This Week@WesternU, Oct. 22-26, 2012

A Tribute to Caring

Western University of Health Sciences’ annual “A Tribute to Caring” gala, which raises money for student scholarships, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

The theme this year is “Look How Far You’ve Brought Us,” honoring all of the supporters who have helped make WesternU the outstanding academic and patient care center that it is today. Click here to read the full story.

Click here to visit the ATC website.

Walk to Stop Diabetes

Please join the WesternU Team for the American Diabetes Association Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes, Oct. 27, 2012 in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.

As a team, united in our desire to Stop Diabetes, we are asking for your support. Please make a donation to one of our team members or become one of us by joining our team. When we bring together dedicated team members and kind donors, the power we have as a group far outweighs what any of us could do alone.

Join the Western Diabetes Institute team at www.diabetes.org.

Check out one of the ADA segments that Public Affairs, Marketing and Classroom and Multimedia Services created that is rotating most weekday mornings on KNBC Channel 4 in Los Angeles through Oct. 27, in and around the “Today in L.A.” and the “Today Show” programs. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2486422096482

Preview Day

Registration is open for WesternU Preview Day on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., which highlights health education opportunities offered at Western University of Health Sciences.

Preview Day, held in and around WesternU’s Health Education Center (HEC), 701 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif., will provide potential students the opportunity to get more information about a health profession program of interest, hear about the admissions process, learn about financial aid, see curriculum firsthand, discover how to become a competitive applicant, and meet current students and faculty.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in learning more about any of our degree programs offered, please feel free to encourage them to visit our prospective student website for more information or to register for our Preview Day.

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

San Diego Magazine’s “Top Docs” issue listing the top 537 doctors in San Diego included four COMP alumni:

Pamela Davis Boswell, DO ’93, pathologist with Scripps Clinic Medical Group

Melissa Vourlitis, DO ’97, family medicine with Scripps Clinic Medical Group

Banita Kooner, DO ’99, internal medicine with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group

Nelson Hwynn, DO ’03, neurology with Scripps Clinic Medical Group

The American Academy of Implant Dentists, Oregon chapter, has appointed Dr. Brion Benninger as a member of their committee. He has been teaching on implant courses for several years and is an instructor for of one of the top implant courses in the nation. