end the pandemic we need a lot of manpower.”

~ BRIDGETT MORRISON, D.O., HEALTH OFFICER FOR THE GREENBRIER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ~

Construction taking place on WVSOM's campus

WVSOM is geared for growth with the expansion of one of its buildings and the construction of a new building that will be dedicated to student testing.

The Center for Technology and Rural Medicine, which houses the main lecture classrooms for students, will have 6,800 square feet renovated for office suites.

The Testing Center, a new 26,756-square-foot building that will be located behind the Center for Technology and Rural Medicine, broke ground in early April.

WVSOM administrators said the new facility is important in offering a dedicated testing area rather than the open-style lecture classrooms where students typically take exams. The space will provide a quiet environment for students when testing and will simulate the experience encountered when taking licensing exams. When not in use for testing, the cubicles will be available for studying.

The building will consist of one large testing room and offices. The testing room will accommodate one class at a time and will have internet and power outlet connections in each space. A portion of the building will be connected to the school’s Clinical Evaluation Center. Testing Center construction is expected to be complete in July 2022.

The expansion and new construction will cost $9,964,518, according to Larry Ware, MBA, CPA, WVSOM’s vice president for finance and facilities. The project is completely self-funded by WVSOM through institutional funds, he said.

“We are able to self-fund the construction of the project because of years of good business practices and our conservative approach to budgeting,” Ware said.

Expanding the Center for Technology and Rural Medicine was first proposed in WVSOM’s Facilities Master Plan, created in 2011, but discussions and planning for a center for testing began in November 2017.

Infrastructure remains one of the five areas of focus in WVSOM’s most recent five-year institutional strategic plan. This area addresses developing and implementing a new Facilities Master Plan that assesses and advances the school’s facility needs.

“It’s incredible to think about our school’s growth during the last 49 years. This medical school began with one building, and now our campus is filled with facilities that allow for innovative medical education for our students,” said James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president. “These new construction projects represent growth and our commitment to providing students with opportunities that will make them better physicians.”

ZMM Architects & Engineers, with headquarters in Charleston, W.Va., and DCI Shires, a construction company based in Bluefield, W.Va., are completing the projects.

WVSOM hosted its 10th annual Rural Practice Day on Jan. 29. The event, which this year took place virtually due to challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, is a program of WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative and aims to educate students about practicing medicine in rural areas — an integral part of the school’s mission.

Through a series of speeches and panels moderated by Bob Foster, D.O., WVSOM’s assistant dean for osteopathic medical education, Rural Practice Day brought together WVSOM alumni and West Virginia political and medical leaders to discuss the rewards and challenges of practicing medicine in rural and underserved locations. A total of 232 people attended the virtual event, marking the highest level of participation since Rural Practice Day began in 2012. WVSOM students and their guests made up 193 of the attendees.

Foster said the theme of this year’s event was “Keeping Rural Communities Healthy.”

“Rural Practice Day features WVSOM graduates who share their lives and journeys with current students and faculty, allowing the audience to hear how their soon-to-be-peers have struggled and succeeded,” Foster said. “It focuses on the intrinsic rewards and joy these physicians have in their lives as community servants to rural populations.”

In an introduction, James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, told students that the school is the top producer in West Virginia, in Appalachia and in the U.S. of physicians who practice in rural areas. He recounted that WVSOM was founded to combat a shortage of physicians in the state.

“About 50 years ago, there were a group of D.O.s who looked around and said, ‘We’ve got a problem in West Virginia. We don’t have enough physicians in rural areas,’” Nemitz explained. “They moved ahead and created a school to address this issue, and against all odds, the school has become an incredible success, especially in the area of rural practice.”

In the event’s keynote speech, Tom Takubo, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 1999 alumnus and majority leader of the West Virginia state senate, told students that seeing the way patients live can be as illuminating as an office visit. He recalled that, while working as a paramedic, he walked a dirt road too rocky to be reached by ambulance to treat a pregnant teenager. To illustrate that rural physicians can have successful careers, Takubo, a pulmonologist, spoke about how he helped establish a lung center in South Charleston, W.Va., that has the ability to perform CT scans, X-rays and other lab work on-premises to more efficiently treat patients who have difficulty making multiple lengthy trips to the city.

Offering advice on how to succeed in improving patients’ lives, Tim Bess, MBA, CEO of Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Ronceverte, W.Va., implored students to communicate

closely with patients and their families, and to remember that all members of a hospital’s team — not just doctors — make valuable contributions to patient health and safety. He suggested that aspiring physicians ask themselves what “story” they hope will be told about them at the end of their career, and said completing that story requires compassion, integrity and a commitment to advocating for positive change.

The day’s final session was a physician panel featuring Jennifer Bailey, D.O., a pediatrician from WVSOM’s Class of 2010; Fredrick Morgan, D.O., an orthopedic surgeon from the Class of 1991; Faith Payne, D.O., a urologist from the Class of 2007; and Sasha Rihter, D.O., an emergency medicine physician from the Class of 2016. The group answered questions submitted by students, covering topics such as how a physician’s choice of specialty can affect opportunities to work within their community; the pros and cons of emergency medicine residencies in large hospitals versus smaller facilities; and ways physicians can use their passions as foundations on which to build medical careers.

WVSOM set attendance record for event highlighting rural medicine 10th annual event 232 attendees

“It focuses on the intrinsic rewards and joy these physicians have in their lives as community servants to rural populations.”

LEAD WITH US

SEEKING FACULTY: INTERNAL MEDICINE

SUMMARY: WVSOM is seeking a physician to fill a fulltime tenure-track position in the Department of Clinical Sciences. Candidates should be residency trained and board certified or board eligible in internal medicine. Ideally the successful candidate will have clinical and teaching experience. The successful candidate must be able to be licensed to practice medicine in West Virginia.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Include providing predoctoral and postdoctoral education and training to WVSOM students, interns and residents, plus all attendant educational activities, which may include lecturing, assisting with physical diagnosis, physician skills labs, development of test questions, small-group activities and ACLS instruction.

Clinical practice occurs at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center and the Robert C. Byrd Clinic, which may include precepting rotating students and family medicine resident clinic. Research and scholarly activity opportunities are available.

BENEFITS: Package includes educational loan repayment, fully paid malpractice insurance and relocation expenses. Salary and faculty rank will be based on experience and training. We have modern lecture and laboratory facilities, and our ambulatory clinic is a state-of-the-art facility that serves communities in the greater Greenbrier Valley.

Recognized as a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education, WVSOM is a freestanding medical school nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. Located in “America’s Coolest Small Town,” WVSOM is just minutes from the famed Greenbrier Resort, an AAA Five Diamond hotel and spa. WVSOM brings nearly 50 years of history serving the health and wellness needs of the Greenbrier Valley, the state of West Virginia and beyond. The school’s small-town, rural community cherishes its connection with the college, and our students are engaged in service outreach and support for more than 40 nonprofit organizations in the area. This one-of-a-kind environment brings together farmers and artists, lumbermen and world-renowned musicians, holistic physicians and thrill-seeking whitewater rafters in a diverse melting pot that is truly unique.

Applications accepted until position is filled. WVSOM is an AA/EO employer.

Contact: Leslie Bicksler Vice President of Human Resources

lbicksler@osteo.wvsom.edu • 304.647.6279

West Virginia School of O s te opat h i c M edi c i n

Honor

U.S. News ranked WVSOM as a top medical school

The 2022 edition of the U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Graduate Schools” recognized WVSOM for the 23rd consecutive year.

The school is ranked No. 16 in the percentage of 2012 to 2014 graduates practicing direct patient care in rural areas, and is ranked No. 14 in the percentage of 2012 to 2014 graduates practicing in primary care specialties. The school is also ranked No. 41 in graduates practicing direct patient care in areas with health professional shortages during a three-year period.

This year, the school was listed fourth in the nation by the publication for producing the most primary care residents. The report shows that 69 percent of WVSOM graduates from 2018 to 2020 entered primary care residencies upon completing medical school.

Part of WVSOM’s mission is to provide a curriculum that encourages medical students to practice primary care in rural areas.

