2007_Digest_No3

F O R A L U M N I & F R I E N D S O F P H I L A D E L P H I A C O L L E G E O F O S T E O P A T H I C M E D I C I N E

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OsteopathicMedicine EnrichesWorldwide Health

GoingGlobal

Globally, there is increasing curiosity in and respect for theosteopathic philosophy. The Chinese central government andMinistry of Health, identifying the need for reform of theirnation’s medical service system, has turned to the osteopathicprofession for assistance with primary care education. Theyvalue our holistic model and position osteopathic medicine asthe best of western medicine and traditional Chinese medi-cine combined. I am pleased to report that among a cooper-ative of osteopathic educators working with Chengdu physi-cians is PCOM’s Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA, seniorvice president for academic affairs and dean. You will learnabout Dr. Veit’s work in the Digest cover article. Likewise, Iknow that you will be inspired by the efforts of alumnusPaul Zeitz, DO ’88, MPH, a public health specialist, whois a catalyst for vigorous advancement in the fight againstAIDS in the developing nations of Africa. Dr. Zeitz andhis wife, Mindi Cohen, DO ’90, advocate for a holisticresponse to the epidemic to include the full spectrum ofmedical, nutritional and psychosocial needs as well asdevelopment goals.

Also of human interest in this issue is the experienceof Joseph Stegmuller, DO ’92, who was diagnosed withhead and neck cancer during his first year of medicalschool. Dr. Stegmuller’s encounter with a life-threateningillness changed his view of medicine and the health care

system, bringing a deepened sense of humility, compassion and involvement to his practice today. A greatly debated issue of late has been the growth of retail health clinics. Launched by business

entrepreneurs and backed by significant capital, retail health clinics provide walk-in access to a definedrange of health care services. What are the concerns, cautions and potential collaborations that theseclinics create? What impact do retail health clinics have upon the traditional family physician—andespecially, the osteopathic physician? Several PCOM alumni in clinical practice share their perspectives.

On a final note, the PCOM family acknowledges with great sorrow the passing of two formertrustees and benefactors, Leonard Johnson, DO ’64, and William M. King, DO ’62, who playednotable roles in the life of the College and its students. We remember their fidelity and dedication tothe osteopathic profession and to PCOM.

I thank you for your continued interest in and support of the College.

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

GOING GLOBAL: OSTEOPATHICMEDICINE ENRICHES WORLD-WIDE HEALTHThe efforts of PCOM physicians areimproving health care for the masseswhile building global recognition andprestige for the osteopathic profession.In rural China, where nearly 600 mil-lion people do not have access to healthcare, Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA, isa partner in an osteopathic iniative tohelp the Chinese government train aprimary care base for its health system.And in the developing nations of Africa,Paul Zeitz, DO ’88, and wife Mindi

Cohen, DO ’90, are unrelenting advocates for a holistic response to theAIDS crisis.

A PCOM GRADUATE THINKS BACK TO ACTS OF KINDNESSTHAT HELPED TO PULL HIM THROUGH THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME OF HIS LIFEJoseph Stegmuller, DO ’92, wasdiagnosed with head and neck cancer while he was a first-year student at PCOM. His experiencechanged his view of himself, andmoreover, his view of medical care,leading to greater compassion andgreater involvement.

RETAIL HEALTH CLINICS:COMPETITORS OR COLLABORATORS?The growth of retail health clinicshas been spurred by several factorsincluding a trend toward consumerism in health care and health insuranceplans that shift more cost responsibility to the patient. The entire businessmodel rises and falls on market demand. What does this mean for the traditional family physician?

REMEMBERING LEONARD JOHNSON, DO ’64, AND WILLIAM M. KING, DO ’62 The College acknowledges the passing of two former trustees who playedtremendous roles in the life of PCOM and its students.

PCOM UPDATES AND KUDOS2007 Commencement ceremonies;campus parcel sold; Georgia Campuscited for architectural achievement;DO Day on the Hill; StudentOsteopathic Surgery Association con-vention; Heilig Symposium; studentdoctor saves a life; Open Mic Night;development activities; and more.

CLASS NOTESCurrent professional endeavors andachievements of PCOM alumni withprofiles of Joshua Baron, DO ’03,Janet Cruz, MS/ODL ’07, and SheilaDavis, DO ’87.

ESSAYDaniel Taylor, DO ’97, addresses theepidemic of youth violence inPhiladelphia and how the medicalfamily can help to diagnose not onlythe child, but the health of his/herenvironment—and encourageparental responsibility.

D E P A R T M E N T S

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ON THE COVERKenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA,is among a team of osteopathiceducators who have begun theprocess of teaching Chengdu doctors patient-centered healthcare. The Chinese calligraphybehind Dr. Veit signifies appropri-ately, “health.”

DIGESTF E A T U R E S

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2007 Commencement CeremoniesPCOM awarded 236 doctor of osteopathic medicine degrees, including

one DO/MPH and five DO/MBA combined degrees, at its 116thCommencement ceremony held on June 3 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.

The Commencement speaker was Richard H. Jadick, DO, commander,Medical Corps, USNR, Active Duty, United States Navy. Among his manyaccomplishments, Dr. Jadick has served as a battalion surgeon, regimental sur-geon and marine expeditionary unit surgeon. He saw combat operations inMosul, Iraq, as well as stabilization and anti-terrorism operations in Liberia,Djibouti and Kenya. For his courage, Dr. Jadick was presented with the BronzeStar with a Combat V for valor. Dr. Jadick’s story was told in a Newsweek coverstory, and he has published his own account of his experiences in On Call inHell: A Doctor’s Iraq War Story.

The title of Professor Emeritus was bestowed upon Daniel H. Belsky, M.Sc.,DO ’57, and upon Henry W. Hitner, PhD.

On July 25, the College graduated 215 students from seven graduate pro-grams at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.

Gerald L. Zahorchak, EdD, secretary of education of the Commonwealth ofPennsylvania, gave the Commencement address.

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 SJeffrey Bramnick

Daniel R. Taylor, DO ’97Nancy West

P H O T O G R A P H E R SBruce FairfieldJohn ShetronTabatha TrolliEd Wheeler

CONTACT US

Phone: 215-871-6300Fax: 215-871-6307E-mail: [email protected]: 4180 City Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695www.pcom.edu

Digest, the magazine for alumni and friends of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine(Vol. 68, No. 3, 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

Left: Lindon Young, PhD, associate professor, pathology, microbiology, immunology andforensic medicine, shares a happy moment with Helen Kay, a graduate of the biomedicalsciences program, during the Graduate Programs Commencement. Top right: Newly-minted physicians adjust their tassels to indicate their new status. Bottom right: PresidentSchure hoods Commencement speaker Dr. Jadick while Board Chairman Paul McGloinconfers upon him the degree doctor of laws, honoris causa.

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PCOMUPDATE S

Laura Molloy, MMS, PA-C,Receives Lindback Award

Laura Molloy,MMS, PA-C, assistant programdirector, physicianassistant studies, hasbeen awarded theChristian R. andMary F. LindbackAward forDistinguishedTeaching. TheLindback Awardrecognizes academic

excellence and outstanding teachingand is one of the most prestigiousawards conferred upon an instructor inhigher education.

Ms. Molloy joined the departmentin 1999, bringing with her a wealth ofknowledge and experience in familymedicine and women’s health issues.She has been active in developing com-munity health service projects and initi-ating the physician assistants club atboth the University of the Sciences inPhiladelphia and PCOM.

She has a bachelor of science degreefrom Hahnemann University and abachelor of arts degree in Spanish andsociology. She earned her master ofmedical science degree from SaintFrancis College. Ms. Molloy is a mem-ber of the American Academy ofPhysician Assistants and thePennsylvania Society of PhysicianAssistants; she maintains her clinicalpractice in family medicine.

PCOM Celebrates Milestonewith Key Affiliate

Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA, senior vice president for academicaffairs and dean, was the keynotespeaker at the Heart of LancasterRegional Medical Center’s 65thanniversary celebration on June 16.PCOM and the medical center have a history dating from 1942 when theinstitution was known as LancasterOsteopathic Hospital and was the only strictly osteopathic training site in the area. Dr. Veit noted that he

completed a clerkship at the hospi-tal during his days as a student.“We’ve been a member of OPTIsince its inception in 1995,” notesAnne Rickert, administrative direc-tor of medical education. “We’ve had a fantastic relationship withPCOM over the years supportingone another’s educational and professional needs.”

Playing Ball for a Cause PCOM first- and second-year

students took to the diamond for a charity softball game in honor of John DePalma, DO ’75. Anephrologist and mentor to manyPCOM students, Dr. DePalmapassed away in March. Dr.DePalma’s legacy will live on notonly through the students hetaught, but through his children,Anthony, DO ’07, John, DO ’06,Laura (DO ’09) and Vincent. Theevent raised $1,200 for the NationalKidney Foundation.

Laura Molloy,MMS, PA-C

Heilig Symposium

Stanley Schiowitz, DO ’44 (left), former OMM chair and dean at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Wayne English, DO ’58(right), joined Alexander Nicholas, DO ’75, chair, OMM department, atthe Heilig Symposium Lecture Series held on campus on May 11. Dr.Schiowitz followed his student lecture with seminars for faculty memberson Facilitated Positional Release, a system of indirect myofascial releasetreatment he developed.

Dr. DePalma’s widow, Diane, and Joe Leso,former CEO of the Delaware Valley Branchof the National Kidney Foundation, getready to throw out the first pitch.

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PCOMUPDATE S

Camille DiLullo, PhD, professor,anatomy, was appointed to theEducational Affairs Committee of theAmerican Association of Anatomists.

Paul Evans, DO ’79, vice deanand chief academic officer, GA-PCOM, had his article “Does theMedical College Admission TestPredict Global Academic Performancein Osteopathic Medical School?” pub-lished in the JAOA.

Larry Finkelstein, DO ’87, direc-tor, PCOM Healthcare Center – CityAvenue Division, Family Practice,received the 2007 Frederick J.Solomon, DO Award of Merit from the Pennsylvania OsteopathicFamily Physicians Society in recogni-tion of services both professional and educational.

