WVSOM Spring Magazine 2025 by West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

SOCIALDETERMINANTS

When a physical exam tells only part of the story

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

4 • SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

• White Coat Ceremony celebrated 221 aspiring physicians

16 • Justice signed legislation providing $13.6 million for WVSOM

WVSOM received 10th recognition as a Great College to Work For

• Researcher’s studies include COVID-19 surveillance testing, variables affecting EMS response 22 • Alumna’s work in maternal-child and community health helps patients across Kanawha County

ʻCountry doctors’ provide care to patients in West Virginia

• Princeton physician inspired $40K scholarship donation 28 • Georgia physician understands the importance of WVSOM education, giving back 30 • The Health Plan’s scholarships will help students stay in West Virginia to practice

of reducing disparities

Writers

Ken Bays

Tiffany Wright

Designer

Druann Dalton

Photographers

Druann Dalton

Jesse Jones

Contributor

Don Smith 32 • Alumni received national awards at osteopathic medical conference 34 • Chief operations officer and an alumna named West Virginia ‘Wonder Women’

• WVRHA Conference recognized Quinn 37 • Modrzakowski, former associate dean, introduced new curriculum to WVSOM

38 • New hires and transitions

40 • GMSAA entrusted museum, military memorabilia to WVSOM

• Class notes

• Gifts to WVSOM

Mission Statement

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

“At WVSOM, we emphasize that it’s important to understand the patient in addition to understanding his or her

symptoms.

I’m

thankful for all those who work to make WVSOM a place where compassion isn’t just an afterthought, but an integral part of what we teach aspiring physicians.”

A message from the president

WWVSOM is committed to producing physicians who are knowledgeable about the full range of factors that influence patients’ health. As you would imagine, that includes a thorough education in anatomy, clinical skills, the mechanisms of diseases and their diagnoses and treatments, along with the practices that make osteopathic medicine unique, such as a focus on the whole person rather than just a patient’s symptoms.

That “whole person” approach includes looking at patients’ life circumstances — the conditions in which they are born, grow, live and work — and how these sometimes overlooked situations can affect health outcomes and treatment plans. The factors impacting a person’s health and well-being are known as the social determinants of health. This edition of the WVSOM Magazine explores some of the ways we are teaching students to be aware of these factors, as well as showcasing WVSOM graduates who work to address the social determinants in their medical practices.

We are fortunate to have a student in our Class of 2025 who had the idea to create a simulation that would give her fellow medical students a firsthand look at what many Appalachian residents experience in their daily lives and how those experiences might influence their ability to maintain good health. WVSOM incorporated the simulation into its curriculum last summer, making it the first mandatory activity of the academic year. We’re proud of this initiative and the empathy it can instill in future physicians.

Our graduates are already known for being highly compassionate physicians; three of them are featured in this issue. Jessica McColley, D.O., helps care for patients in West Virginia’s Kanawha County who might not otherwise have access to proper health care. Vicky Mays, D.O., and Albert Mays, D.O., operate a practice in rural Masontown, W.Va., that prevents patients from having to travel great distances to obtain care. It’s humbling to see the wonderful job these and other WVSOM alumni are doing in ensuring health care is something all individuals in their communities can access.

Compassion can be found everywhere. It’s in the work of Brian Hendricks, Ph.D., executive director of WVSOM’s Center for Rural and Community Health, whose research related to the social determinants of health is detailed in this issue. It’s in the scholarships provided to our students by The Health Plan, which cover tuition and fees and are renewable for four years. It is also in the generosity of two patients from Princeton, W.Va., who established a scholarship endowment after being treated by Ryan Runyon, D.O., another WVSOM alumnus.

At WVSOM, we emphasize that it’s important to understand the patient in addition to understanding his or her symptoms. I’m thankful for all those who work to make WVSOM a place where compassion isn’t just an afterthought, but an integral part of what we teach aspiring physicians.

Best regards,

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Physicians are taking a wider view of health and recognizing the importance of reducing disparities

R“Raise your hand if this simulation made you feel anxious or stressed,” said Courtney Eleazer, Ph.D., a WVSOM faculty member who helped lead the first mandatory activity of the academic year for the school’s Class of 2028.

A sea of arms went up.

First-year medical students had just completed a simulation designed to introduce the concept of the social determinants of health — the nonmedical factors that impact a person’s health and quality of life.

In the activity, each student was randomly assigned one of seven characters to portray. There was “Jack,” a widowed coal miner who didn’t complete high school. Some students took the role of “Kiersten,” a young woman with an abusive boyfriend. Others included “Susanne,” a retired grocer raising two grandchildren, and “Hunter,” an unhoused, unemployed man suffering from mental illness and hepatitis C. Students spent a month — condensed into an hour for the purposes of the activity — living the lives of their characters and trying to maintain good health for themselves and their dependents.

Created to mimic some of the inequities present in rural Appalachia, many of the simulation’s characters had limited income, lack of access to health care and education, poor social support systems, and experienced discrimination based on their social status.

According to U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data, the median household income in rural Appalachia is about $49,000. And the federal government’s National Center for Education Statistics reported that about 66% of adults living in Appalachia read at or below an eighth-grade level.

If the activity made students anxious, it was by design, said Eleazer, who teaches in WVSOM’s Department of Biomedical Sciences.

“By placing students in the role of patients, this simulation serves to recreate the chronic stress many rural community members face in response to health inequities,” Eleazer said. “We know social determinants have a direct impact on health quality and outcomes, but they also can have an indirect impact by affecting mental health. Chronic stress is a factor in the development and severity of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and auto-immune disorders.”

The simulation’s objectives were to help new students identify these determinants, recognize their effects on patient health and outcomes, and find strategies for health care workers to address them.

A CRITICAL PIECE OF THE HEALTH PUZZLE

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), research shows that the social determinants can be more important than health care or lifestyle choices in influencing a person’s health. The organization cites studies suggesting social determinants account for between 30% and 55% of health outcomes.

Although not all authorities categorize the social determinants of health the same way, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has adopted the domains of social determinants used by the WHO, which include economic stability; education access and quality; health care access and quality; neighborhood and built environment; and social and community context. In short, the WHO defines the social determinants as the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age and the drivers of those conditions. The CDC notes that addressing the social determinants accelerates progress toward health equity, allowing each person the opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

That’s important, said Jill Cochran, Ph.D., a member of WVSOM’s clinical sciences faculty and a nurse practitioner at Pocahontas Memorial Hospital, because healthier individuals contribute to healthier societies.

“It’s for the good of everyone that people should not be hampered by illnesses we can help alleviate,” Cochran said. “When you feel healthy, you can work, you can better your family, you can be more community oriented. Being in pain or being uncomfortable can impair you to the point that your function in society is low. So a person’s health impacts more than just that one person. Having physical wellness creates a larger ripple effect on the health of families and communities.”

The idea that different populations have different health risks isn’t new. Globally, the history of the concept can be traced to the 1800s. In-depth studies on minority health in the U.S. date to the 1980s, and in 1999, U.K.-based epidemiologists Michael Marmot and Richard Wilkinson published the book Social Determinants of Health, which examined, from various research perspectives, how public policy affects the health of populations.

C. Donovan “Dino” Beckett, D.O., a family medicine physician who graduated in WVSOM’s Class of 2000, said WVSOM’s curriculum has long included a focus on the nonmedical factors that influence health — even before the term “social determinants” was commonly used.

“The phrase didn’t become popular until the early 2000s,” Beckett said. “But as an osteopathic physician, you’re taught to practice holistic medicine and look at the whole person. Part of that training was looking at populations not only within West Virginia, but elsewhere. Understanding that taking care of somebody living in a city is going to be different from somebody living in a rural area or, say, in public housing, was at the forefront of our education. The osteopathic tenets were the foundation of how I viewed the social determinants, and it made sense for me to incorporate that into my practice.”

Beckett works in Williamson, W.Va., where he established Williamson Health and Wellness Center, a federally qualified health center. A rural coal community with high rates of conditions such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes, Williamson is a location where the social determinants play a sizable role in the health of area residents.

In the two decades since completing his residency and returning to his hometown, Beckett has worked to improve the health outcomes of people who live in Mingo and Logan counties in West Virginia and neighboring Pike County in Kentucky. Among other components, the center includes innovative projects such as a farmer’s market, a community garden and the Mingo County Diabetes Coalition, which partners with other agencies to prevent Type 2 diabetes. The center offers cooking classes and sometimes “prescribes” fresh vegetables and other healthy foods to its patients.

In 2014, Beckett helped lead Williamson to become a Culture of Health Prize winner by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an organization that works to create communities nationwide where physical, economic and social conditions ensure all residents have a fair opportunity to live their healthiest lives.

When the city’s local medical facility — Williamson Memorial Hospital — shut its doors in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Beckett saw the effect its closing had on the community he serves. Williamson Health and Wellness Center’s owners purchased the facility and reopened it this past summer.

“Local access to health care is critical. We’re creating a health system that’s fully integrated and addressing the community’s needs. We have patients who may not live near the hospital, but if you tell them they’re going to have to go to Charleston or Pike County, that’s a bridge too far. We know people heal better when they have family around them, so it’s important to treat people in the community they live in,” he said.

Beckett said community health workers — an emerging job classification for individuals who establish trusting relationships with local residents that enable them to facilitate access to services and improve the cultural competence of care delivery — play a role in addressing the social determinants of health, too. He recalled a diabetic patient who was not only helped by a community health worker, but whose story triggered a pharmaceutical company to make needed changes.

Education access and quality

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Neighborhood and built environment

Social and community context

“She was an older lady who couldn’t see well, and I trained her to use an injectable insulin pen,” Beckett said. “At first her blood glucose was controlled, but then it started creeping up and I kept increasing her insulin. She would come in and say, ‘I’m doing everything you’re telling me, but when I use the pen, the insulin runs out.’ So I sent a worker to watch the patient administer the glucose. In the product insert that she was following 100% correctly, it said to take the cap off the needle. But there was a fine sheath covering the needle that she couldn’t see, so the insulin was spraying onto her stomach. Our community health worker identified that and her glucose was controlled. It led to the company changing its product insert.”

Beckett said community health workers are integral to the work done by his clinic.

“They’re on the front lines, particularly with high-risk patients. They’re trained to go into patients’ homes and assess them. They see what food the patient has available and watch how they dispense their medicine. They report back to us and give recommendations,” he said.

Economic stability

Health care

“Local access to health care is critical. We’re creating a health system that’s fully integrated and addressing the community’s needs ... We know people heal better when they have family around them, so it’s important to treat people in the community they live in.”

C. Donovan “Dino” Beckett, D.O.

HOMEGROWN SOLUTIONS

WVSOM’s social determinants of health activity was created by Madison Robinson, of the Class of 2025, in her capacity as a work-study student with the school’s Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH). The characters ring true because Robinson based them on people she knew growing up in the Mountain State and patients she interacted with while volunteering at a hospital. A poverty simulation she experienced during her undergraduate years at West Virginia Wesleyan College inspired her to design an activity aimed at educating medical students about the social determinants of health — but the format, rules and goals were Robinson’s alone.

The Kanawha County native wondered whether WVSOM students from urban areas might be surprised by situations they would encounter during their final two years of medical school, on clinical rotations at sites in WVSOM’s Statewide Campus system.

