This Week@WesternU, June 20-24, 2011

From the College of Allied Health Professions:

Allison Fitzsimons, DPT ’12, and Associate Professor Casey Chaney, PT, PhD, CSCS, OCS, recently participated in a rally on Capitol Hill in which Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) addressed about 1,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy as they rallied in support of legislation to increase patient access to rehabilitative care. Tester and Wicker, sponsors of the Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act (S 975), spoke about the importance of adding physical therapists to the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program and recruiting them to rural and underserved areas. Following the event, rally participants met with their members of Congress to ask them to support S 975 and the House’s companion bill HR 1426. They also advocated for the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (HR 1546/S 829), legislation that would repeal the cap on outpatient rehabilitative services for Medicare beneficiaries, and the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act (HR 469). HR 469 includes physical therapists in the multidisciplinary team of licensed health care providers that is qualified to evaluate and manage patients with concussions.

Department of Physician Assistant Education News

Congratulations to PA faculty member Tim Wood, MS, PA-C, who completed the AIDS Lifecycle ride, which started in San Francisco and ended in Los Angeles. Tim rode 545 miles in seven days and raised more than $5,000 for the cause. The 10th annual AIDS/lifecycle was a success that raised a record $13 million dollars all thanks to the support of cyclists like Tim Wood.

Congratulations to alumna Gargi Mehta, MS, PA-C ’07, who co-authored the article “Physician Assistants in the ICU: How Best to Integrate Them Into the Multidisciplinary Team.” The article was published in ICU Director, January/March 2011 edition. Click here to view the abstract.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments

Veterinary professor Dr. Joe Bertone was recently named chief medical editor for Equus Magazine. This widely circulated publication is billed by Amazon.com as providing “the latest information from the world’s top veterinarians, equine researchers, riders and trainers on understanding and influencing equine behavior, recognizing the warning signs of illness and disease, and solving riding and training problems. An annual index turns Equus issues into a valuable reference library.”

In addition Dr. Bertone was an invited speaker at the Central Veterinary Conference, Washington, DC edition. May 4-5, 2011. He presented the following topics at this meeting: “Clinical neurology made Easy Part 1,” “Clinical neurology made Easy Part 2,” “Sleep deprivation: it’s not narcolepsy,” “Dorsal cervical articular injection: when and how,” “Cardiac evaluation and case discussion,” “Medicine case discussion,” “Occult and flagrant pleuropneumonia.”

Dr. Bertone provided one of the two cases reported in a recent publication titled: “Lyme Neuroborreliosis in 2 Horses.” This publication was a collaboration between WesternU, UC Davis and Cornell University.

Lyme neuroborreliosis-characterized as chronic, necrosuppurative to nonsuppurative, perivascular to diffuse meningoradiculoneuritis-was diagnosed in two horses with progressive neurologic disease. In one horse, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto was identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification of B burgdorferi sensu stricto-specific gene targets (ospA, ospC, flaB, dbpA, arp). Highest spirochetal burdens were in tissues with inflammation, including spinal cord, muscle, and joint capsule. Sequence analysis of ospA, ospC, and flaB revealed 99.9% sequence identity to the respective genes in B burgdorferi strain 297, an isolate from a human case of neuroborreliosis. In both horses, spirochetes were visualized in affected tissues with Steiner silver impregnation and by immunohistochemistry, predominantly within the dense collagenous tissue of the dura mater and leptomeninges.

The complete citation is: Imai DM, Barr BC, Daft B, Bertone JJ, Feng S, Hodzic E, Johnston JM, Olsen KJ, Barthold SW. Lyme Neuroborreliosis in 2 Horses. Vet Pathol. 2011 Apr 1. [Epub ahead of print]

Veterinary assistant professor Dr. Yvonne Drechsler and Dr. Ellen Collisson, Professor, presented at the 12th International Nidovirus Symposium at Acme, Mich. June 4-9, 2011.

Dr. Drechsler gave an oral presentation, “Greater macrophage response of B2 MHC chickens correlates with greater resistance to coronavirus associated illness,” by Yvonne Drechsler, Maisie Dawes, Ghida R. Banat, Suzana Tkalcic, Mark W. Jackwood, Lisa Griggs, W. Elwood Briles and Ellen Collisson.

Dr. Collisson presented a poster, “Genetic resistance to Avian Coronavirus can be associated with the avian MHC,” by Ghida R. Banat, Suzana Tkalcic, W.E. Briles, Miguel D. Saggese, Mark W. Jackwood and Ellen W. Collisson. The chicken’s major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype is known to have profound influence on the resistance or susceptibility to certain pathogens.

From the College of Dental Medicine:

New College of Dental Medicine Dean

WesternU has named Steven W. Friedrichsen, DDS, as the new Dean of the College of Dental Medicine.

Click here to read the full story.

Kudos on accomplishments

Dr. Tobias Boehm, Assistant Professor, has been awarded “Diplomate” status by the American Board of Periodontology. Beyond being certified as a dentist and a periodontist after postdoctoral study in a program approved by the American Dental Association, diplomats have passed comprehensive qualifying and oral examinations that cover all aspects of periodontal disease treatment, including dental implants.

Assistant Professor Yawen Peng, DMD, had a scientific article, “Marginal Microleakage of Triage Sealant Under Different Moisture Contamination,” published by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Click here to view the article.

From the College of Optometry:

Charles Haine, OD, MS, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, is set to retire at the end of June after 40 years in the profession. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in the students he taught and the colleagues he influenced. Click here to read the full story.

From the College of Podiatric Medicine:

Dr. Jarrod Shapiro was elected the president of the Inland Empire Society for the California Podiatric Medical Association.

Dr. Jonathan Labovitz received the California Podiatric Medical Association award for Excellence in Education at the annual California Podiatric Medical Association House of Delegates held June 8, 2011 at Disneyland Hotel and Convention Center.