“A commitment to educating primary care physicians who will serve in rural areas is at the heart of our mission,” said WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. “WVSOM’s recognition as a top medical school in primary care speaks to the dedication of the school’s faculty and staff to delivering an education that will enable our students to provide holistic, compassionate and quality care to their future patients.”

Primary care, which includes family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, is the leading specialty of WVSOM graduates, but they may choose to practice in any specialty.

“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., FACOFP, WVSOM’s former vice president for academic affairs and dean. “From the moment students begin their medical school journey, we offer a robust curriculum to help them explore their health care interests as well as many supporting programs that help them determine which specialty is right for them. We encourage primary care specialties, especially in underserved communities, but WVSOM graduates leave medical school with an education and training that is ideal for any specialty.”

Additionally, WVSOM was listed in the category of research and ranked No. 56 in the category of diversity.

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 full report recognizes institutions that offer top programs in fields of study such as business, law, medicine, engineering and education.

“From the moment students begin their medical school journey, we offer a robust curriculum to help them explore their health care interests as well as many supporting programs that help them determine which specialty is right for them.”

~ CRAIG BOISVERT, D.O., FACOFP, WVSOM’S FORMER VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND DEAN ~

WVSOM stands out among medical schools for producing the most primary care residents and for graduates practicing in rural areas.

Researcher finds that

NUTRITIONAL WELLNESS during gestation has FAR-REACHING

“Undernourished mothers remain a significant public health problem, and rates of obese women entering pregnancy are increasing.

Both scenarios contribute to ever-increasing global rates of obesity. If my work can promote better health outcomes for the population, that’s a success for me.”

It’s been known for some time that “eating for two” during pregnancy doesn’t have the benefits it was once thought to have. But a researcher at WVSOM is finding that maternal overnutrition can be as harmful for offspring as maternal undernutrition — and that the negative effects can last for generations.

Using various research models, Christopher Pankey, Ph.D., a WVSOM assistant professor of physiology, has shown that mothers consuming either 50 percent (“underfed”) or 150 percent (“overfed”) of nutritional requirements during pregnancy both produce offspring with increased appetite, dysregulated insulin/glucose dynamics, increased plasma leptin and altered cardiovascular development compared to offspring of mothers whose caloric intake during pregnancy is appropriate. In short, “eating for half” or “eating for one and a half” equally predispose offspring to metabolic complications such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

“Whether a mother eats too many or too few calories, her offspring will develop increased risk of metabolic diseases,” Pankey said. “In addition to affecting maternal and fetal health, we’ve shown that signs of metabolic diseases are also present in grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, even when all descendants eat a proper diet.”

The findings were published as “Maternal Nutrition and Metabolic Outcomes of Offspring” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . Of interest is that the indicators of metabolic diseases that show up in adult offspring are not always present at birth, Pankey said.

“Offspring of obese mothers were 30 percent heavier than controls halfway through gestation, and offspring of undernourished mothers were 30 percent lighter than controls halfway through gestation,” he said. “Since they’re born at similar weights, that means both groups experienced a period of nutrient restriction at some point during gestation. We believe this to be a mechanism that results in similar outcomes for both groups.”

The maternal system simultaneously responds to the stresses of improper diet in both underfed and overfed groups, Pankey explained.

“Maternal stress can be quantified by looking at signals such as cortisol, which is often referred to as a stress hormone but also plays roles such as regulating blood sugar and driving the

development of cells and tissues. When the mother is stressed by a poor diet, her body responds by releasing cortisol, which makes its way to the fetus and results in developmental changes that predispose it to metabolic problems.”

Pankey’s study is the latest obesity-related research in work he began as a student at the University of Wyoming, where he served as a research assistant at the school’s Center for the Study of Fetal Programming, and during postgraduate work at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D., where he studied signaling mechanisms that occur in the body during exercise.

At WVSOM, Pankey is following up on his research through the investigation of diet and exercise. He said that with obesity and associated conditions on the rise, studies that examine what happens within the body to bring about, or to limit, those problems are more necessary than ever.

“I’ve always been fascinated with exercise, and I’m motivated to use it as a tool for improving public health, because it’s a way to combat obesity and obesity-related diseases,” he said. “Undernourished mothers remain a significant public health problem, and rates of obese women entering pregnancy are increasing. Both scenarios contribute to ever-increasing global rates of obesity. If my work can promote better health outcomes for the population, that’s a success for me.”

Pankey’s research was supported by a $292,311 National Institutes of Health grant (HD07009601A1) and a $267,393 University of Wyoming IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence grant (P20RR16474).

Medical school during a PANDEMIC

WVSOM HOSTED ‛ FLAMINGLE ’ EVENT TO CELEBRATE RETIREES, EMPLOYEES

WVSOM celebrated employee achievements by honoring retirees, recognizing employees for years of service and awarding faculty and staff for their work in fulfilling the medical school’s mission.

This year, WVSOM’s Office of Human Resources hosted its annual Employee Celebration in person, which gave employees an opportunity to mingle outside during the flamingo-themed celebration in June.

“This has been a tough year for all of us, with different challenges for each and every faculty and staff member. Despite the pandemic, quarantine and working remotely, the work of this institution has continued effectively and superbly,” said WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. “I am grateful to each and every one of you for your dedication to our students and commitment to doing your job and doing it well during this challenging year. You have proven that we can provide a quality medical education to our students through an unprecedented global health crisis.”

The event recognized five retirees: Heather Antolini, David Beatty, D.O., Craig Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP, Sally Hurst and Bridget Moore.

The President’s Outstanding Employee Award, given annually to employees who are identified to the president through a vote by WVSOM faculty and staff as outstanding employees for the current academic year, recognizes 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. Ten employees were nominated. They were Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D., Jonah Bowen, Tiffany Burns, Debra Hanson, Courtney Hereford, Alicia Luckton, Scott Maxwell, Karla Pauley, Randy Saunders and Leah Stone. This year’s winners were Jonah Bowen and Randy Saunders.

Two faculty members, Marc Benson, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Ziner, D.O., received this year’s President’s Outstanding Faculty 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.

J. Bowen

R. Saunders

M. Benson, Ph.D., and E. Ziner, D.O.

The Living Our Mission Award recognizes WVSOM staff who exemplify professional excellence, an understanding of and commitment to WVSOM, and a commitment to achieving the school’s mission. This year’s winners, eight of whom are pictured above, were Lisa Spencer, Marietta Harvey, Mary Essig, Courtney Hereford, Jeff Dowdy, Elizabeth Christie, Marlena Dunbar and Holly Hardesty, as well as Lisa Howard and Alicia Luckton, not pictured.

The Statewide Campus Pride Award recognizes an employee in one of the seven Statewide Campus regions who goes above and beyond in their service to WVSOM and to their students. Employees receiving this award are people-oriented, respectful, innovative, dedicated and effective. Josalyn Mann, D.O., was this year’s recipient.

The Rising Star Award honors 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. This year’s winner was Chelsea Feger, D.O.

The celebration also recognized employees for reaching milestones in five-year increments of service at WVSOM. In addition to recognizing a number of employees who reached milestones of service, WVSOM recognized seven employees who achieved 20 or more years of service as of June 2021. Susan Griffith has worked at WVSOM for 20 years; Amber Cobb, John Reinholt, William Shires and Shannon Warren for 25 years; Deborah Montgomery for 30 years; and Pat Bauserman for 35 years.

J. Reinholt, W. Shires, A. Cobb and S. Warren

S. Griffith

D. Montgomery

Medical school during a PANDEMIC

WVSOM’s retired vice president for academic affairs and dean, Craig Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP was honored with professor emeritus distinction during the celebration. The honor of emeritus is granted at retirement in recognition of meritorious service. Other WVSOM faculty who received promotions and tenures were Marc Benson, Ph.D., promoted to associate professor; Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D., awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor; Courtney Eleazer, Ph.D., awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor; Tuoen Liu, M.D., Ph.D., awarded tenure; Joyce Morris-Wiman, Ph.D., promoted to professor; Deborah Schmidt, D.O., promoted to professor; Jessica Smith-Kelly, D.O., awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor; David Webb, M.D., awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor; and Karen Wines, awarded tenure.

Leslie Bicksler, WVSOM’s vice president of human resources, said school leaders are eager to return to a more normal schedule.