“I realized early on that I was the only one in my friend group from West Virginia and that there wasn’t a lot of rural representation. A lot of my peers were from larger cities, so they weren’t prepared to go into their third year in terms of living in a rural neighborhood. Knowing how to survive in a rural area is one thing, but learning to interact with people who have centuries of ancestry there is another.”

Each character deals with obstacles that mirror those of the real people Robinson used as models. “Jack,” who is functionally illiterate, is unable to read the materials given to him by emergency room staff. “Hunter,” who was incarcerated following a bar fight, is unable to obtain employment because of his arrest. “Kiersten” has been living with opioid use disorder since incurring a volleyball injury during high school, and she has no transportation, requiring her to walk to many of the locations in the simulation.

The students portraying these characters were expected to complete activities of day-to-day life such as working, paying bills, shopping for groceries, caring for children and seeking treatment for health issues. Stations were set up representing workplaces, stores, banks, child care centers, hospitals, homeless shelters, police stations and social services agencies. WVSOM employee volunteers took on the roles of workers at each station.

Katie Williams, Ph.D., WVSOM’s director of academic technology, portrayed a short-tempered employer during the event. As students rushed to complete daily activities in the allotted time, she admonished those who were late for work: “You barely made it,” or “Why can’t you be here on time?”

“We’re trying to create situations that our students’ future patients might feasibly have encountered,” Williams said. “Some of the characters have low-wage jobs, and there are stigmas attached

to that. It’s a realistic experience in that if you’re late for work, it’s going to cause problems. Or what happens if you can’t come to work multiple weeks in a row? Some patients experience things that require them to prioritize and say, ‘Do I even try to go to work today?’”

The simulation is intended to make aspiring physicians aware of the tradeoffs that are sometimes forced on patients in rural or lowwage areas. At the grocery store, students can choose to buy either “nutritious” food, at a high cost, or “non-nutritious” food, which is less expensive but causes health problems for their children or themselves. Those without transportation might have to shop at the convenience store, which is closer than the grocery store but is more expensive and offers food that is less healthful.

Each student received “luck of the draw” cards that triggered unexpected setbacks in their attempts to complete daily activities. Their car might break down or their child could have an illness, causing them to miss work. A health emergency might require a costly ambulance ride.

Robinson said the activity was intended to immerse students in the lives of patients similar to those they will treat if they become physicians in rural Appalachia.

“The best thing about the simulation is that you’re able to step into the shoes of these characters. You’re Jack for an hour, and you have to try to make it through life as a coal miner. I hope it’s an eyeopening experience,” she said.

When WVSOM’s “Finding Health” curriculum was rolled out to WVSOM’s Class of 2028 in July, Robinson’s simulation was part of it. She first presented the simulation to students during an extracurricular event in April 2023. After those in charge of the school’s curriculum saw the simulation, they decided it should become a mandatory part of students’ coursework.

“Once we heard about this activity designed by one of our own students, we knew we needed to work with her on incorporating it into the curriculum,” Eleazer said. “We believe this experience will set the tone for a lifelong journey of providing high-quality care and empathy to patients from all walks of life.”

One first-year male student who took part in the simulation, in the role of “Kiersten,” the young opioid user whose abusive boyfriend kept her in the throes of addiction, said he learned how easy it is to spiral down a path that offers little hope of a way out.

“You’d get sick and then you couldn’t go to work, so you’d have to go to the homeless shelter because you couldn’t afford your home anymore. You had to steal food just to survive. It snowballed quickly, because once you’re in a place of economic disadvantage, it’s hard to get out,” the student said.

Dana Engram, a Class of 2028 student who arrived at WVSOM from Brooklyn, N.Y., portrayed “Susanne,” the retiree raising two grandchildren while her daughter dealt with heroin addiction.

“It made me see some of the challenges residents of rural areas have to deal with,” Engram said. “Playing the role of someone who’s worried about paying bills and trying to maintain the welfare of children made it feel real. I learned you have to make impossible choices. Sometimes you end up overlooking your own health to take care of your family.”

Robinson has presented research showing that her simulation is beneficial in communicating the social determinants of health at the West Virginia Rural Health Association Conference and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Educating Leaders Conference. Her data was based on pre- and post-activity surveys asking students to recall what they’d learned.

Rebecca Thacker, who helped implement the activity as program director of WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative, pointed out that the simulation was not meant to paint Appalachians in a negative light, and that not all residents of the region are living with the circumstances the activity uses as examples of potential patients.

“These characters are not intended to stereotype Appalachians or West Virginians. Instead, they highlight the impact of social determinants on health care outcomes,” Thacker said. “Our goal is to cultivate providers who are aware of how social factors influence health and access to care, enabling them to deliver more compassionate and equitable care to diverse populations.”

Still, Robinson said it’s important for WVSOM’s medical students to learn to pay attention to the stories behind the illnesses they see in patients. It’s part of the “whole person” philosophy that underpins osteopathic medicine.

“Once we’re working in the hospital, we aren’t seeing somebody who has diabetes or cardiovascular disease. We’re seeing Tom, who can’t afford his medications or has trouble cooking healthy meals. That’s why I chose osteopathic medicine, because osteopathic physicians have been thinking that way forever — treating the person, not just the disease,” she said.

“These characters are not intended to stereotype Appalachians or West Virginians. Instead, they highlight the impact of social determinants on health care outcomes. Our goal is to cultivate providers who are aware of how social factors influence health and access to care, enabling them to deliver more compassionate and equitable care to diverse populations.”

Rebecca Thacker, Program director of WVSOMʼs Rural Health Initiative

WVSOM’S CRCH: EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES

WVSOM also works to address the social determinants of health through its Center for Rural and Community Health. The CRCH was founded in 2010 to build infrastructure empowering communities to reach their highest level of health and wellness through evidencebased, community-engaged outreach, education and research.

The CRCH has grown exponentially in the years since its creation. The center’s focus on community engagement has led its staff to implement programs and studies devoted to grappling with some of West Virginia’s health disparities, often with the assistance of grant funding. Many of the programs allow WVSOM students to gain experience in working with underserved populations.

One program involves the organization’s ongoing work in the West Side of Charleston, W.Va., home to one of the state’s highest concentrations of black residents. In September, a total of 71 medical student volunteers participated in a community health fair, operating a booth to educate community members about medical issues. Thanks to a grant from the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and the National Institutes of Health, the CRCH is conducting a cohort study — research that follows a group of people over time to see whether a particular characteristic is associated with a health outcome — to provide insights into cardiovascular disease in underrepresented communities. Students recruited West Side residents to undergo stroke risk assessments and resting blood pressure measurements to test hypotheses about hypertension frequency and stroke risk among black residents compared with their white counterparts.

Through an Appalachian Regional Commission grant, the CRCH addressed transportation and workforce re-entry shortcomings in the substance use recovery ecosystem in Greenbrier County, where the poverty rate is 18.9% compared with 12.8% in the nation as a whole. Through the “Connecting the DOTS: Developing Opportunities for Transportation Ecosystems” program, the school and its partners developed a service for people in recovery to travel for work-related needs and implemented a workforce mentoring program for those in recovery. Community partners include the Marvel Center, Mountain Transit Authority and New River Community and Technical College.

In 2023 and 2024, a grant from the West Virginia-based company Quality Insights allowed the CRCH to implement the Women Interested in Staying Healthy (WISH) program. Aimed at women 35 and older in Greenbrier County, WISH provided biweekly sessions focused on nutrition, exercise and health education, empowering participants to take control of their health by improving body mass index scores and healthy behaviors. WVSOM students conducted data collection for the program, which officially ended in summer 2024 but continues in the form of a monthly support group led by a CRCH employee.

WVSOM students designed and continue to organize the CRCH’s Fit Kids program, currently in its third year. Fit Kids educates children ages 6 to 11 and their parents about healthy choices, encourages physical activity and promotes socialization through fun activities. Through monthly, themed gatherings at various Greenbrier County locations, the program aims to build relationships with families of all education and income levels.

A person’s career also can be a social determinant of health. On Sept. 11, the CRCH used a grant from Volunteer West Virginia to co-host an event devoted to mindfulness in first responders. A licensed professional counselor and her husband, a firefighter and emergency medical technician, spoke with first responders on WVSOM’s campus to teach them about the impact of stress reactions on wellness. Recognizing warning signs early is critical in reducing burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide — issues more common in first responders than in other professions. The Volunteer West Virginia grant also allowed WVSOM to offer presentations on threatpreparedness to middle-schoolers in Greenbrier and Monroe counties and distribute nearly 300 backpacks, stuffed with school supplies by WVSOM students, as well as giving them books about the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Significantly, the CRCH also has received multiple subawards from the State Opioid Response (SOR). Because West Virginia was heavily impacted by the opioid epidemic, the state’s Department of Health and Human Resources established the SOR to expand substance use treatment and address barriers to recovery and prevention. Recent programs using SOR subawards include training WVSOM students and health care professionals in the use of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association protocol, in which needles are placed into the exterior of the ear, which can help reduce cravings and minimize withdrawal symptoms.

SOR funds also allow the school to provide first-year students with naloxone — a drug that can potentially prevent death by reversing overdose symptoms — in case they encounter an overdose victim in a nonmedical setting, and to place naloxone at locations on the Lewisburg campus.

Through programs like these, WVSOM’s CRCH is working to make West Virginia a healthier place for vulnerable populations.

Brian Hendricks, Ph.D., who joined WVSOM as executive director of the CRCH in late 2023 and has a background in research related to the social determinants of health (see story on page 20), said his time at the school has shown him that the center knows how to keep its fingers on the pulse of community needs.

“In clinical trials and studies, we often say recruitment is the hardest part,” Hendricks said. “But I’ve never seen a single program at the CRCH have problems with recruitment, because the staff understands what the public is hungry for. The people here recognize how WVSOM fits as a cornerstone of the community. It’s one of the reasons I came here.”

THE BIG PICTURE

Ultimately, addressing the social determinants of health is about working toward a more equitable society. At times, well-intentioned work can have unintended consequences. As an example, Hendricks cited programs meant to combat food insecurity.

“West Virginia leads the country in childhood and adult diabetes,” he said. “Think about our food pantries, which are vitally needed in our communities. They are addressing hunger, but without thought to which foods are given away, they may also be unintentionally widening the disparities in low-income people with regard to chronic disease.”

Hendricks pointed out that social determinants often play out on multiple levels at once. Societal factors can interact with an individual’s own determinants to increase or reduce health disparities.

“If you look at most studies on structural oppression — structural racism, discrimination based on disabilities, things like that — what they have in common are uneven pay scales and employment, higher occurrence of food deserts and more incarcerations. Everyone has individual social determinants of health, and each community has structural factors that can perpetuate or worsen the risk of disease,” Hendricks said.

Cochran said WVSOM uses simulated patients — community members trained to portray patients with specific medical conditions — to instruct students to pay attention to an individual’s unique life circumstances rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

“In the first two years of medical school, we do a good job of teaching one-on-one interactions using simulated patients. We teach students how to talk to patients and how to determine the diagnosis based on the person rather than the disease,” she said.

While health policy can have a strong influence on those factors, creative solutions often arrive at the individual level — and that’s something all medical professionals can play a role in. For example, Cochran spoke of one simple but profound gesture that had a powerful effect.