Katherine Galluzzi, DO, profes-sor and chair, geriatrics, had her arti-cle “Management Strategies forHerpes Zoster and PostherpeticNeuralgia” published in theSupplement of the JAOA. Dr. Galluzzipresented a clinical conversation on“Neuropathic Pain–Diagnosis &Treatment” at the California Academyof Family Physicians’ CME. Shespoke on “Strategies for thePrevention and Management ofHerpes Zoster Infection andAssociated Pain in Older Adults” attwo conferences hosted by MedLearning Group, and she spoke on“Herpes Zoster Vaccination: Reducingthe Burden of Shingles andPostherpetic Neuralgia” at SciMed’sCME for Primary Care Network. Inaddition, she was named chair for theACOFP Program Committee.

| Kudos


DO Day on the Hill A record-setting number of PCOM

students from both Pennsylvania andGeorgia traveled to Washington, D.C.for DO Day on the Hill on April 26.Students took part in a political briefing in the morning with membersof the American OsteopathicAssociation, and they spent the afternoon meeting with members of the 110th Congress and their staffsto discuss, among other things, theState Children’s Health InsuranceProgram, the Resident PhysicianShortage Reduction Act and changesto the Medicare Physician PaymentSystem. Close to 700 DO studentsand physicians lobbied Congress atthis year’s event, demonstrating the importance of osteopathic medicine to the health of the nation.

PCOM students tookto the Hill to advocatefor important healthcare legislation.

PCOMUPDATE S

Rosemary Mennutti, EdD, pro-fessor and director, school psychology,and Ray Christner, PsyD, assistantprofessor, director, EdS degree, schoolpsychology, presented a workshopwith EdS students titled “HappyParents—Healthy Children” at the Russell Byers Charter School in Philadelphia.

James McCans, assistant professor,forensic medicine, was quoted in thePhiladelphia Daily News in an article,“Who Were You? Hikers Find a Body, Now Investigators Try to GiveIt a Name.”

Alexander Nicholas, DO ’75,professor and chair, OMM, and EvanNicholas, DO ’81, associate profes-sor, OMM, have completed theirbook, Atlas of Osteopathic Techniques,which will be published byLippincott, Williams and Wilkins.The book is dedicated to their latefather, Nicholas S. Nicholas, DO, for-mer professor and chair, OMM, whotaught many generations of osteo-pathic physicians.

Fred Rotgers, PsyD, associate pro-fessor and associate director of clinicaltraining, clinical psychology, wasquoted in the Los Angles Times in anarticle, “Care with No Chaser: BriefInterventions by a Physician MayReduce Patients’ AlcoholConsumption, a Study Finds.”

Yuma Tomes, PhD, assistant professor and director, MS in schoolpsychology, received the 2007Professional Development Scholarship –Junior Faculty of the Year Award fromthe Psychological Corporation andTrainers of School Psychologists.

Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA,senior vice president of academicaffairs and dean, was quoted in anarticle, “Getting Patients to Comply,”published in Medical Economics.

| Kudos

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Granary Associates, the design firm that transformed an abandonedwarehouse into the spectacular modern medical school that is GeorgiaCampus – PCOM, has received aSilver Citation Award from AmericanSchool & University Magazine for the project.

“The creation of this wonderfulspace was truly a joint effort byGranary and PCOM,” states JimLeigh, project executive, GranaryAssociates. “In particular I’d like torecognize Frank Windle, director ofplant operations at PCOM, for hishard work and dedication to seeingthis project through completion.”

Campus Parcel SoldPCOM sold a one-and-a-half acre

parcel of land to neighbor WPVIChannel 6. The property sits on theedge of land formerly occupied byCity Avenue Hospital. The televisionstation will use the site as part of itsfootprint for a state-of-the-art produc-tion facility. This beautiful glass andlimestone structure will face the campus. PCOM’s remaining two-and-a-half acres can accommodate the construction of two additionalCollege buildings. Investment incomefrom the sale will be used for need-based student scholarships.

The facility design of the Georgia Campus includes two architectural focal points takingadvantage of natural light through the use of skylights and partitions.

Georgia Campus – PCOM Recognized by Design Professionals

PCOMUPDATE S


Outstanding PA AlumKristen Lehmann, PA-C ’00, was

the first recipient of PCOM’sPhysician Assistant OutstandingAlumnus Award. The award recog-nizes “outstanding achievement,innovative contribution, service anddedication to the physician assistantprofession.” The award was present-ed at the PCOM PA alumni/studentreception of the 2007 AmericanAcademy of Physician AssistantsConference. The recipient of thisaward is chosen by his or her peers.

PCOM-Sponsored Student Surgical ConferenceLargest Ever

More than 200 osteopathic medical students spent the weekendof April 13-15 at PCOM for thespring Student Osteopathic SurgeryAssociation convention. The three-day conference included demonstrations,lectures and hands-on workshops.

Among the speakers at the event was Domingo Alvear, MD,president of the World SurgicalFoundation Inc., which providessurgery and other medical care topeople in developing or impover-ished countries.

“This was the largest group of students ever at a SOSA confer-ence,” says Jill Friedman (DO ’09),president of PCOM’s surgery club,“and it really speaks well for theschool. Speakers covered topicsranging from neurosurgery andchest trauma to burn and plasticsurgery. We ran a series of hands-onsessions to accommodate all the stu-dents who wanted to try their handat laparoscopic surgery, intubation,suturing and OMM, just to name afew of the skills we worked on.Students came from all over thecountry, and left with a greatimpression of PCOM.”

Kristen Lehmann, PA-C ’00 (center) and Christiane Petrillo, PA-C ’00, are class agents of thePA class of 2000. Here they stand with John Cavenagh, PhD, PA-C, chair, physician assistantprogram, at the PA reception at the Lucky Strike Lanes in Philadelphia.

DO students practice their suturing skills during one of the many workshops offered at theStudent Osteopathic Surgery Association convention.

PCOMUPDATE S

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StudentDoctor Savesa Life

Tanner Long,DO ’07, wasdriving toSullivan CountyMedical Centerafter a springdownpour when

the motorcycle in front of him skiddedon the wet pavement and slammedinto the guardrail. Dr. Long, just twoweeks shy of being awarded his med-ical degree, pulled over and jumpedout of his car. Assisted by a Mennonitemidwife who had also stopped her car,Dr. Long immediately completed ahead to toe survey, finding severe lac-erations and chest trauma. “My train-ing kicked into automatic,” recalls Dr.Long, who worked to control thebleeding, stabilize the fractures andmonitor the breathing of the uncon-scious motorcyclist.

When state police arrived, he told them to send for a Geisinger LifeFlight helicopter. When EMT person-nel got to the scene, Dr. Long con-vinced them to let him use theirequipment to start an IV. “I knew we would lose him if we didn’t get fluids into him,” explains Dr. Longwho continued assessing the patient’s condition until the paramedics arrived. “I used my hands as a diag-nostic tool as I was taught,” he says,“and worked to stay ahead of the situa-tion.” The patient was airlifted toGeisinger. Dr. Long later learned hewas out of the ICU and was stable and improving.

Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Long has no second thoughts. “I did what I needed to do,” he says,“I wouldn’t have done anything differently.” Dr. Long, now a degreed physician, is at Geisingerdoing his general surgery internship.

Comedian Pete Kuempel, performer Christina DiChiara (PsyD) and PCOM Trustee John Kearney

Spring Tradition

Tanner Long, DO ’07

Neighbor Helping NeighborFour first-year medical students

accompanied Kate Galluzzi, DO,professor and chair, and NicolJoseph, DO, instructor, departmentof geriatrics, to the Ivy House inthe Wynnefield Heights section ofPhiladelphia to provide its residentswith free blood pressure and bloodsugar screening.

GA-PCOM medical students gave back to the community at the Dia de las Mujer Latina Fiestain Duluth, Georgia. Students provided blood pressure screeningsand educational materials at theMay 5 health festival. MikeSweeney (DO ’10), pictured below,gives a high five to a young healthfair participant.

The great annual spring fundraiser, Open Mic Night, raised $1,200 forthe J. D. Kearney Memorial Scholarship. Held at Manayunk’s GrapeStreet Pub, the evening offered entertainment by PCOM students and aspecial guest appearance by New York comedian Pete Kuempel.


l balgoingG

Osteopathic Medicine enriches worldwide healthThe efforts of osteopathic physicians on two continents—Asia and Africa—are improving health care

for the masses while building global recognition and prestige for the osteopathic profession.

On The road to china: Sharing Osteopathic Expertisein Medical Education

patient in China is suffering from stomach pain. Since primary care

is virtually non-existent in this country of 1.3 billion people, the patient goes to a nearby 4,000-bed hospital for care. Upon entering the lobby of this massivefacility, he picks out a specialist from a large promotion screen listing each physician’s name, photo and credentials.Since the patient has stomach pain, hechooses a gastroenterologist, whom he can expect to provide treatment with minimal follow-up care.

This patient is lucky. Even though hehas no family physician to shepherd hiscare, he does have access to the health caresystem, highly fragmented as it is. Nearlyhalf the population of China—about 600million people—does not have access,either because they can’t afford it or

A

China is a land of contrasts. Since most of the

rural poor reside in the remote and mountainous

terrain of the central and western provinces,

there are significant differences between these

poor provinces and rich coastal provinces in both

income poverty and human poverty.

Nearly half

the population of

china—about

600 million

PEOPLE—do not

have access to

health care.

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because health care providers and facil-ities aren’t available in the areas wherethey live. The further you travel awayfrom large international cities such asBeijing and Shanghai and out toremote rural areas, the less health carethere is to be found.

It is this reality that prompted theChinese central government andMinistry of Health to mandate sweeping changes in their health caresystem. Recognizing that their costlyhospital-based specialty medical systemis not providing adequate health careto their citizens, the Chinese govern-ment has initiated aggressive trainingprograms in primary care/family practice that will result in the openingof a family practice clinic or commu-nity health center for every 50,000people by 2010.

Nowhere is the need greater than inthe remote Sichuan province located inwestern China near the mountains ofTibet where a population of 90 mil-lion people has little access to healthcare. The government has respondedby issuing a directive that 8,400 spe-cialty physicians be retrained as familyphysicians within the next three yearsto serve that region.

Osteopathic ExpertiseTo achieve such a monumental

task, China’s Ministry of Healthsought help from the United Statesmedical community, where familypractice is common. The ministryturned to Heart to Heart Inter-national, a non-profit U.S.-basedorganization that has been workingwith the Chinese government toimprove health care in that country for 10 years.

Recognizing the expertise of theosteopathic profession in primary careand family medicine, Heart to Heartinvited osteopathic physicians to jointheir humanitarian efforts through theAmerican Osteopathic Foundation(AOF) and the ACOFP Foundation.

In May 2007, a team of osteopathiceducators with particular expertise infamily practice education was assem-bled by the AOF to accompany Heartto Heart to China. Their mission:evaluate the Chinese medical educa-tion system and make recommenda-tions for training family physicians.Led by AOF board member RoyceKeilers, DO, the team includedKenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA,PCOM’s senior vice president for aca-demic affairs and dean, whose expert-ise in the use of community healthcenters in medical education was espe-cially valuable to the team’s efforts.Other team members were Stephen

Downey, AOF executive director;Ronald Martin, DO, dean, RockyMountain Vista College of Medicine,and chair, American College ofOsteopathic Family Practitioners;William Burke, DO, professor of med-icine, Ohio University College ofOsteopathic Medicine; Teresa Hubka,DO; Meghan Graber, DO; and SherriMartin, vice president of administra-tion and finance, Rocky MountainVista College of Medicine.