“We are excited to be getting back to a more normal existence in the coming year, including returning to classrooms and labs, and also re-engaging in activities that bring us together — students, faculty, staff and community,” she said. “We are thankful to every employee for their contributions to WVSOM, for living our mission to serve others and to make a difference in our beautiful state of West Virginia, the nation and the world.”

Retiree C. Boisvert, D.O., FACOFP

Retiree D. Beatty, D.O.

Retiree S. Hurst

L. Michael (Mike) Peterson, D.O., FACEP

Regional assistant dean for the Statewide Campus South Central Region

Mike Peterson started working at WVSOM on March 1. He is a 2008 WVSOM graduate and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in medical science from Alderson Broaddus College, now Alderson Broaddus University. He has served as medical director for HealthNet Aeromedical Services and as a core faculty member in Charleston Area Medical Center’s emergency medicine residency program.

Christopher Wood, D.O., FACP, FACOI Associate professor of clinical sciences

Christopher Wood started working at WVSOM on June 28. A WVSOM graduate, Wood completed an internal medicine residency and a geriatric medicine fellowship at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Va. Prior to receiving his D.O. degree, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. In addition to his geriatric and internal medicine practice, Wood is assistant professor of internal medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, serves as medical director for the Raleigh Court Healthcare Center in Roanoke, Va., and teaches in multiple residency and fellowship programs.

Marina Diioia, Ph.D. Associate professor of microbiology

Marina Diioia started working at WVSOM on Sept. 14, 2020. Diioia received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from California State University and a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of WisconsinMadison School of Medicine and Public Health. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Vatrix Medical and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before joining WVSOM, Diioia taught at Midwestern University and at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Treating and maintaining balance for yourself and patients

Hello, fellow alumni,

As osteopathic physicians, we know the importance of treating and maintaining balance in mind, body and spirit. However, mental health recently has become an emphasis for the population in general and for the field of medicine. I was just talking to an alumna who told me that because of an increase in patient care and changes to the practice of medicine in the office, she is considering doing something different or possibly even retiring early.

The pandemic has added many different stressors, increased workloads and systems changes that have affected our lives. An American Osteopathic Association article stated that about half of physicians are dealing with physician burnout. I think this is a good time to look at ourselves as individuals and as a group to assess our own current health. We at the WVSOM Alumni Association hope to return to live conferences and meetings to see each other again and to get back to networking. I hope that, as individuals, you are able to balance work, life and pleasure in a way that allows you to continue to provide a high level of care to your patients.

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

United

by

mission,

elevated by association

“It gives me great pleasure to become a life member of the WVSOM Alumni Association. I finished an emergency medicine residency last summer and have worked for the Piedmont Healthcare system this past year as an emergency room attending physician in Atlanta. As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m fortunate to have a job as well as a great support system that includes many WVSOM alumni. The school has given me countless scholarships and played a pivotal part in my success, and I wanted to thank you and express

excitement about making the WVSOM family an even more permanent part of my life.”

~ MILES MEDINA, D.O., CLASS OF 2017 ~

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.

Virtual Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar drew 338 attendees

For the first time, the WVSOM Alumni Association hosted its Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar — one of the school’s three major annual continuing medical education events for health care professionals — virtually instead of in its usual location of Charleston, W.Va.

A total of 338 medical professionals attended the Live Online Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar, which took place Jan. 21-24. A wide-ranging assortment of 20 presentations included strategies for treating specific health concerns such as foot ulcers, aortic stenosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome; general topics such as newly introduced medications and legislative updates related to the practice of medicine; and subjects unique to osteopathic medicine such as the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment for obstetric patients. Other subjects included eating disorders, pediatric psychopharmacology, and pain management and opioids.

Shannon Warren, WVSOM’s director of alumni relations and CME, said there were challenges and benefits to moving the seminar to an online environment.

“We missed seeing the faces of our alumni, but for the most part the conference went smoothly and we were pleased to be able to deliver such high-quality educational sessions,” Warren said. “The WVSOM Alumni Association looks forward to a time when it can again host the Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar as an in-person event.”

Seminar attendees were eligible to receive up to 25 hours of credits toward meeting the American Osteopathic Association’s ongoing certification requirements.

The event also served as a forum in which members of the WVSOM community could display research posters for view by attendees. In all, 18 WVSOM students and 13 WVSOM graduates in residency programs provided posters for the seminar.

PRESENTERS FOR THE

2021

SEMINAR:

(alumni in bold)

Derek Ballas, D.O.

David H. Bulbin, D.O.

J. Hayes Calvert, D.O.

Jessica Castonguay, D.O.

Melanie Crites-Bachert, D.O. Brian Griffith, Ph.D. Daniel Hurd, D.O.

Muhammad Nassooh Husainy, D.O. Jason Kirby, D.O.

Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed.D.

Aaron McGuffin, M.D.

William Moore, D.O.

Michael Nicholas, D.O.

Stephen A. Olenchock Jr., D.O.

James C. Paugh II, D.O.

Susan D. Peck, D.O.

Hillary Porter, D.O.

Deborah Schmidt, D.O.

Tom Takubo, D.O.

Christopher Terpening, Pharm.D., Ph.D.

Colin Zhu, D.O.

LEAD WITH US

SEEKING FACULTY: OSTEOPATHIC PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

SUMMARY: WVSOM is seeking to fill a full-time tenuretrack position in osteopathic principles and practices (OPP) medicine. The primary job of this faculty position is to provide education in osteopathic principles and practices and assist in providing OPP integration to all phases of the WVSOM predoctoral and postdoctoral curriculum. Research and/or scholarly opportunities are available if desired. Position provides an opportunity for a clinical practice. Successful candidates must have a D.O. degree from an accredited college/school of osteopathic medicine and be residency-trained and board-certified or board-eligible by AOBNMM (CSPOMM and/or NMM). The successful candidate must also be eligible for licensure in West Virginia.

RESPONSIBILITIES: OPP department duties include participation in the curricular duties of the OPP faculty in training/teaching all four years of osteopathic medical students. Academic responsibilities may include preparing and delivering lectures, instruction in OPP labs, development of test questions and small-group activities. OMM clinical practice occurs at the Robert C. Byrd Clinic adjacent to the school campus and may include precepting OMM rotation students and ONMM resident clinic.

BENEFITS: Salary and faculty rank will be commensurate with experience, and the position includes an excellent benefits package including medical malpractice insurance, educational loan reimbursement and relocation expenses.

Recognized as a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education, WVSOM is a freestanding medical school nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. Located in “America’s Coolest Small Town,”WVSOM is just minutes from the famed Greenbrier Resort, an AAA Five Diamond hotel and spa. WVSOM brings almost 50 years of history serving the health and wellness needs of the Greenbrier Valley, the state of West Virginia and beyond. The school’s small-town, rural community cherishes its connection with the college, and our students are engaged in service outreach and support for more than 40 nonprofit organizations in the area. This one-of-a-kind environment brings together farmers and artists, lumbermen and world-renowned musicians, holistic physicians and thrill-seeking whitewater rafters in adiverse melting pot that is truly unique.

Applications accepted until position is filled. WVSOM is an AA/EO employer.

Contact: Leslie Bicksler

Vice President of Human Resources

lbicksler@osteo.wvsom.edu • 304.647.6279

West Virginia School of O s te opat h i c M edi c i

LAYING A FOUNDATION:

Engraved bricks honor the WVSOM community and others

Brick by brick, the WVSOM Alumni Association has laid the groundwork to honor and recognize individuals in the WVSOM community.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 engraved bricks line the ground in an area at the entrance of the school’s main building where donors have left their legacy, commemorated loved ones and sealed their place on campus.

The idea to give people an opportunity to purchase engraved bricks came in the early 2000s from Shannon Warren, WVSOM’s director of alumni relations and continuing medical education.

“When I began this job, I was walking to the main building all the time and there was a parking lot with no sidewalk. I went to Dr. Olen Jones [WVSOM past president] and told him we needed a sidewalk, and I thought it should be a brick sidewalk, and we could sell the bricks as a fundraiser for the alumni association,” she said. “I remember he looked at me and said, ‘Shannon, that’s a lot of bricks.’ But he ended up being one of the first donors to buy a set for his family.”