“During the pandemic, I had a teenaged patient, a great kid who was depressed,” said Cochran, who was practicing at Lewisburg’s Robert C. Byrd Clinic at the time. “His parents contacted me and wanted me to speak with him, but the clinic was closed. He was willing to do a telehealth appointment, but they didn’t have enough cell service to carry a video signal where his family lived in Pocahontas County. So he drove until his phone had enough bars, and we conducted telehealth in the middle of nowhere. We sat and talked, and I thought about all the barriers we have and how people still need help. There are always solutions.”

WHITE COAT CEREMONY

CELEBRATED

AAfter seven weeks of classes, first-year students at WVSOM stepped away from their busy academic schedule for an important milestone. The school’s White Coat Ceremony took place Sept. 13, celebrating the first step in 221 students’ paths to becoming physicians.

The ceremony, a tradition at many medical schools nationwide, is a rite of passage that marks students’ entry into the medical profession. White coats are more than just attire; they are symbols of the commitment to serve others and uphold the highest standards of care in treating patients.

As members of the class crossed the stage to have their coats placed around their shoulders, they were applauded by family members, friends and WVSOM faculty and staff.

Miles Medina, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 2017 alumnus, served as keynote speaker. Medina, who is associate medical director of the emergency department and clinical director of the observation unit at Piedmont Henry Hospital in the Atlanta suburb of Stockbridge, Ga., said his invitation to speak at the event made him think of the first White Coat Ceremony he attended — his sister’s.

“I remember being awestruck at the recognition, the prestige, the respect,” Medina said. “I was so eager to get a coat of my own. I watched as she flourished in her career, and I became inspired.”

~Miles Medina, D.O.

“Today marks a monumental step where you take the first of many toward your commitment to medicine. You have worked tirelessly to get where you are today. You’ve prepared yourselves for this moment and the journey ahead.”

Medina was born and raised in suburban Chicago and earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He worked as a paramedic prior to enrolling at WVSOM. During medical school, he served as president of his class and received WVSOM’s Student D.O. of the Year award as well as the Donald Newell Sr. Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior.

In early 2024, he was recognized as Piedmont Henry Hospital’s Physician of the Year.

In his speech, Medina urged students to remember that they are well equipped to manage the rigors of medical school.

“Today marks a monumental step where you take the first of many toward your commitment to medicine,” he said. “You have worked tirelessly to get where you are today. You’ve prepared yourselves for this moment and the journey ahead. You may not realize it, but you sit in a place where thousands of successful graduates have started.”

He told students that medical school goes by “in the blink of an eye” and advised members of the Class of 2028 to savor the time they have together and the friendships made at the school. He spoke about his wedding, which was attended by more than 60 fellow WVSOM graduates.

“What matters most about this coat is the journey of the person who wears it, and that journey starts here. You might find one of your classmates officiating your wedding. You might throw a baby shower for one of them. You might even find the love of your life,” Medina said. “Or maybe you’ll be like me, and on your wedding day you’ll yell to your spouse, ‘This is why “Country Roads” is the last song,’ as you stare at a circle of alumni you deeply adore.”

C. Donovan "Dino" Beckett, D.O.

221 ASPIRING PHYSICIANS

In an introduction to the ceremony, James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, said the school produces physicians who practice across the U.S., and noted that WVSOM’s status as a leader in medical education wouldn’t be possible without the work of the founders who created the school more than a half-century ago.

“Fifty years later, we’ve populated small towns and cities throughout the state with highly competent, caring, dedicated physicians who serve their communities,” Nemitz said. “We also are populating communities throughout Appalachia and beyond. We have WVSOM alumni in every state of the union, practicing in every specialty and subspecialty.”

Linda Boyd, D.O., WVSOM’s chief academic officer, told students their coats represent the trust and confidence they will earn from future patients as their careers progress.

“You walked into this room today as medical students, but when you don the white coat, you become a professional,” she said. “WVSOM holds high expectations for you, as does society, and I know you won’t let us down.”

“We are populating communities throughout Appalachia and beyond. We have WVSOM alumni in every state of the union, practicing in every specialty and subspecialty.”

~James W. Nemitz, Ph.D.

Other White Coat Ceremony speakers included Randall Belt, D.O., chair of the WVSOM Board of Governors, and L. Faith Payne, D.O., secretary and treasurer of the WVSOM Alumni Association. Lewisburg Mayor Beverly White was among those in attendance at the event.

The ceremony closed with the assembled students reciting an oath of commitment, led by faculty member Jessica Smith-Kelly, D.O., in which members of the class pledged to maintain “a life of growth, to always expand my knowledge and to strengthen my understanding of

JUSTICE SIGNED LEGISLATION PROVIDING $13.6 MILLION FOR WVSOM

IIn October, WVSOM celebrated a state appropriation of $13.6 million that will help the school with deferred maintenance issues on its main campus in Lewisburg, parts of which were constructed in 1922 when it housed the Greenbrier Military School.

West Virginia's then-governor, Jim Justice, who lives near WVSOM, visited the school to sign the legislation. WVSOM is a public school, and its buildings are owned by the state of West Virginia.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., welcomed the governor and guests to the signing ceremony.

“We are honored to have Governor Jim Justice here to celebrate the signing of legislation providing the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine with $13.6 million in deferred maintenance funding. Governor Justice has been an incredible champion of WVSOM and a great neighbor,” Nemitz said.

Justice included the funding request on his call for the recent special session of the West Virginia Legislature.

“I’m so proud of this school. I’m so proud of all that you have done and all that you continue to do,” Justice said of WVSOM.

He said all West Virginians benefit from the school’s graduates and the medical services they provide across the state.

“What you have delivered is off the chart,” Justice said.

With an enrollment of about 800, the osteopathic school educates the highest number of students of West Virginia’s three medical schools. It welcomed one of its largest classes last fall and filled a new graduate program that offers a master’s in biomedical sciences degree.

WVSOM has educated many of the primary care physicians and medical specialists in the state. The school has nearly 1,000 graduates practicing in West Virginia.

Nemitz said keeping the school’s facilities updated is a key to building enrollment.

“Attracting students is a competition. Each year, we compete against all medical schools for enrollment. The quality and functionality of our facilities is an important component in our ability to successfully recruit students to campus and train them to be the next generation of physicians,” Nemitz said.

Nemitz said WVSOM is an important asset to West Virginia.

“We are in a growth mode at WVSOM, but that means we need every classroom available and in good condition. We must continue offering a modern and safe learning environment, quality programs and affordable tuition.”

During the ceremony, Nemitz thanked many legislators and state officials for their support of WVSOM. The funding legislation — Senate Bill 2020 — passed unanimously in the State Senate and House of Delegates during the fall special session.

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D.

WVSOM DEBUTED CHARLESTON FACILITY

AS PART OF ITS STATEWIDE CAMPUS

WWVSOM administrators hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house in October to debut its new building space in Charleston as part of its Statewide Campus system.

WVSOM’s Statewide Campus consists of seven regions across the state and in neighboring locations where employees work closely with third- and fourth-year medical students during their clinical rotations. The facility, leased by WVSOM, allows the medical school to have a more visible presence in Charleston. WVSOM worked with Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) and Vandalia Health to renovate the hospital’s existing building.

The facility is located at 3211 MacCorkle Ave. SE, across from CAMC Memorial Hospital.

The space is important in serving as a hub that can be utilized by WVSOM’s employees and alumni to engage in developing partnerships with businesses and organizations in the area. It will become a base of operations for WVSOM students, faculty and staff.

The facility includes two large classrooms, a number of permanent and satellite offices for staff, a student study area and a lounge area. Cosmetic renovations include new flooring, painting, lighting and the installment of audiovisual equipment.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said it’s important that the osteopathic school continues to foster its relationship with CAMC and Vandalia Health as the hospital continues to be one of the major medical facilities in West Virginia for medical student training and residency.

adaptability.

“This building represents the next step in providing opportunities to the next generation of WVSOM students. It will be a place for our students and staff to network, to learn, to set goals, to take initiatives and to reflect on our past experiences,” he said. “In an era that is characterized by change, those who are prepared to embrace opportunities will not only thrive but also inspire others to do the same.”

“What’s in it for Charleston? For one, our students are here delivering health care for hospital systems. You have students who are contributing to the economic vitality of Charleston. We have an economic impact. When we did our last study in 2020 — we know that now those numbers are going to be higher — it was $4.2 million [in the South Central Region]. That’s only going to grow with a facility like this,” Nemitz said.

At WVSOM, a student’s first two years of a four-year program are spent on campus in Lewisburg. However, the latter two years are spent on rotations in clinics and hospitals throughout the Statewide Campus. Currently, there are about 120 students in clinical rotations and more than 175 graduates practicing in the South Central Region.

Doug Knutson, M.D., CAMC’s chief academic officer, said having a more permanent facility in Charleston helps tie students to the community, and hopefully integrate into the community in a way that influences them to stay in West Virginia.

“CAMC provides the clinical education for students who are on this campus. After they learn their basic science education, all their work with patients happens through collaborating with us,” Knutson said. “The students from the osteopathic school are critical members of our health care team and are critical for the pipeline of physicians that we are going to have in West Virginia to serve the health care needs of the state.”

WVSOM RECEIVED 10 TH RECOGNITION AS A GREAT COLLEGE TO WORK FOR

WWVSOM received national recognition for the 10th time as a Great College to Work For in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual report on academic workplaces.

The 2024 report, which surveyed employees, recognized WVSOM in six categories: job satisfaction and support; compensation and benefits; professional development; mission and pride; faculty and staff well-being; and faculty experience.

WVSOM was also included in the publication’s Honor Roll, a distinction granted to only 42 institutions that are recognized the greatest number of times across all categories.

A total of 216 institutions participated in the 2024 Great Colleges to Work For survey, 75 of which received recognition. An institutional questionnaire that captured workplace policies and a survey seeking employee feedback at each institution were administered by ModernThink, an organizational development consulting firm.

Richard Boyer, chief culture strategist at ModernThink, said as higher education institutions have emerged from the trauma of the past four years, there has been much action around the well-being of faculty, staff and students.

“In the face of rising levels of burnout and mental health concerns, that focus on the individual members of our community has been critical. The 2024 Great Colleges participants have brought similar intentions to the well-being of the institution, not just its individual members. Their commitment to workplace quality and their stewardship of culture positions them well to navigate the continuing challenges higher education faces,” he said.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said it is important to him to let employees know how much they are valued for their contributions to educating future physicians.

“I hope every person at WVSOM recognizes that the work they do is important and valuable to our students — whether it’s the faculty members who teach them or the staff members who have a more indirect role. Everyone at our school contributes to our mission, whether they realize it or not,” he said. “Being a school listed on

the honor roll, and in most of the recognition categories, means we are doing something right. As president, I want to continue to foster an environment where people are excited about their work and are passionate about student success.”

Leslie Bicksler, the school’s chief human resources officer, thanked WVSOM’s 314 employees for making the school a quality workplace. She said recognition in categories such as mission and pride as well as faculty and staff well-being are a testament to the work environment that employees continue to maintain since the institution’s inception more than 50 years ago.

