2 0 0 6 N o 1

Will the Doctor Be In?CONFRONTING A NATIONWIDE PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE

Of late, leaders in medicine have begun to acknowledge theprospect of an extended national shortage of physicians. ManyPCOM alumni practicing in underserved urban and ruralregions across the country confirm the outlook; they are alreadyexperiencing the personal tolls of the shortage, including longershifts and early burnout. And we all must be concerned withthe potential endangerment of patient access to health care, theaffordability of care and the quality of care. The cover story ofthis issue of Digest confronts the matter and raises some viableoptions. Part of the solution rests in the holistic approach ofosteopathic medicine.

This issue also marks PCOM’s annual tradition, Founders’Day. We recognize those who have demonstrated outstandingleadership, loyalty and service to our institution. Please joinus in honoring the 2006 O.J. Snyder Memorial Medal recipi-ent, Robert W. England, DO ’56. Throughout his career, Dr. England, an ordained minister, emphasized the connec-tion between body, mind and spirit as he served his almamater as dean, professor and member of the faculty, andchairman of osteopathic principles and practice and generalfamily practice. Also deserving of acknowledgment is the recipient of this year’s Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medal,Gregory A. Skochko (DO ’06), a young man whose advocacy of health care equality is extraordinary.

Finally, this issue portrays the help and hope that somany of our PCOM alumni brought to the people of Louisiana and Mississippi in the wake of HurricaneKatrina. Among them are four role models: Hal Bendit, DO ’84, who worked with the Public HealthService in Baton Rouge; Vincent A. Berkley, DO ’80, who led a team of public health officials chargedwith the responsibility of keeping hospitals open in New Orleans; Greg Christiansen, DO ’92, who was deployed to New Orleans with a Georgia Disaster Medical Assistance Team; and Jim McCans, MS/FM ’04, who with cadaver dog Stache aided a crew from the Mississippi State Fire Academy in recovery efforts throughout Kiln. Their experiences are gripping and illustrate ultimate commitments tocommunity service.

I thank you for your continued interest in and support of our wonderful College and hope that 2006brings all of us health, wisdom, joy and peace.

With warmest regards,

Matthew Schure, PhDPresident and Chief Executive Officer

Dear Alumni and Friends,

O P E N I N G R E M A R K S

WILL THE DOCTOR BE IN?Health Policy Institute Director Richard Cooper, MD, and other leadersin medicine have begun to acknowledge the prospect of a national physi-cian shortage. And PCOM alumni in practice in underserved urban andrural regions across the country are already experiencing some of theeffects of the shortfall. What will be the future of health care? Is theosteopathic physician a part of the solution?

RECOGNIZING LEADERSHIP, LOYALTY, SERVICEThe College bestows its highest accolades during Founders’ Day.Celebrate this year’s awardees: O. J. Snyder Memorial Medal recipientRobert W. England, DO ’56, and Mason W. Pressly Memorial Medalrecipient Gregory A. Skochko (DO ’06).

BRINGING HOPE & HELPAFTER HURRICANE KATRINAIn response to the major devastationcreated by Hurricane Katrina, manyPCOM alumni (including Hal Bendit, DO ’84; Vincent A. Berkley, DO ’80; GregChristiansen, DO ’92; and Jim McCans,MS/FM ’04) selflessly responded to the

need for urgent health care assistance to thousands of storm refugees inLouisiana and throughout the Gulf Coast.

BRIDGING BENCH TO BEDSIDEScientists and physicians havejoined forces at PCOM to create a new Center for Chronic Disordersof Aging. Their approach bridgesthe understanding of diseases/disorders with the implementationof corrective measures.

F E A T U R E S

PCOM UPDATES & KUDOSUpdates on Georgia Campus–Philadelphia College of OsteopathicMedicine; the merging of PCOM’sFamily Practice Residency Programwith Mercy Surburban Hospital; the13th annual Golf Classic; PCOM inthe news; Support Our Troops outreach; Lindback Award recipientMichael McGuinness, PhD; theaddition of a Substance UseManagement Service to the Centerfor Brief Therapy; developmentactivities; and more.

CLASS NOTESCurrent professional endeavors andachievements of PCOM alumni; profiles of Thomas Scott, DO ’54,and Ashley Kase, MS ’05 (EdS ’08);and special remembrances ofDomenic DeBias, PhD, and Roy N.Pasker, DO ’65.

ESSAYGA-PCOM student Debra Bjork(DO ’09) relates her atypical journeyto medical school and how the assurance she discovered is rooted in the osteopathic philosophy.

D E P A R T M E N T S

2

24

32

ON THE COVERA child waits in an examinationroom for his physician . . . Formany patients, physician shortagesare already impinging on the delivery of basic health care.

Cove

r pho

to: i

stock

phot

o

8

14

18

22

DIGEST

A PCOM FIRSTPCOM joined the

Association ofIndependent Collegesand Universities’(AICUP) firstIndependent CollegeDay at the Capitol inHarrisburg lastOctober. PCOM hadthe opportunity tohighlight its faculty-student research,medical and healthprofessions programs,graduate programsand community service activities to state legislators. Robert Jubelirer, president pro tempore ofthe Pennsylvania Senate, and John Perzel, speaker of the Pennsylvania Houseof Representatives, spoke at AICUP’s press conference in the Capitol Building.

COLLEGE MERGES FAMILY PRACTICE RESIDENCY PROGRAMWITH MERCY SUBURBAN HOSPITAL

The merger of PCOM’s Family Practice Residency Program with MercySuburban Hospital combines the strengths of two superb medical institutionsto benefit patients, family practice residents, interns and students.

David Kuo, DO’96, assistant residencydirector of thePCOM–MercySuburban HospitalFamily PracticeResidency, reports,“This new partner-ship is a wonderfulopportunity thatmakes an already successful residencyprogram even better.The Mercy SuburbanFamily PracticeResidency has flour-

ished under the leadership of Michael Becker, DO ’87, over the past few years.Now, with the addition of PCOM’s multitude of educational resources andfaculty, the program has become even stronger.”

Harry Morris, DO ’78, chairman, PCOM Family Practice Departmentagrees: “This is a great fit for us. Mercy Suburban has all the rotations we needincluding medicine, surgery, pediatrics and OB-GYN. Their family medicinecontinuity of care Family Practice Center and dedication to the residents ofNorristown offer our students an ideal learning environment for family medicine.”

E D I T O RJennifer Schaffer Leone

C R E A T I V E D I R E C T O RWendy W. Romano

A S S O C I A T E E D I T O RCarol L. Weisl

A L U M N I E D I T O R SMadeline LawPamela Ruoff

Florence D. Zeller

G R A P H I C D E S I G N E RLisa Smith

C O N T R I B U T I N G D E S I G N E R Abigail Clayton

C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R SDebra Bjork (DO ’09)

Jeffrey BramnickNancy West

P H O T O G R A P H E R SBruce FairfieldJohn Shetron

CONTACT US

Phone: 215-871-6300Fax: 215-871-6307E-mail: jenniferleo@pcom.eduMail: 4180 City Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695www.pcom.edu

Digest, the magazine for alumni and friends of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine(Vol. 67, No. 1, USPS, 413-060), is published

three times a year by the Departments ofMarketing and Communications and Alumni Relations and Development.

Periodical postage paid at Bala Cynwyd, PA, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Digest

Alumni Relations and DevelopmentPhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

4180 City AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19131-1695

Opinions expressed are not necessarily sharedby the College or the editors.

D I G E S T

PCOMUPDATE S

2P C O M D I G E S T

Deborah Benvenger, director, admissions (left), and CarolFox, associate vice president for enrollment management, represented PCOM at AICUP’s Independent College Day.

Michael Becker, DO ’87 (center), at Mercy Suburban Hospital.

PCOMUPDATE S

32 0 0 6

Georgia Campus–PCOM celebrated itsofficial opening with aWhite Coat Ceremonyand Ribbon Cutting. OnNovember 6, the 84members of the inaugu-ral class were cloakedduring the traditionalWhite Coat Ceremonycelebrated by first-yearstudents. Richard Loyd,DO, president of theGeorgia OsteopathicMedical Association,along with members ofthe College’s medical fac-ulty, participated in theceremony. The WhiteCoat Ceremony was initiated by theArnold P. Gold Foundation, a public,not-for-profit charity dedicated to fos-tering humanism in medicine. “To aphysician, understanding the emotionalneeds of a patient should be as impor-tant as knowledge of physical anatomy,”says Gold. The ceremony is designed toestablish a psychological contract forbeginning medical students that stressesthe importance of caring for patients.

On November 7, GA-PCOM and PCOM administration participatedin the official ribbon cutting for GA-PCOM. U.S. Congressman JohnLinder delivered the keynote address.“Congressman Linder has been a friendof our Georgia Campus from the beginning,” says PCOM President and Chief Executive Officer MatthewSchure, PhD. “It was through theCongressman’s efforts that the

College received a$692,000 grant to helpestablish its electroniclibrary, which is now on-line and available toour students 24 hours aday, seven days a week,from anywhere in theworld. Our future plansinclude making it avail-able to the local medicalcommunity as well,” saysDr. Schure.

More than 1,750applications werereceived for the first GA-PCOM DO class.Of those applicants, 235were interviewed. The

student body is 51 percent female.Georgia residents comprise 36 percentof the student body, and 88 percent ofthe class is from Georgia and the sur-rounding states. Plans are currentlyunder way for phase two of the campusconstruction, which will includeresearch labs, additional faculty offices and facilities for the biomedicalprogram, which will accept its first class of students next fall.

GEORGIA CAMPUS CELEBRATES

Presiding over the ribbon cutting are, from left, Class President Robert Hales(DO ’09); U.S. Congressman John Linder; Vice Dean Paul Evans, DO ’79;Board of Trustees Chair Paul McGloin; and PCOM President and CEOMatthew Schure, PhD.

With a reception held on the beautiful terrace of the LevinAdministrationBuilding on September22, Harry Ginsburg,DO ’42, DPH, MD,received the secondPresident’s LeadershipAward. Dr. Ginsburg

has been an extremely generous supporter of the College and was recognized as one of the College’s most significant contributors.

The President’s RecognitionReception is held each year to thankand recognize donors who contribute$1,000 or more to PCOM during the fiscal year.

2005 PRESIDENT’SLEADERSHIP AWARD

GOLF CLASSICThe 13th annual

PCOM Golf Classic washeld at the ACE Centerin Lafayette Hill onSeptember 13, 2005, andraised $133,225 forPCOM’s HealthcareCenters. In addition tothe charitable aspect ofthe event, the 125 golfersenjoyed a day of cama-raderie and fresh air.

Mark your calendar forthe 14th annual GolfClassic, which is sched-uled for September 11,2006, at the WhitemarshValley Country Club in Lafayette Hill.

ATX Communications, Inc. was a proud $10,000platinum sponsor for the Classic. Pictured above are JoeConwell; Thomas Gravina, PCOM trustee and ATXboard chairman; Gerry Gallagher; and Jim Halpern.

PCOM programs, faculty and staff haveonce again made news. The College’s stan-dardized patient program was the source of aninvestigative article, with The PhiladelphiaInquirer staff writer Dawn Fallik posing as astandardized patient to get the inside story.Also in The Philadelphia Inquirer, PCOM washighlighted in an article that looked at the useof personal digital assistants (PDAs) in thepractice of medicine. The Center for ChronicDisorders of Aging and the College’sSubstance Use Management Service (SUMS)were profiled in City Suburban News, and sev-eral PCOM physicians (Oliver Bullock, DO ’78; Izola David, DO ’85; Larry Finkelstein,DO ’87; Pat Anthony Lanutti, DO ’71; Eugene Mochan, PhD, DO ’77; and JohnSimelaro, DO ’71) authored articles in The Philadelphia Tribune’s eight-week supplementseries that focused on black health care. Ira Sachs, DO, ’80, associate professor, surgery,was interviewed twice by local ABC affiliate Channel Six News about Philadelphia Eagles’quarterback Donovan McNabb’s sports hernia, and Tage Kvist, PhD, professor and chair,anatomy, was pictured and quoted in an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about theexhibit “Body Worlds.” News of Georgia Campus – PCOM has spread far and wide witharticles in The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Gwinnett Post and The Atlanta BusinessChronicle, to name just a few.

PCOM IN THE NEWS

PCOMUPDATE S

Ira Sachs, DO ’80, on ABC affiliateChannel Six News.

Marie Bensulock, MS, PA-C, assistant professor, physician assistantstudies, presented a lecture on clinicalaromatherapy to first-year medical stu-dents and physician assistant studentsat the University of Medicine andDentistry – New Jersey as part of theircomplementary/alternative therapy lecture series.

John Cavenagh, PhD, PA-C, associate professor and chair, physicianassistant studies, was a presenting panelist at the Symposium onLeadership and Networking at theUniversity of the Sciences inPhiladelphia. Dr. Cavenagh discussedethics and moral leadership dilemmashe encountered while heading theemergency medical service ofWashington, DC.

Bill Clinton, MA, professor, psy-chology, won a seat on the UpperProvidence Township Council in theNovember election. He is the firstDemocrat elected to the council inover 50 years.

Stephanie Felgoise, PhD, associateprofessor, vice-chair, director of clinicalPsyD, is the senior editor of TheEncyclopedia of Cognitive BehaviorTherapy, recently published bySpringer Publishing Company.

