Father-son dermatology duo visits alma mater
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific alumni Warren Peterson, DO '87, and his son Michael Peterson, DO '00, gave words of encouragement and advice to Western University of Health Sciences students interested in dermatology during a presentation on March 19, 2013. The father-son duo talked about past cases and gave advice about entering dermatology, which Michael called the best profession. Dr. Michael Peterson practices at Aspen Dermatology in Spanish Fork, Utah. He advised students going on clinical rotations to be descriptive when they are reporting their findings to the attending physician. Dr. Warren Peterson is performing full-time mission service in Southern California as an area medical adviser for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and told students to brace themselves for the very small percentage of patients who are difficult.
U.S. Rep Negrete McLeod prepares COMP students for Capitol Hill lobbying
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific students want to make a difference, not only in their future patients' lives, but also in shaping health care nationwide. Twenty-seven COMP students participates in DO Day on Capitol Hill March 14, 2013, organized by the American Osteopathic Association as an opportunity for Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) and students to lobby members of Congress and their staff face-to-face in Washington, D.C. On Friday, March 8, 2013, the Western University of Health Sciences student chapter of the Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons of California (OPSC) invited U.S. Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod to help them prepare for DO Day on Capitol Hill. Her 35th Congressional District includes WesternU's Pomona campus. Negrete McLeod told the students to thoroughly prepare for their meetings in the Capitol, and to learn about the legislator they would be meeting and know about the issues they would be presenting.
COMP-Northwest
COMP-Northwest students held a Donor-Cadaver-Patient memorial service honoring 23 people whose ultimate gift contributed to their medical education. The memorial service, which was open to the public, took place on Monday, March 18, 2013 on the Lebanon, Oregon campus. Folded flags were presented during the ceremony to honor those donors who served in the military. The COMP-Northwest Choir, made up of staff and students, will sing a selection of songs. Students will offer reflections and gratitude.
The Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon gave special thanks on their Facebook page in March to Assistant Professor Mike Jaczko, DO, Natalie Limoges, DO '15, and Rob Luchsinger, DO '15, who all testified at the House Health Care Committee on Friday to oppose HB 2902 - a bill that would require insurers to pay nurse practitioners and physician assistants at the same rate as physicians.
On March 11, COMP-Northwest students discussed the latest information on nutrition for healthy living in a presentation titled, "Vitamins, Nutritional Supplements and Fad Diets." The talk was part of a free, public series called "Library After Hours" at the Lebanon Public Library.
COMP Interim Dean Paula Crone, DO '92, was the recipient of a special art piece from Jim and Heather McDaniel of Lebanon, who have several other pieces of art on display at COMP-Northwest.
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Alumni News
At the end of February, the Santa Fe, NM City Council voted unanimously to appoint Charles Maynard, DO '83, to a four-year term on the Mayor's Committee on Disability.
On Feb. 20, the AOA joined the Alliance for Aging Research (AAR) at a Capitol Hill briefing to release a new volume of The Silver Book: Persistent Pain, a trusted source of information for policymakers and thought leaders. AOA member Marc Lynch, DO '91, an anesthesiologist and pain management physician from California, provided an expert review of portions of the book. The briefing educated Congressional staff and others about the human and economic burden of persistent pain that affects around 100 million Americans.
Michael Norman, DO '91, is currently practicing internal medicine and diabetes management at Desert Mountain Medical Group in Apple Valley, CA.
Interim Dean Paula Crone, DO '92, was named Business Leader of the Year by the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, and received the award March 12 during the chamber’s Distinguished Service Awards.
Professor David Redding, DO '93, MSHPE '96, has created a series of patient educational handouts for alumni to distribute to their patients. The first one is for patients with low back pain. The handout is an exercise sheet upon which doctors can mark the exercises they want their pateints to perform, along with how many repetitions and frequency. Please make copies and distribute freely.
Rich Charlebois, DO '97, has left Three Rivers Family Practice in Waterville, Maine, to begin practicing family medicine at the nearby Inland Family Care in Oakland, Maine.
Kent Muraoka, DO '01, currently practices anesthesiology at Kaiser Permanente in Baldwin Park.
Stacy Naito, DO '01, is board-certified in family practice, and specializes in cosmetic dermatology and weight management. She served as the Director of Cosmetic Research at Alhambra Hospital Medical Center, and is a published medical researcher. She is also a fitness model and national NPC bikini champion, having received five 1st place national titles.
After several years of preparation and a few setbacks, Steve Holsenback, DO '01, and Heather Holsenback, DO '02, have finally settled into their home in the West African city of Koutiala, Mali, as medical missionaries.
Jason Giuliano, DO '03, built the Jaco Laguna Resort and Beach Club, the only four-star resort in Jacó Beach, Costa Rica.
Michael Bryant, DO '06, joined the Great Falls Clinic team in Montana in September of 2012, after completing a sports medicine fellowship program at the Detroit Medical Center in Warren, Mich.