“A great workplace is no accident; it’s a choice by employees every day to strive to make positive changes under challenging circumstances that will move us forward in achieving our mission and goals,” Bicksler said. “WVSOM credits all our employees for our success and appreciates that 122 employees have been with the school for 10 years or more.”

“I hope every person at WVSOM recognizes that the work they do is important and valuable to our students — whether it’s the faculty members who teach them or the staff members who have a more indirect role. Everyone at our school contributes to our mission, whether they realize it or not.”

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D.

Researcher’s studies include COVID-19 surveillance testing, variables affecting EMS response

WWhen Brian Hendricks, Ph.D., joined WVSOM as executive director of the school’s Center for Rural and Community Health in 2023, he brought with him a strong history of research related to the social determinants of health and a commitment to using his work to improve the well-being of populations.

Hendricks, who earned a Ph.D. degree in epidemiology from West Virginia University and served as a senior policy analyst for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, has published studies on health disparities from various lenses, including COVID-19 surveillance testing in West Virginia and national emergency medical services (EMS) response.

In “Factors Associated With Surveillance Testing in Individuals With COVID-19 Symptoms During the Last Leg of the Pandemic: Multivariable Regression Analysis,” published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, Hendricks and his co-authors examined demographic, clinical and behavioral factors associated with COVID-19 testing during the final portion of the global emergency caused by the pandemic.

While working as an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at WVU, Hendricks obtained a National Institutes of Health grant to deploy testing resources statewide. In the early stages of the pandemic, free testing was also funded by the state, but when access to state-funded testing decreased in July 2022, Hendricks and his team were able to use grant funds to continue testing, with a focus on underserved populations. Doing so gave him a data set that allowed him to analyze trends among populations who were voluntarily being tested, Hendricks said.

“I wanted to understand the average symptomatic person who was visiting our testing locations,” he said. “Until July 2022, we were doing population-level screening, which meant it didn’t matter who came to get tested. In the last leg of the pandemic, a majority of tests were done only among those who were sick. It was important to understand the population we were serving to better tailor our testing resources and public health messaging to ensure these vital services were available as needed.”

The study provided an opportunity to identify barriers and disparities in living situations among people of different races and ages who needed testing services. Hendricks examined 1,423 individuals who were symptomatic at the time of their first test. Using regression analysis, he found that while factors such as race, age, gender and food and water availability had little impact on whether individuals were symptomatic upon first testing, other factors had strong associations. People with existing health issues were 85% more likely to be symptomatic, and people experiencing housing insecurity were 306% more likely to be symptomatic at the time of the first test.

Hendricks explained that these findings help further the idea found in existing literature that infectious diseases impact underserved or medically vulnerable populations more severely, and stressed that studies like his can help establish a basis for sentinel surveillance. Sentinel surveillance involves monitoring a subset of the population for signs and symptoms relevant to the disease of interest, which is more economical than populationbased screening.

“The study tells us that if you want to monitor future occurrences of, say, the next COVID-19 variant, underserved populations, like those experiencing homelessness, are a key stakeholder to provide early services and care in an effort to prevent persistent outbreaks,” he said.

While studying populations specific to West Virginia is important to Hendricks, he also has conducted research with a nationwide reach that could have implications for rural care.

In his paper “A Cross-Sectional Analysis of ALS/BLS Care in Low-Acuity 911 Response by Geography and Insurance Status Utilizing the 2019 NEMSIS Dataset,” published in the International Journal of Paramedicine, Hendricks and his co-authors used the nation’s largest publicly available database of emergency medical service activations, the National Emergency Medical Services Information System, to analyze more than 4.5 million calls for EMS services.

Again using regression analysis, Hendricks examined relationships between patient acuity — the severity of an illness or condition — and the level of EMS care that was dispatched to them, with a focus on differences in health services across levels of rurality and patient insurance coverage. The study found that where patients live and the type of insurance they have is correlated with how often they use emergency services for issues that could be resolved by other, less expensive means.

In rural areas, people are more reliant on hospital emergency department staff for issues that could be managed through regular primary care visits, Hendricks said.

“This occurs for many reasons, but one of the most commonly self-reported reasons is a lack of medical insurance coverage,” he said. “This can create a burden on rural health care systems that have a finite number of hospital beds.”

Hendricks’ research also uncovered a curious finding. In rural areas, whether a patient had public or private insurance did not affect the rates of low-acuity responses — responses that don’t trigger the need for advanced life support services — while insurance type did play a role in urban areas, with public insurance correlating with higher rates of low-acuity responses.

Hendricks said the potential reasons behind that disparity are worthy of investigation.

“People with public insurance in urban areas are receiving more advanced life services than people with public insurance in rural areas,” Hendricks said. “It could simply be that there are more people with certifications for advanced life services in urban areas. Or it could be that community poverty rates mean rural areas can’t afford more highly trained workers.”

The study concludes that alternative strategies might be useful in addressing the burden on rural health care systems and that further research is warranted to better understand the availability of EMS services in rural and urban areas.

“Community paramedicine could increase access to rural care by empowering EMS workers to manage low-acuity health responses. Additionally, community outreach from EMS workers could help address concerns of mistrust for medical professionals,” Hendricks said.

Both of Hendricks’ studies received funding from the National Institutes of Health.

“... if you want to monitor future occurrences of, say, the next COVID-19 variant, underserved populations, like those experiencing homelessness, are a key stakeholder to provide early services and care in an effort to prevent persistent outbreaks.”

Brian Hendricks, Ph.D.

Alumna’s work in maternal-child and community health helps patients across Kanawha County

JJessica McColley, D.O., of WVSOM’s Class of 2009, has a history of getting things accomplished at an early age. She knew before kindergarten that she wanted to be a physician, and she achieved that goal at age 25 after finishing enough prerequisite courses at West Virginia’s Alderson Broaddus University to be accepted to medical school without completing a bachelor’s degree.

“My mom can vouch for the fact that I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I was 3,” McColley said. “Some of my earliest memories are of thinking, ‘I have all these questions about what’s happening with the human body,’ and knowing that doctors had those answers.”

Today, McColley — born in Tacoma, Wash., but raised in West Virginia’s Braxton County, where her family ties go back hundreds of years — is chief medical officer of Cabin Creek Health Systems.

Cabin Creek is a comprehensive health system that operates seven main clinic sites and seven additional school-based health centers across Kanawha County. Among them is Riverside Health Center, which offers an uncommon setup: Located on the campus of Riverside High School in Belle, W.Va., the center sees students from the school as well as patients from the general community.

In addition to her lead role with Cabin Creek, she has a practice at Riverside Health Center. McColley, who completed a family medicine residency in Newport News, Va., and a maternal-child health fellowship in Chicago, Ill., performs outpatient women’s health procedures in addition to treating newborns, pediatric patients and adolescents.

“I’m the only physician in my health system of about 45 physicians and advanced practice providers to perform in-office gynecological procedures such as placement of intrauterine contraceptive devices, biopsies to test for abnormalities in the endometrial lining such as precancer or cancerous cells, and colposcopies where I biopsy the uterine cervix to test for precancers and cancerous cells of the cervix,” she said.

McColley is also on the staff of Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC), where she helped bring babies into the world for years before taking on other responsibilities.

“I’m no longer on the delivering side of obstetrics,” she said. “But if one of my patients has a baby and wants to bring them to me, I admit them and see them at CAMC Women’s and Children’s Hospital while they’re there and then follow them in an outpatient setting.”

McColley was asked to join Cabin Creek Health Systems after completing her fellowship. She spent several years as the lead clinician at Riverside before becoming the health system’s chief medical officer in 2020. In this role, McColley recruits, mentors and oversees physicians, works with managers to resolve logistical issues, and spends time covering at the organization’s other clinics.

Cabin Creek’s newest facility, Westside Health, opened in September. Situated in a building on the West Side of Charleston, W.Va., that once housed a Kroger store, Westside Health was established to offer affordable health care to a community whose poverty level is 46%, according to data provided by Cabin Creek and compiled by PLACES, a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that provides population health information.

Westside Health provides primary care and dental services, behavioral health care and medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder through its Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Program (CARP), among other services. The clinic, Cabin Creek’s largest, also includes a pharmacy. A physical therapy room and a community market where patients can be “prescribed” healthy foods are in the works, as are laundry and shower facilities and a warming center that can be used by unhoused people during cold months.

McColley helped recruit medical providers for Westside Health and currently trains staff on the use of electronic medical records, in addition to other tasks related to her position as Cabin Creek’s chief medical officer. She said Westside’s recovery facilities make up a substantial portion of the site.

“The idea Cabin Creek had for Westside Health is to provide wraparound services to help people feel healthy and stay healthy,” McColley said. “About a third of the clinic is the CARP department, so that we are not only rehabilitating patients’ sobriety, but patients will also be able to make medical decisions post-substance use, and maybe get a job or acquire housing.”

But Riverside is where McColley has a chance to work one on one with some of the county’s most vulnerable patients, given its location inside a rural high school.

“Being at Riverside High School gives me the unique opportunity to enrich the lives of high-risk adolescents,” she said. “Eastern Kanawha County isn’t far from Charleston, but it can feel like a world away for a population that was disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis. I provide acute and well-child care at the school and am hopeful that I’ve increased health literacy and access to care, and decreased mistrust of the health care system.”

KANAWHA COUNTY

Cabin Creek Health Systems

Cabin Creek

It was at WVSOM that McColley first gained experience working with vulnerable populations. The school has long worked to provide opportunities for students to embark on medical service trips to help people in locations outside the U.S.

“Medical school was hard, but I was able to enjoy my time at WVSOM. In my first year I went to Guatemala, and in my second year I did a trip to Honduras. Having those experiences early in my career helped me realize I enjoy serving the underserved,” she said.

Why is that important? For McColley, health care is a basic human right.

“It comes down to this: Everyone deserves to be treated like a human being regardless of their diseases,” she said. “There are populations that historically have been marginalized, thrown away and sometimes not thought of again. Our idea is to change that. When someone begins to feel supported, that they have structure, that they matter, they feel better. Working to make all members of society healthier will improve the experience for everybody.”

“It comes down to this: Everyone deserves to be treated like a human being regardless of their diseases. There are populations that historically have been marginalized, thrown away and sometimes not thought of again. Our idea is to change that. When someone begins to feel supported, that they have structure, that they matter, they feel better. Working to make all members of society healthier will improve the experience for everybody.”

Jessica McColley, D.O.

ʻCountry doctors’ provide care to patients in rural West Virginia

VVicky Mays, D.O., and her husband, Albert Mays, D.O., did not take traditional routes to medical school, but the couple has found their passion providing care to patients in Masontown, W.Va.

Before Vicky decided to attend medical school when she was 35 years old, she was a nurse for nearly 17 years, as well as an aide and an EMT. She went back to school at Alderson Broaddus University for a career change because, as a nurse, she was tired of feeling like she had no control over patient care. An open house at WVSOM opened her eyes to and developed her interest in osteopathic medicine.

While Vicky was no stranger to health care, Albert was a carpenter most of his life but was also considering a career change. At the age of 37, he applied to Mountain State University to become a physician’s assistant, but about a year into the program he realized he wanted more.