Katherine E. Galluzzi, DO, professor and chair, geriatrics, present-ed the 2005 fall continuing medical education program, “PainManagement at the End of Life,” for the American OsteopathicAcademy of Addiction Medicine. She also lectured at the AOA/ACOFP Unified OsteopathicConvention on “Communicating BadNews: How to Assess When the EndIs Near” at the End-of-Life Care pro-gram, and she was the moderator for“Faces of Pain: Clinical Considerationsand Caveats.” Dr. Galluzzi also lec-tured on “OMM in the Elderly” at the Society of Teachers of FamilyMedicine Northeast Region Meetingin Hershey, PA. Dr. Galluzzi was theeditor of the JAOA’s supplement, PainManagement: Part III, Patient-CenteredCare for Chronic Nonmalignant Pain.In addition, Dr. Galluzzi’s article“Management of Neuropathic Pain”appeared in the supplement.

| Kudos

PCOM pulled out all the stops to supportour troops this holiday season. Students, faculty and staff donated food, toiletries,books, DVDs, CDs, games and holiday supplies, and the student affiliates of AMOPS,UAAO, Sigma Sigma Phi, and the Biomedclub held bake sales that raised over $400 toship the huge array of gifts.

The student groups collected the namesand addresses of 25 friends and family mem-bers of the PCOM community who are cur-rently serving overseas. Each person was senttwo boxes of toiletries and food items, a DVDand a handmade holiday stocking. The groupsalso sent eight large boxes to units in theArmy, Navy and Air Force, providing gifts forapproximately 150 soldiers, sailors and airmen.

“This was an incredible community effort,”says AMOPS President Dean Brewer (DO’08). “Everyone chipped in to raise money,collect gifts and pack everything. But I’d especially like to thank Ruth Wian and TiffanyTaylor from the Dean's office and Carol Foxin admissions. Ruth made 50 holiday stock-ings by hand and filled each one with treats.She also obtained donations of toiletries fromthe Hilton Hotel and from several PCOMdepartments. All in all, the Support the TroopsHoliday Drive was a great success.”

PCOM SUPPORTS OUR TROOPS

4P C O M D I G E S T

The psychology department, in conjunction with the Association forBehavioral & Cognitive Therapies,hosted a half-day session at PCOM for individuals considering furtheringtheir education in psychology.

Geared to both professional psychologists and those considering a career in the field, Focus onPsychology offered seminars rangingfrom how to get into graduate schooland what to expect once enrolled tocareer options and how to develop professional networks.

Doctoral students presented theirresearch at a poster session; faculty,graduates and current students from all programs and years met withparticipants; and renowned cognitivebehavior therapists Arthur M. Nezu,PhD, and Christine Maguth Nezu,PhD, spoke on cognitive behavior therapy for patients with cardiovasculardisease. The event was a resoundingsuccess, drawing over 100 participants.

FOCUSING ON PSYCHOLOGY

PCOMUPDATE S

David Gantt, PhD, director, gross anddevelopmental anatomy, GA-PCOM,presented a poster, “HRXCT and 3DReconstruction of Enamel Thickness andVolume,” and presented “3DReconstruction of Enamel Thickness andVolume in Humans and Hominoids” atthe Seventh International Symposium onthe Composition, Properties andFundamental Structure of Tooth Enamel,sponsored by the NIDCR and theForsyth Institute. Dr. Gantt also partici-pated in an international conference,Dental Perspectives on HumanEvolution: State of the Art Research inDental Anthropology, hosted by the MaxPlanck Institute Department of HumanEvolution, Leipzig, Germany. In addition,he presented “HRXCT analysis of homi-noid molars” as an invited participant atthe 13th International Symposium onDental Morphology, Lodz, Poland.

Frederick J. Goldstein, PhD, professor, clinical pharmacology, is thecoordinating editor of the Journal of theAmerican Osteopathic Association’s painmanagement supplement series. In addi-tion, he, along with Saul Jeck, DO, pro-fessor and chair, OB/GYN, AlexanderNicholas, DO ’75, professor and chair,OMM, Marvin Berman, DO, andMarilyn Lerario, BSc, authored thepaper, “Preoperative IntravenousMorphine Sulfate with PostoperativeOsteopathic Manipulative TreatmentReduces Patient Analgesic Use After TotalAbdominal Hysterectomy,” published inthe Journal of the American OsteopathicAssociation (June 2005).

Michael L. Kuchera, DO, director,OMM research, authored the article“Osteopathic Manipulative MedicineConsiderations in Patients with Chronic Pain,” which was published inthe JAOA supplement, Pain Management:Part III, Patient-Centered Care for ChronicNonmalignant Pain.

David L. McWhorter, PhD, associateprofessor, anatomy, GA-PCOM, receivedthe Advocate for Academic ExcellenceAward from the Psi Sigma Alpha fraternity. In addition, Dr. McWhorter published, “Medical Students’ Perceptionsof Medical Education Research and TheirRoles as Participants” in the journalAcademic Medicine, Vol. 80, No. 8.

| KudosSTUDENT AWARDS AND GRANTSLisa Ashe (DO ’08) was awarded a student summer research fellowship for

2005 from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. She worked with Drs. Galluzzi,Busch and Goldstein to develop a future clinical study designed to advance themanagement of pain in geriatric patients.

Jarrett Bender (DO ’08), Peter Bidey (DO ’08), Jennifer Dwyer (DO ’08)and Demetri Economedes (DO ’07) each received a scholarship award from theAdvocates for the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (APOMA).

Michael Braun (DO ’07) received a research fellowship from the AOA for his study “Six etiologies of low back pain found in the U.S. Army.” Assisting Dr. Braun in his study were Timothy Borden (DO ’07) and Nicholas Ondrasik(DO ’07).

Leonardo Geraci (DO ’09) and Scott Peerenboom (DO ’06) received honorable mention in the Annenberg Anatomy Competition sponsored by theWalter & Leonore Annenberg Center for Medical Education at LankenauHospital.

Scott Goodroad (DO ’06) received the Burnett Osteopathic Student ResearchAward from the AOA for his work diagnosing and treating biomechanical riskfactors for shin splints.

Glenn Miller (DO ’07) received the APOMA Kin scholarship, awarded tothe child or grandchild of an active POMA physician.

Lauren Muchorski (DO ’09) received the Arnold P. Gold FoundationStudent Summer Research Fellowship for her project, “Utilizing CommunityLay Health Advisors for Developing and Implementing a Healthy LifestyleProgram for Uninsured/Underinsured Obese African-American Women.” Shealso presented the poster, “A Comparison of the Effectiveness of an ObesityProgram on an African-American Church Group Versus a Non-Church Group”at the AOA Annual Conference in October.

Jessica Yahnert (DO ’06) received a research fellowship from the AOA for herstudy “The role of OMM in the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome.” She wasassisted by OMM fellow Jason Hartman (DO ’06).

APOMA scholarship recipients (from left) Demetri Economedes (DO ’07), Peter Bidey (DO’08), Jarrett Bender (DO ’08) and Jennifer Dwyer (DO ’08) are joined by Tina Fedec,APOMA SAA advisor, and Carol Fox, associate vice president for enrollment management.

52 0 0 6

Michael McGuinness, PhD, assis-tant professor of anatomy, received theChristian R. and Mary F. LindbackAward for Distinguished Teaching. TheLindback Award recognizes academicexcellence and outstanding teachingand is one of the mostprestigious awards conferred on an instruc-tor in higher education.Dr. McGuinness joinedthe faculty of PCOM in1999, teaching grossanatomy and histology.As a supervisor of gradu-ate and undergraduateresearch, he has trainedstudents in microscopy,cell culture and molecu-lar biology techniques.Dr. McGuinness servedas a postdoctoral researchassociate at the R.W.Johnson PharmaceuticalResearch Institute, wherehe began the first detailed

study of estrogen response in Sertoliand Leydig cells. This research generated valuable information on the use of estrogenic compounds totreat osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and infertility.

PCOMUPDATE S

6P C O M D I G E S T

Fred Rotgers, PsyD, associate professor, psychology, chaired a symposium at the Association forBehavioral and Cognitive Therapiesconvention on “ModerationApproaches for Substance Users:Bringing Cognitive-BehavioralApproaches and Harm Reduction tothe Public.” He also co-edited thebook Antisocial Personality Disorder: APractitioner’s Guide to ComparativeTreatments published by SpringerPublishing Company.

Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA,senior vice president for academicaffairs and dean, presented “COCA’sEfforts Related to Physician Shortageand Future of OGME” at theOsteopathic Medical EducationLeadership Conference XVI, “TheFuture of Osteopathic GraduateMedical Education in ChangingTimes.”

Lindon Young, PhD, associateprofessor, pathology, microbiology &immunology, coauthored the article,“Protein Kinase C βII PeptideInhibitor Exerts CardioprotectiveEffects in Rat Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury,” published inThe Journal of Pharmacology andExperimental Therapeutics, Vol. 314,No. 2. He also coauthored the article,“Protein Kinase C-ζ InhibitionExerts Cardioprotective Effects inIschemia-Reperfusion Injury,” pub-lished in The American Journal ofPhysiology - Heart and CirculatoryPhysiology. He and Brian Balin,PhD, professor, pathology, microbiol-ogy & immunology, coauthored thepaper, “GÖ 6983: A Fast ActingProtein Kinase C Inhibitor thatAttenuates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury,” published inCardiovascular Drug Reviews, Vol. 23,No. 3.

Bruce Zahn, EdD, associate professor, clinical psychology, presented a workshop, Basics ofCognitive Behavioral Therapy withOlder Adults, at the PennsylvaniaPsychological Association.

| Kudos ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY RECEIVES LINDBACK AWARD

Michael McGuinness, PhD, receives the Lindback Awardfrom Dr. Schure.

NEW APPROACH TO TREATING SUBSTANCE ABUSEThe Center for Brief Therapy has added a Substance Use Management

Service (SUMS) to its therapeutic offerings. Based on harm reduction psychotherapy, the program provides assistance for people who are concernedabout their use of alcohol or drugs but are uncertain what their next step should be. Unlike traditional substance abuse treatment, which requires totalabstinence, SUMS works with individuals who are at various points in the continuum of change. “We let the client make the decision concerning theirtreatment goals,” explains Fred Rotgers, PsyD, associate professor, psychology.“This concept is unusual in treating substance abuse in the United States, but it is strongly supported by research about how people change their behavior.The patient is very often ambivalent about treatment, and our clinicians helpthem to resolve their ambivalence and move toward healthy decisions.”

Clients are helped to decide on goals through a therapeutic technique knownas motivational interviewing. “Motivational interviewing is client-centered, non-confrontational and supports the client’s autonomy, which helps people getready to change and make a commitment to their goals,” explains Dr. Rotgers. This modality helps build a strong working relationship between clients andtherapists. It’s client-focused rather than treatment focused. “The result,” says Dr. Rotgers, “is an osteopathic approach that looks at the whole person. It doesn’t bifurcate the drug treatment and the mental health issues.”

PCOMUPDATE S

D EVELOPMENT NEWS

Last August, PCOM’s Board ofTrustees approved a new incentiveprogram for scholarship support. Newcommitments to scholarships of aminimum of $50,000 will be matchedby endowment funds at 5 percent.The 5 percent match is given to thescholarship recipient as a supplementalgrant, in addition to the usual scholar-ship provided. Trustee EugeneChaiken, who originated the idea fol-lowing a similar program at PennState, kicked off the program with a$50,000 commitment to the LeonardH. Finkelstein, DO Scholarship.Trustee John Kearney pledged an addi-tional $250,000 to the John D.Kearney Scholarship, which was estab-lished in honor of his late son.

The late FlorenceGertrude Baker, a child-hood friend of the lateWilliam Daiber, DO ’28,gave $70,000 to establisha new scholarship in hismemory. Dr. Daiber wason the faculty of theCollege and was the 1973O.J. Snyder MemorialMedal recipient. Ms.Baker fulfilled a child-hood promise that shewould make a gift to Dr.Daiber’s medical school if he accomplished his dream of becoming a physician. Ms. Baker turned 100 inDecember 2005; she passed away in January.

Contact the alumni office if you are interested in the new TrusteeScholarship program (1-800-739-3939or email alumni@pcom.edu).

NEW TRUSTEE SCHOLARSHIP RAISES $370,000

CLASS AGENTS FOR ’81 AND ’96 STEP UP TO $10,000 PRESIDENT’S FELLOWS

Gerald Dworkin, DO ’81, 1981class agent, gave $10,000 to PCOM inhonor of his upcoming 25-yearreunion. Dr. Dworkin made his leader-ship gift to the annual fund. He hopesmany of his classmates will join him atthe class’s reunion in June and thatthey will also consider marking theoccasion with a significant gift.

To celebrate her 10-year reunion, Joanne Hullings, DO ’96, also gave

$10,000 to the unrestricted annualfund in memory of the three membersof the Class of 1996 who passed awaybefore graduating: Michelle Andrews,David Atlas and Joseph Krobert. Inhonor of her gift, the College is erect-ing a tree plaque in their memory. Dr.Hullings, class agent for 1996, is hoping for a superb turnout at theJune 2-4 Alumni Weekend, as well as a significant class gift.

(circa 1973) William F. Daiber, DO ’28, with his wifeand sons, William K. Daiber, DO ’74, and Robin.

Dr. HullingsDr. Dworkin

Even after emptying its pockets for tsunami and Katrina victims, thePCOM community continued its loyalsupport of the College’s unrestrictedannual fund. Faculty and staff exceed-ed their campaign goal by pledging$64,306. Members of the Board ofTrustees pledged $73,000 to thecampaign. The goal of the campaign is to build the annual fund to $1 million per year by 2007. As of

December 31, 2005, a total of$378,046 had been raised. Thisyear’s goal is to reach $850,000 by June 30, 2006.

