This Week@WesternU, Feb. 22-26, 2016
From the College of Pharmacy:
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Micah Hata was named a California Pharmacists Associations Distinguished New Practitioner. This is awarded to pharmacist practitioners for their contributions and leadership within 10 years of licensure.
Dr. Hata is a graduate of WesternU’s PharmD and then the residency program under the mentorship of Professor Klotz. He joined as Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration in 2008. He was one of the first few faculty in California who trained students and practitioners on Medicare Part D. He has more than proved his mettle in his area of practice and expertise-MTM and in being a role model and mentor to student pharmacists. He currently practices at the PCC Pharmacy and Ralph’s Pharmacy, providing MTM and innovative patient care services at both sites.
The award will be presented at West Coast Pharmacy Exchange to be held April 28-May 1 in San Francisco. Previous awardees at WesternU include Dr. Eric Gupta and Dr. Karl Hess.
From the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences:
Kudos on accomplishments
Associate Professor Dr. Fanglong Dong from the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences, in collaboration with Dr. Yawen Peng and colleagues from the College of Dental Medicine, recently had an oral presentation accepted for the upcoming 2016 AADR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition. The study explored the difficulties experienced by children with autism spectrum disorder during dental office visits. The citation is as follows: Peng, Y., Enciso J., Fang, K., Hsu, Rita, Liao, D., Dong, F., & Henson, B. Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorders in dentist office visits. Accepted as an oral presentation at the 2016 AADR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition, March 16-19, 2016, Los Angeles, CA.
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Lifestyle medicine presentation
Edward Phillips, MD, FACSM, visited WesternU COMP-Northwest Feb. 16, 2016, speaking with students in the Lifestyle Medicine Longitudinal Track at COMP and COMP-Northwest. Dr. Phillips presentation was on the “Future of Lifestyle Medicine Education.” Dr. Phillips is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and is the founder and director of the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston.
The 2016 Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon (OPSO) Conference awarded COMP-Northwest students Lisa McLean, Taylor Delamarter, Andreas Henning and Vitaliy Natkha as platform presenters Feb. 20, from a blind peer-reviewed committee. The overall OPSO first-place platform Medical Research and Presentation award went to Taylor Delamarter. Dr. Brion Benninger from the Medical Anatomy Center (MAC) mentored all the selected students. The research investigated a knee ligament of controversy revealing new clinical associations and a consistent novel imaging modality. The other platform topics presented from Dr. Benninger’s lab included novel ultrasound biplanar finger probe acquisitions, an endotracheal intubation sign and Google Glass use in a medical anatomy lab.
OPSO also selected the following COMP-Northwest medical research projects to be judged as poster presentations from a blind peer-reviewed committee of OPSO: Jenny Tran, Kelsey Baron, David Lang, Scott Goddard, Andreas Henning, Lisa McLean, and Ian Blanford made five-minute presentations defending their research. All the above selected student researchers were mentored by Dr. Benninger. The first-place Clinical Science Award went to Kelsey Baron, whose project included 3D ultrasound of the kidneys. The first-place Basic Science Award went to David Wang, whose project included Sectra visualization table with CT for pre-surgery workup and clinical anatomy. The first-place Education/Technology/Public Health Award went to Ian Blanford, whose project included 7D interactive ultrasound software. President of FACOFP, Dr. Larry Anderson commented on the high level of professionalism from all the student presenters from the Medical Anatomy Center and the innovative and clinical application represented in the research projects.
From Western Diabetes Institute:
Kudos on accomplishments
Western Diabetes Institute is referenced in the publication “Delivering the benefits of digital health care,” by Candace Imison, Sophie Castle-Clarke, Robert Watson and Nigel Edwards, Nuffield Trust. February 2016. Click here to read the publication. WDI is referenced on page 45, Box 4.5: Supporting integrated care for patients with diabetes.
From the College of Dental Medicine:
WesternU honored by Desert Friends of the Developmentally Disabled
Western University of Health Sciences was honored at the Desert Friends of the Developmentally Disabled’s 4th Annual fundraiser titled “The Magic of Love,” February 21, 2016, at Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The event was designed to provide financial support for dental services for the developmentally disabled offered through We Care Dental. Western University of Health Sciences was honored for more than four years of commitment by the College of Dental Medicine that has included building the dental student rotations to the site from one day a month to seven-week rotations as the patient population and dental needs have grown. Starting January 4, 2016, the College of Dental Medicine entered into an agreement to oversee and manage the clinical operations of We Care Dental at a new and expanded site in Rancho Mirage. Click here to read more.
In addition to the DFDD honors, WesternU was presented with a Proclamation from the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors for the services provided. Drs. Gary Gugelchuk, Interim President, Thomas G. Fox, Senior Vice-President, Kevin Shaw, CFO and Treasurer, as well as several members of the College of Dental Medicine leadership and senior staff were on hand to represent the University at the event.
According to Dr. Steven W. Friedrichsen, CDM Dean and WesternU Interim Provost, “The recent expansion of We Care Dental is the result of the efforts of many different individuals across the campus and within the College. I would offer special thanks and appreciation to Anna Enriquez, Director of Operations, and Suzanne Adolphson, Director of Patient Care Operations, within CDM. Without their extraordinary dedication to this transition, it would not have happened.”
The new We Care Dental site will be formally dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 2.
From the College of Podiatric Medicine:
Inaugural CPM Dean’s Lecture will encourage ‘blooming’
The College of Podiatric Medicine (CPM) has named UC Davis’ Julie A. Freischlag, MD, as keynote speaker for its inaugural Dean Lawrence B. Harkless Distinguished Lecture, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, 2016.
Freischlag, Vice Chancellor for Human Health Sciences and Dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, will present “Bloom Where You Are Planted.” Click here to read the full story.
From University Advancement:
Dr. Sam Shimomura Scholarship Endowment
Dr. Sam Shimomura signed an Endowment Gift Agreement Feb. 18 pledging to fund the new $20,000 “Dr. Sam Shimomura Scholarship Endowment” in support of WesternU student pharmacists interested in pursuing careers in Hospital and/or Health Systems Pharmacy, and with an interest in Geriatrics. Dr. Shimomura will be funding this endowment via payroll deduction for the next two years, but will also provide additional $1,000 annual scholarship awards over the next three years while the endowment is funded and accrues interest. Dr. Shimomura is a founding faculty member in the College of Pharmacy, and has been an active and generous donor in support of WesternU students and programs over the past 20 years, including ATC, East West, and Towne & Gown.
Alumni news
On the evening of Thursday, Feb.18, the Alumni Office hosted a reception at the Hilton Anaheim during the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting. We set a new attendance record for a PT event with 120 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and guests in attendance to enjoy one another’s company as well as complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The previous attendance record was 100 at the California Physical Therapy Association Annual Conference in Long Beach, Calif. in the fall of 2011. A few pictures from the event can be viewed online at http://westernu.smugmug.com/WesternU-Alumni/CSM2016.
This past weekend also featured both the Osteopathic Physician and Surgeons of California’s Annual Convention in San Diego, Calif. and the Osteopathic Physician and Surgeons of Oregon’s Winter CME Conference in Sunriver, Ore. Exhibit booths were set up at both conferences to connect with the many COMP alumni attending those conferences, and COMP-Northwest sponsored a reception and a family night ice skating during the Oregon conference.