Eventually, both members of the couple enrolled at WVSOM — during different academic years. Vicky graduated in 2009, and Albert earned his degree in 2011. They both completed rural family medicine residencies at WVU Medicine Harpers Ferry Family Medicine. In 2015, they established Country Doctors Family Medicine Professional Corp. in Masontown, where they practice family medicine.

PRESTON COUNTY

Country Doctors

Family Medicine

Professional Corp.

Masontown

They said many patients appreciate the accessibility of a smaller clinic where they don’t have to drive to a larger city for health care.

“Many of our patients say they are more comfortable in this setting. They don’t want to be just another number. Sometimes with a larger clinical setting, patients feel like part of a herd and not like individuals. They say they get lost in the system,” Albert said. “Here, it’s rare for a patient to be left alone at all. Our exam room is my office. We are already waiting for patients when they come in the room. It’s very personal attention.”

The physicians see about 50 patients a week at the Country Doctors facility and spend their remaining time in other places — notably with home visits — with Vicky making house calls on Thursdays and Albert making them on Tuesdays, visiting eight to 15 patients a day.

“These are truly patients who are homebound. For most of them, it’s a taxing effort to leave their homes. I have spinal cord patients, I have people with traumatic brain injuries or behavioral issues,” Vicky said. “We have an aging population and it’s just so much work for their caregivers to provide what they need. When we expect those patients to go to a hospital or a clinic somewhere else, we aren’t being considerate of what that means. Doctors who are never exposed to an in-home visit will probably never understand what that stress is for some patients. It’s not just about getting their medicine, it’s about what they are eating, who is caring for them, are they getting care or are they alone? There are so many things you can miss in a clinic visit, and your answers are right in front of you when you do a home visit.”

Albert said it is important that medical students realize some patients are in critical need of physicians to perform home visits. He has brought along medical students to his home visits and said some of them break down because they’ve never seen patients’ living situations. He said it’s valuable to make students aware that social determinants of health aren’t just a popular topic in the medical field, they are real-life factors driving medical care.

“Many of our patients say they are more comfortable in this setting. They don’t want to be just another number. Sometimes with a larger clinical setting, patients feel like part of a herd and not like individuals. They say they get lost in the system. Here, it’s rare for a patient to be left alone at all. Our exam room is my office. We are already waiting for patients when they come in the room. It’s very personal attention.”

Albert Mays, D.O.

“Until you think about or see a patient who is trying to decide if they get their heart medication or if they buy groceries to feed their kids, most people would make the choice to take care of their kids instead of themselves,” Albert said. “With some patients you have to watch where you step because there are holes in the floor, but then there are patients where you take off your shoes because you don’t want to ruin their $100,000 carpet. Often those extremes are in the same day and within a few miles of each other. Students need to see this firsthand, but that’s not always possible. But putting them through simulated scenarios [see story, page 4] at least opens the possibility that they’re going to think about these health factors instead of just reading about them.”

Country Doctors is an independent clinic geographically positioned between larger health care companies including Mon Health, Vandalia Health and WVU Health System. Having relationships with all of them means patients at Country Doctors can be seen at any hospital within those systems when needed.

And while being owners of a small medical clinic can be overwhelming at times, it is also incredibly fulfilling for the Mays.

“We talk every day about what we struggle with as business owners. We make a living — we don’t make a killing — because we are family doctors, and we don’t have someone writing us a check. I’m on call 24/7. If there is a problem, we take care of it. We are the accountable people here. Pretty much everybody has our number and our answering machine has my personal phone number at the end of the message because we feel that is important,” Vicky said.

The couple said WVSOM’s emphasis on rural primary care lends itself to their goal of providing compassionate care to patients in underserved areas. But that compassion is also part of their personalities.

“In the osteopathic setting and at WVSOM, it felt like family when we were there, and it still feels like family when we go back. It’s a community,” Albert said. “For us, family is the most important thing.”

Princeton physician inspired $40K SCHOLARSHIP DONATION

SSometimes the bond between patient and physician is so strong that it can inspire philanthropic actions. That was the case for a Princeton, W.Va., couple treated by Ryan Runyon, D.O., an alumnus of WVSOM.

The couple, who wishes to remain anonymous, donated $40,000 to an endowment that will produce scholarships for future WVSOM students who plan to practice in West Virginia.

Runyon, a graduate of WVSOM’s Class of 2002, established Princeton Family Medicine in 2006. As a Princeton native, he has treated many people he grew up with, and his current office is adjacent to the home in which he was raised.

Earlier this year, a retired educator whose husband is also a patient of Runyon’s came in for a physical exam. Runyon determined she had atrial fibrillation, a common condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly.

“They were grateful we tracked it down,” Runyon said. “But she was concerned because she’d just seen a specialist the day before and it wasn’t discovered. We found it by listening closely and making sure we went over the patient as a whole.”

Runyon is now co-managing her condition with a heart specialist. Several months after the diagnosis, the couple decided to give back to the medical school that educated Runyon by donating to the WVSOM Foundation, a fundraising organization of WVSOM, and allowing Runyon to establish criteria for a scholarship.

Runyon, who frequently serves as a preceptor to students from the school, said he was surprised to learn of the donation.

“It’s touching, and it’s hard to wrap your head around, but it says a lot about who they are and about their commitment to education,” Runyon said. “The husband told me he was impressed with the quality of students WVSOM was producing and with the fact that its students were in my office. Their wish is to help students from southern West Virginia or surrounding areas who want to come back to the region after they finish residency training. They want to do something that will help the community and make a difference for the future of West Virginia.”

Runyon’s own ties to WVSOM run deep. His grandfather, an educator, attended college with Roland Sharp, D.O., the school’s first president from 1974 to 1978. And before establishing his own practice, Runyon had the opportunity to learn from O.J. Bailes, D.O., one of WVSOM’s four founders, when he was working alongside the Princeton-area physician Jana Peters, D.O., also a WVSOM graduate. He said Bailes worked in Peters’ office one day each week.

“Dr. Bailes would provide pearls of osteopathic wisdom. He showed me several osteopathic manipulative treatment techniques, and he emphasized that the rule of the artery is supreme — that if you don’t have blood flow somewhere, everything else is secondary,” Runyon said.

Donette Mizia, WVSOM’s executive director of foundation relations, said the organization is supplementing the currently unnamed endowment with funds from the estate of another donor.

“The WVSOM Foundation will add $10,000 to the $40,000 to make the endowment $50,000. The time frame for the scholarship award will be based on the foundation’s investment policy,” she said.

Runyon previously established a scholarship award of his own at WVSOM. The Ron Billips Memorial Scholarship Fund honors a classmate of Runyon’s who died in a car accident and is given to a first-year medical student who is a graduate of Big Creek, Iaeger, Mount View, Princeton or Bluefield high schools in West Virginia or Graham, Tazewell, Richlands or Pocahontas high schools in Virginia.

Runyon said he is pleased to care for patients in the area he’s spent a lifetime calling home, and he expects the endowment to allow other West Virginians to follow in his footsteps.

“I’m grateful to the couple for having me handle their gift, and I want to make sure they realize the school and community are truly going to benefit from this. I’m a proud WVSOM graduate, and I’m thankful for the education I got there. Being able to take care of my friends and neighbors in Princeton is a blessing,” he said.

“It’s touching, and it’s hard to wrap your head around, but it says a lot about who they are and about their commitment to education.”

Ryan Runyon, D.O.

“I knew I wanted to help students in need, wherever that was needed the most. Maybe a student is underrepresented, or the first person in their family to become a doctor, like I was. Maybe a student is underrepresented in an ethnic group, with their gender, is a nontraditional student or a single mom or dad raising a family on their own. I want to be able to help these students, whether they are academically strong or financially weak, because attending WVSOM gave me the opportunity to have a good life for myself and my family.”

Abdollatif

Ghiathi, D.O., PharmD

Georgia physician understands the importance of WVSOM education, giving back

AAbdollatif Ghiathi, D.O., PharmD, was a student at WVSOM in the early 1990s. As an alumnus, he has been a major financial supporter of his alma mater.

The family medicine physician, who also works in hospice and palliative medicine, has donated more than $100,000 to the school in his lifetime, placing him in WVSOM’s President’s Council of donors. His financial contributions funded the Nurses Treatment Area during the expansion of the Clinical Evaluation Center, and he has donated to the school’s 5-for-5 campaign.

Ghiathi also has endowed a scholarship for students at WVSOM. The Ghiathi Scholarship Fund will be awarded in perpetuity to a student from an underrepresented population. Preference will be given to students from ethnic minorities who are first-generation college students and students from rural counties that are defined as medically underserved.

The Class of 1994 graduate was born in Iran but moved to the U.S. when he was 18 years old after he finished high school. He lived in Ohio and attended school in Bowling Green, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry with a minor in biology. He moved to Georgia to attend Mercer University’s pharmacy school, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy and a PharmD degree. He worked as a pharmacist for five years and then decided to begin his journey to become a physician at WVSOM.

Ghiathi attributes his personal and professional successes to the medical school.

“WVSOM was instrumental in who I am. During the four years I attended medical school, I enjoyed it and learned from it tremendously. I learned from some of the best professors in the country — whether we studied physiology, microbiology, biochemistry or especially anatomy, in which WVSOM’s education is one of a kind and has been since the school’s beginning. I feel like students get the best at WVSOM. Considering what WVSOM gave me, it was only prudent for me to give back,” he said.

Ghiathi has a special affinity for primary care and serving patients in rural areas. He appreciates that as a family medicine physician he gets to do “a little bit of everything.”

“When I first became a physician, I saw pregnant patients and delivered babies in a small town, then did things like colonoscopies, EGDs and other procedures and saw patients at a nursing home,” he said. “Being a generalist is something I enjoy a lot. It requires a special type of person, because you have to keep your knowledge vast. You have to be informed about everything in order to take care of your patients.”

Ghiathi has provided medical care to nursing home patients, overseen an emergency room for 25 years and been a medical director for a county jail. He works at Medical Center Barbour in Eufaula, Ala., and has a medical practice in Cuthbert, Ga.

Ghiathi said he hopes other WVSOM graduates are inspired to financially give back to their medical school.

“I hope alumni realize they had a great education at WVSOM. We all did. No matter what specialty you went into, you’ve had a great career because of it. WVSOM is instrumental in what you’ve been able to achieve,” he said. “For the people who have been there for you, and you want to show your appreciation, sometimes that is a thank-you, a letter or a card. It’s nice to see your old professors and thank them for what they did for you, but what makes a difference, and where the rubber meets the road, is when you can financially contribute. The contribution can make a huge difference for future students, and I encourage everybody to think about that when deciding where they want to give.”

The Health Plan’s scholarships

will help

students stay in West Virginia to practice

“Receiving this scholarship allows me to direct my focus on my studies instead of worrying about the financial hardship I may have otherwise encountered. I am thankful to have been chosen and will live up to the expectations set before me. I was ecstatic to find out I had been selected and immediately sent my family the news. This award allows them to also relax, knowing I will not be worried about my financial status during my time at WVSOM.”

“Receiving this scholarship is a blessing, as I no longer must carry the burden of student loans. Being able to freely focus on my schoolwork allows me to reach my full potential without worrying about the money I would have to pay back upon starting residency. This scholarship will also allow me to pursue my goal of giving back to my home state as a physician.”