There’s still time to supportPCOM if you haven’t made agift. Online giving is particularlyeasy (www.pcom.edu) or call thealumni office (1-800-739-3939)and make a credit card gift.

FACULTY/STAFF CAMPAIGN NETS $64,000; TRUSTEES PLEDGE $73,000 FOR MILLIONDOLLAR CAMPAIGN; CAMPAIGN AT $378,046

2005-2006 campaign chairs: Izola David, DO ’85;Joanne Jones, MBA; and Mindy George-Weinstein, PhD.

72 0 0 6

8P C O M D I G E S T

92 0 0 6

In rural Frankfort,Indiana, a patient in need of surgery must be airlifted or transported byambulance to a hospital more than 30miles away becausethe local hospital hasno general surgerycoverage.

In Scottsdale, Arizona, some patients findthemselves without primary care when theirphysicians stop accepting certain health insur-ance plans because physicians have too manypatients. To see some specialists, patients maywait as long as two months for an appointment.

In New York City, emergency medicinephysicians work longer shifts and fight burnoutbecause ER physicians are in such short supply.

These real-life situations are common inmany underserved urban and rural areas acrossthe United States where physician shortages areaffecting the delivery of health care, and the sit-uation is predicted to worsen nationwide overthe next 15 years.

By the year 2020, this growing shortagecould exceed 200,000 physicians, according toa 2002 study conducted by the Health PolicyInstitute at the Medical College of Wisconsin.The Council on Graduate Medical Education(COGME), the American Medical Association(AMA) and the Association of AmericanMedical Colleges (AAMC) now concur that thenation is facing a serious physician shortageunless steps are taken to alleviate it.

To make up for the projected shortfall, the AMA has committed to “work to develop

mechanisms, including identification of fundingsources, to create medical school and residencypositions in or adjacent to physician shortage/underserved areas and in undersupplied spe-cialties.” COGME has recommended that U.S.medical schools train 3,000 more doctors ayear, which is the equivalent of about 20 newmedical schools.

PCOM has been on the leading edge ofaddressing this need with the opening of itsnew Georgia campus last fall. “GA-PCOMopened with full enrollment,” reports Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA, senior vice president foracademic affairs and dean. “However, openingnew medical schools is only part of the solu-tion to the problem of physician shortages. Thenumber of physicians who practice in thiscountry is much more determined by the number of internship and residency positionswe have than by the number of medical stu-dents. So the biggest challenge is increasing thenumber of these positions.

“Right now, Medicare is the major party that pays for graduate medical education, andsince 1997, Medicare has been very reluctantto increase the supply of internship and resi-dency positions,” Dr. Veit continues. “The bigquestion is who is going to pay to increase thesupply. I’m a firm believer that everyone who isin the health insurance business should share inthe responsibility of training future physicians atthe graduate medical education level throughassessments for that specific purpose. This is going to become the crux ofincreasing our physician workforce, and it willrequire an enormous amount of society initia-tive as well as government and political policydecisions.

Will the doctor be in?CONFRONTING A NATIONWIDE PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE

1 0P C O M D I G E S T

Why a Shortage?The physician shortage will be

fueled, in part, by 79 million babyboomers who will reach retirementage and demand more medical care.Among those retiring will be physi-cians in much larger number than the25,000 new doctors who graduatefrom medical school each year.Changes in the demographics andlifestyles among those in the medicalprofession are also contributing to theshortage. In a recent article in USAToday, Health Policy InstituteDirector Richard (Buz) Cooper, MD,noted that women make up nearlyhalf of new physicians being trained,and studies show that they work anaverage of 25 percent fewer hoursthan male physicians. In addition, Dr. Cooper said that physicians over age 55 work 15 percent less.

Rural ChallengesOther lifestyle choices are con-

tributing to a shortage of doctors inrural areas,according toLuke G.Nelligan, DO’91, who prac-tices in a ruralIndiana town of3,000 wheremany of hispatients arefarmers and factory workers.“Many physi-cians prefer to

practice in a metro or suburban areawhere their families have access tobetter schools, cultural and socialactivities and employment opportuni-ties,” says Dr. Nelligan, who lives 18

miles away from his practice in themetropolitan area near Indianapolis.“I’m committed to practicing in arural underserved community, but I’mequally committed to ensuring thatmy kids go to the best schools. That’swhy I’m willing to commute 30 min-utes to my office and 25 minutes tothe hospital where I have privilegeswhen most doctors would prefer theease of living right down the road.”

Dr. Nelligan also notes that primary care physicians and some specialists are in short supply becausedoctors often make financially baseddecisions about the specialty they willpursue. “We have five orthopedic surgeons in the rural area where Irefer patients,” he relates. “But we’vehad a shortage of rheumatologists and endocrinologists for a long timebecause those specialties aren’t aslucrative.”

Dr. Nelligan says that finances alsodiscourage some physicians fromchoosing primary care. “Even thoughMedicare reimburses physicians

who serve in rural areas at a higherrate, the volume of patients is lower,and Medicare is still cutting reim-bursement rates overall. We mustmake it worthwhile for physicians togo into primary care in underservedareas. As physicians, we go into healthcare to help people and improve society, but in the end, you still haveto provide for your family and run abusiness. Doctors need more optionsand incentives to make the businessaspect of the practice viable so theycan focus on why they decided topractice medicine in the first place–tocare for people.”

Dr. Nelligan and his partnersfound such an option to be part of aphysician-owned health network thatreimburses them by the number ofpatients they see and pays them a percentage of the fees for CT scans, MRIs, lab work and otherancillary services that their patientsneed.

Dr. Nelligan says that hospitals inunderserved areas could help alleviate

Luke G. Nelligan, DO ’91

Number of First-Year Students in U.S. Medical Schools

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

2004-2005 2005-2006(Total: 20,279) (Total: 20,893)

Allopathic schools

Osteopathic schools

16,648

3,8893,631

17,004

Sources: Association of American Medical Colleges, American Association ofColleges of Osteopathic Medicine

1 12 0 0 6

the physician shortage by enabling thedoctors they hire to be entrepreneurialrather than just salaried employees.“Hospitals have the ability to set upjoint ventures with physicians in theform of surgical centers, MRI centers or other ancillary services that wouldprovide the physicians with a fiscalincentive to continue practicing there,”he relates.

Urban IssuesSome hospitals in New York City are

feeling the physician pinch in the ER,according to Anita W. Eisenhart, DO’94, who practiced emergency medicineat St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronxfor 10 years. “Reimbursement for emer-

gency services has been markedlyreduced, resulting in reduced physiciansalaries,” notes Dr. Eisenhart, who nowpractices at two community hospitals inOrange County, New York. “At thesame time, we are the fishnet for allhumanity. By federal law, we cannotturn anyone away. As a result, we havea very busy 24/7 practice and yet,despite the high volume of patients wesee, we must keep the customers satis-fied. Our contracts depend upon highscores on satisfaction surveys. Thiscombination of reduced salaries andincreased demands discourages manypeople who might otherwise consideremergency medicine.”

Physicians in academic medicine arealso in short supply, according to Mary

50,000

45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

2004-2005 2005-2006(Total: 43,364) (Total: 45,926)

Allopathic schools

Osteopathic schools

35,735

8,5627,629

37,364

Sources: Association of American Medical Colleges, American Association ofColleges of Osteopathic Medicine

Anita W. Eisenhart, DO ’94

“We can reduce the

needs and drains on

the health care

profession if we give

the community the

tools they need to

prevent disease

and injury in the

first place.”

Number of Applicants to U.S. Medical Schools

1 2P C O M D I G E S T

Beth Bollinger, DO ’89, associate pro-fessor of pediatrics and director ofallergy at the University of MarylandSchool of Medicine in Baltimore. “Ihave been trying to hire another aller-gist to join me in practice for several

years,” she says.“In a specialtylike allergy, mostphysicianschoose to gointo privatepractice wherethey can earnmore money. Asa result, I have asix-month wait-ing list for newappointments. Icurrently workwith referring

physicians to triage patients so thatthose with the greatest need are seenmore urgently. I also have to lengthen the timebetween follow-up visits due to limit-ed appointment slots, which is notideal for continuity of care.”

In addition to being concerned forher patients, Dr. Bollinger wonderswho will teach future physicians, sincefewer physicians choose careers in academic medicine because of lowersalaries and the demands of jugglingtime for patient care, research, grantand manuscript writing and teaching.“Academic institutions need toaddress issues related to faculty reten-tion and job satisfaction to ensurethat we have an adequate number ofquality physicians in academic medi-cine to teach future physicians,” sheemphasizes.

Across the country in Scottsdale,Arizona, Martin Blume, DO ’78,MBA, observes that specialists andprimary care physicians are becoming

scarce because the population isexploding but the physician popula-tion isn’t keeping up. “We have onlytwo medical schools in the state andrelatively few residency slots,” heexplains. “We need more of both,especially residency programs becausethose who leave the state for residencytraining tend not to come back topractice here.”

Dr. Blume notes that Arizona fallswell below the national average of 283physicians per 100,000 patients.“Currently, we’re at 207 physiciansper 100,000 patients, and that ratiowill probably become even moreunfavorable as the population contin-ues to grow dramatically,” he says.

The problem is exacerbated by thefact that many primary care practicesin the Scottsdale area are acceptingfewer health insurance plans becausethey have more than enough patients.As a result, many people are left with-out access to medical care. The babyboomer phenomenon is also a factor.Dr. Blume notes that many boomerphysicians in private practice are retiring early just as the boomer population is requiring more care. He also notes that managed care hasincreased the demand for services. “If people have access to health carethrough managed care, they use moreservices,” he says.

In Scottsdale, Dr. Blume’s familyand urgent care practice is part of thesolution to the physician shortage.“We don’t turn any patients away,” hestates. “We accept all insurance carri-ers. Many of the patients who havebeen turned away from other practicescome to us. As demand increases, weadd providers. So far, we’ve grownfrom seven to 12 providers, and weexpect to add two new office locationsin the near future. We never have a

problem finding quality physicians tojoin our staff because we offer greatbenefits and flexible work schedulesthat suit their lifestyle needs.”

Dr. Blume’s practice is based largelyon same day care, which comprises 40percent of the patients seen each day,as well as ancillary services such ascosmetic surgery, acupuncture, DEXAscans and others that help keep thepractice profitable. “More physiciansneed to approach their practice as abusiness,” says Dr. Blume, who has anMBA and is the managing partner inhis practice. “Profitable practicesattract providers, who, in turn, allevi-ate physician shortages.”

Mary Beth Bollinger, DO ’89

“The majority of

osteopathic physicians

go into primary care so,

as a group, we continue

to be a great resource to

fill this need.”

Martin Blume, DO ’78, MBA

1 32 0 0 6

Projected Change in Increase Needed to Doctor Supply Meet Demand

Cardiology 1,700 6,700-11,700

Family Medicine 16,300 20,200-31,700

General Internal Medicine 21,500 25,700-37,800

Other Internal Medicine 8,100 16,900-31,600

Obstetrics-Gynecology 5,500 4,100-8,100

Pediatrics 8,600 3,900-8,800

General Surgery –600 9,500-18,300

Orthopedic Surgery 1,000 5,300-13,300

Source: ACOInformation (July 2005)

Physician Supply & Demand

Government Action NeededTo ensure that the United States

has enough physicians for the future, all the interviewed PCOMalumni agree that the federal govern-ment must revisit reimbursementpolicies for Medicaid and Medicareand address the problem of uninsuredand underinsured Americans.

“If primary care was more availableto people in need, they wouldn’t be in my emergency department at allhours for chronic or sub-acute complaints, and that would alleviatephysician shortages in the ER,”observes Dr. Eisenhart.

“The federal government needs to expand programs that encouragephysicians to choose careers in academic medicine to assure thefuture of quality medical education,”says Dr. Bollinger. “It also needs toencourage physicians to work with underserved populations andcommunities by assisting with loan

repayment for physicians who selectto work in these areas.”

Osteopathic Physicians: Part of the Solution

Osteopathic physicians can play animportant role in stemming the tideof physician shortages, says Dr.Blume. “The majority of osteopathicphysicians go into primary care so, asa group, we continue to be a greatresource to fill this need,” he observes.“For that reason, I believe that weneed more osteopathic medicalschools and/or medical school branchcampuses. This would enable us tobetter provide the supply of primarycare physicians that is lacking.”

Dr. Blume also believes the holisticapproach of osteopathic medicine canreduce the demand on specialties thatare also experiencing shortages. “Anosteopathic physician is trained tolook at the whole person and sort outproblems,” he says. “This can help to

decrease the utilization of unneededvisits to specialists and other services.”

According to Dr. Veit, “Osteopathicmedicine is ready made to meet thechallenge of physician shortages byvirtue of our commitment to com-munity medicine. We have the historyand tradition of training clinicianswho are responsive to the health careneeds of the community.”

“We must teach the communitythe osteopathic approach to healthcare–the body has its own ability toheal itself with proper care,” says Dr.Eisenhart. “We can reduce the needsand drains on the health care profes-sion if we give the community thetools they need to prevent disease andinjury in the first place.”

“We can be leaders in serving theunderserved as we confront this short-age of doctors,” says Dr. Nelligan. “Asosteopathic physicians, that has alwaysbeen–and should continue to be–oneof our primary missions.”

In his high school yearbook,Robert W. England, DO ’56,wrote that he planned to study

medicine and the Bible. Either goal byitself would be challenging, but Dr.England successfully achieved both,then integrated what he learned in aremarkable career as an osteopathicphysician, educator and church pastor.