After a 26-hour trip to Beijing, theteam traveled another 1,000 miles tothe industrial city of Chengdu in theSichuan province where they begandays of intensive evaluation of the

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Medical educationin China is relativelypassive. Students arenot encouraged to challenge instruc-tors, and they arenot permitted toparticipate in thecare of patients.

Dr. Veit and the osteopathicteam have begun the processof teaching the Chengdu doc-tors patient-centered healthcare. Chinese physiciansembrace osteopathic medicineas the best of eastern andwestern medicine.

Even in wealthier areas,Chinese medical care is disease-focused, not patient-focused. The sick enter a largehospital and choose a special-ist according to their symp-toms. There is no continuityof care.

state of health care and medical education in China. They toured hospitals and community health centers and met with the highest- level physicians and officials of theChinese health ministry, medicalschools, teaching hospitals and reeducation program.

Chinese MedicalEducation

The AOF team found that physi-cian training in China is very frag-mented. Most traditional Chinesephysicians have five years of medicalschool training, but some have aslittle as three years and some up toeight. The students begin right afterhigh school and they are selectedbased solely on a test score; they arenever interviewed.

Medical education in China is relatively passive, according to Dr. Veit. “There is a strong sense ofhierarchy and respect for authorityand titles, so the students would be reluctant to challenge an instruc-tor by asking a tough question,”explains Dr. Veit. “It’s not like our give and take approach. Theyutilize a passive lecture style ofteaching throughout their education.”

In addition, students rarely exam-ine patients in China. “According tothe Chinese medical educators,patients would not tolerate activestudent participation in their care,”says Dr. Veit. “It’s completely differ-ent than our Healthcare Center sys-tem at PCOM where students arethe front-line people who see thepatient first with the attending com-ing in second to verify information.In China, the students merelyobserve while the attending con-ducts the exam.”

Training StrategyTaking into consideration these

cultural differences, the AOF teamis developing a dual training strategy

that involves a program to retrain spe-cialty physicians as family physiciansand a residency in family medicine fornew physicians. The team has begunplanning a five-year program thatincludes retraining, curriculum assis-tance, physician and residentexchange, and ongoing family physi-cian continuing medical education.

Beginning in fall 2007, AOF teach-ing teams will travel to China periodi-cally to help implement the programand conduct “train the trainer” ses-sions for Chinese medical educators.“The Chinese want to learn aboutcompetency-based education so theycan establish more consistent trainingstandards,” notes Dr. Veit. “They’re

Observations on Life in China

Despite China’s booming economy,newfound wealth is in the hands of veryfew people who live primarily in thecities. The overwhelming majority ofthe population lives in poverty, particu-larly in rural areas.

As trade with the western worldgrows and U.S. companies establish headquarters in China, western influences arebecoming more prevalent, especially in the cities where the bustling streets are crowded with people andheavy traffic. Office tower complexes are being constructed everywhere. Fast foodrestaurants are opening, raising the concern that a more western diet will cause theChinese to develop health problems that they haven’t experienced previously. Highblood pressure and diabetes are already on the rise, and concern is growing abouta potential increase in cholesterol disease as well as stress associated with big busi-ness and industry. Smoking is prevalent.

On a positive health note, the Chinese people spend a great deal of time out-doors in the country’s park systems. They regularly awaken early and go to theparks for walking and other forms of exercise targeted towards basic energyenhancement and healing. The Chinese love for vitality and longevity makesbringing an enhanced system of health care so meaningful.

At present, patients must pay cash up front for medical care. Since there is nosocialized medicine and virtually no private medical insurance, most people can’tafford health care. For those who can, traditional Chinese medicine and westernmedicine are available. Some may choose western medicine first because theythink it works faster, but if they don’t get results, they are likely to go to a tradi-tional Chinese physician. Many of the hospitals and clinics have a floor dedicatedto traditional Chinese medicine.

In China, physicians are not necessarily high wage earners and, in a countrythat increasingly values money, the physician’s prestige is reflected accordingly.Although they have excellent and committed physicians, many who graduate from medical school never practice.

Nurses as we know them don’t exist in China. They are more like caretakerswithout much training.

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also interested in physician/patientcommunication skills. Neither of thesehas been a focus for them in the past.”

Dr. Martin observes, “SinceChinese medical education doesn’tprovide practical experience, problem-solving experience or clinical correla-tions training, the specialty physicianswho are being retrained will need tolearn many skills for examining thepatient and using their book knowl-edge to treat the patient.”

Respect forOsteopathic Medicine

Dr. Keilers sees this initiative as “anunprecedented opportunity for theosteopathic profession to partner withthe largest nation on earth. While the primary goal is humanitarian, ultimately the osteopathic professionwill receive global recognition andprestige through this endeavor. Wehave the opportunity to becomeambassadors of good will who willhelp to ensure a peaceful future inChinese-American relations.”

The Chinese government hasshown great interest in and respect forosteopathic medicine. “When weshowed them osteopathic manipula-tion techniques, their response wasthat osteopathy is the best of westernmedicine and traditional Chinesemedicine combined,” relates Dr. Veit.“Their main interest is in ourapproach to primary care education.This part of the osteopathic medicaleducation system is uniquely valued.”

“The Chinese government is acutelyaware of the importance of familymedicine in meeting the needs of theircitizens,” says Dr. Martin. “They havea combination of need, desire andenthusiasm for change that will enableus to really make a difference and helpa lot of people. At the same time, thisinitiative has the potential to result inChinese government acceptance of ourlicense and degree, which may help toopen up a lot more of the world toosteopathic medicine.”

en years ago, Paul Zeitz, DO ’88, MPH, was sitting in a meeting in Zambia discussing the AIDS epi-

demic with his colleagues from theU.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID). Suddenly, oneof them stood up and announced thathe had to leave early to attend thefuneral of a friend who had died from AIDS. Sadly, this was a common occurrence.

“We were losing one or two colleagues a month to the AIDS epi-demic,” recalls Dr. Zeitz, a publichealth specialist who has focused onAfrica since 1994, living and workingfull-time in Zambia from 1996 to2000. “It was like living in the middleof a holocaust.”

The experience of living in themidst of this cataclysm galvanized Dr.Zeitz’s resolve to become a catalyst forvigorous advancement in the fightagainst AIDS, particularly in thedeveloping nations of Africa.

Now a decade later, Dr. Zeitz hasjust returned from one of his frequenttrips to Africa as executive director andco-founder of the Global AIDSAlliance (GAA), a nonprofit organiza-tion based in Washington, D.C.that advocates for political change to accelerate the global response toHIV/AIDS. Founded in 2001, GAAhas carved out a leadership role to raise awareness and inspire activism, working with internationalinstitutions such as the World HealthOrganization and UNAIDS, as well asadvocates and governments in wealthy

European nations. GAA’s board ofdirectors is chaired by the ReverendMpho Tutu, whose father, ArchbishopDesmond Tutu, also serves as a veryactive honorary chair.

Since its founding, GAA hasemerged as a powerful influence inbringing about a huge transformationin the U.S. response to the AIDS crisis. “Prior to our work, the U.S.government was designating only afew hundred million dollars each year for global AIDS response,” notes Dr. Zeitz. “This year, that number has increased exponentiallyto $6 billion. Last week when I visited Zambia, I saw the imprint of that transformation.

“When I left there in 2000,” hecontinues, “only a few people werereceiving lifesaving AIDS medications.When I returned in 2003, a few thou-sand were on treatment. By last year,that number had risen to 50,000. Last week, I found 115,000 people on treatment, which means that over


Respondingto the aids crisis in

AfricaT

1 32 0 0 7

50 percent of those in urgent need of medications are now getting them. We’re proud that GAA hasplayed an important role in thisphenomenal achievement.”

Holistic ApproachTrue to his osteopathic roots, Dr.

Zeitz has always advocated for a holis-tic response to the global AIDS crisis.“While many medical people focusonly on biomedical solutions, weadvocate for a response to the fullspectrum of needs, including medicalcare, nutritional care and psychosocialsupport,” he says.

While living in Zambia, he workedwith UNAIDS, USAID and theZambian government on a number of such initiatives. He led the designteam for a five-year, $100 millionZambia Integrated Health Programthat scaled up the delivery of cost-effective interventions for HIV/AIDSand other threatening health issues.“This was a groundbreaking programthat integrated both preventive andcurative services,” he notes. He and his wife, Mindi Cohen, DO ’90, alsohelped to start the first large-scale pro-gram for responding to the needs of600,000 Zambian orphans left behindby parents who died from AIDS. On avery personal level, they also adoptedan 11-year-old boy whose mother haddied of AIDS, underscoring theirdeep, heartfelt commitment.

“When I was in Kenya last week,the UNICEF regional team briefed meon the orphan crisis which exists allover southern and east Africa whereHIV/AIDS prevalence rates are theworst,” he relates. “In response, theyhave been working to scale up the firstgeneration of social programs inAfrica, currently in 15 countries. Thisis an extraordinary breakthrough thatbegan with the expanded responsewe’ve been mobilizing from the U.S.and other governments over the pastfive years. It’s creating a historic transformation which I see as thebeginning of the African renaissance.”

Looking AheadWhile much has been accom-

plished, much is left to do. The GAAis focused on catalyzing progresstoward achievement of the U.N.Millennium Development Goals by2015. This platform of eight goalsincludes halving poverty, providingbasic universal education to all chil-dren, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS,reducing child mortality by two-thirds,and empowering women. In responseto the last, GAA has developed ZeroTolerance, a framework for takingfaster and bolder action to combat violence against women and children.“Violence is a key driver of the AIDSepidemic,” notes Dr. Zeitz.

“It’s empowering and inspiring tobe involved in these global transforma-tions,” he reflects. “Osteopathic physi-cians have an approach to health thatis particularly beneficial in this arena. Iwould like to see our osteopathic lead-ership become more aggressive inmobilizing the profession to becomeactive in global health. Interactingwith people around the world providesus with a unique opportunity tobecome better practitioners whilehelping to transform lives.”

“It’s empowering

and inspiring to

be involved in

these global

transformations”

The Zeitz family is resolute in their mission: “toheal the world by promoting justice, freedom,responsibility, caring for all life and the earththat sustains all life.”


The physician leans back against the metal chairand begins explaining a difficult case. There isno give in the rigid chair. There is plenty ofgive, though, in the physician, who has learned

a lot about diagnosis and treatment—and about self—inmore than a dozen years in family medicine.

He knows this case well: The patient, a man in hisearly 20s, was diagnosed with a squamous cell cancer onthe anterior two thirds of his tongue. He would requirea partial glossectomy and a modified neck dissection.