MCDOWELL COUNTY

WETZEL COUNTY

Emma Beatty

Sarah Lester

TTwo West Virginia natives are attending medical school at WVSOM without the burden of tuition and fees, thanks to a medical scholarship program offered by The Health Plan.

Class of 2028 students Sarah Lester, of McDowell County, and Emma Beatty, of Wetzel County, have been awarded The Health Plan Scholarship, which covers tuition and fees and is renewable for four years, allowing students to graduate medical school without worrying about those costs.

Lester said she and members of her family cried when they heard the news.

“My fiancé began crying when I told him, as this is important for our lives together once we’re married. Not having to spend the first decade of our marriage counting pennies to pay off my debt is a huge relief,” Lester said.

Beatty said receiving the scholarship is an honor.

Jeff Knight, president and CEO of The Health Plan, and James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., president of WVSOM, along with several legislators and business leaders, joined the students at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Business Summit to announce the awards.

The Health Plan opened its medical scholarship program to students at WVSOM last spring. Lester and Beatty are the first recipients.

Since 2009, The Health Plan Scholarship program has provided more than $3 million in scholarships to more than 50 medical and nursing students who intend to stay and practice in the state of West Virginia. The need-based program is also available to medical and nursing students at West Virginia University and Marshall University.

Knight said including WVSOM builds on The Health Plan’s efforts to support West Virginia’s medical community.

“The health care staffing shortage continues to be a significant issue in West Virginia. The Health Plan is committed to supporting our state’s health care workforce, and we’re thrilled to team with WVSOM to offer our scholarship program to its students. WVSOM does amazing work in educating future providers and advocating for health care initiatives important to all West Virginians. We’re proud to be partners,” Knight said.

Nemitz thanked Knight and The Health Plan for offering the program at WVSOM, which educates an average of 800 medical students each year. According to a report by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, the school is No. 1 in producing primary care physicians who practice in West Virginia.

“WVSOM is appreciative that The Health Plan has included osteopathic medical students in its scholarship program. Medical school is not inexpensive. This scholarship, by financially assisting recipients who want to stay in West Virginia, benefits not only our students but the state,” Nemitz said.

Jeff Knight

ALUMNI RECEIVED NATIONAL AWARDS AT OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL CONFERENCE

WWVSOM alumni received national awards during the largest U.S. conference recognizing the osteopathic medical profession.

The 2024 American Osteopathic Foundation Honors Gala took place in September in San Antonio, Texas, in conjunction with the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) Osteopathic Medical Education Conference.

John Diefenderfer, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 2015 graduate, received the National Emerging Leader Award. The award honors an outstanding new osteopathic physician whose leadership inspires others, whose accomplishments motivate those around them and whose medical knowledge, combined with patient empathy, enrich the lives of those they serve.

Diefenderfer works at Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency, a nonprofit partner of MaineGeneral Health based in Augusta, Maine. He specializes in family medicine, sports medicine and osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine. He said he is humbled to be recognized nationally in a career he is just beginning.

“There is tremendous opportunity for osteopathic physicians to lead by example when it comes to caring for patients and communities. I have tried to live this through my own practice and leadership roles,” he said. “It is important that we don’t lose sight of our values and philosophy as we adapt to the demands of the modern health care system. We must encourage others to be as engaged and excited as we are about osteopathic medicine. Whether it’s in the exam room or the boardroom, a positive and supportive environment built on mutual trust and respect is imperative to be successful in the long term — and my goal has been to foster that environment and bring out the best in my patients, colleagues and learners.”

Seth Moomaw, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 2020 graduate, was named Outstanding Resident of the Year for addiction medicine. The American Osteopathic Foundation partnered with osteopathic specialty associations and hospital programs to highlight outstanding physician residents in training programs across the country. Residents who were recognized consistently provide exemplary patient care and serve as osteopathic ambassadors, raising awareness of the quality care osteopathic physicians provide.

Moomaw, who works at WVU Medicine Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, is an addiction psychiatry fellow at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. He said the award is meaningful to him as an osteopathic physician and a West Virginian.

“Addiction medicine and treatment was the main reason I went to medical school to give back to the community that has given so much to me. My dream is for West Virginia to no longer lead the country in overdoses but to lead the country in treatment for substance use disorders and be a role model to all providers,” he said. “Osteopathic medicine teaches us to treat holistically, including the mind, body and spirit, but also to look at the social determinants of health and other factors that are impacting patients to promote their healing and strengthen our communities."

The awards are proof of the incredible work the school’s alumni are carrying out across the nation, said Shannon Warren, WVSOM’s executive director of alumni relations.

“Our alumni always amaze me. We have a tight-knit community of graduates who remain connected to their alma mater and who are making an impact in their communities across the country, with alumni practicing in all 50 states in the U.S.,” she said. “It’s exciting to see our youngest group of alumni — those who began practicing within the last decade — already making great strides in the osteopathic profession. These national awards are a testament to the successful physicians WVSOM produces.”

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. The recipient was Courtney Sutphin, spouse of Stephen Sutphin, D.O., a WVSOM 2024 graduate.

Additionally, Lorenzo Pence, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 1985 graduate, received the Mentor of the Year award from the American Osteopathic Association. The award is one of the AOA’s most prestigious honors and is presented to a member of the osteopathic medical profession who has dedicated their time, talent and expertise toward shaping the future of osteopathic medicine.

The organization recognized him for mentorship qualities that demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to fostering growth and learning. Pence was acknowledged for offering guidance, support and encouragement to mentees. The AOA stated that Pence’s integrity makes him the ideal mentor.

Lorenzo Pence, D.O.

Seth Moomaw, D.O.

Outstanding Affiliate awards are given annually to recognize osteopathic organizations helping to advance the AOA’s key initiatives through innovation. The West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association (WVOMA) was a 2024 recipient of the award. The WVOMA worked with nearly 30 organizations in West Virginia to persuade the state’s former governor to veto the West Virginia Legislature’s effort to weaken the state’s immunization laws. The organization also worked with the AOA and other specialty colleges to argue for the veto of a bill that would have eliminated the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine. Accepting the award on behalf of the WVOMA were WVSOM alumni Michael Antolini, D.O., and Matthew Davis, D.O.

John Diefenderfer, D.O.

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER AND AN ALUMNA NAMED

West Virginia ʻWonder Women’

TTwo women employed at WVSOM were recognized for their work throughout the state. Drema Hill, Ph.D., WVSOM’s chief operations officer, and Katherine Hill Calloway, D.O., regional assistant dean for the South Central Region of WVSOM’s Statewide Campus, were named to this year’s “West Virginia Wonder Women” by WV Living magazine.

They are two of 50 women featured in the publication’s fall 2024 issue for being identified as leaders who raise the bar in their communities and force change for the greater good in their industries.

“I am pleased to join my female colleagues across the state who were selected to be honored as West Virginia Wonder Women,” Hill said. “We all have different areas of expertise, but together, we make West Virginia stronger.”

Hill received a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia State University, a Master of Public Service Management degree from Cumberland University and a Ph.D. degree in human services with a specialization in health care administration from Capella University.

The Boone County, W.Va., native joined WVSOM in 2016 and became one of the school’s vice presidents in 2019. She has more than three decades of experience in public health leadership, including positions with the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, the Tennessee Department of Health, Vanderbilt University’s Nashville Health Management Foundation and Comprehensive Care Center, and the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Health Office. She currently serves as WVSOM’s vice president for community engagement and chief operations officer.

Hill develops and implements processes that help WVSOM achieve its strategic objectives. She also oversees the school’s Center for Rural and Community Health, Audio Visual and Production Department, Information Technology Department, Marketing and Communications Department and WVSOM’s rural health policy director. Her previous work in public health facilitates her ability to collaborate with external partners on statewide initiatives to improve the health of West Virginians.

“I have had a long career in public health, and I still most enjoy working with community partners to foster and implement innovative ideas that improve health outcomes in disenfranchised populations. West Virginia is my home. I love the mountains and I love the people,” Hill said.

Before earning a D.O. degree from WVSOM in 2008, Calloway graduated from Wake Forest University with a double major in sports medicine and medical anthropology, and completed a Master of Public Health degree from Boston University.

She said she is honored to be recognized among so many women making positive change in West Virginia.

“It reminds me of how much strength we have in West Virginia. The things these women are doing are incredible and impactful in a way that will bring a legacy and will make a difference for generations to come,” she said. “To be considered part of that group of women is a huge honor and privilege.”

Calloway began working as a regional assistant dean in WVSOM’s Statewide Campus in 2022. The school’s Statewide Campus consists of seven regions across the state. In her role, she oversees third- and fourth-year medical student curriculum development and student clinical rotations. In addition to her duties at WVSOM, the Kanawha County native is the director of clinical development and provides inpatient care with HospiceCare West Virginia, the state’s largest nonprofit hospice service.

She has spent much of her adult life working overseas, with efforts such as assisting with post-conflict health care development in war-torn Kosovo, where she first managed a reproductive health program with the International Rescue Committee and later implemented health policy for 17 primary care health clinics as a health officer with the United Nations. She worked with the Clinton Foundation to reduce disparities in AIDS prevention and treatment in Mozambique, and with Emory University’s HIV clinic in Rwanda.

Years later she returned to West Virginia as a physician with Charleston Internal Medicine and then began serving in public health by shifting her practice to Cabin Creek Health Systems, where she developed and supported a nonpharmacologic pain management program as part of their medication-assisted treatment program for people in substance use recovery. She then moved to HospiceCare and WVSOM.

“

The things I did globally were relevant to what we do here in our rural communities because there are so many similarities to chronic disease management or to working in areas that are resource poor. Coming back to West Virginia has been incredibly fulfilling to not only apply some of what we were doing with health care globally to our communities but also because this is part of my heritage,” she said.

WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., said he is proud of “wonder women” like Hill and Calloway whose careers as public health providers span decades and make West Virginia healthier.

“The women representing WVSOM have proven to be remarkable game changers in the health care industry and public health sector,” he said.

“Dr. Calloway is a physician who has served communities locally and internationally, and Dr. Hill is an influential change-maker when it comes to public health and public policy in the state. Each year I am grateful that WV Living recognizes women for their successes and the impact they make.”

WVRHA CONFERENCE RECOGNIZED QUINN

TThe 32nd annual West Virginia Rural Health Conference featured a WVSOM presence as alumni, students and other representatives were in attendance for awards, recognition and to support the West Virginia Rural Health Association (WVRHA), which hosted the conference.

Ryan Quinn, D.O., a member of WVSOM’s Class of 2015, received the association’s Outstanding Rural Health Resident Award.

The West Virginia Rural Health Awards honor those who have made significant contributions to the health and well-being of rural West Virginians. Recipients include health care professionals, organizations and individuals in non-health-related roles who have gone above and beyond to promote health in rural areas.

Quinn, who said he is passionate about osteopathic family medicine, is a resident physician at CAMC Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Ronceverte, W.Va.

He was nominated for the award by Mark Waddell, D.O., a WVSOM faculty member and director of rural and international medicine.

In 2024, Quinn was elected resident governor on the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) Board of Governors.

As the only resident governor in the U.S., Quinn will play a vital role in representing the interests of osteopathic family medicine resident physicians on the ACOFP board. He will work with other board members to develop and implement policies and programs that support resident education, career development and advocacy.