“It was my hope that studyingmedicine and the Bible would enableme to help mankind in the best waypossible,” says Dr. England, the 2006O.J. Snyder Memorial Medal recipi-ent. “Osteopathic medicine with itsemphasis on the connection betweenbody, mind and spirit has been theperfect complement to my work as apastor. And my training as a pastoradded another dimension to my abilityto help patients and students over theyears,” he says, noting that the fatherof Andrew Taylor Still, founder of

osteopathic medicine, was both aphysician and minister.

Dr. England was introduced toosteopathic medicine and PCOM byhis family physician, Theodore Cohen,DO ’33, who also influenced Dr.England’s sister, Katherine M.England, DO ’54. When he readabout the osteopathic philosophy, Dr.England found that its holistic princi-ples meshed perfectly with his ownpersonal beliefs.

In 1952, after his graduation fromEastern Baptist Theological Seminaryand ordination as a minister, Dr.England began his studies at PCOM.At the same time, he began serving asthe pastor of a small Baptist church in West Collingswood Heights, NewJersey. In addition to his pastoralduties, he oversaw the construction of a new church and Sunday schoolbuilding. Later, he moved to a church

in Warminster, Pennsylvania, where he served as pastor for 35 years whilepracticing medicine and serving at PCOM.

While Dr. England admits thatbeing a pastor and a medical studentsimultaneously was a challenge, heexcelled at both. At PCOM, his men-tor, Angus Cathie, DO ’31, was soimpressed with Dr. England’s skills inosteopathic manipulative medicine(OMM) and teaching that he invitedhim to become a student teacher. “In those days, second- and third-yearstudents helped teach the first- andsecond-year students,” explains Dr.England. Later, Dr. Cathie asked himto join the faculty in the departmentshe chaired, anatomy and osteopathicprinciples and practice (OPP–thepredecessor to OMM). Thus began ateaching career at PCOM thatspanned 27 years.

2006 RECIPIENT OF THE

O.J. Snyder Memorial Medal

Healing Body, Mind and Spirit

ROBERT W. ENGLAND, DO ’56

1 4P C O M D I G E S T

1 52 0 0 6

1 6P C O M D I G E S T

Dr. England served as chairmanand professor of the departments ofOPP and general family practice aswell as professor of anatomy. He alsoserved as program director of theCollege’s first general family practiceresidency program. In 1972, he wasappointed dean of the College, a posthe held for 11 years.

As dean, he worked tirelessly tobuild the College’s continuing med-ical education (CME) program andto increase the size and strength ofthe PCOM faculty. During histenure, he oversaw the opening of thePCOM Sullivan County HealthcareCenter in LaPorte, Pennsylvania, andbrought PCOM into the computerage by purchasing the College’s veryfirst computer.

“Students used to come to myoffice and use my computer to runmedical study programs because I had the only computer on campus atthe time,” he recalls. As a result of his pioneering efforts, the College’sadministration acknowledged theincreasing value of information technology in medical education, andthe number of computers on campusbegan to grow.

Dr. England was well respected forhis contributions to medical educationboth within and outside PCOM. In1975, he became the first osteopathicphysician to be elected to the Collegeof Physicians of Philadelphia, andserved on its membership and CMEcommittees. He also served as chair-man of the Council of Deans for theAmerican Association of Colleges ofOsteopathic Medicine.

He takes pride in the professionalachievements of many former stu-dents, including John Ferretti, DO’73, and Silvia Ferretti, DO ’77, whonow serve as president and provost,respectively, of Lake Erie College ofOsteopathic Medicine. “I had thepleasure of teaching many studentswho became leaders in the osteopathicprofession,” he relates.

While teaching students the skillsthey would need as physicians, he wassometimes called upon to address theirspiritual needs. “I had a few students

whose marriages almost collapsed andI was able to help keep them togetherthrough counseling,” he recalls.“Others came to me for emotionalsupport when they were having academic problems.”

Dr. England offered to pray withpatients and students alike. “Sometimeswhen a patient and his or her familywere really upset, we would praytogether and that would help everyoneto calm down,” he remembers. “I stillhave former students who call me forspiritual support as well as advice inthe practice of medicine.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Englandemphasized the human side of medi-cine, teaching his students to heed thebody-mind-spirit connection and totreat their patients with respect andcompassion.

“You must love medicine becauseyou love people, especially in today’shealth care environment,” he says. “It’s also important to remember thatpatients are more sophisticated today.They search the Internet for informa-tion and they’re very knowledgeable.As physicians, we must respect thatknowledge.”

Always a staunch osteopathic practitioner, Dr. England treated morethan 95 percent of his patients withOMM and participated in numerousstudies that demonstrated its value.

His treatment of cardiac patients ledto published research in somatic dysfunction related to myocardialinfarction (MI). “When I treatedpatients recovering from an MI withOMM, I could tell which ones weregoing to survive by their tissueresponse to the treatment,” he notes.“Most responded very nicely.”

Dr. England also participated instudies about the relationship betweenimmunology and the use of the lymphatic pump as well as OMM andthe autonomic nervous system. He isexcited about current research beingconducted to demonstrate how OMMsupports the immune system.

“It is essential for osteopathic physicians to retain their distinctionby continuing to learn and practiceOMM,” he emphasizes. “It can be difficult in today’s managed care envi-ronment where limited time is anobstacle, but DOs must find a way toinclude it in the treatment they provide, even if they do it out of thegoodness of their hearts and don’t billfor it. It’s that important. It goes backto loving medicine because you lovepeople. If you love people, you wantto give them the best possible care,and that almost always includes someform of OMM.”

Moving forward, Dr. Englandbelieves that two of PCOM’s key priorities are to keep the teachingfocus on the basic tenets of osteopathic medicine and to providefinancial support to students. “PCOMstudents are well respected in the hospitals where they train and that is because of their osteopathic education,” he notes. “Yet, the debtburden of their education is high andwe must encourage them by findingways to offer more financial support.”

Dr. England expresses gratitude forall the opportunities he’s had to helppeople through the years. “The Lordhas been good to me,” he emphasizes.“He put me in the right place at theright time so that I could serve in ameaningful way. I hope that my lifeand my work have reflected my lovefor Him.”

Greg Skochko(DO ’06)describes

himself as an ordinaryguy with an extraordi-nary commitment to hisideals–health care equality and accessto care for all patients. Throughout his four years at PCOM, he hasworked diligently to keep those idealsalive within himself and fellow medical students.

“I consider physician advocacy forpatients, especially those who areunderserved and underrepresented, tosupersede all other private or personalinterests that can change our commit-ment to our ideals over time,” saysSkochko, who plans to practice familymedicine. “We need to use the privi-lege given to us as physicians to affectmore than the care we provide in individual patient encounters,” hecontinues. “It is our obligation andresponsibility to work for positivechanges that will benefit everyone,especially those who are underserved.”

On the PCOM campus, Skochko’sadvocacy efforts began when he joinedthe PCOM Chapter of the AmericanMedical Student Association (AMSA),an organization whose mission hedescribes as “capturing student ideal-ism and translating it into activismthrough involvement in policy mak-ing, decision making and advocacythat affects the delivery of health care.”

Skochko organized the chapter’sfirst annual Cultural CompetencyTraining session. “This was the start of my interest in becoming a sociallyresponsible physician,” recallsSkochko, who later served as chapter president.

Subsequently, he co-founded the

PCOM StudentInitiative forCultural Competency(SICC), working tofacilitate the incor-poration of cultural

competency education into theCollege’s curriculum. “Physicians andpatients each bring their own culturalexperience and background to theexamining room,” he says. “It’s impor-tant for physicians to understand howtheir own experience can affect thepatient encounter.”

Through SICC, students are alsoencouraged to volunteer in the com-munity. “It’s vital to get out into thecommunity where your patients live to more fully understand their cultureand daily life,” says Skochko, who has volunteered at the WestPhiladelphia High School Health Fair, Ronald McDonald House andPhiladelphia Food Bank. “This enables us to provide more compas-sionate health care.

“PCOM has provided an extremelysupportive environment for theseefforts,” he adds. “The administrationand faculty encourage students to collaborate and foster their idealism.”

A PCOM Student GovernmentAssociation representative for the pastthree years, Skochko has also heldleadership positions in AMSA at theregional and national levels. In 2004-2005, he served as a regional trusteefor AMSA, coordinating 21 medicalschools and their local projects in thenortheastern United States. As AMSA’snational treasurer for 2005-2006, hecoordinated a $3.5 million budgetsupporting student-directed missionsand priorities worldwide.

Skochko says his interest in socially

responsible medicine comes from thevalues his parents instilled in him. “Iwas always taught to look out forthose who can’t look out for them-selves,” he recalls. He sees osteopathicfamily medicine as the perfect venue for health care advocacy in the community.

“The osteopathic philosophy iscompletely aligned with my view ofhow to deliver health care,” he says.“As a family physician, I will have theopportunity to educate my patientsabout preventive care and empowerthem to be involved in their ownhealth and wellness.”

A strong proponent of osteopathicmanipulative medicine (OMM),Skochko has encouraged students tobe involved in OMM research while serving as student liaison for the Sigma Xi Research Societythroughout his four years at PCOM.“It’s important to continue buildingthe osteopathic evidence base,” saysSkochko, who is himself a formerresearch scientist.

Now he looks forward to his residency in family medicine at theDavid Grant Medical Center, locatedat Travis Air Force Base in northernCalifornia, a designated Center ofExcellence for family medicine wherehe will provide services for members ofthe military and their families. “I’mexcited about working in a modelhealth care system where access is notan issue, patients are compliant and asa result, the patient population is generally more healthy and fit. I hopeto learn why that system works so welland, after fulfilling my military serviceand returning to the civilian sector, use that knowledge in my health careadvocacy efforts.”

2006 MASON W. PRESSLY MEMORIAL MEDAL RECIPIENT

Gregory A. Skochko (DO ’06) HEALTH CARE ADVOCATE

1 72 0 0 6

Amid the devastation and despair following Hurricane

Katrina, some PCOM alumni brought help and hope to

the people of Louisiana and Mississippi. They set up and

staffed emergency trauma centers and helped reopen

hospitals. They provided primary care and kindness to

residents throughout the shattered area. They searched for

the missing and dead. The four alumni featured on these

pages displayed in extraordinary ways the commitment to

community service so central to osteopathic medicine.

Help Hope&Bringing After Hurricane Katrina

1 8P C O M D I G E S T

1 92 0 0 6

Hal Bendit, DO ’84Hal Bendit, DO ’84, was watching

news coverage of the devastation following Hurricane Katrina when hedecided that he had to join the reliefefforts. “I heard Louisiana officials say that they were desperate for physicians,” he recalls. “So I startedtrying to find a means to go downthere, which proved to be surprisinglydifficult.”

After being turned away fromnumerous agencies that either didn’thave a presence in the region or weren’tutilizing physicians, Dr. Bendit signedon with the Public Health Servicethrough the Office of the SurgeonGeneral in early September 2005.Nearly a month later, with the bless-ings of his wife and four partners infamily practice in Macungie,Pennsylvania, he boarded a plane forBaton Rouge, Louisiana, and begantwo weeks of volunteer service.

The day after his arrival, Dr. Benditwas surprised to find himself appointedmedical director of a unit of 50 volun-teers whose task was to split into fourmultidisciplinary groups to provideprimary care on the road. “The com-mander picked me out at random. Hehad no idea what my experience was,”says Dr. Bendit. “When I found outthat he wanted me to assemble a family practice and put it on wheels, Ithought, ‘The first part I can do; thesecond part will be a first but I’ll give it a whirl!’”

To accomplish his mission, Dr.Bendit supplied each of the teams with vehicles, maps, medicine andequipment, coordinated their

assignments and provided commanding officers with dailybriefings on their activities. Over an 11-day period, the four teamstreated 2,165 patients all over the state of Louisiana, from Shreveport to Grand Isle.

“The people on the teams were somotivated,” says Dr. Bendit. “Everyonewho was there–doctors, nurses andparamedics–knew that they had twoweeks to make a difference. Theywould leave at six in the morning andnot return until nine or 10 o’clock atnight. They were sleeping in police stations and firehouses, and then waking up and continuing to take careof patients.”

The teams treated patients in trailerparks, shelters and parking lots, seeingas many as 150 patients in a day. Onetrailer park had 2,000 people in 570trailers with no access to health care.“Before Katrina, Louisiana ranked 47thin the country in terms of health care,so a lot of the patients we treatedweren’t used to receiving care,” says Dr. Bendit. “In addition to injuriessustained from working on theirhomes, many patients had chronicconditions such as hypertension anddiabetes. We weren’t checking insur-ance cards or eligibility. We were writing prescriptions and all they hadto do was take them to a pharmacyand FEMA would pay for it. We expe-rienced such an outpouring of grati-tude from them. It was very satisfyingto be able to help.”

Dr. Bendit also found the experi-ence humbling. “Seeing the plight ofthese people and meeting volunteerswho were willing to walk away fromtheir comfortable lives to help forunlimited amounts of time was veryoverwhelming,” he relates. “I wasgrateful for the opportunity to be part of the relief effort. Getting theteams up and running, and workingagainst all the bureaucracy was likeclimbing a mountain every day andgetting to the top,” he says. “It was oneof the most difficult things that I’veever done, but also the most rewarding.I absolutely got more than I gave, andI would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Vincent A. Berkley, DO ’80Just a few days after Katrina hit,

Vincent A. Berkley, DO ’80, receivedmarching orders to head for Louisianafrom U.S. Secretary of Health andHuman Services Mike Leavitt andU.S. Surgeon General RichardCarmona, MD, MPH. They assignedhim to lead a 21-member team of public health officers charged with the responsibility of keeping the hospitals open in New Orleans andreopening the ones that had closed.On September 2, Dr. Berkley temporarily left his U.S. Public Health Service post as chief medicalofficer for the Indian Health Service in the Southwest and set out for New Orleans.