The patient lost part of his tongue in surgery, notesthe physician, Joseph Stegmuller, DO ’92, the lone doc-tor at Runnemede Family Practice, which moved toBarrington, New Jersey, but retained the original name.

Dr. Stegmuller tells the patient’s story in a matter-of-fact tone, but this is a caring physician. As he gets deeperinto the story, Dr. Stegmuller loosens his shirt collar,turns to his profile and pulls the collar down, almost tohis collarbone, revealing a scar that runs along the jawline and down the side of the neck. The family doctorwith the easy bedside manner and open but dry sense ofhumor knows exactly what seriously ill patients endure.

He’s been one.

“I can show patients my scar and tell them, ‘I knowhow you feel,’” he says. “I tell people they should try tostay in the moment and deal with what is in front ofthem, not what they think might happen next Tuesday,”he adds. “It’s always worse in your head.”

As a kid growing up in Willingboro, New Jersey, JoeStegmuller was a handful. He gravitated toward trouble,not textbooks. After high school, he attended BurlingtonCounty Community College (BCC), unsure of hisfuture. A chemistry professor at BCC told Joe that hecould do something in the sciences, that he had ability.

“I didn’t think so,” recalls Dr. Stegmuller.He applied himself, did very well and was admitted

to Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science(PCPS), where he also excelled.

After he graduated from PCPS, he was admitted toPCOM. “[Associate Vice President for EnrollmentManagement] Carol Fox was very instrumental,” recallsDr. Stegmuller.

“I became interested in PCOM after attending anOpen House and hearing a lecture by the late Dr. Heilig[David Heilig, DO ’44],” notes Dr. Stegmuller.

A PCOM graduate thinks back to acts of kindness that helpedto pull him though the most difficult time of his life.

WITHGRATITUDE . . .

1 52 0 0 7

He was a first-year osteopathicmedical student when the diagnosiswas made. “I experienced shame andfear; I didn’t want anyone to know,”he says, intently. “My plan was not tolet even my parents know.”

His plan unraveled quickly. “Things happened so fast that it

all seemed like some bad dream,”recalls Dr. Stegmuller.

Ronald Reinhard, DO, a formerassociate professor of otorhinolaryn-gology and oro-facial plastic surgeryat PCOM, performed a 10-houroperation on the first-year student.“Dr. Reinhard and the residentsworked hard to spare my spinal acces-sory nerve; I am very thankful forthat, for everything.”

Dr. Reinhard performed the sur-gery at City Avenue Hospital duringthe winter break from school. “Imissed one final, that was it, and Imade it up when we went back toschool,” says Dr. Stegmuller.

“Joe really bounced back from avery traumatic situation; it wasremarkable how committed he was,”recalls Ms. Fox. “I’m sure his experi-ence has made him a more compas-sionate physician.”

In those days, he had no medicalinsurance. He was never charged forthe surgery or for other aspects of hismedical care. “PCOM really tookcare of me,” says Dr. Stegmuller.

“My friend, Howard Stein [DO’92] found out, somehow, I was hav-ing surgery and he brought me amagazine and visited with me,” herecalls. A third- or fourth-year student gave Joe a Gumby figurine—a small token to make him smile.PCOM physicians and staff went outof their way to check in on the spe-cial patient. “Their acts were out oftrue compassion and meant more tome than anyone knew at the time.”

Now more than 18 years later, Dr.Stegmuller thinks about PCOM,about Dr. Reinhard, about the resi-dents and about some of his mentors:Oliver Bullock, DO ’78; PaulDeJoseph, DO ’86; Zenia Chernyk,DO ’77; and others. Dr. Stegmuller ishealthy and still going for follow-upexams. His medical practice has quitea following; his waiting room isalways full. And he has an impressivenumber of patients who see himwhen he makes house calls. Once a month he makes house calls from8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.; he alsomakes house calls during each week,as needed. “One thing I always likedabout PCOM was that I was taughtto look at the whole patient,” says Dr. Stegmuller, who uses osteopathicmanipulative treatment (primarilymuscle energy technique) about 10 times per week.

“I learned a lot from my cancerexperience, too. I used to hate whenthe rounding team would have a con-versation about me, in front of me,and I wasn’t invited to participate,”he says. “I try never to speak to mycolleagues and students and ignorethe patient.”

One other thing is at the top ofDr. Stegmuller’s list: never give sensi-tive or bad information to a patientover the phone. “Wait until you haveeverything, then talk with them inperson,” he emphasizes.

Dr. Stegmuller is a tender guy whocan be tough when he needs to be. Aspresident of the medical staff at OurLady of Lourdes Medical Center inCamden, New Jersey, he needs a bitof each quality.

Dr. Stegmuller treats underservedpatients who come to a free clinic at St. Anthony’s in Camden, and hevolunteered for four years withProject Hope, which provides treatment for the homeless inCamden. “Medical care isn’t only for people who have insurance; it’s for everyone,” offers Dr. Stegmuller.He admits that he didn’t first attendPCOM with the idea treating theunderserved. “It was so common at PCOM that I just thought thatwas what doctors did.”


Retail health clinics are coming to chain storesin your neighborhood like Wal-Mart, Target,CVS Pharmacy, Shop-Rite grocery stores and

other retailers. If you haven’t seen them yet, you willsoon. Since the first retail health clinic opened in2000, this trend has grown nationwide in response to a trend toward consumerism in health care andhealth insurance plans that are shifting more costresponsibility to the patient.

More than two dozen clinic operators have part-nered with large retailers to open hundreds of clinicsin at least 40 states. With retailers planning for rapidexpansion, the number of clinics is expected toapproach 2,000 by the end of 2008, and Wal-Martforecasts that more than 6,600 clinics will open inretail operations nationwide over the next five years.

Retail Health Clinics:Competitors or

Collaborators?

1 72 0 0 7

Typically, retail health clinics arestaffed by certified nurse practitionersor physician assistants with supervisionby an off-site physician via phone.They offer convenient services that arelimited in scope, treating simple prob-lems such as sore throats, bronchitisand ear infections. Patients are seenwithout an appointment, and mostclinics charge $45-75 per visit.

What does this mean for the tradi-tional family physician? Retail healthclinic operators say that they want towork in collaboration with traditionalfamily physicians, not replace them.Some family doctors don’t view themas a threat. However, others fear thatthe clinics will compromise thepatient/physician relationship.

Recently, PCOM alumni in a vari-ety of practice models and localesnationwide weighed in on this trend.

A Rural Doctor’s View Dennis L. Eckels, DO ’75, prac-

tices in the rural Western Pennsylvaniatown of Seward, population 1,200.With few physicians or health carefacilities in this underserved area,about half of the 10,000 people livingin the surrounding region come to Dr.Eckels for care at Valley AmbulatoryHealth Center, which he established in1980. With an 11-person staff thatincludes two physicians and threenurses, the center sees 125 to 150patients from Monday through Fridayeach week.

“In a rural practice, you wear a lotof hats,” says Dr. Eckels. “In additionto being the local family doctor, wealso function as a walk-in clinic and,at times, as a pseudo ER. On anygiven day, our challenges run thegamut from a child with a sore throatto a farm or industrial accident to aheart attack.”

Since the nearest Wal-Mart is about20 miles away, he’s not concernedabout the fact that they may open aretail health clinic soon. “I don’t thinkit will impact our office much,” hesays. “It’s a long drive for my patientsto get there and with the price of gas,they probably won’t be willing to gothat far.”

Medical Association Policies on Retail ClinicsThe American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the American MedicalAssociation (AMA) have issued policy statements calling for retail clinics to adhere to certain principles and standards, including a well-defined andlimited scope of clinical services, evidence-based practice guidelines andpatient records that are shared with the family physician. The AOA’s policyalso states that the clinics must encourage patients to establish or maintaincare with a primary care physician.

The AMA tracks related state legislative activities. Following are highlights ofsome recent state laws:

• In California, retail health clinics are required to be part of a medical corporation owned by a physician, and the medical corporation is requiredto hire the medical staff for the clinic.

• In Florida, health care practitioners are required to wear a name tag orexplain to patients which license they hold. Retail clinics must post a signnotifying patients whether or not a physician is on-site.

• In Missouri, retail health clinics must have a physician immediately avail-able for consultation at all times. A nurse practitioner and a physician mustwork together for at least 30 days prior to the NP practicing separately.

Urgent Care RoleIn Delaware, Ronald Ellis, DO

’73, has been practicing in a groupof four urgent care centers for thepast 15 years. Staffed by nearly 20physicians and five physician assis-tants onsite, these centers are openevery day of the year and see from40 to 100 patients daily, many ofwhom view urgent care as a “backdoor to the ER.”

“Some patients come to usbecause they don’t want to wait forhours in the ER,” he relates. “Theyknow we’ll see them more quickly.We do a lot of suturing and handlea lot of minor bone fractures,among other things. If they need togo to the hospital, we’ll call aheadto try to smooth the way for them.”

Dr. Ellis emphasizes that urgentcare is positioned between the familyphysician and the ER on the con-tinuum of care. “We see less urgentsituations, too, like earaches andstrep throat, but we always encour-age patients to return to their family physicians,” he says. “Ourgoal is not to take their patientsaway, and local physicians knowthat. We see their patients whenthey need immediate care and the doctor doesn’t have time to see them.

“We live in a society whereinstant gratification simply isn’t fastenough,” reflects Dr. Ellis. “Whenpeople are sick, they want to seesomeone right away. Urgent careresponds to this mindset.”

With retail health clinics sched-uled to open soon in Delaware, heworries about the negative effectthey will have on health care.“What retail clinics provide is notmedical care, it’s a band-aid,” hesays. “I’m concerned that they willgive reputable urgent care centerslike ours a black eye. We providecomprehensive care but people maystill lump us in with retail clinics,which is convenience care. I don’tthink the corporate retailers havethe wellbeing of the patient inmind. If they did, they would makea reasonable investment and havetheir retail health centers staffedproperly with onsite physicians.”

What about the weekends when hisoffice is closed? “We all want to havefree time to spend with our families, soit wouldn’t bother me if a patient wentthere for a sore throat or cold, as alongas the care they get is proper and theykeep me informed,” he says. “But Iwouldn’t want them treating mypatients for diabetes, hypertension orany chronic illness of that nature.”

He is concerned about quality ofcare and supervision at the retail clin-ics. “There should be one-to-onephysician to nurse practitioner supervi-sion on site and not by telephone,” he emphasizes.

Dr. Eckels admits that retail healthclinics are probably more welcome inrural areas such as his where therearen’t enough doctors to go around.

