A Day of Pet Therapy, a New Rural Primary Care Health Clinic, "Texas Two Step" Classes, and More in Campus Roundup
Published February 15, 2019
2019
ACOM to Open New Rural Health Primary Care Clinic in Ashford
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) plans to open a new rural health primary care clinic in Ashford, AL, within the year. The new clinic, which will be located approximately seven miles from the campus and adjacent to the existing Southeast Health FirstMed facility, will help increase access to primary care for citizens and would focus on education of ACOM students within a nurturing, patient-centered environment. Under the umbrella of Southeast Health, the existing FirstMed clinic will remain open, seeing patients and providing uninterrupted health care services, until the transition to ACOM can be successfully completed.
“This clinic will be a win-win for everyone—for Ashford, for ACOM and for Southeast Health,” said Craig J. Lenz, Sr., DO, Dean of ACOM. “We are grateful to the City of Ashford for their support of this project that will provide increased patient care to the community and exciting training opportunities for our medical students.”
AZCOM’s Ryan Dyches Wins A. Hollis Wolf Case Competition
Ryan Dyches, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University (AZCOM)’s class of 2020, was the victor at the college’s ninth annual A. Hollis Wolf Case Competition. Mr. Dyches, an OMM Scholar who also serves as Student Director for the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents, won for his case presentation entitled, “Recurrent Abdominal Pain in a Pediatric Patient.”
Mr. Dyches is expecting the birth of his second child during the 2019 American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) Convocation. Therefore, runner-up Shirley Chang will represent AZCOM and Midwestern University at the national A. Hollis Wolfe Case Competition with her case entitled, "How Pain Can Guide Us: An Osteopathic Approach to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome."
ATSU-SOMA Hosts U.S. Army for Stop the Bleed training
On January 28, Major Michael Hay of the U.S. Army 6th Medical Recruiting Battalion provided Stop the Bleed training to faculty and first-year students at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA). Participants learned to administer care to someone with life-threatening bleeding in the critical moments before first responders arrive. Stop the Bleed is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American College of Surgeons.
All 106 first-year students at ATSU-SOMA participated in the training. After Major Hay provided classroom instruction, students were directed to the University’s back patio, where faculty had staged a mass-casualty simulation. Students provided care to 40 standardized patient actors with simulated injuries. After a few minutes, the Mesa Fire Department arrived to take over, giving students a feel for how long they should expect to wait for help from first responders.
Burrell Students Help with Migrant Health Screenings in El Paso
Osteopathic medical students from the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) have been assisting with health screenings of migrants crossing the border in El Paso, TX. Third-year osteopathic medical student Carlos Yeelot heard about the need for medical professionals at the shelters through an Instagram post. Other students got the word through their clinical preceptors or their fellow students.
“We work under the supervision of medical professionals, like our own faculty member, Dr. Swift, who is a pediatrician. Medical screenings consist of evaluating each patient just as we would at a regular clinic,” Yeelot explained. “This includes obtaining a history of present illness, asking about previous medical conditions, allergies, and medications; and taking vital signs. We then examine each patient and arrive at a diagnosis and treat accordingly, or send to the hospital if necessary.”
Photo: Carlos Yeelot at the migrant shelter where the BCOM students are assisting with health screenings.
CCOM Welcomes Speaker on LGBTQ+ Inclusion
The Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM), in cooperation with the Costin Institute, invited a speaker to address issues regarding LGBTQ+ health and osteopathic medicine. Jessica Lapinski, DO, is a family medicine resident with the Duke Family Medicine Center in Durham, NC. Dr. Lapinski has conducted and published several research studies examining health care disparities and effective physician-patient interactions for the LGBTQ+ community.
Dr. Lapinski addressed the group of CCOM students, educators, and participants in the Costin program in January on the Downers Grove Campus of Midwestern University. “LGBTQ+ patients face a wide array of health disparities, have decreased access to care, and are less likely to disclose their sexual and gender identity to their health care providers,” Dr. Lapinski said. “A possible solution includes increasing exposure of medical students to the community’s concerns and integrating pertinent aspects of LGBTQ+ health into already existing medical classes.”
NSU Tampa Bay Regional Campus Nearing Completion
Thanks to the $150 million real estate investment made by Kiran C. Patel, MD, and his wife, Pallavi Patel, MD, Nova Southeastern University (NSU)’s new Tampa Bay Regional Campus will include a 325,000-square-foot complex situated on approximately 27 acres in Clearwater, FL. Since its groundbreaking in March 2018, rapid progress has been made.
The location, scheduled to open late this summer, will become the new home for NSU’s current Tampa-based programs in health care sciences, nursing, psychology, education, and others. It will also house an additional campus for Nova Southeastern University's Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM), bringing the university one step closer to becoming one of the largest physician educators in the nation, and a premier destination for interdisciplinary health care education on the west coast of Florida.