The first challenge he and his teamfaced was trying to get around the city.“When we arrived, some sections werestill under 20 to 30 feet of water,” Dr.Berkley recalls. “We had to rely on theDepartment of Defense to take us intosome locations by boat, military

helicopters and humvees.”Dr. Berkley and his team, which

included environmental health offi-cers, mental health workers, physiciansand nurses, set up operations at theOchsner Clinic Foundation, whichthey found was serving as both a hospital and a hotel. “One nursingunit was housing patients and theother was housing hospital staff andtheir families so staff members couldwork,” he explains. “This situationunderscored the magnitude of the disaster for me.”

Dr. Bendit (pictured left)

Dr. Berkley (pictured left)

The first order of business was abrainstorming session with hospitalCEOs from all over New Orleans aswell as Dr. Carmona and SecretaryLeavitt to develop a strategic plan. Dr.Berkley’s team then divided into twogroups. One was charged with imple-menting the plan. The second group,comprising 12 behavioral health specialists, provided mental healthservices to police, fire companies andemergency rescue personnel workingin the city.

The strategic planning group firstarranged for the Navy hospital shipUSS Comfort to be brought to NewOrleans to serve as a trauma center.Then they conducted an assessment of the closed hospital facilities todetermine what was needed to reopenthem. The list was daunting. Thehospitals had no power, no potablewater, no operational sewage treatmentplants, no phones, no cellular phoneservice and no Internet capabilities.

“We had to bring the hospitals backonline in a stepwise manner, whichtook about 30 days,” says Dr. Berkley.“In the meantime, we worked withDisaster Medical Assistance Teams(DMATs) to set up emergency roomsjust outside the hospitals so we couldaddress immediate acute needs.” Inaddition, the DMATs addressed publichealth concerns by administering over200,000 diptheria and tetanus immu-nizations in the first three weeks.

“It took us about 10 days to getgenerators for power,” Dr. Berkleycontinues. “We had no potable wateruntil the U.S. Army arrived withreverse osmosis systems to make waterfor us. This was essential since we hadto bathe every time we came in con-tact with the contaminated water flowing all over the city. It was a weekbefore we had cellular phone serviceand four weeks for the regular phonesand 911 system, so we worked withemergency personnel to set up alter-nate emergency phone numbers.”

Once they were able to adequatelyrebuild a hospital infrastructure, theteam first opened the emergencyroom. Next, they opened a nursingunit with five to 10 beds and a same-day surgery unit. Staffing was a serious

problem because so many hospital staffmembers had evacuated the city. Theteam worked with hospital humanresources staffs to try to locate them.

“The training I received at PCOMdefinitely came to bear,” reflects Dr.Berkley. “It was clear that a health caresystem can’t work unless all the partsare functioning together as a whole,much like the whole person osteopathicapproach to health care.

“I’m proud to know that I had ahand in rebuilding the health care system in New Orleans,” says Dr.Berkley, who appeared along with Dr.Carmona on the syndicated Dr. PhilShow. “To know that I could operatesuccessfully in such a challengingarena is very gratifying to me.”

Greg Christiansen, DO ’92When Greg Christiansen, DO ’92,

arrived in New Orleans shortly afterHurricane Katrina struck, he was con-fronted with a city nearly devoid of itspopulation, packs of feral dogs andother animals roaming the streets anda host of unknown dangers lurking inthe floodwaters.

He was deployed to the city with aGeorgia Disaster Medical AssistanceTeam (DMAT), one of many DMATsthroughout the country established by the Department of HomelandSecurity’s National Disaster Medical

System (NDMS) to provide medicalcare during a disaster.

The 38-member team set up campin a parking garage outside of theTouro Infirmary and worked with hospital personnel to get the facility’semergency department up and

running. With much of the population evacuated, they were primarily providing medical services torescue personnel, which included theNational Guard, the military and localemergency response services.

“We treated a lot of animal andinsect bites, as well as lacerations fromfalling tree limbs and many conditionsresulting from exposure to toxins inand out of the water,” says Dr.Christiansen. “We even treated agroup of military personnel for nerveagent toxicity after they were exposedto malathion, a chemical that wasbeing sprayed via helicopters to con-trol the mosquitoes.”

Once the Touro Infirmary wasreopened, Dr. Christiansen returnedhome to his family in Virginia and hisjob as educational director for VirginiaCommonwealth University’s depart-ment of emergency medicine. After abrief respite, he was called to serveagain in early October and returned to the region with the Virginia-One (VA-1) DMAT. “I’m actually a member of VA-1 DMAT,” explainsDr. Christiansen. “I served as medicaldirector of the Georgia team on myfirst deployment because they wereexperiencing a shortage of physicians.”

During his second deployment, Dr.Christiansen helped augment medicalservices at West Jefferson MedicalCenter in New Orleans. As residents

were allowed back in to thecity, the team began treat-ing the general populationfor conditions rangingfrom respiratory problemsand drug and alcohol with-drawal to heart attacks. “We also had several people withbroken bones who wouldhave been operated onunder different circum-stances,” says Dr.Christiansen. “We had to set their bones as best

we could. Unfortunately, there was noway to treat them more expeditiouslybecause very few hospitals were opera-tional, and transportation services were very limited.”

Many of the 180 patients the team

2 0P C O M D I G E S T

2 12 0 0 6

treated each day had a positive attitudedespite all the difficulties they’dendured. “I was amazed by their senseof community and how they went outof their way to help others even whenthey did not have any resources them-selves,” says Dr. Christiansen. “It wasn’t just local people either; peoplefrom all over the country were help-ing. I met a physician from Californiawho was there even though his own home was being threatened by wildfires.”

Everyone was grateful for the carethey received, and Dr. Christiansenwas grateful for the opportunity toprovide it. “DMATs are an excellentway to provide services to people inneed,” he says. “We had the resourcesto help people immediately and ensure the team’s safety while doing so, and we didn’t have to worry aboutregulations or malpractice issues. Itwas medicine in its purest form.”

Jim McCans, MS/FM ’04Jim McCans, MS/FM ’04, got the

call for help about three weeks afterKatrina struck when the mission ofemergency workers in the devastatedareas turned from search and rescueto recovery of those missing and presumed dead. Would he be interest-ed in bringing his certified cadaverdog, Stache, trained by thePhiladelphia Police Academy underOfficer Paul Bryant, to help in therecovery efforts in Mississippi?

Within 24 hours, McCans hadarranged to take a nine-day leave fromhis duties as a full-time forensicsinstructor at PCOM, and he andStache, a black Labrador retriever,were on the road to Mississippi with acarload of 100 gallons of bottled waterand dog food. Much of the water sup-ply would be used to bathe Stachethree times a day. “We knew he wouldbe exposed to a lot of chemicals andother toxic materials during recoveryefforts,” explains McCans.

Near the end of the 18-hour trip toMississippi, McCans began to see themagnitude of the disaster. “I saw mileafter mile of flattened neighborhoods,”he recalls. “It was an area as big anddense as two Delaware Counties. In

one neighborhood, a 30-foot stormsurge had sucked up the bottom of theriver and deposited a two-inch coatingof thick hard smelly mud over every-thing. Bulldozers had to clear piles ofdebris to open up residential streets. Itlooked like Armageddon.”

When they arrived at their destina-tion, McCans and Stache were imme-diately assigned to work with a crewfrom the Mississippi State FireAcademy. They began each day at adump site where trucks bringing intrash and debris were lined up formiles. Stache and five other cadaverdogs would sniff the piles of debrisbrought in the day before to make surethat no human remains were amongthem. Then McCans and Stachereceived specific recovery assignmentsfor the day.

“It was 103 degrees and veryhumid, so I had to make sure Stachegot enough water and rest,” relatesMcCans. “I put him in the truck and ran the air conditioning, gave him plenty of water and wet himdown often.”

During their first assignment,Stache started scratching the groundand barking, indicating that he’dfound a body. “It turned out to be abroken family urn with remainsinside,” says McCans.

Since Stache is also trained tosearch from boats, the local fish andgame commission took McCans andStache on an assignment that involvedsearching canals. “Stache suddenlyjumped up and started barking andbiting at the water, indicating that hesmelled something,” McCans explains.“About 20 feet away, we heard a bigsplash and saw an alligator. To myhorror, Stache jumped into the waterbut I keep him on a safety lead andthe minute he jumped, I pulled backas hard as I could and yanked himback up out of the water into the boat.It scared the heck out of me.”

McCans learned that the fish andgame wardens had previously seen the alligator carrying a human body,which they wanted to try to recover.However, all that was left were unidentifiable remains, which Stachehad detected.

Another assignment had a happierending. “We were sent to Gulfport to look for a lady who had insisted on staying in her home during thehurricane,” says McCans. “Herneighborhood was destroyed, and herkids reported her missing. When wepulled up to her house, debris waspiled up in front of it—personalbelongings, car parts, ship parts, mudand seaweed were everywhere. Thenwe saw an older lady standing amidthe debris. She turned out to be theone we were looking for. Her neigh-bors had talked her into leaving beforeKatrina hit and she had come back toget her daughter’s cell phone numberoff the refrigerator, which of course,was gone. The rescue crew had thephone number and called her daughter right away.”

After an exhausting week, McCansand Stache completed their last assignment and headed for home. “It was really tough duty, but I am soglad that I went and I would do itagain in a second,” says McCans. “Our efforts truly made a difference in people’s lives.

“None of this would have happenedwithout the support of PCOM,” heemphasizes. “The College made thecommitment to sponsor our trainingas a cadaver dog team last year and tomake our assistance available for com-munity service. And all of my col-leagues stepped up and covered myclasses and other assignments, workingextra hours so that I could go on thismission. They were part of the reliefeffort, too.”

A S E R I E S O F A R T I C L E S O N

research

A T P C O M

A new research vision

emerges at PCOM . . .

scientists and physicians

have joined forces to

create a new Center for

Chronic Disorders of

Aging to foster improved

health throughout the

entire cycle of life.

One is an osteopathic physician with an active practice in clinicalresearch. The other is a bench scientistwho pursues the molecular and cellular events that are at the root of the disease process.

Some people who work in health caremay see these types of professionals asvery different from one another. Butthese two don’t see it that way. They have a vision of uncovering the causes of chronic diseases and of improving the health of patients and preventing disease. They’ve found the commonground necessary to bring research in the basic sciences and research in clinical medicine together. Theirapproach bridges the molecular understanding of diseases/disorders with the implementation of correctivemeasures.

“We’re also sponsoring continuing education,such as a speaker on the aging process in theBruno Bromke Memorial Lecture series, andcommunity activities including the Alzheimer’sWalk in Philadelphia, which drew 4,000 participants last year.”

- Brian J. Balin, PhD

Bridging Bench to Bedside

2 2P C O M D I G E S T

Drs. Kuchera and Balin, co-directors of the CCDA

PCOM has provided financial support to launch the new Center forChronic Disorders of Aging (CCDA),a home base that brings bench scien-tists and osteopathic physicianstogether to study the chronic diseasesof aging and also to further under-standing of how we can promotehealth and prevent illness. The center’sphilosophy considers the study of the whole person; it provides anencompassing approach from prevention to therapy throughout the life of the individual.

The College has named two directors of the CCDA. Brian J. Balin, PhD, professor, pathology,microbiology & immunology, is thecenter’s director of basic sciencesresearch. Michael L. Kuchera, DO,professor and director of the OMMResearch and Human Performanceand Biomechanics Laboratory, is thecenter’s director of clinical research.

“Our profession’s golden era inresearch began with the marriage ofosteopathic medicine to basic sci-ences,” explains Dr. Kuchera. “Gettinga center such as this off the groundtakes a major commitment from theadministration and faculty. The uniquesynergy that occurs when basic scien-tists and clinical researchers are unifiedto interact in a common mission isboth exciting and productive.Collaboration is key within the PCOMcommunity and in partnership withother osteopathic schools in clinicaltrials or other research efforts.”

Dr. Kuchera says the CCDA teamultimately “seeks health” and that bystudying diseases and the problemsthey create, he and his colleagues willgain a better understanding of success-

ful aging. “Today, we are seeking healthsolutions for our aging society—frombirth to advanced age.”

Drs. Kuchera and Balin agree thatthe success of the center depends onthe involvement and collaboration of anumber of people. Dr. Balin empha-sizes, “Our job is to bring together,under one umbrella, basic and appliedresearch, educational opportunities,and clinical application.”

The Team ApproachThe hallways at PCOM are abuzz

with news of the new center. “My fellow researchers are very com-

mitted to the center,” notesDr. Balin. “They see this asa great opportunity to devel-op interdisciplinary collabo-rations with others in thebasic sciences and also withclinicians. The potential ishighly significant.”

Mindy George-Weinstein,PhD, professor, anatomy,realizes this too. She’s amember of the advisoryboard of the center because

she believes in the power of a collec-tive effort. “Individual investigatorswill benefit, but new ideas come fromintegrating different fields of study,”she says. “It’s good for investigators,and it’s good for the College.” Whenresearchers are aware of others’ workthey can share ideas and equipment,maximizing efforts and resources.

Dr. George-Weinstein adds that“clinicians often can help bench scientists interpret data and providedirection for future studies.” She citesher own embryonic stem cell researchas an example: “If we can understandhow stem cells form tissues in theembryo, we can apply this knowledgein the clinical setting by pushing stemcells to form the desired tissue in diseased organs of the adult.”

Drawing InterestThe development of a center

draws applicants to PCOM, attractsprofessors and post-doctoral fellows,and increases the chances of garneringresearch grants.

In one case, already, Dr. Balinexplains, a colleague received a favor-able review after applying for a researchgrant. The review spelled out thatPCOM’s level of commitment to theproject was a factor—and that theCollege’s commitment was made clearby the existence of the center forChronic Disorders of Aging. “The difference of having the center, havingthat center’s name out there, was clearly evident in black and white,”notes Dr. Balin. Dr. Kuchera agrees:“Having that name attached to a grant application definitely drawsthe reviewer’s attention; it can set you apart.”

PCOM has set aside initial fundingfor the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging, and the amount of outsideresearch funding already points to abright future. The directors are pursuing collaborative approaches both with PCOM and outside of theCollege. Working with other institu-tions will foster opportunities for grants from traditional and non-traditional sources, through private donations, foundations and lobbying efforts.

2 32 0 0 6

Research focus at the center will include:

• Alzheimer’s Disease (Drs. Appelt,Balin, Fresa-Dillon and Little in theAdolph & Rose Levis FoundationAlzheimer’s Disease Laboratory)

• Cardiovascular/Reperfusion Injury(Dr. Young)

• Chronic Inflammatory Responses(Drs. Borghaei, Daghigh andThornton)

• COPD (Drs. Goldstein, Kuo,Simelaro and Williams-Page)

• Diabetes (Drs. Greene and Salzer)• Hormonal Dysfunction (Dr.

McGuinness)• Multiple Sclerosis (Drs. Hingley

and Kuchera)• Osteoarthritis (Dr. D’Angelo)• Parkinson’s Disease (Drs. Daghigh,

Felgoise, Galluzzi, Kuchera, A.Nicholas and Stewart)

• Quality of Life (Drs. Felgoise,Galluzi, Kuchera and Stewart)

• Rheumatoid Arthritis (Dr. Mochan)• Stem Cells (Dr. George-Weinstein)• Transplantation and Wound Repair

(Dr. Greene)

(from left) Drs. George-Weinstein, Young and Little

Class of 1933Rachel A. Witmyer, DO, Horton, MI,was honored at the 60th anniversary ofthe founding of West Side OsteopathicHospital, which later evolved intoMemorial Hospital in York,Pennsylvania. Dr. Witmyer is one of 14 founders of the hospital.

Class of 1944Class Agent: Morris J. Cherrey, DO610-623-8712, mjconcall@verizon.net James W. Sillaman, DO, Latrobe, PA,and James W. Sillaman, III, DO ’72,were highlighted in an article thatappeared in the Latrobe Bulletin titled“Three generations of medical servicesspan 100 years.”

Class of 1955Class Agent: Michael J. Zappitelli, Sr., DO610-279-3008

Norman H.Ilowite, DO, FortLee, NJ, retired ascourse director ofdermatology at NewYork College ofOsteopathicMedicine. From1982 to 2003 hedeveloped anddirected the derma-

tology course given to sophomores at thecollege. He also directed the dermatol-ogy clinic. The 1986 and 1987 classeshonored Dr. Ilowite by presenting himwith the “Excellence in TeachingAward.” Dr. Ilowite continues to prac-tice part-time and in his spare time is apiper member of the New York ScottishPipes and Drums.

Class of 1961Class Agent: Donald Bruaw, DO717-728-0569, dabdoc@aol.comDavid Rowe, DO, San Miguel deAllende, Mexico, and his wife, Margaret,have relocated to San Miguel de Allendein central Mexico. Dr. Rowe is co-chairof the medical committee for PatronatoPro Ninos, a non-profit volunteer organ-ization that provides medical and dentalservices for needy Mexican children.

CLA S SNOTE S

E-MAIL YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS TO MADELINE LAW: MADELINE@PCOM.EDU.

NOT THE RETIRING SORTThomas Scott, DO ’54, has been around the

block more than a few times in his career–both literally and figuratively. After 33 years in his ownsmall-town practice in Delaware City, Delaware,and five years as medical director of St. FrancisHospital’s HMO, Dr. Scott took his show on theroad, so to speak, when, through a desire to helpthe poor, good timing and providence, he acquireda fully equipped, handicapped-ready medical van.

In 1991, Dr. Scott attended a conference sponsored by the Christian Medical and Dental

Society called “Share the Vision: Health Care for the Poor.” At the end of the conference, he recalls, “I promised God I’d start to work for the homelessin Wilmington–not having any idea how I would do it.” Upon his return toDelaware, all the pieces began to fall in place to make his promise a reality.The HMO where he worked had been sold, and the CEO of St. Francis waseager for the hospital to get involved in community outreach. Dr. Scott metwith the Ministry of Caring, a local ecumenical group that sponsors homelessshelters, soup kitchens, a job placement program and other support programsfor the poor. The Ministry of Caring could offer support, but not space in which to practice. This was not a death knell for the project because Dr. Scott had found an advertisement for a medical van. So, with fundingand resources from several foundations, St. Francis Hospital and the Ministry of Caring, the St. Clare Medical Outreach Van hit the streets of Wilmington, Delaware.

For almost ten years, four days a week, Dr. Scott and his team tookhealth care to the homeless. But his caring did not rest on the weekends. On Sunday mornings he would stop by shelters and pick up people forchurch and often take them home to his house for dinner. About his workwith the homeless, he says, “Anybody who doesn’t work with the poor andhomeless is crazy. It’s so rewarding everyone should experience it. People missa lot of joy by not taking risks. Not everyone can do exactly what I’m doing,but they should get into some kind of service, even if it’s a couple of hours amonth.” But, Dr. Scott, points out, “success without a successor is failure,” sowhen another physician expressed interest in running the van, Dr. Scott, atage 75, decided to step aside.

But that certainly doesn’t mean Dr. Scott has retired. He still keeps an eye on the van and its mission, and takes every opportunity to talk to groupsabout the van and solicit donations. At the request of the CEO of St. FrancisHospital, he volunteers there as a patient advocate, and he is a substitute highschool science teacher. He’s performed stand-up comedy and still makes therounds as an after-dinner speaker and as a master of ceremonies at variousevents. “I’m having lots of fun,” he reports. “Anyone can go home and waitto die; that doesn’t take any talent. I’m not about to do that.”

|Thomas Scott, DO ’54

2 4P C O M D I G E S T

2 52 0 0 6

Class of 1966Class Agent: H. Michael Zal, DO610-664-7223, dochmz@msn.comRonald Cowen, DO, Saint Davids, PA,was appointed to the board of directorsof Episcopal Hospital, Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.

Class of 1967Class Agent: Sherman Leis, DO610-667-1888, drsleis@aol.comGary Zisk, DO, Brooklyn, NY, waselected secretary/treasurer of theAmerican Society of BariatricPhysicians.

Class of 1968Class Agent: Alfred J. Poggi, DO814-443-3637, epoggi@aol.comKenneth J. Ciongoli, DO, Burlington,VT, was elected national chairman ofthe National Italian AmericanFoundation.

Class of 1969Class Agents: David A. Bevan, DO610-642-7637Harry E. Manser, Jr., DO609-477-0800, hmanser@aol.comJohn M. Giuliano, DO, Seaford, DE,was selected by colleague physicians asone of Delaware’s “top family practi-tioners,” as reported by Delaware Today.

Class of 1972Class Agent: Joan M. Watkins, DO813-615-7755, jwatkins@mail.uch.orgJames W. Sillaman, III, DO, Latrobe,PA, and James W. Sillaman, DO ’44,were highlighted in an article thatappeared in the Latrobe Bulletin titled“Three generations of medical servicesspan 100 years.”

Class of 1973Class Agent: Herbert J. Rogove, DO949-764-6058, hrogove@hoaghospital.orgDonald J. Schnapf, DO, Willow Street, PA, joined Carlisle RegionalMedical Center.

John G. Trzesniowski, DO, Yardley,PA, received Port Richmond Star’s“2005 People’s Choice Award forFavorite Medical Professional.”

Class of 1975Class Agent: Jon J. O’Brien, SJ, DO202-965-6912, jo25@georgetown.eduAlexander S. Nicholas, DO, WestChester, PA, co-authored an article that appeared in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association titled “Preoperative intravenous morphine sulfate with postoperative osteopathic manipulative treatment reduces patient analgesic use after total abdominal hysterectomy.”

Class of 1976Class Agent: R. Michael Gallagher, DO856-354-1403, gallagrm@umdnj.eduThomas M. Campbell, DO, HarveysLake, PA, was named to the board of directors of Northeast Regional Cancer Institute.R. Michael Gallagher, DO,Haddonfield, NJ, wrote the chaptertitled “Primary Headache Disorders” inthe textbook Weiner’s Pain Management.His article “Headache in MedicalEducation: Medical Schools, Neurologyand Family Practice Residencies” waspublished in the Journal of Headache,and a second article, “Headache Pain,”was published in the Journal of theAmerican Osteopathic Association.William R. Henwood, DO, Sharon,PA, was named “Outstanding Surgeonof the Year” at the graduation dinnerfor the house staff at University ofPittsburgh Medical Center, Horizon.

Class of 1977Class Agent: H. Sprague Taveau, IV, DO806-212-5750, glorysix1@cox.netPeter F. Diamond, DO, Amsterdam,NY, received the “2005 Citizen-of-the-Year Award” presented by theAmsterdam Family Young Men’sChristian Association.

Suzanne K. Kelley, DO, Harrisburg,PA, was appointed to a three-year termas a representative to the AmericanOsteopathic Association’s board oftrustees.Norman E. Vinn, DO, San Clemente,CA, was elected first vice president ofthe American Osteopathic Association’sHouse of Delegates.

Class of 1978Class Agent: Lorraine M. Disipio, DO610-623-7230, ldisipio@comcast.netCynthia A. Gabrielli, DO, Hockessin,DE, was selected by colleague physi-cians as one of Delaware’s “top pediatri-cians,” as reported by Delaware Today.Samuel J. Garloff, DO, Etters, PA, waselected vice president of thePennsylvania Osteopathic MedicalAssociation.

Class of 1980Class Agent: Steven J. Fagan, DO843-743-7753, navya4@bellsouth.netDavid A. Bitonte, DO, Louisville, OH,graduated from the AmericanOsteopathic Association’s Health PolicyFellowship Program.Laura Dalton, DO, Oaklyn, NJ, is vicepresident of the board of trustees’ exec-utive committee of the AmericanCollege of Osteopathic Obstetrics andGynecology.Pat C. DiTommaso, DO, Girard, OH,was elected to a five-year term on theTrumbull County Board of Health.

Class of 1982Class Agent: Anthony J. Silvagni, DO954-262-1407, ajsilvagni@aol.comJeanne E. Grove, DO, Pittsford, NY,was honored by the American MedicalWomen’s Association. This honor isbestowed upon women physicians whohave demonstrated commitment, inno-vation and creativity in the field ofmedicine.William Sommers, DO, Centreville,DE, was selected by colleague physi-cians as one of Delaware’s “top neurolo-gists,” as reported by Delaware Today.

CLA S SNOTE S

E-MAIL YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS TO MADELINE LAW: MADELINE@PCOM.EDU.

Class of 1983Class Agent: Mary Ann Dibiagio, DO724-758-7559, mdibiagio@hvhs.orgGary G. Berger, DO, Leawood, KS,was selected by Kansas City’s businessmagazine, Ingram’s, as the “top doc inphysical medicine and rehabilitation.”Richard P. Frey, DO, Willow Street,PA, was elected chairman of the boardof directors of the LancasterOsteopathic Health Foundation.Howard Hassman, DO, Berwyn, PA,authored, “Differences in CognitiveFunction Due to Acute Sedative Effectsof Risperidone and Quetiapine inStable Bipolar I Disorder Outpatients.”He presented his paper at the ACNPmeeting in December and will presentat upcoming APA and NCDEU meetings. Robert D. McGarrigle, DO, Media,PA, was selected by colleague physiciansas one of Delaware’s “top general sur-geons,” as reported by Delaware Today.

Class of 1984Class Agent: Paul V. Suhey, DO814-231-2101, pvs@uoc.comDavid Coffey, DO, Wetumpka, AL,had his article “C1 SomaticDysfunction and Unilateral Retro-orbital Cephalalgia,” published in the American Academy of Osteopathy Journal.Daniel M. O’Roark, DO, Kingsport,TN, joined Cardiovascular Associates.

Class of 1985Class Agent: Michael P. Meyer, DO717-721-5700, mmeyer8700@aol.comAnthony D. Alfieri, DO, Wilmington,DE, was selected by colleague physi-cians as one of Delaware’s “top cardio-vascular surgeons,” as reported byDelaware Today.Lawrence J. Bellew, DO, Chadds Ford,PA, was selected by colleague physiciansas one of Delaware’s “top vascular sur-geons,” as reported by Delaware Today.Stephen Fisher, DO, Grove City, OH,was elected president of the ColumbusOsteopathic Association.

Joseph F. Karnish, DO, Georgetown,DE, was selected by colleague physi-cians as one of Delaware’s “top familypractitioners,” as reported by DelawareToday.David C. Koronkiewicz, DO, Goshen,IN, was elected vice president of theIndiana Association of OsteopathicPhysicians and Surgeons.Joseph P. Olekszyk, DO, Seaford, DE,was selected by colleague physicians asone of Delaware’s “top ear, nose andthroat specialists,” as reported byDelaware Today.