Helping the UninsuredWhile Marcia Whalen, DO ’94,

agrees that insurance companies havemade practicing medicine difficult forfamily physicians, she doesn’t see retailhealth clinics as a threat. Board certi-fied in family practice and sports medi-cine, Dr. Whalen is a partner in aconcierge practice where patients payan annual out-of-pocket fee for a highlevel of service that includes personalaccess to the physician 24 hours a day,same-day appointments and home vis-its when patients are too sick to cometo the office. Located in NewportBeach, California, Dr. Whalenacknowledges that her affluent patientswould have no reason to visit a retailhealth clinic. She views the clinics as a health care access point for the uninsured.

“Any idea that opens up accessiblehealth care to people who are unin-sured is a positive thing,” says Dr.Whalen. “I believe that retail healthclinics can co-exist compatibly withfamily practices. Most patients want tohave a consistent family physician whoknows them really well. They don’t likepopping in and out of clinics wherethey rarely see the same health careprovider and never a physician.”

Dr. Whalen foresees situationswhere parents might find a retail clinichelpful in the middle of the nightwhen their child has a fever or earache,or a business traveler might visit a

clinic with an immediate need for care. “Retail clinics will fill certainniches,” she comments, “but I don’tbelieve that they’re going to overtakefamily practices.”

Mental Health ConcernsC. Christine Kremer, DO ’76, is a

pediatric psychiatrist who works incommunity mental health centers inDetroit, Michigan, and the surround-ing area as well as private practice.With a poor local economy, manycash-strapped patients with little or noinsurance will go for care whereverthey can pay the least. As retail healthclinics begin opening in her locale, sheworries that her patients may use them

to get prescriptions of psychiatric med-ications instead of seeing her or eventheir family physician.

“I am very concerned about carebeing compromised for mental healthpatients,” says Dr. Kremer. “If they aregiven a new prescription for an anti-depressant or antipsychotic drug and Idon’t know about it, I won’t be in aposition to give them proper care ifthey experience side effects or otherproblems. I don’t think this should bewithin the scope of care of a retail clinic. I hope that the AmericanOsteopathic Association will takeaction to protect the practice rights of physicians.”


Compromising thePhysician/PatientRelationship

Jean-Paul Bonnet, DO ’81,believes passionately that retailhealth clinics will compromise thesacred relationship between physi-cian and patients that is core to theosteopathic philosophy. A familyphysician in a large, northwesternNew Jersey practice, he has alreadyseen retail clinics open in his area.Some of his patients have visitedthem, he says, even though his prac-tice is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00p.m. weekdays, and offers weekendhours and same-day appointments.His patients report that the careseems satisfactory, but they miss thepersonal touch that they receivefrom the physicians in his practice.So why did they go to the clinic?

“Today people want the cheapest, quickest and simplest way of doing everything,” says Dr. Bonnet. “Patients perceiveadvantages such as a shorter waittime, less insurance hassles and one-stop shopping.”

These advantages are far out-weighed by the loss of continuity of care, according to Dr. Bonnet. “Ifpatients go to retail clinics for quickthings like colds and coughs, welose the opportunity to discoverother health concerns and cement

the bond between physician andpatient,” he emphasizes.

“The retail health clinic modelpresumes that medicine is just a sci-ence,” he adds, “but there’s an art of medicine that can only be pro-vided by a physician who reallyknows the patient.”

Dr. Bonnet believes that familyphysicians can preserve the physi-cian/patient relationship and com-pete with retail health clinics if theycollectively stand up to the insur-ance industry and demand a returnto fee for services. “Dealing with the insurance bureaucracy has driv-en up the cost of our overheadtremendously, which makes it toughto compete, and now quality of careis threatened by the retail clinics,”he says. “It’s our responsibility totake action.”

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Leonard Johnson, DO ’64Dr. Johnson played a

tremendous role in the life ofPCOM and its students. Inaddition to serving on theBoard of Trustees, Dr. Johnsonwas an active member ofPCOM’s Minority ScholarshipCommittee. He took greatpride in mentoring PCOMmedical students in his clinicin West Philadelphia as well as mentoring high school students and helping them

obtain the financial resources to attend college and med-ical school. “I try to help make life better for people,especially those who are less fortunate,” he said when hewas awarded the O.J. Snyder Memorial Medal in 2003.

As a physician in West Philadelphia, Dr. Johnson wascommitted to improving his community. He regularlysponsored community health fairs and school programs,and he arranged for his medical practice to adopt theAlain Locke Elementary School. He instituted a HealthAcademy at the school to encourage young African-American students to consider careers in health care.

In addition to receiving the O.J. Snyder MemorialMedal, he was twice chosen by the Student NationalMedical Association as their Meta Christy Award recipi-ent. He was an active member of Bright Hope Non-profit Corporation; served on the Board of Directors ofthe National Adoption Committee and as chairman ofthe Florida A&M Alumni Association ScholarshipCommittee; and was founder and chairman of SpruceAdolescent Counseling and Educational Center.

William M. King, DO ’62Dr. King was, at his quin-

tessence, a great philanthro-pist. Among his greatest bene-ficiaries were educationalinstitutions—PCOM, wherehe served as a member of theBoard of Trustees and was afounding member of theCollege’s Minority Scholarshipprogram, and Central HighSchool in Philadelphia, aninstitution with a library cen-ter that bears his name: The

Dr. William M. King Communications, Media andResearch Center at the Barnwell Library. In addition,through his charitable trust, Dr. King contributed to theNAACP, the Franklin Institute, Concerned Black Men,the Paul Robeson Center, the Philadelphia Art Museumand James Madison University.

In 2006, Dr. King received the President’s LeadershipAward in recognition of his generous contributions tothe scholarship program. Dr. King also served as a men-tor to many PCOM students, and he was recognized forhis contributions by the Student National MedicalAssociation with the Meta Christy Award.

Following an early career as a biochemist and thecompletion of his medical studies, Dr. King became a house physician at City Avenue Hospital and served as a physician for the U.S. Public Health Service in Philadelphia. He started in private practice inGermantown and Mount Airy, and opened theGemedco Family Medical Center in Germantown in 1986. He retired in 2005.

Re m e m b e r i n gLeonard Johnson, DO ’64 & William M. King, DO ’62


Class of 1946Howard E. Barsky, DO, Atlantic City,NJ, was appointed to the AtlanticCity, New Jersey Board of Ethics byMayor Robert Levy, Sr.

Class of 1954Class Agents: William G. McDowell, DO724-347-4163William C. Bryers, DO215-491-4015Patricia Smith Gilbert, RN, Kailua,HI, was honored by the University ofHawaii at Manoa for being one oftheir “Fabulous Fifty Nurses of 2006.”Gerald Scharf, DO, Narberth, PA,was recognized by Main Line Today as one of the “Top Doctors in Cardiology.”

Class of 1957Class Agents: Richard D. Hockstein, DO215-782-1020,[email protected] Rosner, DO215-465-2323,[email protected] H. Belsky, DO, Boca Raton,FL, was honored by PhiladelphiaCollege of Osteopathic Medicine inJune 2007 for his many years of dedi-cated service and in recognition of hisexceptional career. The Collegebestowed the title of professor emeri-tus upon Dr. Belsky during itsCommencement exercises.

Class of 1962Class Agents: James H. Black, DO757-489-5450, [email protected] S. Maurer, DO732-494-6688, [email protected] G. Davis, DO, San Antonio,TX, was honored for his 11 years of service in the House of Delegates of the Texas Osteopathic MedicalAssociation.

Class of 1965Class Agent: James F. Conroy, DO610-292-0830, [email protected] Lobo, DO, Harrington, DE,was presented with a Certificate ofHonor from Philadelphia College ofOsteopathic Medicine during AlumniWeekend. Dr. Lobo has served as pres-ident of the Alumni Association ofPCOM and as an alumni representa-tive to the PCOM Board of Trustees.In 2007, he was elected to the PCOMBoard of Trustees.

Class of 1971Class Agents: Pat A. Lannutti, DO215-871-6337John Simelaro, DO215-871-6337, [email protected] Fox, MM215-871-6701, [email protected] Strauss, DO, Houston, TX,works in astronaut training at KelseySeybold Clinic, a NASA contractor atthe Johnson Space Center. Dr. Strausswas selected by NASA for theSpaceflight Award for the launch ofSpace Shuttle Atlantis STS-117.

Class of 1972Class Agent: D. Wesley Minteer, Jr., DO724-543-8711Domenic Pisano, DO, Bryn Mawr,PA, was presented with the AffiliatedTeacher of the Year award fromPhiladelphia College of OsteopathicMedicine during Alumni Weekend.Dr. Pisano practices cardiology as apartner with Cardiology Consultantsof Philadelphia at the practice’s sites inSpringfield and Drexel Hill.

Class of 1973Class Agent: Herbert J. Rogove, DO949-764-6058, [email protected] M. Horwitz, DO, CherryHill, NJ, was elected chief of staff atKennedy Memorial Hospital –University Medical Center.

Class of 1976Class Agent: R. Michael Gallagher, DO856-354-1403Theodore Eisenberg, DO,Philadelphia, PA, was invited to par-ticipate in the American Academy ofCosmetic Surgery’s first WorldCongress on Liposuction Surgery andAdvances in Cosmetic Surgery, whichwill be held in Dubai, United ArabEmirates. Dr. Eisenberg will present“Breast Augmentation: MinimizingPostoperative Nausea and Vomiting(PONV), Maximizing PatientSatisfaction” and “Results of My 3126Bilateral Submuscular BreastAugmentations.”Victor H. Kaylarian, DO, DesMoines, IA, joined Des MoinesUniversity – College of OsteopathicMedicine as the chairman of thedepartment of internal medicine.Francis P. Sutter, DO, Gladwyne, PA, was recognized by Main LineToday as one of the “Top Doctors in Cardiology.”

Class of 1977Class Agent: H. Sprague Taveau, IV, DO806-212-5750, [email protected] M. Littlefield, DO, Rome, GA, has joined Harbin Clinic as a nephrologist.

Class of 1978Class Agent: Lorraine M. Disipio, DO610-623-7230, [email protected] R. Gelb, DO, Wyoming, PA,was the recipient of the 2007Distinguished Service Award presentedby the Pennsylvania OsteopathicMedical Association.

CLA S SNOTE S

E-MAIL YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS TO MADELINE LAW: [email protected]

2 12 0 0 7

Class of 1980Class Agent: Steven J. Fagan, DO843-743-7753, [email protected] R. Ball, DO, Cheltenham,PA, is program chair and president-elect of the American College ofOsteopathic Neurologists andPsychiatrists. Dr. Ball serves as a primary investigator at CRIWorldwide specializing in clinical trials for psychiatric disorders.Bernard S. Cieniawa, DO, Newtown,CT, obtained his recertification fromthe American College of OsteopathicEmergency Physicians.