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Students Teach “Texas Two Step”
“Hey, hey, are you OK?” was the chant heard over and over in the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine—New York (TouroCOM-NY) cafeteria in Harlem, where medical students taught children and adults how to perform a simple two-step method of CPR on a loved one or stranger who might be having a cardiac emergency.
Known as the “National Texas Two Step”, the training was part of the fourth annual “National Texas Two Step: CPR Save a Life Campaign”, offered in 16 states across the country in partnership with HealthCorps, a nonprofit founded by Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA, and the health nonprofit First Impact.
The five-minute training sessions are being offered in New York at only three sites this year. In addition to TouroCOM-NY, the free instruction took place on Sunday, February 17 in Nyack and White Plains by students from New York Medical College, part of the Touro College and University System.
Photo: TouroCOM-NY students who volunteered to teach the Texas Two Step CPR technique to the community, with Tipsuda Bahri, MD, faculty member who coordinated the event (kneeling).
RVUCOM Students Travel to Haiti for NYAGI Project
In late January, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) fourth-year osteopathic medical student Codee Champney and third-year osteopathic medical student Dan Coates traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti as part of the USAID-funded health care initiative the NYAGI Project, which seeks to expand diagnostic ultrasound access and education around the world. Champney and Coates, along with twenty other medical personnel, provided hands-on emergency ultrasound training to over forty doctors, nurses, and midwives using an interactive educational platform that combines ultrasound technology, experienced sonographers, and innovative software.
Ultrasound is a vital diagnostic tool for communities in Haiti, especially following several natural disasters that nearly crippled the country’s health care infrastructure. As such, providing access and continuing education to health care providers will significantly improve patient outcomes. The importance of Champney and Coates’ work was recognized by Cliff Gronseth, MD, physiatrist and founder of NYAGI, who also led the team in Haiti.
Pet Therapy Joins the Wellness Wheel at UNE COM
Wellness is a common theme at University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM), especially as first-year students plunge into the stress and anxiety of exams. The addition of therapy dogs, initiated by the Office of Recruitment, Student & Alumni Services, continues to be a welcome reprieve during the intensity of curricular testing, or what UNE COM calls “block week.” More than 50 students participated in the last pet therapy session, where Dalmatians, Monson and son Webster, lowered blood pressure and broadened the smiles of first- and second-year students alike.
Photo: First-year UNE COM students cuddle Webster to help de-stress during block week.
VCOM-Auburn Students Hold Training Event with First Responders
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Auburn (VCOM-Auburn) faculty and students recently held an introduction to suturing course for the Enterprise, AL Rescue Squad. According to Heather Milloy, a paramedic and third-year student at VCOM-Auburn, the goal of the course was to educate EMS providers about suturing to help provide outstanding prehospital care. “By learning suturing techniques and proper removal, EMS can better evaluate wounds and post-surgical sites for problems such as loose sutures and dehiscence,” added Milloy.
Milloy is one of 10 students currently on rotations at Enterprise Medical Center. Other VCOM-Auburn third-year students that assisted with the training were Matt Ferguson, Marissa Lee, and Anna Trujillo. VCOM-Auburn students work on rotations at Enterprise Medical Center where they interact with the Enterprise Rescue Squad on a regular basis in the emergency department. Additionally, students will occasionally go on ambulance calls with the Rescue Squad.
VCOM–Carolinas Student Group Hosts Gala to Benefit Medical Outreach
The Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Carolinas (VCOM-Carolinas) campus hosted its eighth annual gala at the Marriott in Spartanburg, SC, on February 2. This year’s theme was “An Evening in Old Hollywood.”
More than 300 VCOM students, faculty, and staff attended. After a catered dinner, attendees participated in a raffle, awards ceremony and dancing. Proceeds from the raffle were donated to St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic in Spartanburg, which offers quality health care to uninsured county residents, including primary care, physician-ordered medications, pastoral support, and patient education.
VCOM-Virginia Celebrates at Yearly Gala
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Virginia (VCOM-Virginia) students and faculty danced the night away February 8, 2019 at the 2019 VCOM Gala. Hosted by the Student Osteopathic Medical Association at The Inn at Virginia Tech, it was a Harry Potter-themed night full of dinner, raffles and dancing. Proceeds benefit VCOM's International Outreach program, supporting clinics abroad, and student travel scholarships.
Holstein Named 2019 WVSOM Alumni of the Year
For four decades, Robert B. Holstein, DO, has supported the school that provided his medical education and helped launch his career in the osteopathic profession. The Class of 1979 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) graduate has exemplified continuous dedication to the WVSOM Alumni Association and school. As a result, he was named the 2019 Distinguished Alumni of the Year during the association’s annual Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar in Charleston, WV.
Holstein practices in Florida, but spends a lot of time at WVSOM where he is living the mission by serving others. Holstein has given his time by serving on various boards, donated to major fundraising campaigns, and encouraged other alumni to pay it forward to help lessen the financial burden current students must carry to become physicians.