Donald Portocarrero, DO '08, visited campus on March 5 to speak at the Latino Medical Student Association general member meeting. Dr. Portocarrero is a Fellow, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Loma Linda University Medical Center.
Faculty News
Robyn Dreibelbis, DO, Vice Chair and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, COMP-Northwest, and Dat Trinh, DO, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, COMP, attended the 11th annual Leadership and Management in Geriatrics Conference on March 8 and 9, 2013 in Long Beach. They presented a project on enhancing geriatric education during the pre-clinical years, which took first place at the conference.
Raymond J. Hruby, DO, MS, FAAO, was awarded The Andrew Taylor Still Medallion of Honor during the President's Dinner at the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) Annual Convocation on March 23, 2013 in Orlando, Fla. According to the AAO, deserving members of the Academy are awarded The Andrew Taylor Still Medallion of Honor by exhibiting, among other accomplishments in scientific or professional affairs, an exceptional understanding and application of osteopathic principles and concepts.
Dr. Brian Kraatz, Department of Medical Anatomy, COMP, recently was awarded a Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society to initiate a paleontological research project in Xinjiang Province, China. The project will be conducted in May 2013 in collaboration with faculty at Lanzhou University, where Kraatz will also give an invited seminar.
Elizabeth Rega, PhD, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Development, Office of Academic Affairs, and Associate Professor of Anatomy, COMP, spoke about dinosaur diseases during "Dinosaur Day" March 23 at the Museum of Science in Boston. Dinosaur enthusiasts heard from paleontologists from around the U.S. about their research and theories. Click here to read a story previewing the event.
Dr. Matthew Wedel's work with a team studying how dinosaurs got long necks is profiled in a story on the Fox News web site. Dr. Wedel and a colleague also published: Wedel, M.J., and Taylor, M.P. 2013. Neural spine bifurcation in sauropod dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation: ontogenetic and phylogenetic implications. Palarch's Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 10(1): 1-34. PJVP is an open-access journal and the paper is freely available here: http://www.palarch.nl/wp-content/Wedel-and-Taylor-2013-Neural-spine-bifurcation-in-sauropod-dinosaurs-PJVP-10-1.pdf
Brion Benninger, MD, MSc, organized a community liaison outreach to Native American students attending the multiple rural schools along the northern coast of Oregon. Dr. Benninger and the Medical Anatomical Sciences Department are combining ultrasound and human anatomy exposing K-12 students to the wonders of technology and the human body in health care. Also assisting were Nik Matsler, Michelle Hovorka, and OMS I students Anna Bryce and Jaclyn Palkert. This is a step towards our goal to create an outreach academic relationship increasing opportunities in health care fields for Native Americans. Dr. Benninger also had his research, "Are distal femoral traction pins intra-articular? A cadaveric study," accepted in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. Further, Dr. Benninger conducted an oral and facial nerve blocks CME/pain workshop with Emergency Medicine, Family Practice, Acute Care and Sports Medicine physicians. The session consisted of didactic lectures and lab instruction. For many of the attendees, this was their first visit to COMP-Northwest. The feedback for both the course and the University was outstanding. Dr. Benninger received comments from several attendees who would like to return to COMP-Northwest to participate in teaching anatomy and collaborating on research projects.
John T. Pham, DO, Assistant Professor for the Department of Family Medicine at COMP-Northwest, was invited to speak on cultural diversity on March 15 at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. The interactive presentation, "Understanding Healthcare Diversity among the Asian Community," will include role-play scenarios with Asian patients that cover a wide range of topics, including working with an interpreter. Dr. Pham is honored to present first on the series at OHSU. The series addresses patient-centered cultural health presentations for OHSU students and providers.
Gerald Thrush, PhD, Scott Helf, DO, MSIT, and colleague Terence Ma, PhD, from California Northstate College of Medicine, presented at the Educause Southwest conference in Austin, Texas on Feb. 13. Their presentations were on "Technology to Track Learner Outcomes" and the "Academic Progress Portal: Catching Students Before They Fail." They explained the academic theory behind institutional, program, and course level outcomes, as well as discussed and demonstrated technologies to track those outcomes, ranging from and pivoting on the senior administrative, university, college, course, and as granular as the per student level. Links to their presentations can be found here: http://www.educause.edu/west-southwest-regional-conference/2013/supporting-students-academic-planning-progress-and-learning-analytics.