Class of 1981Class Agent: Gerald E. Dworkin, DO610-520-0690, [email protected] I. Barsky, DO, Cherry Hill,NJ, was named vice chief of staff atKennedy Memorial Hospital –University Medical Center.Gerald E. Dworkin, DO, BalaCynwyd, PA, was featured in an arti-cle, “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain,”published in Philadelphia Magazine.Frank M. Tursi, DO, Erie, PA, was re-elected to the board of trustees of the Pennsylvania OsteopathicMedical Association.

Class of 1982Class Agent: Anthony J. Silvagni, DO954-262-1407, [email protected] Gentile, DO, Carbondale, PA, joined Maxis Women’s Health Services.David R. Kalodner, DO, Wallingford,PA, was recognized by Main LineToday as one of the “Top Doctors in Family Practice.” He was alsoinducted into the 2007 Delco Hi-QHall of Honor for outstanding professional achievement and community leadership.

CLA S SNOTE S

Providing a NetWhen Rhonda was laid off from her job of 22

years, she also lost her employer-sponsored healthinsurance. Too young to qualify for Medicare, andineligible for Medicaid, Rhonda found herself, likemany other Americans, without health insurance.But Rhonda, who has diabetes, hypertension andhyperlipidemia, considers herself lucky; she is apatient at St. Catherine Labouré Medical Clinic in Philadelphia.

St. Catherine Labouré Medical Clinic, a private, non-profit health clinicthat treats only the uninsured, was begun in 1999 by Sheila Davis, DO’87, and physician assistant Michele Palos-Samsi. The clinic, with threeexam rooms, is open four days a week, carries a 400-500 patient load fromacross the city, and receives no government funding. Foundation grants and donations “supplement” the $5 office visit fees collected.

“People think there is a safety net for the uninsured, and that’s just nottrue anymore,” explains the clinic’s director, Dr. Davis. “Even physiciansdon’t realize the extent of the problem—they don’t see the people who fallthrough the cracks. The fact that people in this country don’t have access tohealth care is inhumane. Our mission is to provide dignified care to theuninsured, particularly those who are marginalized by poverty even thoughthey are employed.”

In addition to Dr. Davis and Ms. Palos-Samsi, the clinic is staffed byonly one other paid employee, Katarzyna Calderon, MSN, CRNP. Thenurses, nurse manager, receptionists, another physician assistant and thepatient assistance advocate are all volunteers. Students from area schoolsand universities round out the staff.

“We are able to control most patients’ chronic diseases with monthlyvisits and by providing medications,” Dr. Davis points out, “and their goodhealth is the marker of our effectiveness.” Other than stethoscopes,oto/ophthalmoscopes, and lab testing, the clinic’s only piece of diagnosticequipment is an EKG machine and, Dr. Davis says, “our hands. I’m grate-ful every day that I’m a DO and for the training I received at PCOM. Wewere trained to use our hands, our heads, and the patient’s history to makemost diagnoses.”

When patients do need tests or to be seen by a specialist, the clinic looksto a network of physicians and clinics they have built over the years whowill see patients for free or on a sliding fee scale.

“Everyone who works here is passionate about what we do,” Dr. Davisemphasizes. “We are driven by the injustice in the system and our need toaddress it. These are people with lives that matter.”

|Sheila Davis, DO ’87



Anthony J. Silvagni, DO, FortLauderdale, FL, received designationas a distinguished fellow of theAmerican College of OsteopathicFamily Physicians.Marc A. Vengrove, DO, Allentown,PA, was appointed to the medical staff at Lehigh Valley Hospital andHealth Network.

Class of 1983Class Agent: Mary Ann DiBiagio, DO724-758-7559, [email protected] L. Henwood, DO, Stowe, PA,was re-elected to the board of trusteesof the Pennsylvania OsteopathicMedical Association.Douglas E. Mazzuca, DO, Pennsville,NJ, had his article titled “CataractSurgery and Its Improving LensImplant Technology” published in theGloucester County Times.Pamela Tronetti, DO, Titusville, FL,had her essay titled “A Place in theSun” published in the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.

Class of 1984Class Agent: Paul V. Suhey, DO814-231-2101, [email protected] J. DeNunzio, Jr., DO,Martins Ferry, OH, joined the med-ical staff at Wetzel County Hospital.Carl G. Gutekunst, DO, Burton, MI,joined the medical staff at the Flint-based McLaren Regional MedicalCenter. Dr. Gutekunst is a board-certified general surgeon.

Class of 1985Class Agent: Michael P. Meyer, DO717-721-5700, [email protected] J. Kelly, Jr., DO, Philadelphia,PA, was the recipient of the AlbertEinstein Physician Leadership Awardpresented by Albert Einstein MedicalCenter. Dr. Kelly is vice-president ofthe medical staff and associate chair ofemergency medicine at Albert EinsteinMedical Center.

Class of 1986Class Agent: John C. Sefter, DO410-337-7900Carol A. Unice, DO, Holland, OH, is proud of her son, Josh, who was drafted into the NHL by theChicago Blackhawks. Michael J. Zawisza, DO, Orwigsburg,PA, was re-elected to the board oftrustees of the PennsylvaniaOsteopathic Medical Association.

Class of 1987Class Agents: Elliott J. Bilofsky, DO814-623-6400, [email protected] C. Erlichman, DO814-623-1969, [email protected] C. Erlichman, DO,Everett, PA, was the recipient of theBedford County Chamber ofCommerce Athena Award for her contributions to the community, formaking a difference in the lives ofmany, and for being a role model forthe women in the area.Richard E. Johnson, DO, DuBois,PA, was elected to the board oftrustees of the PennsylvaniaOsteopathic Medical Association.

Class of 1989Class Agents: Judith RichmondPryblick, DO610-366-8445, [email protected] M. Smith, DO423-722-9355, [email protected] M. Belland, DO, Goose Creek,SC, has been selected for promotionto Captain of the Medical Corps ofthe United States Navy. In 2006, Dr.Belland was elected as a fellow of aerospace medicine by the AerospaceMedical Association.Beckie Michael, DO, Marlton, NJ,was a clinical associate professor ofmedicine and the director of dialysisservices at Thomas JeffersonUniversity before she foundedMarlton Nephrology and Hyper-tension in 2006. She currently servesas co-medical director of DSI MarltonDialysis Unit and is a clinical associateprofessor at the University of

Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey– School of Osteopathic Medicine.Mark A. Monaco, DO, Broomall, PA,was re-elected to the board of trusteesof the Pennsylvania OsteopathicMedical Association.Mary F. Pascucci, DO, Sugarloaf, PA, was featured in an article, “ASpecial Kind of Detective,” in theCitizens’ Voice.

Class of 1990Class Agent: Jennifer Waxler, [email protected] J. Bulgarelli, DO, Glen Mills,PA, was recognized by Main LineToday as one of the “Top Doctors in Cardiology.”Christopher J. Droogan, DO, WestChester, PA, was recognized by MainLine Today as one of the “Top Doctorsin Cardiology.”

Class of 1991Class Agents: Luke Nelligan, DO317-758-2080, [email protected] Schwartz, DO215-969-5650, [email protected] V. Cramer, DO, Blue Bell,PA, had his article “New, SinusBalloon Catheters for SinusitisPatients” published in the Phoenix.Lisa F. Parviskhan, DO, Exton, PA,was recognized by Main Line Today as one of the “Top Doctors in Family Practice.”Laura Czulewicz Reese, DO,Ashland, KY, is a clinical professor oforthopedic surgery at PikesvilleCollege of Osteopathic Medicine.

Class of 1992Class Agent: Gene M. Battistella, DO412-777-4319, [email protected]. Roger Dunkelberger, DO, St.Petersburg, FL, has a solo private prac-tice in Pinellas Park, Florida. Dr.Dunkelberger and his wife, Sherri, arethe proud parents of two young boysand two dogs.

CLA S SNOTE S

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Class of 1993Class Agents: Larissa Fernando-Dominy, DO610-409-8147, [email protected] M. Higgins, DO302-644-9644, [email protected] A. Hoffer, DO, Birdsboro,PA, joined Bryn Mawr RehabilitationHospital as a physiatrist at Rehab-ilitation Associates of the Main Line.Joseph D. Hope, DO, Boothwyn, PA,was recognized by Main Line Today as one of the “Top Doctors in Internal Medicine.”

Class of 1994Class Agent: Judith A. Gardner, DO215-428-9383, [email protected] S. Dolansky, Jr., DO,Allentown, PA, was re-elected to theboard of trustees of the PennsylvaniaOsteopathic Medical Association.Teresa M. Joy, DO, Hagerstown, MD,opened a new practice, Joy MedicalAesthetics, in Hagerstown.

Class of 1995Class Agent: Francis N. Ogbolu, DO606-833-9870Jeffery J. Dunkelberger, DO,Mechanicsburg, PA, was re-elected tothe board of trustees of thePennsylvania Osteopathic MedicalAssociation.

Class of 1996Class Agent: Joanne E. Hullings, DO215-781-0575, [email protected] M. Broughton, DO, Iortin, VA,is presently stationed at Bolling AirForce Base in Washington, D.C.Major Broughton, a physical standardspolicy chief, has served in the militaryfor nine years and is with the AirForce Medical Operations Agency.Frank J. Colarusso, DO, Morristown, NJ, joined Mercer-BucksOrthopaedics, P.C. as a physical medi-cine and rehabilitation specialist.

Kandace B. Farmer, DO,Simpsonville, NC, will be managingSolis Women’s Health’s new breast care center in Denton, Texas.Laura Lee S. Picciano, DO,Philadelphia, PA, joined the medical staff at HahnemannUniversity Hospital.John R. Pickett, DO, Windsor, NC, opened a new family practice, the Medical Clinic of Sharpsburg.

Class of 1997Class Agents: Laurie Ann Spraga, DO215-483-3800, [email protected] Sciullo, DO724-458-1540, [email protected] J. Mallis, Jr., DO, FortLauderdale, FL, and his practice,Advanced General Surgeons of SouthFlorida, have become the official med-ical team for the Florida Panthers. Daniel R. Taylor, DO, Philadelphia,PA, was featured in an article pub-lished in the Philadelphia Inquirer onhis work with Philadelphia physiciansmobilizing to help the city’s “disen-franchised young” break the destruc-tive cycle of violence.

Class of 1998Class Agent: James V. Lieb, DO814-946-2708, [email protected] E. Agersborg, DO,Philadelphia, PA, had her article “Tipsto Manage Cholesterol Levels” pub-lished in The Review. Dr. Agersborgjoined the medical staff at ChestnutHill Hospital.Michele L. Boornazian, DO,Lansdowne, PA, was recognized byMain Line Today as one of the “TopDoctors in Family Practice.”Victoria A. Engel, DO, Highland,NY, appeared on the cover of WorkingMother Magazine; she was featured in the magazine’s article “How SheDoes It.”

