This Week@WesternU, Oct. 16-20, 2017
A Tribute to Caring
WesternU will hold its annual fundraising gala “A Tribute to Caring” (ATC) Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. Proceeds benefit student scholarships. WesternU will honor Inter Valley Health Plan, represented by President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald H. Bolding. Proceeds from ATC benefit student scholarships. Click here to visit the ATC website for more information and to purchase tickets: http://www.westernu.edu/tribute/#home
WesternU Western Diabetes Institute coordinator provides medical aid to earthquake victims in Mexico
A devastating magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck central Mexico on Sept. 19, 2017, killing more than 350 people and injuring more than 6,000.
Cesar Ochoa, CPT I, MD, PhD, clinical research coordinator for Western University of Health Sciences’ Western Diabetes Institute, grew up in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. He gathered friends and family members with medical skills and spent Sept. 21-25 in the cities of Jojutla and Zacatepec, which are close to his hometown and were heavily damaged by the earthquake. Most of the international relief efforts were focused on Mexico City, so Ochoa wanted to help these other areas that were also affected.
Click here to read the full story.
From the College of Allied Health Professions:
Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship
The Department of Health Sciences is pleased to announce that two students in the MSHS Program have been accepted into the competitive Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship. Alison English will be placed at Healthy San Gabriel Valley/YWCA and Huyen Bui has been placed at the Western Riverside Council of Governments.
The Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for MSHS students to work, on the ground, in communities that have critical needs. Fellows are paired with specialists who, together, work to improve the health and vitality of community residents.
The Fellowship spans the Fall and Spring semesters and provides a stipend that supports students while they work 15 to 20 hours per week at their placements. Each Fellow’s work is focused on the needs of the target community and leadership is an integral component of the program.
We are excited about this wonderful opportunity for our students and department. Congratulations Alison and Huyen.
From the College of Veterinary Medicine:
National Veterinary Technician Week
October 15-21 has been designated National Veterinary Technician Week. As a member of the veterinary health care team, veterinary nurses/technicians are educated in the latest medical advances and skilled at working alongside veterinarians to give pets the best medical care possible. They work closely with the veterinarians, veterinary assistants, practice managers, and owners to provide essential care to all species of animals – pets with fur, feathers, scales or skin, according to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America.
WesternU would like to recognize and thank our vet techs for their service: Kim Holt, Annette Chavarria-Marron, LuAnn Peterson, Marlena Salinas, Brittany Bryan, Prisma Martinez, Elizabeth Villagran, Leslie Tortez, Annette Robles, Ada Leung and Nayaira Garcia.
Click here to read more about National Vet Tech Week:
http://webassets.westernu.edu/westernu-news/docs/NVTLR-COM-ClientBroch-VetTechs-022616.pdf
Kudos on accomplishments
CVM Associate Professor Mohammad Mir published a manuscript titled “Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) nucleocapsid protein has dual RNA binding modes.” The manuscript reveals two RNA binding sites in the nucleocapsid protein of CCHFV. The two binding sites distinctly bind double and single stranded RNA. This unique binding mode may play a role in the packaging of viral genome and regulation of CCHFV replication in conjunction with RdRp and host derived RNA regulators. The manuscript is available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28922369
From the College of Dental Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
CDM had a great presence at the annual Business and Financial Administration and Clinic Administration (BFACA) meeting in San Diego.
David Lazarchik, DMD, and Suzanne Adolphson, MSW, MHA, served as members of the planning committee for the meeting.
Hubert Chan, DDS, and Alex Lee, DMD, presented their workshop, “Are Ye Sailing? Faculty Calibration with Augmented Reality,” to excellent reviews.
Shirley Kang, DDS, successfully gave her first national meeting presentation, “How to Get an “A” in Chart Compliance.”
Suzanne Adolphson, MSW, MHA, presented her workshop, “Landing the Perfect Employee: Using the Best Hook Line and Sinker.”
Steven W. Friedrichsen, DDS, provided a presentation titled “Sailing To A Distant Shore” and served on the “Deans’ Panel” with two other Deans and a moderator for the presentation “Positive Disruption: Making Dynamic Changes in Dental Education.”
Nelida Rodriguez passed both her written and practical exam and is now an Expanded Function Registered Dental Assistant (RDA-EF). We are all very proud of her accomplishment and look forward to her assuming a new level of responsibility for patient care and support of the students’ educational experience in the WesternU Dental Center.
Yawen Peng, DMD, and Gary Pape, DDS, MA, recently earned MEd degrees from the University of the Pacific. The didactic program covered: theories and principles of cognition and learning; design of learning environments; fundamentals of course design; best practices in instruction; teaching strategies to develop critical thinking; best practices for clinical teaching; best practices for giving feedback; instructional plan design; philosophies of teaching; learner centered instruction; assessment principles and techniques; scholarship of teaching and learning; oral healthcare delivery systems; research design and methods. Drs. Peng and Pape also completed an educational research project as a component of the degree requirements.
On Oct. 2, Marisa Watanabe, DDS, MS, attended the DentaQuest Institute Disease Management Convening 2017 which focused on the experiences and lessons learned from disease management quality improvement initiatives. Furthermore, the Convening was held to discuss and cultivate the vision of disease management and solicit feedback from the oral health disease management leaders on processes and plans to spread quality improvement into different populations, both public health and private sectors, and dental institutions.
Elizabeth Andrews, DDS, MS, gave a presentation on Oct. 2, 2017 at the Collaborating Across Borders interprofessional health care education and collaborative practice conference in Banff, Canada. The presentation, “Closing the Loop: Faculty vs. Peer Performance Feedback to Enhance Interprofessional Competencies,” described the DMD students’ performance in the IP TOSCE standardized patient activity which is unique to WesternU. The conference links educators, researchers, practitioners, students and patients from Canada and the United States in essential discussions around interprofessional health care education, practice, leadership and policy in North America.
From the College of Pharmacy:
Kudos on accomplishments
Medscape and theheart.org published breaking news from a session featuring Dr. Sheryl Chow and colleagues at the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Annual Meeting, held Sept. 17, 2017 in Dallas Texas.
The session focused on prescribing pitfalls in heart failure with multiple comorbidities.
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Medical Anatomy Center news
Brion Benninger MD, Professor of Medical Innovation, Technology & Research and Clinical Anatomy, and MAC Executive Director, is teaching ultrasound to paramedics, EMTs and firefighters in Oregon by combining laptop ultrasound units with the newest hand held designed dual probe units by GE. They are the first firefighter/EMT/paramedic prehospital health care providers to receive this type of ultrasound instruction.
From the College of Optometry:
Reception in Chicago
On Thursday, Oct. 12, the College of Optometry hosted a reception at the Palmer House hotel in Chicago during the American Academy of Optometry’s annual conference. The event was attended by 78 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends, who enjoyed food, drinks, and networking.
From University Advancement:
Alumni news
On Monday, Oct. 9, the Alumni Office hosted a WesternU “Taste of Philadelphia” Dinner for 92 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends at the Hilton Garden Inn Center City in Philadelphia, Pa. during the American Osteopathic Association’s OMED Convention. Guests enjoyed drinks and the opportunity to socialize with one another, as well as dine on local favorites, including made-to-order cheesesteaks with all the fixings, tomato pie, fries, soft pretzels, salad, and carrot cake with Philadelphia cream cheese frosting. Pictures from the event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/COMPPomona/posts/2395415817369944.