COMP-Northwest Associate Professor John Mata, PhD, co-authored two papers on the use of taurolidine for treatment of osteosarcoma. The first paper, "The effects of taurolidine alone and in combination with doxorubicin or carboplatin in canine osteosarcoma in vitro," was published in BMC Veterinary Research: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/9/15. The second paper still in press, "A case study of personalized therapy for osteosarcoma," will soon be available in the journal Pediatric Blood and Cancer. Dr. Mata is also a Primary Investigator on a grant awarded through the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute's Gap Fund. This grant funds collaboration between Western University of Health Sciences, Oregon State University faculty, and Hayoka Designs, LLC with TriAgenics Inc. of Eugene, Oregon. Gap funds are "Proof of Concept" grants made to research institution PIs and/or facilities to take research results to the next level, leading to a commercial product. The goal of the research project is to design, test and produce 8.0 Ghz microwave probes, conduct research to demonstrate effectiveness and safety of the new technology, and begin the process of seeking FDA approval in Europe and the U.S. The grant is a one year award with $250,000 in direct costs and a total budget that exceeds $450,000. TriAgenics LLC is an Oregon corporation formed to commercialize its microwave thermocoagulation technique to prevent development of 3rd molars, also known as "wisdom teeth." Success in this effort may provide a new option for patients and avoid future oral surgery and complications that can include post-operative trauma, infection, and pain.
Dr. Vicki Wedel of COMP/CDM was an invited speaker at the annual Redlands University 8th Grade Girls Math and Science Conference sponsored by the 
American Association of University Women. Her talk, "I See Dead People: What I Can Tell About the Dead from Their Bones and Teeth," was part of an agenda to encourage more young women to pursue careers in science, technology and math. Among the comments Dr. Wedel received after her talk was that she was able to make a "dead" subject come alive. She was also an invited speaker in the Department on Anthropology at San Diego State University, where she spoke to a crowd of 300 on the topic of "bones, ballistics, and blunt force trauma" and counseled graduate students interested in pursuing careers in forensic medicine and of odontology. Dr. Wedel also recently attended the annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences with Shirley Hsieh, MSMS '11, DMD '15. Dr. Wedel and her Creighton University collaborator Dr. Ken Hermsen assembled and moderated a symposium on "How Hard Tissue Histology Helps Solve Cases," which was very well received. Dr. Wedel presented a paper titled "Determining Season at Death Using Dental Cementum: A Validation Study," in which she summarized the results of a project three years in the making, and her paper was named runner up for the Kerley Award, the only award the Physical Anthropology Section of the Academy awards for the section's best paper. Hsieh presented a paper titled "Does Cut Direction Affect Cementum Increment Viewing?" She also became CDM's first trainee affiliate of the Academy, specifically the Odontology Section. Dr. Wedel also nominated OMS2 2nd Lt. Rina Eden for student membership in the Pathology/Biology section of the Academy. Her application was approved, making Rina COMP's first trainee affiliate of the Academy.
COMP recently announced the hiring of Yadi Sweeny, PsyD, as Assistant Professor, Psychiatry.
Student News
Khomthorn Cunvong, MSMS '12, DO '16, Joshua Cameron, Assistant Professor in the College of Optometry, Daniel Huffmire, MSMS '12, DMD '16, and Douglas Ethell, Associate Professor in the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences recently published Amyloid-β Increases Capillary Bed Density in the Adult Zebrafish Retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Feb 27;54(2):1516-21. doi: 10.1167/iovs.12-10821.
Eric Kim, DO '16, represented Toast of the Towne Toastmasters Club in the area A5 speech contest. He was the runner-up in International Speech, and won the Table Topics contest.
Students from WesternU are among the hosts for a health symposium for LGBT and allied students from across the nation, titled "Forward Together" on Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, at UCLA and other sites. The symposium is hosted by students from UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and Fielding School of Public Health, Western University of Health Sciences, and USC's Keck School of Medicine.
Read the latest updates from the students themselves in the latest Student Government Association Newsletter.
Events & Conferences
The WesternU Alumni Association hosted an evening reception on Friday, March 22 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas during the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians' Annual Convention. More than 60 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and guests joined Interim Dean Paula Crone, DO '92, to enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a hosted bar.
April 18: WesternU's College of Pharmacy presents the Ray Symposium on campus. Dr. Patricia Crawford, RD, director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley, and a Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist, will present "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention," at 5:30 p.m. in Lecture Hall 1 of the Health Education Center on WesternU's Pomona campus.
May 4: WesternU/COMP – 6th Annual CME Conference on campus, 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Earn up to 7 AOA Category 1-A Credits and participate in a student/alumni networking lunch.
May 15: WesternU Alumni Networking Mixer, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at McCormick & Schmick's in Pasadena (111 N Los Robles). Meet up with other WesternU alumni and join us for an evening of complimentary appetizers, drinks and lively conversation. RSVP by May 10 to Austin Braunwalder.
May 15-17: WesternU's 32nd Commencement at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
June 10: WesternU's 2013 Towne & Gown Golf Tournament, benefiting student scholarships, will be held Monday, June 10, 2013, at the Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.
July 13: Save the date to join your fellow alumni for complimentary drinks and snacks at WesternU's "Day at the Beach" in Malibu on Saturday, July 13, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
See a full list of upcoming events on the Online Alumni Events page.
For more information or to RSVP for these events, please contact the Alumni Office at (909) 469-ALUM or alumni@westernu.edu.
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