Adam C. Steinberg, DO, WestHartford, CT, is an urogynecologist atHartford Hospital - University ofConnecticut. Dr. Steinberg has beenappointed assistant professor of obstet-rics and gynecology at the Universityof Connecticut School of Medicine.

Class of 1999Class Agent: Tabatha Jeffers, DO814-375-0460, [email protected] C. Brown, DO, Owings Mills,MD, was appointed medical directorof the ACE Unit – Acute Care for the Elderly at Maryland GeneralHospital – University of MarylandMedical System.Edward K. Pavillard, DO,Collegeville, PA, was featured in anarticle titled “Advanced Technology toTreat Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms,”which was published in Mercury.Evan R. Restelli, DO, Oakmont, PA,completed a pulmonary fellowship atAllegheny General Hospital inPittsburgh. He is a partner at SouthHills Pulmonary Associates in Mt.Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Class of 2000Class Agent: Edward Casey, [email protected] C. Demidont, DO,Harrisburg, PA, joined the medical staff at Carlisle RegionalMedical Center.Jamison S. Jaffe, DO, Chalfont, PA,was the lead author of a manuscripttitled “Surgical Outcomes in MenUndergoing Laparoscopic RadicalProstatectomy After a TransurethralResection of the Prostate,” which he presented at the Annual EuropeanAssociation of Urology Meeting inGermany. Dr. Jaffe also presented the above manuscript and a secondmanuscript titled “LaparoscopicRadical Prostatectomy: Five YearOncologic Results” at the AmericanUrological Association in May 2007.

CLA S SNOTE S

Class of 2001Class Agents: Connie Andrejko, DO,and Kenneth Andrejko, DO215-873-8384Scott I. Forman, DO, Voorhees, NJ,joined the internal medicine practice of Drs. Woldow, Kessel and Sureshkumar in UpperRoxborough, Pennsylvania.Amy L. Hollihan, DO, Allison Park,PA, joined the medical staff at St.Luke’s Quakertown Hospital. Dr.Hollihan is on the medical staff at Tri-Valley Primary Care, Pennridge Office,Perkasie, Pennsylvania.Quan T. Luong, DO, Chambersburg,PA, joined the medical staff atFranklin County Pediatrics.Anuj Prashar, DO, Harrisburg, PA,completed his general surgical residencyat the University of Medicine andDentistry of New Jersey – School of Osteopathic Medicine in June2007. Dr. Prashar has begun a fellowship at Community GeneralOsteopathic Hospital.Dominic J. Valentino, III, DO,Washington, DC, will be completinghis pulmonary/critical care/sleep medi-cine fellowship at GeorgetownUniversity Hospital in July 2007. Hewill be joining Penn Jersey PulmonaryAssociates. And he will care forpatients and teach residents atChestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphiaand Underwood Memorial Hospital inWoodbury, New Jersey.Scott A. Vota, DO, Glen Allen, VA,was appointed residency programdirector at Virginia CommonwealthUniversity. Dr. Vota is assistant profes-sor of neurology at the university.

Class of 2002Class Agents: Edward J. Armbruster, DO856-751-5103, [email protected] Blasi, DO610-252-2147, [email protected] R. Blasi, DO, Easton, PA, hastaken a position with Lehigh ValleyPhysician Group of Lehigh ValleyHospital. He has also joined

Pleasant Valley Family Practice in Brodheadsville, PA, with fellowalumnus Jonathan Burke, DO ’00. Brian C. Copeland, DO, Havertown,PA, is enrolled in a gastroenterologyfellowship at Cooper UniversityHospital. He is board-certified ininternal medicine.

Timothy A. Leone, DO,Mechanicsburg, PA, completed hisgeneral surgical residency at theUniversity of Medicine and Dentistryof New Jersey – School of OsteopathicMedicine in June 2007. He has joinedSusquehanna Surgeons, a member ofHeritage Medical Group, LLP, as ageneral surgeon.

CLA S SNOTE S


Ready for His Close-upJoshua Baron, DO ’03, was nearing the comple-

tion of his residency in emergency medicine atAlbert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphiawhen his childhood friend Brad called from LosAngeles. An aspiring director, Brad had gotten hisbig break and was directing his first feature filmfor Sony Pictures. The story revolves around thelead character, played by John Leguizamo, who hassuffered head trauma. A great deal of the action

takes place in a hospital. Brad asked Dr. Baron to review the scene thattakes place in the ER for accuracy.

“The writers and producers liked my input so much that they asked meto read the entire script,” recalls Dr. Baron. “I spent two days reviewing the110-page script. Then John Leguizamo called me from L.A. for more back-ground about his character. We talked for an hour about how a patientwith a right frontal lobe injury would behave,” recalls Dr. Baron somewhatincredulously. One thing led to another, and Brad asked him if he wouldcome to L.A. for a week to serve as technical advisor. Two days later hereceived a round-trip, first-class ticket to L.A.

“It was incredible,” says Dr. Baron. “They were filming in a fullyequipped hospital. I worked a lot with the set designers on how an E.R.would look. I was the assistant director helping to choreograph the medicalscenes.” And just when he thought he had done it all, he was asked to writea speaking role for himself. “John’s character was using a memory note-book, but there was no introduction to how he started to use it,” explainsDr. Baron. “So they asked me to write a scene in which I would play a psy-chiatrist explaining the notebook.” The scene was filmed in just two takes.“It was easy playing a doctor,” claims Dr. Baron, “and since John and I hadhad this conversation over the phone, it was pretty natural. I just had topretend the cameras weren’t there.”

Now an attending at Bryn Mawr Hospital, Dr. Baron watches movieswith a more critical eye and says he’s available for more film work if a direc-tor comes calling. Look for The Take in movie theaters this winter.

|Joshua Baron, DO ’03


CLA S SNOTE S

Joshua S. Coren, DO/MBA ’02,and his wife, Jennifer B. Coren, DO ’03, Hatboro, PA, are the proud parents of Julia Isabella, born onDecember 27, 2006. Julia joins herbrother, Zachary, age four, and sister,Sarah-Grace, age 17 months.

Rosemary DeCicco, PA-C ’02,Hammonton, NJ, and her husband,Steve, are the proud parents ofMatthew Anthony, born on February 21, 2007.

Mark P. Doran, DO ’02, York, PA,and his wife, Rebecca, are the proudparents of Abigail Reed born onFebruary 20, 2007. Brother JackRiley, age three, was happy to wel-come his new sister.

Elizabeth Dos Santos, DO ’99, andher husband, Howard H. Chen, DO’99, Sierra Madre, CA, are the proudparents of Howard Anthony, born onDecember 25, 2006.

Kristin S. Halsell, PA-C ’02, Holt,MI, and her husband, Steve, are theproud parents of Brennan Alexander,born on February 1, 2007.

Bradley S. Hiles, DO ’98, Wexford,PA, and his wife, Kelly, are the proudparents of Brooklynn Paige, born onMarch 7, 2007.

Jeannie L. Hilton, DO ’00, VirginiaBeach, VA, and her husband, Chris,are the proud parents of triplets,Mackenzie Grace (4 lb., 1 oz.), KylieElizabeth (3 lb., 7 oz.), and AddisonAmelia (3 lb., 5 oz.), born on March21, 2007.

Aaron Lenhart, DO ’07,Philadelphia, PA, married MindyBrogna on June 12, 2007. Dr. Lenhartis an intern at Mercy SuburbanHospital; his wife is a registered nurseat Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Marshall G. Miles, DO ’02,Allentown, PA, and his wife, Nicole,are the proud parents of Kiera, bornon March 9, 2007.

Tracy Larzelere Raffa, MS/ODL ’05,Sewell, NJ, married Marc Raffa inNegril, Jamaica in November 2006.They are expecting their first child.

Evan R. Restelli, DO ’99, Oakmont,PA, and his wife, Blythe, are the proudparents of twins, Sarah and Callie,born on June 26, 2006. The twins jointheir brother, Aidan, age five, in thegrowing Restelli family.

Tricia M. Slattery, DO ’03, Broomall,PA, and her husband, Thomas, are theproud parents of Andrew Thomas,born on September 12, 2006.

Ryan Thomas Smith, DO ’04,Bethlehem, PA, married Elizabeth AnnRehrig on September 9, 2006. After areception at the Best Western inBethlehem, the couple honeymoonedin Hawaii.

Katharine M. VanSlyke, DO ’98,and J. Andrew VanSlyke, DO ’98,Norfolk, VA, are the proud parents ofJohn Blaise, born on September 6,2006.

Kelli Yacono, DO ’05, Springfield,PA, and her husband, Christian, arethe proud parents of triplets, EthanMichael (4 lb., 8 oz.), Gavin Marshall(3 lb., 14 oz.), and Elijah Scott (3 lb.,3 oz).

On a Personal

Note

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Class of 2003Debra D. Bromley, MS/ODL,Wallingford, PA, joined GenexServices, Inc. as vice president ofHuman Resources.Payce Handler, DO, East Norriton,PA, joined the medical staff at MercySuburban Hospital as a hospitalist.Stephanie B. Kaliner, DO, Malvern,PA, had her article “RecognizingObesity in Your Child” published inthe Phoenix.Tricia M. Slattery, DO ’03,Broomall, PA, completed a four-yearcommitment to the U.S. Navy as aflight surgeon. She has joined BrynMawr Family Residency Program.

Class of 2004Stacey Franz, DO, Manalapan, NJ,was elected 2007-2008 chief residentof the physical medicine and rehabil-itation residency program at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital (TheUniversity Hospital of Columbia &Cornell).

Class of 2005Nicholas Bower, DO, West Reading,PA, was featured in an article,“Former South Side Man ServesOthers Through Medicine,” pub-lished in the Sun-Gazette.Payton G. Fennell, DO, Richlands,VA, was selected as 2007 chief resi-dent of the Cabarrus FamilyResidency Program.Tracy Larzelere Raffa, MS/ODL,Sewell, NJ, serves as the financedepartment manager at IndependenceBlue Cross.

Class of 2006Samuel W. Pressley, MS/ODL,Williamstown, NJ, successfully re-established his public relationsfirm, Sam W. PressleyCommunications, LLC.

CLA S SNOTE S


Putting Theory Behind PracticeJanet Cruz, ODL ’07, was already a leader

when she entered the Organizational Developmentand Leadership program. She was an informationservices systems analyst at AstraZeneca, sat on theBoard of Westside Health in Delaware and was anactive member of Greater Philadelphia Cares. Shepresently chairs AstraZeneca’s United Way Day ofCaring, and in 2003 she created the HispanicEmployee Network of AstraZeneca to connect the

local Hispanic community to health and educational opportunities. Withall these accomplishments and responsibilities, why did Ms. Cruz choose totake on the ODL program? “The title attracted me,” she says simply.

“My undergraduate degree is in business management and IT,” Ms.Cruz explains, “and I wanted to grow and be able to take my experienceanywhere. The program validated my experience; it put the theory behindthe work I’ve been doing.”

As first a volunteer and then a board member of Westside Health, Ms.Cruz is integrally involved in forming a partnership between the health carecenter and the international pharmaceutical company to provide healthcare to the uninsured. Ms. Cruz’s commitment to Westside Health led toher ODL capstone project, “Succession Planning for Board Members ofWestside Health.” “The board did not have a completed succession plan inplace, so I knew I could help Westside as well as complete my programrequirements. My project was not theoretical; it will be used. The boardmembers and the staff contributed to the success of this project.

“I learned through the ODL program that I had all the hands-on experi-ence of organizational development, and the program gave me the theoryto back up what I’ve been doing.”

Among her many extracurricular activities, Ms. Cruz has recently translated a coworker’s book, Hanging Out with Lab Coats, Hope, Humor,and Help for Cancer Patients and their Caregivers into Spanish. The bookchronicles the coworker’s experiences as a breast cancer patient and waswritten to help others navigate their treatment and provide encouragementto anyone facing an extreme challenge. They are currently looking for asponsor to publish the Spanish version of this book.

“I get satisfaction from helping other people,” Ms. Cruz says, “that’swhat makes me feel good. It’s the things you don’t get paid for that get youout of bed.”

|Janet Cruz, MS/ODL ’07

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Bernard Abramson, DO ’51, Poplar Bluff, MO, March 2, 2007.

Wesley V. Boudette, DO ’44,Rimrock, AZ, March 7, 2007.

Frank V. Caruso, DO ’56,Philadelphia, PA, December 7, 2006.

Milton Danon, DO ’53, Tarrytown, NY, November 14, 2006.

John J. DePalma, DO ’75, Toms River, NJ, March 28, 2007.

Clare W. Elliott, DO ’50, Dunedin, FL, March 29, 2007.

Frederick H. Ferguson, DO ’68,Broken Arrow, OK, April 11, 2007.

Donald A. Goodman, DO ’57,Trooper, PA, May 17, 2007.

Eugene J. Hamburger, DO ’47, Des Moines, WA, March 28, 2007.

William D. Hilton, DO ’34,Bridgewater, NJ, February 6, 2007.

Leonard W. Johnson, DO ’64,Philadelphia, PA, May 12, 2007.

William Watkin Jones, III, DO ’60,Lancaster, PA, May 30, 2007.

William M. King, DO ’62,Philadelphia, PA, May 16, 2007.

Sidney M. Kochman, DO ’44,Philadelphia, PA, February 24, 2007.

William M. Lickfield, DO ’54,Pennsauken, NJ, April 15, 2007.

William P. Lonsinger, DO ’44,Huntingdon Valley, PA, May 4, 2007.

Albert F. Morgenthaler, DO ’58, Atlanta, GA, June 6, 2007.

Sanford J. Paul, DO ’53, Toms River, NJ, March 31, 2007.

Etta G. Reheard, RN ’50, Red Lion, PA, May 16, 2007.

George S. Robinson, DO ’32,Sarasota, FL, March 26, 2007.

Ralph Schwartz, DO ’56,Farmington Hills, MI, December 17, 2006.

Marc R. Silver, DO ’77,Philadelphia, PA, March 21, 2007.

Garry P. Sussman, DO ’74, Ambler, PA, April 4, 2007.

The College recently learned of the passing of the following alumni:

Joshua Bienenstock, DO ’46,Rockville Centre, NY, August 16,2001.

Melvin M. Glaser, DO ’51,Massapequa, NY, August 4, 2005.

Benjamin Richmond, DO ’45, Boca Raton, FL, May 31, 2004.

Clifford L. Tengelsen, DO ’65,Lowell, MI, October 15, 2005.

James H. Wallace, DO ’59, Largo, FL, March 12, 2005.

In MemoriamCertificates of MeritMichael A. Becker, DO ’87, Blue Bell,PA, received the designation Fellow ofthe American College of OsteopathicFamily Physicians.George O. Faerber, DO ’61, PuntaGorde, FL, played a vital role in securinga $2 million endowment fund from theOsteopathic Heritage Foundation to sup-port osteopathic medical research atPhiladelphia College of OsteopathicMedicine’s Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging.Samuel J. Garloff, DO ’78, Etters, PA,was elected president of the PennsylvaniaOsteopathic Medical Association.Robert B. Goldberg, DO ’77, ShortHills, NJ, was elected president of theMedical Society of the State of New York.Kenneth A. Heiles, DO ’84, Star City,AR, received the designationDistinguished Fellow of the AmericanCollege of Osteopathic Family Physicians.Peter E. Johnston, DO ’59, Dublin,OH, played a vital role in securing a $2 million endowment fund from theOsteopathic Heritage Foundation to support osteopathic medical research atPhiladelphia College of OsteopathicMedicine’s Center for Chronic Disordersof Aging.David C. Koronkiewicz, DO ’85,Goshen, IN, was inducted as Presidentof the Indiana Osteopathic Association.Ruth E. Purdy, DO ’50, Dublin, OH,played a vital role in securing a $2 mil-lion endowment fund from theOsteopathic Heritage Foundation to support osteopathic medical research atPhiladelphia College of OsteopathicMedicine’s Center for Chronic Disordersof Aging.David F. Scaccia, DO ’80, Kittery, ME,received the Navy Meritorious ServiceMedal presented by the United StatesNavy Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve.

CLA S SNOTE S

Harvey M. Spector, DO ’63,Huntingdon Valley, PA, was the recipient of the 2007 Family Physician of the Year Award presented by the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Family Physicians Society.

Greta J. Stewart, DO ’96,Sicklerville, NJ, was the recipient ofthe Meta Christy Award presentedby Philadelphia College ofOsteopathic Medicine’s Chapter ofthe Student National MedicalAssociation, Inc.

An inner-city pediatrician’s life isfilled with daily heartbreaks.We seechildren without health insurance hid-ing their symptoms for days until theyare critically ill for fear that theywould add to the stress of their impov-erished households; children who livein food-insecure households and/or ininadequate housing filled with second-hand smoke and environmental mold;children whose entire bodies emanatepoverty and neglect. Ringworm of thescalp, insects in ear canals, caries inbaby teeth . . .

On a daily basis we interpret abnor-mal lab results that portray the effectsof poor nutrition. Iron deficiency anemia, lead poisoning, and vitamin Drickets have become commonplace.BMIs exceed 85 percent in more thanone-third of children over two years of age.

Most tragically, for me, are the dailyeffects we see of interpersonal violence.Fear, anger, resentment, stoicism, retal-iation and hopelessness are etched ontoo many faces of children and parents.In one week, I had a five-year-oldpatient witness the double homicide of his father and his sister’s boyfriend.I had another five-year-old whosemother wanted me to evaluate himafter three kindergarten classmates“jumped” him in the hallway rightoutside of his classroom. I had aneight-year-old with chronic headacheswho related to me that she was livingin a household where her parents oftenfought verbally and physically. I see toomany children who are “jumpy” when

their parent makes a sudden move. Isee too many children whose smallbodies harbor recurrent tragedies atsuch a young age. They do not sufferfrom Post Traumatic Stress Syndromebecause there is no “post”; there is onlycontinuous stress.

The statistics are terrifying: 406homicides last year in Philadelphia—five times as many gunshot victims,many who go back to the street withcolostomy bags or wheelchairs, withoutsafety nets to prevent the cycle fromcontinuing. A 2006 University ofPennsylvania analysis found it moredangerous to be a young black male in Philadelphia than a soldier in Iraq.Heartbreak . . .

Candlelight vigils. Stuffed animalmemorials. Marches on City Hall.More police. More prisons.Reactionary responses to an over-whelming epidemic with roots in the public policy arena. Poverty.Unemployment. Lack of mental healthand substance abuse access and treat-ment. Inequities in education. Lack of health insurance. Lack of positivecaring adults. No safe havens. Mediaviolence. Fear of retaliation. Gunaccess. Hurt people hurting people.

All of these and more contribute toone of the greatest epidemics the cityof Philadelphia has ever known.

The majority of families inPhiladelphia—in the most concentrat-ed areas of poverty in the most impov-erished large city in America—aredecent, hard working families strug-gling to survive economically whiletrying to cohabitate with those whohave been so hardened by the “street”that a simple prolonged glance couldmean the difference between life anddeath. For these families, for all ofPhiladelphia’s children, we must stopthe heartbreak. We must take responsi-bility. We must stop the fear andreturn the hope. “Otherwise,” asTrauma Outreach Coordinator Scott P.Charles wrote in a PhiladelphiaInquirer editorial, “in a short time now,we will be well past the point of noreturn, when the age old proverb aboutteaching a man to fish will be irrele-vant, as young men from the city’smost dangerous neighborhoods willlack the necessary appetite for fish orits benefits. Rather, they will hungeronly for the hostile diet on whichthey’ve been raised. Homicide rateswill continue to soar, incarceration

rates will continue toswell, andPhiladelphiawill have nochoice but toconfront theshame of her neglect.”

MyTurnBy Daniel R. Taylor, DO ’97

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 to Jennifer Schaffer Leone. E-mail [email protected]; fax 215-871-6307; or mail Marketing and Communications, 4180 City Avenue,Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695.

“For these families, wemust stop the heart-break. We must takeresponsibility. We muststop the fear and returnthe hope.”


Ronald Blanck, DO ’67Annual Fund Co-Chair

Carol Fox, MMAnnual Fund Co-Chair

Murray Zedeck, DO ’62Leadership Gift

Committee Chair

Last year, we raised more than a MILLION DOLLARS for the UNRESTRICTED ANNUAL FUND!

Your continued support of our million dollar goal each year will ensure that PCOM’s reputation for excellence endures and grows.

Welcome to our new leaders for 2007-2008

BE PROUDYOUR SCHOOL. YOUR SUCCESS.

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

4180 City Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131-1695

Address service requested

E V E N T S

October 25President’s RecognitionReceptionHilton Philadelphia City AvenuePhiladelphia, PA

November 10Georgia Campus Open HouseGA-PCOM CampusSuwanee, GA

January 25Founders’ DayPCOM CampusPhiladelphia, PA

February 21-24FOMA 105th AnnualConventionHyatt Regency Pier 66Fort Lauderdale, FL

March 12-16ACOFP 45th AnnualConventionHyatt Regency DenverDenver, CO

March 26-30AAO 2008 Annual ConventionInterContinental HotelDallas, TX

May 30-31PCOM Alumni WeekendPCOM CampusPhiladelphia, PA

“The doctor of the future will giveno medicine, but will interest hispatients in the care of the humanbody, in diet, and in the causeand prevention of disease.”

– Thomas Edison

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