In receiving the award, Quinn was joined by Waddell, WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., and Janet Hinton, WVSOM’s director of rural outreach and past president of the WVRHA.

The conference, which took place in November at Glade Springs Resort in Daniels, W.Va., had a theme of “Innovative Change Starts in the Mountains.” WVSOM representatives joined other WVRHA members and attendees for educational presentations and vendors to share information about the school.

WVRHA Executive Director Rich Sutphin said the conference brings together health care professionals, students and advocates dedicated to advancing rural health in West Virginia, calling the event a celebration of innovation and collaboration.

Another WVSOM representative, Bob Foster, D.O., was in attendance to present an award named in his honor: The Dr. Bob Foster Award for Excellence in Rural Health Professions Education. The award went to Larry Rhodes, M.D., a professor in the Division of Cardiology at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

Modrzakowski, former associate dean, introduced new curriculum to WVSOM

TThey called him “Dr. Mod.”

Malcolm Modrzakowski Jr., Ph.D., a former microbiology professor and associate dean at WVSOM, passed away Sept. 27, 2024. He was 72.

A cherished figure on campus for more than 15 years, Modrzakowski was an influence on countless students, some of whom went on to become educators at the school.

Modrzakowski came to WVSOM in 2003 after teaching for 25 years at Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was recruited to introduce a new problem-based learning curriculum, an optional educational track similar to the one in which he had taught at Ohio University.

As WVSOM’s associate dean for problem-based learning, Modrzakowski led a curriculum in which participating students had a degree of influence on which subjects they studied, when and how learning took place, and how they were tested. Students gathered in groups of eight, with a faculty member serving as a facilitator, to identify clinical problems in patient case studies and outline issues requiring investigation. The curriculum was taught alongside WVSOM’s then-standard system-based curriculum.

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, said Modrzakowski’s impact on the school can still be felt.

“Dr. Modrzakowski was a dear friend and colleague who made a major contribution to WVSOM by implementing and leading the problem-based learning curricular track,” Nemitz said. “While the curriculum continues to evolve, the principles Dr. Mod brought and developed at WVSOM have left a lasting legacy. He was beloved by his students and respected by the faculty and staff.”

One of those students was Class of 2012 graduate Jessica Smith-Kelly, D.O., now an associate professor in WVSOM’s Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice. Smith-Kelly, who keeps a photo of Modrzakowski on her office wall, described him as a kind-hearted man whose genuine empathy made him a good listener and helped earn students’ trust.

He joined Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1979 as an assistant professor of microbiology, and later held several roles related to clinical microbiology, eventually serving as an associate professor for 14 years.

At WVSOM, he spent eight years leading the curriculum he established. In 2011, Modrzakowski, whose own educational background was geared toward research, became the school’s associate dean for affiliated and sponsored programs. As a professor, he taught pathogenic bacteriology to first- and second-year students, receiving WVSOM’s President’s Outstanding Faculty Award in 2013.

Gail Swarm, D.O., worked closely with Modrzakowski as clinical coordinator for the problem-based learning track, focusing on the second-year curriculum while Modrzakowski focused on the first year. Swarm, who had been his student while attending Ohio University, said he played a vital role in teaching her to educate aspiring physicians.

“Dr. Mod was an amazing mentor,” said Swarm, now WVSOM’s assistant dean for clinical sciences. “I had zero faculty experience, and he really helped me. He taught me how to interact with students, and he would observe and give me useful feedback on how I was doing as a group facilitator. He had a positive outlook and always had kind words to say about people.”

“Dr. Mod was a reliable resource you could go to when you had concerns. His door was always open, so if you were worried about your grades, if you were anxious about whether you deserved to be here, you could talk to him and you would leave feeling better. When I came back to WVSOM as faculty, it was an honor to get to work him,” Smith-Kelly said.

A native of Enid, Okla., Modrzakowski considered Massachusetts his home. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Georgia, both in microbiology, before completing a National Institutes of Health fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Modrzakowski retired from WVSOM in 2019 and was honored with professor emeritus distinction the following year.

David Pickering, D.O., who practices diabetology in Parkersburg, W.Va., was a nontraditional student who participated in Modrzakowski’s curriculum. When Pickering graduated in WVSOM’s Class of 2009, it was Modrzakowski who hooded him.

“He was an inspiration for me to excel, and he let me learn medicine in my own way. There was always a smile on Dr. Modrzakowski’s face, and nobody was a stranger to him. I was honored to know him,” Pickering said.

Abigail Frank, D.O., a WVSOM Class of 2010 alumna and the school’s assistant dean for graduate medical education, recalled that Modrzakowski’s curriculum was one of the reasons she chose to attend WVSOM. She said students benefited from his compassionate, unruffled demeanor.

“He wasn’t easily riled, and that was helpful in the high-stress environment of medical school,” she said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty in your first and second years, and students would get nervous. He was always able to handle problems with grace. He was a calming presence.”

NEW HIRES

EDWARD EBERT, PH.D.

Associate

Professor of Biomedical Sciences

Edward Ebert, Ph.D., joined WVSOM on Aug. 12. Ebert received bachelor’s degrees in philosophy, chemistry and physics and a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry, all from West Virginia University. He was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Microbiology and then at WVU’s Sensory Neurosciences Research Center before working as an adjunct professor at Waynesburg College. He returned to WVU as a forensic chemist and lecturer before joining the faculty of Wake Forest University and, most recently, North Carolina’s Winston-Salem State University.

JAMES HARNSBERGER, PH.D.

Grants Writer in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

James Harnsberger, Ph.D., joined WVSOM on Sept. 3. Harnsberger works with administrators, faculty and staff across WVSOM to provide expertise in authoring and revising grant proposals and concept papers, online applications and other grant-seeking proposals, including the development of proposal budgets. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. degree in linguistics from the University of Michigan. Harnsberger has had academic and administrative positions at the University of Florida, Saudi Arabia’s Alfaisal University, the University of New Haven and Springfield College. He recently worked as a scientific grant writer for Connecticut Children’s Research Institute and as a senior consultant for Forensic Communication Associates.

JEAN RETTOS, D.O.

Vice Chair of the Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice and Director of OPP Curriculum

Jean Rettos, D.O., joined WVSOM on Nov. 18. Rettos assists with providing leadership and vision to the Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice and institution with osteopathic medical education and the recruitment of new faculty. Rettos works with the dean, department chair and other campus leaders to ensure WVSOM’s osteopathic principles and practice curriculum meets the osteopathic component of the core competencies. Rettos earned a D.O. degree from the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to medical school, Rettos completed a nurse practitioner program at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. She has a B.S. degree in nursing and an associate degree in registered nursing, also from Ohio University. Rettos has more than 20 years of experience in primary care and osteopathic medicine and has worked with the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine since 2013.

TRANSITIONS

AARON MCGUFFIN, M.D.

Interim Director of the Office of National Boards

Aaron McGuffin, M.D., was named interim director of the Office of National Boards starting Oct. 5. McGuffin has been a WVSOM faculty member since August 2019. He will continue to teach in the Department of Clinical Sciences and see patients in the Robert C. Byrd Clinic.

THOMAS RICHARDSON, D.O. Chair of the Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice

Thomas Richardson, D.O., was named chair of the Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice starting Sept. 7. He joined WVSOM in 2015 and previously served as the department’s interim vice chair.

DON SMITH

Associate Vice President of Government and External Relations/Chief Communications Officer

Don Smith was named associate vice president of government and external relations/chief communications officer starting Nov. 2. Smith has been WVSOM’s director of communications since October 2023, developing, implementing and coordinating internal and external public relations strategies.

GMSAA ENTRUSTED MUSEUM, MILITARY MEMORABILIA TO WVSOM

GGreenbrier Military School (GMS) Alumni Association members entrusted its museum and contents to WVSOM in October during an official agreement signing.

The Greenbrier Military School Museum, located on WVSOM’s campus in Lewisburg, W.Va., opened in 2001 to pay homage to the Greenbrier Military School, a private, all-male boarding high school and junior college that operated between 1812 and 1972, until the campus was purchased to be used as a medical school.

“[GMS] closed its doors and this campus transitioned into the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. The GMS Alumni Association and WVSOM have been partners ever since,” said WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. “With the signing of this new agreement, we ensure the continuity of that past into the future.

Our action preserves the legacy of the Greenbrier Military School and its alumni, which includes two governors of West Virginia: Homer Holt, the 20th governor, and Jim Justice, the 36th governor.”

The agreement — among the GMS Alumni Association, the WVSOM Foundation, WVSOM and the Greenbrier Historical Society — was created to memorialize the former military school and to continue its legacy in the Greenbrier Valley through charitable investments.

WVSOM will now be responsible for the operation, maintenance and repair of the museum. The agreement transfers a $100,000 initial contribution to the WVSOM Foundation, the school’s charitable organization, for upkeep of the facility.

Mike Ruth, president of the GMS Alumni Association, said the agreement is meaningful to former cadets because of the impact the military school had on them.

“The military school has significance for all of us. It means so much to us because it changed our lives, no matter how long someone was here. [Former West Virginia] Gov. [Jim] Justice was here for a year and a half, I was here for three and some people were here for seven. For a school to have such an impact and to see its legacy continue is really meaningful,” Ruth said.

Ruth said he doesn’t know of many military schools that have been closed for more than 50 years that have a membership as active as the GMS Alumni Association.

“We have our own museum and archives, and so many people keep returning to campus — whether it’s during a reunion weekend or on their own,” he said. “It’s important to the individuals who went to school here and to their families. It’s amazing that we closed 50-plus years ago and are still doing this.”

The military alumni association began supporting WVSOM through scholarships in 1992 and have consistency financially supported students at the medical school ever since. The Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association Scholarship is presented to two students annually who excel academically and show strong leadership, determination and discipline. The alumni association also invests annually in Greenbrier County’s two high schools.

“We have our own museum and archives, and so many people keep returning to campus — whether it’s during a reunion weekend or on their own. It’s important to the individuals who went to school here and to their families. It’s amazing that we closed 50-plus years ago and are still doing this.”

Mike Ruth

CLASS NOTES

1979

Sally Stewart, D.O., was named “Humanitarian of the Decade” by The Braxton Democrat. Stewart is a retired emergency medicine and family medicine physician in Braxton County, W.Va.

1985

Joe Martin, D.O., accepted a clinical faculty position at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Martin and his wife also operate an animal rescue charity on their farm.

1996

Chad Sisk, D.O., joined Marshall Medical Centers in Guntersville, Ala., in January, where he will work with Winter Wilson, D.O., of WVSOM’s Class of 1984.

1997

Jennifer Ravenscroft, D.O., retired as a U.S. Air Force colonel on March 1, 2023. She now works as a civilian physician with the U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

1999

Rae Godsey, D.O., was named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Kentucky for 2024 by Women We Admire. Godsey, a family medicine physician, is vice president of group Medicare and chief medical officer for Humana.

2003

Melanie Crites-Bachert, D.O., was featured in What Is a Doctor?, a documentary about the lack of informed consent regarding transgender surgeries in children, and was featured in a five-part interview series on the subject.

2012

Jennifer Rose, D.O., became medical director of the Robert C. Byrd Clinic in Lewisburg, W.Va., in July 2024.

2016

Scott Brown, D.O., was named a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and selected as a winner of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Physician Excellence Award for early-to mid-career excellence in clinical care in September 2024.

2017

Jeremiah Haines, D.O., joined Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisc., as a structural imaging cardiologist.

MARRIAGE

2020

Samantha Nibert, D.O., and Eric “Dylan” Saunders, D.O., were married Oct. 5, 2024, in Glen Jean, W.Va.

BIRTHS

2010

Sarah (Volz) Claussen, D.O., and Sam Claussen welcomed a daughter, Leah Marie Claussen, on May 16, 2024. Leah joins her siblings Emma and Aaron Claussen.

2016

Ashley Huggett, D.O., welcomed a daughter on Feb. 15, 2022.

Melanie Patel, D.O., and Sunny Patel, D.O., welcomed a son, Zev Sunny Patel, on March 1, 2024.

IN MEMORY OF 1978

Karen Kritsky, D.O., passed away July 2, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. Kritsky was a surgeon at several hospitals in Pinellas County, Fla., and was chair of the Department of Surgery, chief of staff and a member of the Board of Directors at University General Hospital as well as a member of the medical executive committee at Largo Medical Center Hospital. She oversaw the creation of the Florida Breast Institute, where she served as medical director, and later practiced advanced wound care and hyperbaric medicine.

1985

Greg Moten, D.O., passed away Aug. 13, 2024, in Stow, Ohio, at age 68. Moten was a family medicine physician based in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and spent many years coaching sports teams at area schools.

1987

U.S. Air Force Col. George Bondar, D.O., passed away Aug. 15, 2024. Bondar served as a flight surgeon during the Persian Gulf War and as a chief of aeromedical services during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, among other deployments. He practiced as a dermatologist in the greater Tampa, Fla., area for many years.

1988

William Durham, D.O., passed away July 26, 2023. Durham, a graduate of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, practiced family medicine and osteopathic manipulation in Hurricane, W.Va., where he served as a preceptor to WVSOM students and was chief of staff of Putnam General Hospital. He was president of the West Virginia Society of Osteopathic Medicine from 1981 to 1982 and was named the society’s Practitioner of the Year in 1985.

1996

Cheri Gryskevich, D.O., passed away Dec. 27, 2024, in Weirton, W.Va. Gryskevich was a family medicine physician.

2008

William Todd, D.O., of Livingston, Tenn., passed away Aug. 16, 2024. An infectious disease specialist, Todd received the Paul Grayson Smith Sr. Physician of the Year Award in 2016 from the Tennessee Osteopathic Medical Association.

GIFTS TO WVSOM

LIFETIME GIVING LEADERS

President’s Council Donors

$100,000+

Drs. Michael and Cheryl Adelman

Drs. David and Bonita Barger

Joseph Cincinnati, D.O.

Charles Davis, D.O./Davis Eye Center Inc.

Troy Foster, D.O.

Abdollatif Ghiathi, D.O.

James Harless

Ray Harron, M.D./Harron Foundation

John Manchin II, D.O./Manchin Clinic

Angus Peyton/Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation

Michael Pyles, D.O.

Roland Sharp, D.O.

Marlene Wager, D.O.

Lydia Weisser, D.O.

Gary White

Kendall Wilson Jr., D.O.

BUSINESSES

Encova Foundation of West Virginia

The Greenbrier Hotel Corp.

Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association

Hildegard P. Swick Estate

Hollowell Foundation Inc.

Maier Foundation Inc.

Seneca Trail Charitable Foundation Inc.

WVSOM Alumni Association

Founder’s Club Donors

$50,000-$99,999

Christopher Beckett, D.O.

Sean Brain and Jandy Hanna, Ph.D.

James Deering, D.O., and Jodi Flanders, D.O.

Drs. Robert and Rachel Hunter

Dr. Gregory and Penny Jarrell

William McLaughlin, D.O.

James Nemitz, Ph.D.

Michael Nicholas, D.O.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Obrokta Jr./Olivia Claire Obrokta Foundation

Patrick Pagur, D.O., and Billie Wright, D.O.

Mr. and Mrs. David and Martha Rader

Dr. and Mrs. Art Rubin and the CarmelGreenfield Charitable Trust

Carole Stookey

Drs. Andrew and Tiffany Thymius

Mrs. John Tirpak

Drs. Reggie and Leah Triplett

Harold Ward, D.O.

Dr. and Mrs. Badshah Wazir/Spring Hill Cardiology

BUSINESSES

Humana

National Osteopathic Foundation

West Virginia Emulation Endowment Trust

West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association

Patron Donors

$25,000-$49,999

Michael Antolini, D.O.

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.

Steven Eshenaur, D.O., and Lori Eshenaur/ Haven Ltd.

Ahmed Faheem, M.D.

Allen Finkelstein, D.O.

Robert Flowers, D.O.

J. Robert Holmes, DDS

Cynthia Mayer, D.O.

Richard McClung, DDS

Dorothy Montgomery

Samuel Muscari Jr., D.O.

Nancy Bulla Nemitz

Deena Obrokta, D.O.

Lorenzo Pence, D.O.

Rosa Stone, D.O.

Peter Stracci, D.O.

Lori Tucker, D.O.

Drs. Rafael and Letetia Villalobos

Lewis Whaley, D.O.

BUSINESSES

CAMC Greenbrier Valley Medical Center

CAMC Health Education and Research Institute

City National Bank

Highmark Inc.

Highmark West Virginia

Jeanne G. Hamilton and Lawson W. Hamilton Jr. Family Foundation Inc.

Little General Stores

OVP Foundation for Healthier Communities

OVP Health Inc.

Peoples Bank

Robert C. Byrd Clinic Inc.

Smith Kline & French Laboratories

Truist Corp.

West Virginia State Medical Association

Alliance

Dean’s Circle Donors

$10,000-$24,999

Robert Boles

BUSINESS

Vandalia Health

Benefactor Donors

$5,000-$9,999

Matthew and Keli Allaway

N. Bruce Chase, M.D.

Elizabeth Clark, D.O.

Stephen Deitz

Stephen Phillips II, D.O.

John David Talbott, D.O.

James Tierney, D.O.

BUSINESSES

Hasenstab Architects

The Thrasher Group

ZMM Architects and Engineers

Sponsor Donors

$2,500-$4,999

Kathy Goodman, D.O.

Mark Waddell, D.O.

BUSINESSES

Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association

FirstEnergy Corp.

Truist Bank

Associate Donors

$1,000-$2,499

Randall Belt, D.O.

Linda Boyd, D.O.

Richard Carey, D.O.

David Crandall, D.O.

Gary Ewing

Darla Gallentine, D.O.

Donald Gullickson II, D.O.

Marla Haller, D.O., and U.S. Navy

Master Chief Paul Haller

Johnny Howell, D.O.

Ben and Renda James

Susan M. Ketchem

Afeworki Kidane, D.O.

Thomas Mance, D.O.

Josalyn Mann, D.O.

Pete J. Palko III, D.O.

James Paugh II, D.O.

Ryan Runyon, D.O.

Linda B. Smith

Kimberly Tieman

Ryan Waddell, D.O.

David Ward

Naomi Wriston, D.O., FAOCOPM

Samuel Whit Yates, Ph.D.

Friend Donors

$500-$999

Edward Brennan II, D.O.

David Brown, Ph.D.

Brande Carpenter

Michael Cope, Ph.D.

Suzanne Courtney, D.O.

Robert Foster, D.O.

John Garlitz, D.O.

Eleonora Grey, D.O.

Ray Hayes, D.O.

Drema Hill, Ph.D.

Brant Hinchman, D.O.

Anthony Johnson, D.O.

Forrest Lane Jr., D.O.

John and Betsy Myer

Andrea Nazar, D.O.

Rebecca Perry, D.O.

Sandra Robinson, D.O.

Ronald Smith, D.O.

Dr. and Mrs. George and Mary Ann Triplett

Karen Wines

BUSINESS

Comquest Osteopathic Specialists LLC

DONATIONS BY LIFETIME GIVING CATEGORY

JULY 1, 2024 - DEC. 31, 2024

Supporter Donors

$250-$499

David Dietz

Marina Diioia, Ph.D.

Mark Jeffries, D.O.

Christopher Kennedy, D.O.

Gretchen Lovett, Ph.D.

Katherine Williams, Ph.D.

Lisa Zaleski-Larsen, D.O.

BUSINESS

WVSOM Staff Council

Caduceus Donors

$50-$249

Hal Armistead, D.O., and Amelia Roush, D.O.

William Armstrong, D.O.

Helen Baker, Ph.D., and John Mooney

Leslie Bicksler

Kathleen Bors, M.D.

Dan Breece, D.O.

Kristina Brown

Kaitlyn Brunner, D.O.

J.P. Blake Casher, D.O.

Carl Colombo, D.O.

Christi Cooper-Lehki, D.O.

Matthew Deitz

Roderick Doss, D.O.

Richard Durham, D.O.

Linda Eakle, D.O.

Lynn Ebbert

Praveen Fernandes

David and Olgusha Forrest

Charles Friedman Jr.

C. Wayne Gallops, D.O.

Daniel and Kellie Gooding

Holly Hardesty

Tim Holbrook

Tommy Lane Holbrook II, D.O.

Robert Holstein, D.O.

Kristy Huffman, D.O.

Rhonda Hughes

Thomas M. Kleman

Howard Wesley Lafferty Jr., D.O.

Clay Lee, D.O.

Wendy Lee, D.O.

Tia Lilly

Kathleen Maley, D.O.

Judith Maloney, Ph.D.

Aaron McGuffin, M.D.

Donette Mizia

Christine Moore, D.O.

Bobbi Morgan

Sue Morgan

Georgette Morton

Reginald Motley, D.O.

Kara O’Karma, D.O.

Garrett Parsons, D.O.

Roland Powers Jr., D.O.

Mary Pozega, D.O.

Gina Puzzuoli, M.D., and Gary Needham

Angelo Ratini, D.O.

Melinda Ratini, D.O.

Thomas Richardson, D.O.

Amber Reed

Roi Reed, D.O.

Jennifer Rose, D.O.

Howard Sathre, M.D., DDS

Eric Schneider, D.O.

Randy Shemer, D.O.

Dena Smith, D.O.

Gary Smith, D.O.

Linda Smith, D.O.

Eric Snider, D.O.

Shannon Sorah, D.O.

Hira Tahir, D.O.

Daniel Trent, D.O.

Junyu Wang, D.O.

Michael Warlick, D.O.

Shannon Warren

David Webb, M.D.

Gregory Wood, D.O.

James Wright, D.O.

SCAN THE QR CODE to donate to a scholarship endowment or other fund of your choosing.

WVSOM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEW LIFE MEMBERS

Aug. 1, 2024, to Dec. 16, 2024

1998 Constance Anderson, D.O.

1999 Tye Young, D.O.

2002 Karol Gordon, D.O.

2004 Eric Fish, D.O.

2004 Garieann Fish, D.O.

2012 Caitlyn Santer, D.O.

2015 Kevin Ogden, D.O.

2019 Lauren Doda, D.O.

2019 Jillian Hughart, D.O.

SCAN THE QR CODE to become a WVSOM Alumni Association Life Member and begin utilizing the membership’s benefits .

Lewisburg, WV 24901