Warren worked with Dan Johnson, D.O., a Class of 1995 graduate, to kickstart the fundraiser. Johnson was chairman of the Alumni Brick Walk Campaign when it began. A practical need that turned into a fundraising opportunity resulted in a unique walkway for campus visitors. The walkway was constructed using concrete sand so that bricks could be replaced if necessary. The path was deconstructed about seven years ago when ground broke for the school’s new Student Center, which officially opened in 2016.

One downside to the location of the former brick walkway was the constant wear and tear on the bricks from heavy foot traffic and tough weather conditions like snow and the use of salt. The association decided to replace each brick before they were installed in their new location this year.

As part of WVSOM’s beautification upgrades, the bricks were placed in an open area in front of the school’s main entrance that is also adorned with the U.S., state and school flags.

Also included in the new location are bricks for last year’s graduates, who missed out on an in-person graduation ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Class of 2020 missed out on a graduation, so the alumni association wanted to do something meaningful for them since they didn’t get to come back to campus and celebrate,” Warren said. “We purchased bricks for every member of the class.”

Other engraved bricks can be found for honorary alumni, graduates, WVSOM retirees, specific class years, in memory of loved ones and as thank-you gifts from parents to their children. Unique bricks include an alumna who bought a brick for her science teacher; D.O. Gus, a turtle; the Ramp Supper Band, a faculty-led band from the school’s earlier days; an alumnus who bought a brick for each member of his class; and an alumnus who incorporated a fun quote that stated, “You deserve a brick today.”

WANT TO PURCHASE A BRICK?

PURCHASE ONLINE: my.wvsom.edu/Alumni/forms/BrickWalk

OR CONTACT:

WVSOM Alumni Association alumni@osteo.wvsom.edu • 304.647.6257

Each brick costs $100. Donors are allowed up to three lines of text.

Alumna promotes mindfulness, helps mothers find mental health

WVSOM Class of 2013

D.O.

Maternal mental health conditions are the MOST COMMON COMPLICATIONS of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting about 800,000 women annually in the U.S.

2020 report by the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance

Emily Boothe, D.O., WVSOM Class of 2013, is a staff psychiatrist at the Behavioral Health Pavilion of the Virginias, an affiliate of Princeton Community Hospital in Bluefield, W.Va. In the organization’s inpatient practice, she sees patients from all walks of life. But in the facility’s outpatient practice, Boothe specializes in perinatal mental health, treating a population that sometimes gets overlooked.

After earning a medical degree from WVSOM, Boothe completed a general psychiatry residency at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C., and then was mentored by Katherine Atala, M.D., a psychiatrist experienced in working with perinatal patients.

“I initially had an interest in child psychiatry, but as I went further along, I realized it was a better fit to work with adults,” she said. “I feel

compassionate about working with women in that phase of life, because there’s not enough attention paid to psychiatric disorders in pregnancy and postpartum. But if you can treat the mom or partner and help with that foundation, then down the line, that’s going to be helpful for the children, too.”

Boothe’s patients include new mothers and those about to become

Photo courtesy of Levi Barnhart

Emily Boothe,

mothers, as well as people dealing with perinatal loss such as miscarriage or neonatal death. Many of her outpatient referrals come from area obstetricians.

“Postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety are things I commonly see,” she said. “Pregnancy itself, or trying to conceive, can be a challenging time as well. And if a woman loses a baby, it’s pretty clear that they can use some help.”

From a young age, Boothe’s passion for mental health was apparent to those around her. As a child, she found herself drawn to the ways people interact with one another and the reasons behind their behavior.

“My grandmother used to joke and say, ‘You should be a psychologist,’ because I was always trying to help people cope with their feelings,” she said. “I was a psychology major in college, but as I got further into my classes, I really enjoyed neuroscience and biology, and I developed an interest in medicine from there.”

Boothe is board certified in lifestyle medicine and uses her knowledge to inspire patients to make positive behavioral changes. One of the elements of mental health she teaches most frequently, in her perinatal and general-population patients, is the concept of mindfulness.

“When you’re having a distressing thought, you’re usually thinking about something that went wrong in the past or that may go wrong in the future. But in any given moment, things are usually OK, and if you can bring yourself back to the current moment, you can have relief,” she said. “Our thoughts are going to wander; that’s human nature. But when it’s distressing, things like deep breathing techniques are helpful, because they give us something to focus on that calms our body.”

Boothe also educates patients about sleep hygiene, or healthy behaviors that promote sleep. Getting sufficient rest is particularly essential to maternal mental health, she said.

“Sleep is of utmost importance in pregnancy and postpartum, so I emphasize maintaining a regular

sleep schedule, avoiding electronics for at least 30 minutes before bedtime, sleeping in a cool, dark room and developing a routine to wind down in the evening. And in line with ensuring the mom gets adequate sleep is ensuring she has enough support. This may mean having her partner or a trusted family member help with the baby so that the mom can sleep at night or take a nap, but it also means ensuring ways to receive emotional support, help around the house or just muchneeded breaks,” she said.

Medication management is a component of maternal mental health as well, Boothe said. As a psychiatrist, she is trained to weigh a medication’s risks and benefits during pregnancy. But she’s also a proponent of incorporating non-pharmaceutical treatments when circumstances allow.

“Medications are important, and I don’t want to minimize that,” Boothe said. “But if a doctor says, ‘Here’s some medication,’ that’s a passive form of treatment, because you’re taking a pill someone else told you to take. However, if your treatment plan includes behavioral changes that you make an active effort to engage with, then when you improve, it’s something you did, not something another person did for you, and that’s empowering.”

Boothe said that although it’s not easy for the psychiatric profession to dispel the stigma society has long placed on mental health issues, she believes progress is taking place. More openness about the subject can help decrease negative perceptions.

“It’s hard to escape the stigma. I have patients who tell me their families ‘don’t believe in’ psychiatric illness, and I have other patients with similar cultural backgrounds who have a different perspective. As a whole, I think the country is getting better about talking about mental health,” she said.

“Sleep is of utmost importance in pregnancy and postpartum, so I emphasize maintaining a regular sleep schedule, avoiding electronics for at least 30 minutes before bedtime, sleeping in a cool, dark room and developing a routine to wind down in the evening.”

WVSOM alumna: PANDEMIC HAS MADE IT EASIER

to discuss mental health issues

DeanAnn Farris, D.O. WVSOM Class of 2008

For years, the U.S. mental health system has been strained, and a stigma has been attached to mental health issues — two issues psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists have been working to rectify. But as the immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, mental health professionals will begin to deal with the issue of its long-term impacts on people’s mental health.

DeanAnn Farris, D.O., a psychiatrist at the Robert C. Byrd Clinic in Lewisburg, W.Va., said the mental health crisis has been evolving simultaneously with the pandemic.

“The perception that mental health is not an actual illness is changing. Pandemic-specific impacts on a person’s well-being have magnified the already declining mental health in society. The psychological burden of the pandemic has facilitated more openness and empathy around mental health, which is key to dismantling the stigma that dissuades some individuals from seeking help,” the WVSOM Class of 2008 graduate said.

Farris has worked at the clinic for more than a year, and prior to that she worked in Pennsylvania as a medical director

of a tri-county telepsychiatry program, a medical director of a community drug and alcohol clinic, a supervisor for a mobile medication team and was an inpatient and outpatient psychiatrist. She completed her internship and residency in Erie, Pa., and later completed a community/public service psychiatry fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh through Western Psychiatric Hospital.

Farris said that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of mental illness among adults was increasing.

“Some of the people who have been seen during the past year had never been to a mental health professional. They were reaching their thresholds for tolerating stress. Some have mentioned they needed help before the pandemic, but felt ashamed, weak and like a failure. It is important to reassure people that life struggles and mental health issues are normal and that asking for help is the best thing they can do for their well-being,” she said.

Farris has noticed an increase in the number of patients she has seen since the beginning of the pandemic, with those already struggling with mental health experiencing compounding problems and new patients who need coping mechanisms to handle the effects of the pandemic.

“Death has been predominant in people’s minds for the past year and a half. This doesn’t discriminate between people who are aware of the virus’ ability to cause death, or those who struggle to accept what the virus is capable of, and what the vaccine may or may not do. It has impacted every aspect of society and daily life,”

she

“The psychological burden of the pandemic has facilitated more openness and empathy around mental health, which is key to dismantling the stigma that dissuades some individuals from seeking help.”

“We have been trying to cope with sickness and death, isolation and loneliness, disrupted routines, virtual schooling, supply shortages, financial hardships, keeping up with new and always-changing information. There is grief in all of that, and it has impacted everyone.”

said. “Life was stressful before, but the pandemic has intensified that stress with additional challenges no one was prepared for. We have been trying to cope with sickness and death, isolation and loneliness, disrupted routines, virtual schooling, supply shortages, financial hardships, keeping up with new and always-changing information. There is grief in all of that, and it has impacted everyone.”

Mental health issues are typically individualized in nature, but a once-in-a-lifetime health disaster such as a pandemic can affect the mental health of populations and how they function.

“Pandemics typically strain health systems first, then permeate into every aspect of society,” Farris said. “Anxiety around virus transmission, the psychological impact of lockdowns and self-isolation, losses, unemployment and other financial worries will contribute to a longterm impact on mental health. Our society is experiencing collective trauma.”

One silver lining to an otherwise bleak projection for mental health is the way those in need can access psychiatric and psychological services. Many health care providers have been able to turn to telehealth appointments during the pandemic. Farris said that telepsychiatry has been invaluable to those who have reliable internet service, as patients can be seen from the comfort of their own home, without risking possible infection.

Emergency pandemic laws have also allowed those without reliable internet service to receive care over the phone.

No matter how the care is presented to patients, Farris said that the philosophy of osteopathic medicine — treating the mind, body and spirit —

Farris said that telepsychiatry has been invaluable to those who have reliable internet service, as patients can be seen from the comfort of their own home, without risking possible infection.

is integral to her treatment.

“I take into consideration the complete person in the management of a patient; physically, mentally and spiritually. Our well-being relies not just on what is going on in our body physically, but also on the interconnectedness of this with our psychological, social, environmental and spiritual state,” Farris said. “Taking care of oneself means more than simply nurturing the body. The mind must also be prioritized. Pain and physical illness impact our mental health. Struggles in life affect the mind and can also cause a variety of physical symptoms. All should be managed together to treat the person as a whole.”

Educating society that mental health problems are real health conditions may help reduce the stigma around them. Farris said mental health has historically been treated differently from physical health, but they are one and the same.

“It is critical to help people understand that mental illness is not anyone’s fault, that it doesn’t mean they are weak, not good enough or that there is something wrong with them. Some of the social stigma of mental illness essentially stems from a fundamental lack of understanding that mental disorders are physical,” she said. “Mental health is rooted in the physical dysfunction of the brain, and helping people to realize that the two are inseparable will help to normalize it. Normalizing mental health is a process, because it’s not something that everybody has been prepared to understand or manage. However, more people are starting to come to the realization that there is no health without mental health. It impacts everything in our life.”

Class notes

1979

Dominick H. McLain, D.O., retired from the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served as chief medical officer and clinical director. He splits his time between Fayetteville, W.Va., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. 1982

Monte Finch, D.O., was named a 2021 Patient Preferred Gastroenterologist for dedication to medicine and achieving excellence in patient care. He practices at Murray Medical Hospital West Kentucky Gastroenterology in Murray, Ky.

1997 and 2016

Richard Meadows Sr., D.O., and his son, Richard Meadows Jr., D.O., tied for the No. 1 family physician spot in the 2021 Readers’ Choice vote by The Register-Herald. Both physicians practice family medicine with AccessHealth in Raleigh County, W.Va.

1999

Julie Dahl-Smith, D.O., was named Educator of the Year for 2020 by the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians. She is director of the allopathic and osteopathic family medicine residency programs at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, where she also serves as vice chair of education in the Department of Family Medicine.

Tye Young, D.O., an internal medicine specialist, relocated his practice, RiverRun Health Primary Care, to downtown Chattanooga, Tenn., in 2020.

2000

Christopher “Dino” Beckett, D.O., became an advisor to Nalu Bio, a company whose proprietary chemical synthesis platform produces cannabinoids. Beckett will provide guidance on how cannabinoids can be used to potentially replace opioids in treating chronic pain.

2002

Ravi David Yarid, D.O., after serving as medical director with the Michigan Department of Corrections in Ann Arbor, Mich., accepted a position with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia as a

full-time assistant professor in the osteopathic manipulative medicine department.

2003

Waid McMillion, D.O., joined Broaddus Hospital in Philippi, W.Va., as a full-time emergency medicine physician.

2005

Christi Hughart, D.O., joined Greenbrier Valley Urology Associates in Ronceverte, W.Va.

Deanna Mangieri-Ross, D.O., was elected as a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

2007

Bridgett Morrison, D.O., received the West Virginia Rural Health Association’s Outstanding Rural Health Provider award in October 2020.

2008

Rick Fogle, D.O., a lieutenant colonel in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, was deployed to Poland in August and will remain there until mid-December.

L. Michael Peterson, D.O., FACEP, became regional assistant dean for the South Central Region of WVSOM’s Statewide Campus in March.

2010

Amanda Finley, D.O., received certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Finley is a hospitalist with Henry County Medical Center in Paris, Tenn.

John Mills, D.O., joined West Virginia University Medicine as a hospitalist at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital.

2011

Rehan Waheed, D.O., J.D., was elected as a partner and shareholder of Valley Pain Consultants in Winchester, Va.

2012

James Brock, D.O., after completing a contract with Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., returned to his home state of Colorado to work as an assistant professor with National Jewish Health in Denver, Colo.

David Kim, D.O., joined the general surgery team of Mercy Health in Perrysburg, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio, after serving for two years at Mercy Health’s Defiance, Ohio, location.

Timothy S. Snow, D.O., performed the first single anastomosis duodenal switch in the Sentara Hospital system, which represents 16 hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina. Snow and his bariatrics team also were reaccredited through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program.

2013

Isaac Hardoon, D.O., joined New York Cancer and Blood Specialists as the lead physician in the center’s palliative care program. Hardoon is an internal medicine physician as well as a hospice and palliative medicine physician.

Jason Swalm, D.O., joined West Virginia University Medicine Family Medicine, where he will practice family medicine in Hedgesville, W.Va.

2018

William Thompson III, D.O., joined Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Ind., where he specializes in sports medicine and family practice.

BIRTHS 1990

Paul Skinner, D.O., and his wife, Chelly, welcomed a son, Hudson Reid Skinner, born Aug. 7, 2020. Additionally, Skinner retired, after 25 years, from his position as president of the Kentucky Anesthesia Group in Lexington, Ky.

2010

Sarah (Volz) Claussen, D.O., and Samuel Aaron Claussen, welcomed their second child, son Aaron Griffin Claussen, on July 30.

2012

Scott McCarty, D.O., welcomed a son, Benicio, in September 2020. McCarty is a partner with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group.

Jessica Smith-Kelly, D.O., and her husband, John Kelly, welcomed a daughter, Lorelai Grace Kelly, on Jan. 15.

2013

Margaret (Schoening) Landel, D.O., welcomed a daughter, Madeleine, on Feb. 25. Madeleine joins her brother, Benjamin, born March 20, 2019.

2017

Christopher Kennedy, D.O., and his wife, Cietta Kennedy, welcomed a son, Corbin James Kennedy, on Jan. 15.

IN MEMORY OF 1979

Michael Levy, D.O., passed away Aug. 23 at the age of 74. Levy grew up in Charleston, W.Va., and graduated from West Virginia University before attending WVSOM. He dedicated his 36-year career to the treatment of alcohol and drug dependency and was the founder and medical director of the Center for Addiction Medicine in Las Vegas, Nev.

Charles Terrance “Terry” Wilson, D.O., of Fort Worth, Texas, passed away March 1. During his career, Wilson received the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons’ General Surgery Resident of the Year Award. He was a member of the American Osteopathic Association and the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association.

1980

David Wilcher, D.O., of Dade City, Fla., passed away May 19 after serving as an emergency room physician for more than 40 years.

1983

Jon Mark Furbee, D.O., of Lubbock, Texas, passed away June 2. Furbee, an anesthesiologist, served at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, before relocating to Lubbock.

Donald E. Holmes, D.O., of Summersville, W.Va., passed away May 25, 2020. He practiced

traditional and holistic medicine in central West Virginia until his retirement in 2017.

Edwin J. Morris, D.O., of Farmington, W.Va., passed away Feb. 26. Morris, a U.S. Army veteran, was the founder of Edwin J. Morris, D.O., and Associates in Mannington, W.Va., where he practiced for 24 years.

1987

Stephen P. Cafferty, D.O., passed away Feb. 8. After spending four years in the U.S. Navy, Cafferty worked as a physician in the Maryland area for more than 25 years, in private practice and for the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. In 2015, he relocated to Ocean Shores, Wash., where he served the medical needs of the people of the Quinault Indian Nation.

Charles “Mick” Paroda, D.O., of Navarre, Fla., passed away March 29. Paroda served as an emergency room physician and family physician in Clarksburg, W.Va., and Grafton, W.Va., for 32 years.

1992

Alan Romine, D.O., passed away Oct. 13. Romine, a native of Elkins, W.Va., was a Vietnam War veteran and a graduate of Alderson Broaddus University and Davis & Elkins College. He and a partner founded Medpointe, a family medicine practice, in Fairmont, W.Va., in 1997, and relocated it to Bridgeport, W.Va., in 2004.

1996

David Lee Morgan, D.O., passed away Feb. 27.

2010

Julius Paul Roberts, D.O., passed away Aug. 18 at the age of 52 in Orient, Ohio. Roberts was a licensed psychiatrist.

Share your news

If you have news to share with your fellow WVSOM alumni, please submit a note to alumni@osteo.wvsom.edu.

WVSOM Alumni Association NEW LIFE MEMBERS

Oct. 5, 2020, to Aug. 4, 2021

1986 David Crandall, D.O.

1991 Joule O’Connor, D.O.

1999 Laura Miller, D.O.

2000 Eric Samson, D.O.

2004 Angela Moore, D.O.

2007 Eric McClanahan, D.O.

2010 Abigail Frank, D.O.

2012 Derek Ballas, D.O.

2013 Jamie Latos, D.O.

2014 Megan Harman, D.O.

2015 Ashley Collins, D.O.

2015 Cassandra McCoy, D.O.

2016 John Ellison, D.O.

2016 Holly Overmiller, D.O. 2017 Miles Medina, D.O. 2018 Alexandra Huy, D.O.

ASSOCIATION ALUMNI

United by mission, elevated by association

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

Register online: # Alumni /alumni www.WVSOM.edu

New energy at the WVSOM Foundation

As the new WVSOM Foundation board president, I’m excited to help build a healthy foundation. We understand that a foundation needs to be strong to provide support.

While there have been many changes to the foundation recently, we are excited about the growth we anticipate seeing in the upcoming year. We welcomed a new development director, and we look forward to the fresh ideas and energy that will help us cultivate financial contributions.

We also have new board members beginning their terms. With their expertise and backgrounds, we will collaborate as a team to generate renewed efforts to support WVSOM students. Working together with those familiar with WVSOM’s mission, we can help strengthen the school.

We are here to support the mission of WVSOM through a culture of philanthropy and fundraising by securing, managing and allocating the financial contributions of businesses and individuals.

The foundation also supports students through event sponsorships, D.O. Day on the Hill trip expenses, an emergency fund, custodial accounts for clubs and organizations, embroidery on students’ white coats and other programmatic expenses.

For alumni, the foundation has supported WVSOM Alumni Association events and sponsored receptions to help provide networking opportunities. The foundation board is proud of the work our alumni do to provide quality care to their patients, and we recognize that the partnership between the two organizations is beneficial.

On the following pages you will meet our board members. We hope you will reach out to us if you would like to discuss a gift to the WVSOM Foundation that will make an impact on student doctors. We appreciate every donor and the contributions they make. We look forward to a successful year.

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND PARTNERS

Dewayne Duncan WVSOM Foundation board president

WVSOM Foundation 2021-22 BOARD of DIRECTORS

LOCATION: Elkview, W.Va.

ORGANIZATION: West Virginia Health Network, associate chief medical officer

DEWAYNE DUNCAN PRESIDENT

LOCATION: Charleston, W.Va.

ORGANIZATIONS: Zucca-Rose Properties, owner, and Christo Building, owner

INTERESTS: Fundraising, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and relaxing on his farm.

JAMES DEERING, D.O. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

LOCATION: Owosso, Mich.

ORGANIZATION: Medical Missions and Imaging, president and founder

INTEREST: The WVSOM chapter of DOCARE International.

VISION FOR WVSOM FOUNDATION: Continued support for scholarships and other programs vital to students’ success.

VISION FOR WVSOM FOUNDATION: To work with members and external stakeholders to secure scholarship funds for medical students. Long term, Duncan envisions a scenario in which each student attending WVSOM would receive some financial assistance.

SHERRI YOUNG, D.O. VICE PRESIDENT

KIM TIEMAN

LOCATION: Pittsburgh, Pa.

ORGANIZATION: Claude Worthington Benedum, program director

DREW KAGAN TREASURER

LOCATION: Lewisburg, W.Va.

ORGANIZATION: Sterling Capital Funds, trustee

INTEREST: Golfing.

VISION FOR WVSOM FOUNDATION: To increase returns on foundation investments in order to help WVSOM produce well-trained doctors to practice in rural areas.

BRANDON JOHNSON, J.D.

LOCATION: Lewisburg, W.Va.

ORGANIZATION: Wooton, Davis, Hussell & Johnson, partner

INTERESTS: Golfing, the Lewisburg Foundation and the Lewisburg Historic Landmark Commission.

VISION FOR WVSOM FOUNDATION: To keep alumni involved in WVSOM and to better familiarize students with the foundation while they are attending medical school.

INTERESTS: The outdoors, including gardening, hiking and farming.

VISION FOR WVSOM FOUNDATION: To promote the school’s merits and opportunities, such as the fact that WVSOM is No. 1 in the nation graduating primary care physicians who practice in rural Appalachia.

Gifts to WVSOM

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 West Virginia 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 Deering, D.O., and Jody Flanders, D.O. John Manchin II, D.O./ The Manchin Clinic William McLaughlin, D.O. Michael Nicholas, D.O. Patrick Pagur, D.O., and Billie Wright, D.O.

Mr. and Mrs. David Rader Carole Stookey

Drs. Andrew and Tiffany Thymius Mrs. John Tirpak Harold Ward, D.O. Dr. and Mrs. Badshah Wazir/ Spring Hill Cardiology Lydia Weisser, D.O.

Businesses

National Osteopathic Foundation West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association

Donations from 2018-2021 listed by lifetime giving category

Jan. 1, 2018 - July 31, 2021

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

Lois Bosley, D.O.

George Boxwell, D.O. Paul Conley, D.O.

Melanie Crites-Bachert, D.O. Clifford Evans, D.O.

Patron donors $25,000-$49,999

Manuel Ballas, D.O.

Catherine Bishop, D.O.

Craig Boisvert, D.O.

Jeffery Braham, D.O. Drs. Edward and Kristie Bridges Clyde Brooks III, D.O.

Cathy Dailey, D.O. Dr. Steven and Lori Eshenaur/ Haven Ltd.

Abdollatif Ghiathi, D.O.

Lawson Hamilton

J. Robert Holmes, DDS Drs. Robert and Rachel Hunter Dr. Gregory and Penny Jarrell

Samuel Muscari Jr., D.O.

James Nemitz, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Obrokta Jr. Lorenzo Pence, D.O. Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Rubin/ Carmel-Greenfield Charitable Trust Rosa Stone, D.O.

Peter Stracci, D.O.

Lori Tucker, D.O. Drs. Rafael and Letetia Villalobos Lewis Whaley, D.O.

Businesses

City National Bank Highmark Inc.

Humana Foundation Inc. OVP Health Inc.

Robert C. Byrd Clinic Inc. Smith Kline & French Laboratories West Virginia Emulation Endowment Trust West Virginia State Medical Association Alliance

Pete Palko III, D.O.

Alan Snider, D.O. R. Alan Spencer, D.O. Robert Stanley, D.O. Drs. Sally and Russell Stewart Daniel Trent, D.O. Phillip Triplett Jr., D.O. Thomas White II, D.O. Naomi Wriston, D.O.

Businesses

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. WVSOM OPP Department West Virginia State Medical Association

Benefactor Donors

$5,000-$9,999

Sponsor donors $2,500-$4,999

David Apgar, D.O.

Patricia Arnett, D.O. Drs. Patricia and William Browning Brande Carpenter

J.P. Casher, D.O.

James Chambers, D.O. Elizabeth Clark, D.O. Zachary Comeaux, D.O.

Christi Cooper-Lehki, D.O. Michael Cope, Ph.D.

Edward Eskew, D.O.

Allison Evans-Wood, D.O. Lawrence Fabrizio, D.O. Monte Finch, D.O.

Michael Grillis, D.O. Lisa Hannen

Raymond Harron, D.O. Ray Hayes, D.O.

Drema Hill, Ph.D.

Holly Hill-Reinert, D.O. Afeworki Kidane, D.O. James Kohari, D.O.

Gregory Lagos, D.O.

Forrest Lane Jr., D.O.

James Lebolt, D.O.

Robert Flowers, D.O. Robert Foster, D.O. John Garlitz, D.O. John Glover, D.O. Marla Haller, D.O., and U.S. Navy Master Chief Paul Haller John Hibler, D.O. Robert Holstein, D.O. Susan Ketchem

Cynthia Mayer, D.O. Richard McClung, DDS Andrew McLaughlin, D.O. Dodi Montgomery

Stephen Naymick, D.O. Deena Obrokta, D.O./ Liberty Pediatrics Abdul Orra, D.O./ Abco Medical Center LLC Susan Painter, D.O.

O.J. Bailes, D.O. Walter Boardwine, D.O. David Brown, Ph.D. Richard Burdeaux Sr., D.O. Cynthia Butler, D.O. Joseph Cincinnati, 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. Donald Gullickson II, D.O. Lisa Hrutkay, D.O. Buddy Hurt, D.O. Gregory Kelly, 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 Michael Shrock, D.O. Linda Smith

Andy Tanner, D.O., and Dewayne Duncan George Triplett, D.O. Noel Weigel, D.O.

Businesses

Cabell Huntington Hospital Jackson Kelly PLLC

MAKO Medical Laboratories Mason & Barry Inc. MedExpress Urgent Care Meritus Health United Bank ZMM

Gretchen Lovett, Ph.D. Richard Meadows, D.O.

William Minor, D.O. William Moore, D.O. Rebecca Morrow, Ph.D. David Nicholas, D.O.

Kara O’Karma, D.O.

Lynnetta Payne, D.O. Sherry Phillips

Ryan Runyon, D.O.

Randall Short, D.O. Jason Shull

Jessica Shull

Stefanie Shull

Sophia Sibold, D.O.

Albert Smith Jr., D.O.

Julia Spradlin, D.O.

Scott Spradlin, D.O.

Natalie Stepputat

Robert Vass Shannon Warren

Jennifer Wildpret, D.O.

Businesses

Grant Memorial Hospital Jim Lively Insurance

The Regional Healthcare Foundation

Associate donors

$1,000-$2,499

Kimberly Ballard, D.O. Patrice Bauserman

Randall Belt, D.O.

Leslie Bicksler

Charles Bou-Abboud, M.D. Thomas Brandt Jr., D.O.

GIFTS

Edward Brennan II, D.O.

Leslie Buchanan, D.O.

Marilea Butcher

Mark Byrge, D.O.

Joseph Calvert, D.O.

John Carey, D.O.

John Carvalho

Noah Childers, D.O.

Shawn Clark, D.O.

Carl Colombo, D.O.

Suzanne Courtney, D.O.

Michael Coyle, D.O.

Tyler Cymet, D.O.

Carmen Damiani, D.O.

Jane Daugherty-Luck, D.O.

Jason Dees, D.O.

Mark Dodd, D.O.

Diane Duckworth, D.O.

Richard Durham, D.O.

John Ellison, D.O.

Christopher Flanagan, D.O.

Troy Foster, D.O.

Darla Gallentine, D.O.

Christy Garcia

Bradley Goad, D.O.

Kathy Goodman, D.O.

Ryan Harris, D.O.

Brant Hinchman, D.O.

Tim Holbrook

Alice Hollingsworth

Mark Hrko, D.O.

Randal Huff, D.O.

Jamette Huffman, D.O.

Kristy Huffman, D.O.

Elizabeth Isaac

Dainty Jackson, D.O.

Brandon Johnson, J.D.

Anna Jolliffe, D.O.

Charles Kirkland, D.O.

Howard Lafferty Jr., D.O. Clay Lee, D.O.

Judith Maloney, Ph.D. Aaron and Josalyn Mann, D.O.

William Martin, D.O.

William Martin, Ph.D.

Satish Menon, D.O.

Ernest Miller Jr., D.O. Karen Miller, J.D.

Gary Mitchell

Mark Mitchell, D.O.

John Myer

Catherine Noone

James Paugh II, D.O. Robert Pepper, D.O.

Rebecca Perry, D.O.

Bonita Portier, D.O.

Mary Pozega, D.O.

Michael Pyles, D.O. Angelo Ratini, D.O.

Melinda Ratini, D.O.

Roi Reed, D.O.

Marilyn Reinemer

Thomas Richardson, D.O. Madonna Ringswald, D.O.

Rameen Shafiei, D.O.

John Sheridan, D.O.

Victoria Shuman, D.O.

Linda Smith, D.O.

Jane Tallman, D.O.

Robert Thiele, D.O.

Emily Thomas, D.O.

Mark Waddell, D.O.

Jeanne Wahl, D.O.

Rita, Amanda, Kevin and Cameron Wilcher

Phillip Williams

Winter Wilson, D.O.

Samuel Yates, Ph.D. Sherri Young, D.O.

Businesses

Camden Clark Memorial Hospital

Davis Memorial Hospital

Hess, Stewart & Campbell PLLC

Reynolds Memorial Hospital St. Joseph’s Hospital

West Virginia Society of ACOFP

Friend donors

$500-$999

W. Steven Anderson, D.O.

Derek Ballas, D.O.

Marshall Barker, D.O. Brittany Behm, D.O.

Diana Bird

Crystal Boudreaux, Ph.D.

Dan Breece, D.O.

Michael Burton John Cavell, D.O.

Heidi Clark, D.O.

Barbara Cortez, D.O.

Cindy Currey

Christopher Daniel, D.O.

David Deuell, D.O.

David Dietz

M. Stephen Dillard, D.O.

Roderick Doss, D.O.

Robert Eaton, D.O.

Peter File, D.O.

Stephanie Frame, D.O.

Kathy Fry, M.S.

Mitchell Fuscardo, D.O.

Jesamyn Fuscardo Marshall, D.O.

Katherine Galluzzi, D.O.

Eleonora Grey, D.O.

Bradley Hendricks, D.O.

Mary Hendricks, D.O.

Carl Hoyng, D.O.

Mark Jeffries, D.O.

Anthony Johnson, D.O.

Robin King-Thiele, D.O.

Thomas Kleman

Susan Lane

Wesley Lockhart, D.O.

Janice Miller, D.O.

Frederick Morgan, D.O.

Cynthia Osborne, D.O.

Roland Powers Jr., D.O.

Deborah Schmidt, D.O.

Steve Shy II, D.O.

Kimberly Triplett, D.O. Wendell Wager Colleen Wells, D.O. Karen Wines Russell Winter

James Wright, D.O. Mahmoud Younis Lisa Zaleski-Larsen, D.O.

Businesses Assurant Inc. WVSOM Department of Biomedical Sciences

Supporter donors $250-$499

Robert Beaty

David Bennett, D.O. William Bohannon, D.O. Linda Boyd, D.O. Kristina Brown, D.O. Kaitlyn Brunner, D.O. Alicia Carlos, D.O. Rickey Chance, D.O. Jonathan Cook, D.O. Anthony Crutchfield Cerisia Cummings, D.O. Matthew Deitz

Joseph Dougherty, D.O. Richard Eades

Christopher Edwards, D.O. Thomas Gibbs, D.O. Jenifer Hadley, D.O. James Harman, D.O. Jessica Harvey, D.O. Karen Hausler

Tommy Holbrook II, 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. Laura Liles, D.O. Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed.D. Michael Massey, D.O. Amelia McPeak, D.O. Laura Miller, D.O. Bobbi Morgan

Reginald Motley, D.O.

David Oliver, D.O. Marilyn Perry, D.O. David Pickering, D.O. Aiman Rauf, D.O.

Victoria Roane

Eric Schneider, D.O. Sharon Shelton, D.O. Randy Shemer, D.O. Joshua Smith

Karen Snider, D.O. Jonathan Stanley, D.O.

Samuel Stewart, D.O. Don Swift II, D.O. Ryan Waddell, D.O. Kathryn Wallington Freeland

Marta Wayt, D.O. David Whitmore, D.O. Tracy Wilkerson, DDS Terry York, D.O.

Caduceus donors

$50-$249

Maeve Archibald Shinichi Asano, Ph.D. Karen Ayers

Claudia Banner

Bruce Barger, D.O. Gregory Barnett

J. Belle Bauman, D.O. Dianna Bearse, D.O. Marie Bechtel

Lisa Bennett

Marc Benson, Ph.D. Charles Bibbee Kathleen Bors

Zachary Bosley, D.O. Chad Brady, D.O. Cindy Brandt

Gina Bray, D.O. Scott Brown, D.O. Jennifer Calafato, D.O. Connie Calvert, D.O. Russell Carlisle, D.O. Raeann Carrier-Krajacic, Ph.D. Lorraine Ciarfella James Cooper II, D.O. Pete Cooper

Tom Corman

Jonathan Craun, D.O. Nicholas Dasovich Martha 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. James and Elaine Endicott Carlos and Estrella Estrada Grace Falbo, D.O. Catherine Feaga, D.O. Cheryl Ferrebee

John Frame, D.O. Charles Friedman Jr. Carl Goldberg

Samuel and Loretta Haddad

Zachary Halsey, D.O. John Happel, M.D. Holly Hardesty

Jacob Harmon, D.O. Lillian Harry, D.O. Rhonda Hughes Ernest and Sharon Jacobs

Scott Keffer, D.O.

David Kim, D.O. Evonne Krushansky, D.O. Diane Kwitoski

Hang Le, D.O. Margaret Leef

Linda Lemmon

Antonio Licata, D.O.

Deanna Mangieri-Ross, D.O. Laura Marple

Brian McDevitt, D.O.

Susan Medalie, D.O. Donette Mizia

Bridget Moore

Franklin Moore, D.O. Fara Movagharnia, D.O. Robert Murphy

Mary Norris

Steve Obermeyer

Laura Oleson

Robert Olexo, D.O.

Jason Oreskovich, D.O.

Katrina Ostermann, D.O. Jeremy Parsons, D.O.

Ed Pasternak, D.O.

Wayne Pottmeyer

Julianna Quick

Kimberly Ransom

Lance Ridpath

Lydia Roberts, D.O.

Matthew Roberts, D.O.

Daniel Rossi, D.O.

Roy Russ, Ph.D.

Judith Schaffer, D.O. Adele Schweller, D.O. Caspia Sheppard

Eric Snider, D.O. Karen Sparks

Lois Spencer Billie Toler, D.O. William and Marsha Uhler Mark VanBuren

Lisa Vaughn, D.O. Rachel Wallace, D.O. Michael Warlick, D.O. David Webb, M.D.

John Wherthey Jr., D.O. Daniel Whitmore, D.O. Donald Williams

Carla Wilson

John Wilson, DVM

Robert Wiseman

David Wray, D.O.

Nina Yokochi-Funkhouser, D.O. Harry Young Jr., D.O. Tye Young, D.O. Jawad Zafar, D.O.

Business Dana Foundation

GINGER CONLEY

Student Counselor/ Learning Specialist II

HOW DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE AT WVSOM?

We assist the students with anything that helps them succeed in medical school. This can be support in relationships, how to be a better test-taker, improving performance for boards or ongoing care for mental health diagnoses.

JULIANNA QUICK

Student Counselor/ Learning Specialist II

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WELLNESS TOOL A MEDICAL STUDENT CAN USE?

Connection to each other is the most important wellness tool. Life and being a human is hard sometimes, and we need each other.

the pandemic and studying

Learning Specialist

JULIANNA GINGER KELLEY

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AT WVSOM?

Four years.

WHAT CITY/TOWN ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM?

Spencer, W.Va.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS?

Pretty much anywhere outside. It’s such a nice place to take a walk.

HOW DID YOUR ROLE AT WVSOM CHANGE DURING THE PANDEMIC?

While always an important role, it seemed more necessary during the pandemic. The pandemic had a significant impact on mental health for all, but especially medical students.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WELLNESS TOOL A MEDICAL STUDENT CAN USE?

Staying connected to the “why” of becoming a doctor.

TELL US SOMETHING WE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU.

One of my pandemic hobbies was running virtual races. I joined one at the beginning of this year and just finished my 600-mile goal.

TELL US A RESOURCE IN THE ASPIRE DEPARTMENT THAT MEMBERS OF THE WVSOM COMMUNITY MAY NOT KNOW EXISTS.

We review exams with students to help them improve test-taking performance.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AT WVSOM?

I have been at WVSOM since 2014.

WHAT CITY/TOWN ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM?

I’m originally from Lewisburg.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS?

My favorite spot is the ASPIRE suite. I love my colleagues, and we’ve worked hard to create a relaxed and welcoming environment.

HOW DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE AT WVSOM?

The ASPIRE department exists to do all we can to provide support to students from the first day they step on campus until graduation. We provide academic skills support. Also, we are all licensed counselors who are adept at providing quality counseling services to assist students in dealing with the stress and pressures of medical school.

HOW DID YOUR ROLE AT WVSOM CHANGE DURING THE PANDEMIC?

The pandemic proved to be a grand experiment for mental health providers across the country in that we had to find a safe way to continue providing support using a virtual platform. ASPIRE was able to quickly adapt and we continued to see as many students as we could through telehealth. While we are now providing in-person appointments, we have discovered that some students still prefer meeting virtually because they can just hop on their computer and meet from the comfort of their own home. We are committed to reducing barriers to support and will continue to provide the virtual option for all students.

TELL US SOMETHING WE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU.

I grew up riding horses and even competed at the college level at Ohio University.

TELL US A RESOURCE IN THE ASPIRE DEPARTMENT THAT MEMBERS OF THE WVSOM COMMUNITY MAY NOT KNOW EXISTS.

Brenda [Lemine] has worked hard to create a tea station in the ASPIRE suite so that anyone can take a break for a few minutes and grab a cup of tea.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AT WVSOM?

Two years.

WHAT CITY/TOWN ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM ?

I was born in New Jersey but have lived most of my life in Greenville, W.Va. I went to college in Atlanta, Ga., and spent a number of years living in the Annapolis, Md., area.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS?

The group of large oak trees behind the Tech Center building.

HOW DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE AT WVSOM?

We are here to support the students. We give academic and counseling support to help them to be successful in their medical education.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WELLNESS TOOL A MEDICAL STUDENT CAN USE?

It’s hard to choose just one, but it’s important to make sure that each day has the necessary elements of exercise, nutrition, sleep and some positive social interaction. We just can’t function well without these things.

TELL US SOMETHING WE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU.

I enjoy plants a lot. This shows up in my life as a lot of time tending gardens and time in nature and gathering wild edibles such as greens and mushrooms.

TELL US A RESOURCE IN THE ASPIRE DEPARTMENT THAT MEMBERS OF THE WVSOM COMMUNITY MAY NOT KNOW EXISTS.

We have a wonderful selection of teas available in the ASPIRE suite for students to enjoy, and we have a meditation room where students can take a break and have a quiet pause during their day.

West Virginia School of OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

400 Lee Street North Lewisburg, WV 24901

WVSOM has been recognized as one of the nation’s top medical schools for 23 consecutive years.

U.S. News & World Report

WVSOM POINTS OF PRIDE

No. No. No.

1 1 1

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

W.Va. HEPC Health Sciences Report Card

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

Academic Medicine

IMPORTANT DATES

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

Academic Medicine

WVSOM was recognized for the eighth time as a Great College to Work For. The Chronicle of Higher Education