Class of 1986Class Agent: John C. Sefter, DO410-337-7900Scott J.M. Lim, DO, Erie, PA, wasawarded the gold level of recognition(1,000+ hours) from the AmericanAcademy of Dermatology LeadershipCircle for Volunteerism. Daniel B. Sullivan, DO, Leesburg, FL,has been actively involved in missionwork in China and Tanzania, helping toestablish cardiac surgery programs with-in their hospitals. Dr. Sullivan and hiswife have started a not-for-profit organization, “Crossing Hearts Corp,”enabling them to provide servicesabroad and within the United States.Any physicians interested in additionalinformation should telephone 352-787-9838.Michael J. Zawisza, DO, Orwigsburg,PA, was elected to the board of trusteesof the Pennsylvania OsteopathicMedical Association.

Class of 1987Class Agent: Thomas J. Dagney, III, DO812-885-3810, tjd3@charter.netMichael A. Becker, DO, Blue Bell, PA,received the “Frederick J. Solomon, DOAward of Merit,” which was presentedby the Pennsylvania Osteopathic FamilyPhysicians Society.Michelle D. Jones, DO, Allentown,PA, was highlighted in an article pub-lished in the Salisbury Press titled“Salisbury school physician performsmany services for the district.”

Wonsuck Kim, DO, Florence, AL, wasselected as one of three physicians inAlabama as a “champion of change”and will be featured in a documentaryto be aired on television in the spring of2006. Dr. Kim created a non-profitorganization called EyeCare Alabama,where volunteer ophthalmologistsdonate their time and services to travelto rural and underserved communitiesin the state to provide eye examinationsand treatment.Daniel J. Parenti, DO, Marlton, NJ,has been recertified in critical care medicine by the American OsteopathicBoard of Internal Medicine.

Class of 1988Class Agent: Eric M. Lipnack, DO856-784-0444, elipnack@comcast.netGregory G. Papadeas, DO, Englewood,CO, was selected by colleague physi-cians as Denver’s “top dermatologist” asreported by 5280 Magazine.

Class of 1989Class Agents: Judith RichmondPryblick, DO, 610-366-8445,gmpjrp@aol.comColeen M. Smith, DO423-722-9355, colsmithdo@pol.netBryan S. McCarthy, DO, Dover, DE,was selected by colleague physicians asDelaware’s “top anesthesiologists,” asreported by Delaware Today.

Class of 1990Class Agent: Jennifer Waxler, DOjwaxler@sbhcs.comLynne C. Columbus, DO, Tampa, FL,was highlighted in the cover articletitled “Thriving Under Medicare…Three Success Stories,” which appearedin the May 2005 issue of PhysiciansPractice.Joanne Goshow-Harris, DO, Newark,DE, was selected by colleague physi-cians as one of Delaware’s “top obstetri-cians/gynecologists,” as reported byDelaware Today.Daniel R. Smith, DO, Appleton, WI,joined Affinity Medical Group FamilyPractice clinic in Kaukauna, Wisconsin.

CLA S SNOTE S

2 6P C O M D I G E S T

CLA S SNOTE S

Class of 1992Class Agent: Daniel J. Kupas, DO724-845-6360, djkkcvcm@comcast.netThomas D. Beck, DO, Ocean City, MD,received media coverage for his articlepublished in the August 5, 2005, issue ofThe Daily Times titled “Common Causeof Hand Pain Can Be Alleviated.”James A. Groff, DO, Landisville, PA,published a chapter in Critical CareToxicology titled “Toxin-induced RenalFailure Syndrome.” Dr. Groff was alsoawarded “2005 Inpatient Teacher of theYear" by the Lancaster General HospitalFamily Practice Program.Thomas D. Mino, DO, Broomfield, CO,was elected president of the ColoradoSociety of Osteopathic Medicine.Albert J. Tuono, DO, Huntingdon, PA,joined the medical staff at J.C. BlairMemorial Hospital.

Class of 1993Class Agents: Larissa Fernando-Dominy, DO, 610-409-8147,larissa@dominy.netClara M. Higgins, DO302-644-9644, cmhdo@aol.comJeffrey M. Briglia, DO, Emmaus, PA,joined the medical staff at St. Luke’sHospital-Bethlehem.David L. Williams, DO, Carlisle, PA,joined Women’s Health Specialists ofCarlisle.

Class of 1994Class Agent: Judith A. Gardner, DO215-428-9383, judygocats@verizon.netStacey J. Carlitz, DO, Clarks Summit,PA, joined Women’s Care Center.Anita W. Eisenhart, DO, HopewellJunction, NY, traveled to Philadelphia to compete with over 8,000 runners in the 28th Annual Jefferson HospitalPhiladelphia Distance Run, a 13.1-mile half marathon, on September 18, 2005.William P. Galli, DO, Mountain Home,AR, joined Burnett-Croom-Lincoln-Paden-Williams Clinic. Dr. Galli recentlycompleted a one-year critical care fellow-ship in St. Louis, Missouri.

2 72 0 0 6

On a Personal

Note

Sara Brooks, PA-C ’02, Ridley Park, PA, married Gerald Mancini on June 25, 2005 at Holy Cross Church in Springfield, Pennsylvania. Ms.Brooks is employed by a dermatologist in Northeast Philadelphia.

Jennifer B. Coren, DO ’03, Huntingdon Valley, PA, and Joshua S. Coren,DO ’02, are the proud parents of their second child, Sarah-Grace, born onSeptember 20, 2005. She joins her brother Zachary, age three.

Christopher A. Davis, DO ’00, Springfield, PA, and his wife, Kelly Ann,are the proud parents of Deni Christine, born on November 3, 2005.

Nicole Heisman, DO ’00, Collegeville, PA, married Elliott Rifkin at theHotel Dupont in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 25, 2005. Theyhoneymooned in Italy and now reside in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

Bradley S. Hiles, DO ’98, Wexford, PA, and his wife, Kelly, are the proud parents of Brandon Vaughn, born on August 3, 2005.

Rosemary Hoffman, PA-C ’02, Hammonton, NJ, married Steve DeCiccoon August 21, 2004, in Woodbury, New Jersey.

Patrick J. McHugh, DO ’02, Strafford, PA, and his wife, Keri Jo McHugh,DO ’02, are the proud parents of Liam Patrick, born on October 25, 2005.The Drs. McHugh currently serve as emergency physicians at LandstuhlRegional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany; they welcome friends andcolleagues to stay in touch via www.mchughdo.com.

Brenda R. Sharratt, DO ’91, Sentani, Papua, Indonesia, married YusmanBoas Enumbi on August 25, 2005, in Mulia, Papua, Indonesia. A secondwedding is planned in the States next year.

Lori Ann Truman, DO ’97, Yardley, PA, married Jason Glyndon Kraft onSeptember 17, 2005, in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. The honeymoon was aMediterranean cruise to Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Dr. Truman-Kraftis a partner with Bucks Family Medicine in Levittown, Pennsylvania.

Daniel J. Wilkin, DO ’02, Matawan, NJ, and his wife, Jennifer, are theproud parents of Harrison Daniel, born on August 12, 2005. Dr. Wilkinjoined Robert Pearson, DO, at Bergen Primary Care Associates in Emerson,New Jersey.

2 8P C O M D I G E S T

Todd A. Taylor, DO, Mifflintown, PA,was named “2005 Preceptor of theYear” by Northcentral PennsylvaniaArea Health Education Center.

Class of 1995Class Agent: Francis N. Ogbolu, DO 606-833-9870Robert J. Brus, DO, Boothwyn, PA,was selected by colleague physicians asone of Delaware’s “top internists,” asreported by Delaware Today.Robert F. Kopecki, DO, Avondale, PA,was selected by colleague physicians asone of Delaware’s “top internists,” asreported by Delaware Today.

Class of 1997Class Agent: Daniel W. Matkiwsky, DO908-353-7949Jerome V. Benz, Jr., DO, York, PA,joined the medical staff at Eyes of York. Matthew R. Cole, DO, Greensburg,PA, joined Jeannette Medical Providersand Mercy Jeannette Hospital.Phan Nguyen, DO, Davison, MI,joined McClaren Community MedicalCenter in Davison and McClarenOB/GYN Associated in Flushing,Michigan.

Class of 1998Class Agent: James V. Lieb, DO814-946-2708Jonathan M. Gusdorff, DO, HarveysLake, PA, joined Delaware Open MRI.David E. Henner, DO, Pittsfield, MA,joined the medical staff at BerkshireMedical Center.Anthony S. Leazzo, DO, Plainfield, IL,joined the medical staff at CorwinMedical Care in Plainfield.Chad Potteiger, DO, Maryville, TN,joined the medical staff at BloutMemorial Hospital.

Class of 1999Class Agent: Tabatha Jeffers, DO814-375-0460, froggytlj@hotmail.comDonald M. Sesso, DO, GwyneddValley, PA, completed a six-year ENT-facial plastic surgery residency at

Philadelphia College of OsteopathicMedicine. He is currently serving aschief resident at PCOM.

Class of 2000Class Agent: Edward Casey, DOcasey.edward@may.eduKeith Boell, DO, Danville, PA,Geisinger Medical Center’s internalmedicine pediatrics 2005 chief resident,has joined Geisinger as a full time staffmember.Shannon Kearney, DO, Trexlertown,PA, joined the medical staff at LehighValley Hospital and Health Network.Matthew McElroy, DO, Danville, PA,joined the sports medicine team atGeisinger Medical Center.Anita J. Sinese, DO, Lansdale, PA,joined Central Montgomery MedicalCenter as a hospitalist.

Class of 2001Class Agents: Connie Andrejko, DO,and Kenneth Andrejko, DO215-873-8384Nicholas A. Grimaldi, DO, York, PA,received honorable mention in the2005 POMA Clinical Essay Contest for his article titled “A retrospectivestudy comparing perioperative auto-transfusion and Hemovac use after total knee arthroplasty: Is a periopera-tive autotransfusion system indicatedfor everyone?”C. Christopher Harootunian, DO,Carver, MA, joined Plymouth-CarverPrimary Care.Ian Dennis Holgado, DO, WestChester, PA, joined the department of family practice at Chester CountyHospital.Raquel M. Szlanic, DO, Philadelphia,PA, joined the medical staff at MainLine Health Center in Exton,Pennsylvania.Dominic J. Valentino, III, DO,Philadelphia, PA, was awarded the“Best Case Presentation in Airway ICategory” at the 71st Annual AmericanCollege of Chest Physicians’ Meeting inMontreal, Quebec (November 2005).

Class of 2002Sandra Ranieri Costa, DO, Harrisburg,PA, successfully completed theAmerican Osteopathic Board of FamilyPractice examination in March 2005.On June 18, 2005, Dr. Costa graduatedfrom the Harrisburg Family PracticeResidency Program and was the recipi-ent of the “Society for Teachers ofFamily Medicine Outstanding TeachingResident Award.” She is employed atPinnacle Health as an attending familymedicine physician. Michelle L. Landis, DO, Jefferson,NC, joined Ashe Medical Associates.Brandon S. Poterjoy, DO,Philadelphia, PA, completed a pediatricresidency at St. Christopher’s Hospitalfor Children in June 2005. In July2005, he began a three-year fellowshipin neonatal/perinatal medicine at St.Christopher’s Hospital for Children.Mark L. Stabile, Jr., DO, Hermitage,PA, joined the University of PittsburghMedical Center’s medical staff andDaisley Family Practice.

Class of 2003David W. Kaylor, DO, Harker Heights,TX, was selected chief resident for2005-2006 at Darnell Army Hospital inFort Hood, Texas.

Class of 2004Nicole M. Agostino, DO, Perkasie, PA,was the recipient of PennsylvaniaOsteopathic Medical Association’s“2005 Golden Quill Award” for herarticle titled “Case Report: UncommonPresentation of Metastatic Non-smallCell Lung Cancer.”Stacy Franz, DO, New York, NY, wasnamed “Intern of the Year” at UnionHospital. She is a resident in physicaland rehabilitation therapy at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the UniversityHospital of Columbia and Cornell.

CLA S SNOTE S

E-MAIL YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS TO MADELINE LAW: MADELINE@PCOM.EDU.

2 92 0 0 6

Class of 2005Sean McMillan, DO, Blackwood, NJ,was a third-place winner in the StudentPrize Competition at the 2005 AOAResearch Conference Poster Session for his presentation, “Porcine SmallIntestine Submucosa for ModelingElbow Ulnar Collateral LigamentRegeneration: Pt. 2.” His co-investiga-tors were Kathleen Boyle, DO ’05;

Griffin Bicking, DO ’05; MatthewGrove, DO ’05; George McKay, DO ’05; Margie Orris, DO ’05; andCharlotte H. Greene, PhD, professor,neuroscience, physiology & pharmacology.

CERTIFICATES OF MERITJohn W. Becher, DO ’70, NewtownSquare, PA, was the recipient of the“Bruce D. Horton, DO LifetimeAchievement Award” presented by theAmerican College of OsteopathicEmergency Physicians.David A. Bitonte, DO ’80, Louisville,OH, was elected president of the OhioOsteopathic Medical Association.James D. Bove, III, DO ’91, Marion,OH, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicSurgeons.John B. Bulger, DO ’95, Danville, PA,was inducted as the 2005 teacher of theyear of the American College ofOsteopathic Internists.Thomas G. DiPasquale, DO ’81,Temple Terrace, FL, was inducted as afellow of the American OsteopathicAcademy of Orthopedics.Patrick L. Elliott, DO ’88, Media, PA,was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicSurgeons.Simona C. Eng, DO ’98, Salisbury,MD, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican Osteopathic Academy ofOrthopedics.Robert P. Falconiero, DO ’84,Moorestown, NJ, was elected presidentof the American Osteopathic Academyof Orthopedics.John M. Ferretti, II, DO ’73, Erie, PA,received the “Distinguished ServiceAward” presented by the PennsylvaniaOsteopathic Medical Association.Stacey L. Fitch, DO ’97, King ofPrussia, PA, was inducted as a fellow ofthe American College of OsteopathicInternists.Cynthia Fokas Gessler, DO ’97,Malvern, PA, was inducted as a fellowof the American College of OsteopathicEmergency Physicians.Terrie B. Ginsberg, DO ’97, ElkinsPark, PA, was inducted as a fellow ofthe American College of OsteopathicInternists.

GOING BACK TO SCHOOLWith a dual degree in psychology and business

under her belt, Ashley Kase, MS ’05 (EdS ’08), leftacademia and went to work in an organizationalconsulting firm. It wasn’t long before she knew that a corporate career wasn’t what she wanted. Shewanted to find a way to help children without beinga teacher. She looked at her options and decided toearn her master’s degree in school psychology at

PCOM. Ashley not only earned her master’s degree, she also received theDean’s Award for academic and personal excellence and is now enrolled inthe school’s Educational Specialist program.

While working toward her degree full time, she is also a full-time Pre-Kassistant teacher. “Having experience in the classroom will help me workmore effectively with teachers when I’m a school psychologist,” she explains.Ashley wants to continue her work in a pre-school setting as a school psy-chologist. “I feel that’s where I can have the biggest impact,” she says. “I canalready see four-year-olds who need help. And I’ve seen the impact one per-son can have.”

The need for school psychologists was driven home for Ashley when shecompleted her practicum during her master’s program. “I shadowed a schoolpsychologist at an inner-city elementary school,” she explains. “There wereso many kids with so many needs and only one school psychologist for fourschools. It was heartbreaking.”

Ashley notes that she chose PCOM because she “liked the clinical andmedical aspects of the program. It’s important to know what chronic healthissues mean for a child in a school setting. As school psychologists, we needto help the parents and teachers understand how to cope as well as how toaddress the specific needs of the kids who have the health issues.”

As far as leaving the business world behind, Ashley has no regrets. “I likethe school environment much more than business. I like watching the chil-dren’s progress and making a difference in their lives. At the end of the day, Ireally feel that I’ve accomplished something important.”

CLA S SNOTE S

|Ashley Kase, MS ’05 (EdS ’08)

CERTIFICATES OF MERIT(CONTINUED)

Louis C. Haenel, III, DO ’70,Stratford, NJ, was the 2005 internist ofthe year of the American College ofOsteopathic Internists.Gary R. Hill, DO ’84, Fort Lauderdale,FL, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicInternists.Suzanne K. Kelley, DO ’77,Harrisburg, PA, was named “FamilyPhysician of the Year” by thePennsylvania Osteopathic FamilyPhysicians Society.Glenn A. Kline, DO ’83, Lancaster,PA, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicSurgeons.Joseph J. Kuchinski, DO ’86,Mountain Lakes, NJ, was the recipientof the “Meritorious Service Award” pre-sented by the American College ofOsteopathic Emergency Physicians.Leslie B. Latterman, DO ’90,Pittsburgh, PA, was inducted as a fellowof the American College of OsteopathicInternists.Robert I. Lewis, DO ’77, Plain City,OH, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicSurgeons.

Judith A. Lightfoot, DO ’92, Sewell,NJ, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicInternists.Timothy J. Lilly, DO ’85, Grove City,PA, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicInternists.Douglas L. McGee, DO ’87,Birchrunville, PA, was the recipient ofthe “Benjamin A. Field, DO MentorAward” presented by the AmericanCollege of Osteopathic EmergencyPhysicians.John J. McPhilemy, DO ’78, LafayetteHill, PA, was named “Sports MedicinePhysician of the Year” by thePhiladelphia Congress of SportsMedicine.Stephen D. Mifsud, DO ’83, York, PA, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicEmergency Physicians.Thomas D. Mino, DO ’92,Broomfield, CO, was elected presidentof the Colorado Society of OsteopathicMedicine.Daniel E. Oberdick, Sr., DO ’84, York, PA, was inducted as a fellow ofthe American College of OsteopathicEmergency Physicians.

Andrea D. Pedano, DO ’90,Philadelphia, PA, was inducted as a fellow of the American College ofOsteopathic Family Physicians.Mary E. Quillinan, DO ’86, Lakeland,FL, was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicFamily Physicians.Janis A. Roberts, DO ’87, Troy, OH,was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicFamily Physicians.Kevin R. Roth, DO ’97, Orefield, PA,was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicEmergency Physicians.Irwin Rothman, VMD, DO ’51,Wynnewood, PA, was bestowed the titleof professor emeritus by PhiladelphiaCollege of Osteopathic Medicine.Erik I. Soiferman, DO ’99,Phoenixville, PA, was inducted as a fellow of the American College ofOsteopathic Internists.Joseph J. Stella, DO ’91, Pittston, PA,was inducted as a fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicSurgeons.Elizabeth M. Tucker, DO ’93,Hamilton, NY, was inducted as a fellowof the American College of OsteopathicSurgeons.

Domenic DeBias, PhD,Philadelphia, PA, passed away onJanuary 2, 2006. Dr. DeBiasstood at the helm of PCOM’sphysiology and pharmacologydepartment for 22 years, but heis remembered first and foremostas a respected and belovedteacher (many students called

him, “DAD”–his initials). The recipient of eight Teacherof the Year awards, he was also presented with the presti-gious Lindback Foundation Award for distinguishedteaching.

Dr. DeBias joined PCOM in 1975 as professor andchair of physiology and pharmacology. He also held the

titles of assistant dean for basic sciences and assistant deanfor special programs. In 1998, he was named professoremeritus.

Dr. DeBias earned his bachelor’s and master’s degreesfrom Temple University and his doctoral degree in physi-ology from Jefferson Medical College. He also received adiploma in aerospace medicine from the U.S. Air ForceTraining Command, Brooks Air Force Base, TX. He wasa postdoctoral fellow in the division of endocrine andcancer research, as well as a public health fellow atJefferson Medical College.

Dr. DeBias is survived by his wife Eleanor and fivechildren, two of whom are family physicians, one aPCOM graduate.

|Domenic DeBias, PhD

CLA S SNOTE S

E-MAIL YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS TO MADELINE LAW: MADELINE@PCOM.EDU.

IN MEMORIAM

3 0P C O M D I G E S T

William M.I. Barrett, DO ’69,Cheltenham, PA, November 8, 2005.Frank P. Baskin, DO ’55,Philadelphia, PA, November 21, 2005.Leonard Becker, DO ’45, Boca Raton,FL, September 11, 2005.Charles J. Berg, DO ’72, Wadsworth,OH, August 29, 2005.Anthony F. Ciliberti, DO ’61,Hilltop, NJ, August 1, 2005.Bernard J. Cohen, DO ’44, Tamarac,FL, February 10, 2006.Kenneth W. Dunkle, Jr., DO ’79,Grove City, PA, September 3, 2005.Peter Engelhard, DO ’91, MiamiBeach, FL, January 22, 2006.Bruce C. Equi, DO ’75, Port SaintLucie, FL, December 13, 2005.Quentin R. Flickenger, DO ’51,Virginia Beach, VA, July 5, 2005.Gregory S. Foster, DO ’85, Annadale,NJ, August 25, 2005.Norman M. Gordon, DO ’42, CapeMay, NJ, October 19, 2005.Seymour M. Guyer, DO ’53,Wyncote, PA, November 2, 2005.Jennings B. Joye, DO ’53, WinterHaven, FL, October 7, 2005.Murray Klein, DO ’77, Oaklyn, NJ,December 12, 2005.R. Raymond Kuptsow, DO ’40,Wyncote, PA, November 25, 2005.Phyllis J. May, RN ’57, Rio Rancho,NM, May 2005.Floyce D. McCauley, DO ’72,Hilltown, PA, December 18, 2005.Roy N. Pasker, DO ’65, Montgomery,AL, October 6, 2005.Albert Sine, DO ’70, Boynton Beach,FL, November 19, 2005.William P. Sutherland, DO ’75,Ashtabula, OH, September 15, 2005.Susan Todaro, DO ’79, Oak Ridge,NJ, May 2005.Louis C. Zlotkin, DO ’42, Cranberry,NJ, April 14, 2005.

In Memoriam

IN MEMORIAM Roy Pasker, DO ’65, Montgomery, AL,

passed away on October 6, 2005. A great physician and supporter of Philadelphia Collegeof Osteopathic Medicine, he served the Collegeas professor of psychiatry and as vice chair of thedepartment of psychiatry.

A decorated war hero (including a Bronze star for valor and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry

with Palm), Dr. Pasker served with honor in the United States MarineCorps during the Vietnam conflict. He served as battalion surgeon, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment (“The Walking Dead”), 3rd Marine Division.

In Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Pasker served first as medical director of Meadhaven at Baptist Medical Center and then as clinicaldirector of Greil State Psychiatric Hospital. He retired from Greil inSeptember 2005.

Dr. Pasker was past president of the Alabama Osteopathic MedicalAssociation and a member of the American Osteopathic Association andthe Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Rose Diane, a son, a daughterand two grandchildren.

Of his friend and colleague, David Coffey, DO ’84, remembers,“Roy’s greatest attribute was that he cared and that you knew he cared.He was always a focused listener. He found the good in everyone, especially the lowliest, because he felt everyone came from God and Godwas good.”

CLA S SNOTE S

3 12 0 0 6

|Roy N. Pasker, DO ’65

3 2P C O M D I G E S T

I am crying as I write this reflectionbecause that is what I do when my lifeis so unbelievable. You see, I am notyour typical medical student. My fellow classmates call me “MamaPCOM” because I am as old as most of their mothers.

My academic experience alsodiverges in many ways from their more traditional experiences. For me,the road to medical school was longand tenuous. I applied in vain for threeyears to an allopathic medical school in the vicinity of my South Carolinahome, husband, three dogs and fourcats. A friend at last advised me to con-sider osteopathic medicine. As I beganmy preliminary research of this specialapproach to medicine, I instantaneous-ly identified with the holistic natureosteopathic medicine embraces. I alsoidentified with the city of Atlanta,which I was delighted to see pop up onmy computer screen. I followed a linkto GA-PCOM–and here I am.

But why, you might ask, would Iturn my life upside down? Why liveapart from my established existence?For me, it is a simple answer: I prayed.

Nine years ago, I was 14 years into a career as a vocational high schoolteacher. My charge was to teach indus-trial sewing. But over the years, struc-tural changes in the textile industrybegan to impact the job market. Now,

all American textile jobs are on thedecline, and most have been replacedwith overseas labor. Once I was nolonger able to help secure work for mystudents, I surmised that there wasn’t aneed for me to train them. I prayed forguidance as I sought a new career path.

Education had been my life. I lovedmy students and I wanted the best forthem. Mine was always a desire toteach my students as “whole people”–to sharpen their minds, bodies andspirits. With the osteopathic philoso-phy in mind, the idea came to me thatI might be able to perform similar services for children, adults and families in rural South Carolina as aphysician. I knew the path was a longshot, especially given my age, but I wasassured it was the right thing to do.With my husband’s unwavering

encouragement, I left my teachingposition, enrolled in college sciencecourses and prepared for and took the MCAT examination.

The same determination thatbrought me to GA-PCOM is whatkeeps me going. There is so much tolearn in such a short time that some-times I just want to retreat home to mysimple life in the country. I constantlymiss my husband, whose employmentrequires he remain near our home.However, I love the challenges GA-PCOM’s curriculum presents and the interactions and interpersonal connections I have developed with thecampus’s dedicated faculty and my fellow classmates. Every day is filledwith wonder. Medicine inspires me; I am humbled to be a part of it.

MyTurn

By Debra Bjork (DO ’09)

Debra Bjork (DO ’09)

E S SAY

Readers: The staff of Digest welcomes your ideas for essays that would be of interest to the PCOM community. Please submit ideas in writing toJennifer Schaffer Leone. E-mail jenniferleo@pcom.edu; fax 215-871-6307; or mail Marketing and Communications, 4180 City Avenue,Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695.

“But why, you might ask,

would I turn my life

upside down? Why

live apart from my

established existence?

For me, it is a simple

answer: I prayed.”

FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2006

Welcome Party at the Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant

Continuing Medical Education Seminars at the PCOM Campus

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2006

Family Fun Barbecue and Campus Open House at the PCOM Campus

Reunion Receptions and Dinner Dance atthe Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue

Continuing Medical Education Seminarsat the PCOM Campus

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2006

Alumni Day at Adventure Aquarium

Schedule of Events

2 0 0 6

Schedule of Events

M A R K Y O U R C A L E N D A R A N D S A V E T H E D A T E S !

SEE YOUSoon!SEE YOUSoon!

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

4180 City Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131-1695

May 3-5(Alumni Reception, May 3)POMA Annual Clinical AssemblyKing of Prussia, PA

May 3-6 ACOS Annual Clinical AssemblyRosen Center Hotel, Orlando, FL

May 5Ten-Year Anniversary Celebrationfor PCOM Psychology ProgramPCOM Campus, Philadelphia, PA

May 27-June 1(Alumni/Student Reception, May 28)AAPA Annual PA ConferenceSan Francisco, CA

June 2-4Alumni Weekend 2006PCOM Campus, Philadelphia, PA

June 4DO Class of 2006 CommencementKimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA

June 25Reading Phillies Baseball GameFirst Energy Stadium, Reading, PA“Be kind in thought to the atoms of life.”

- Andrew Taylor Still

P C O M E V E N T S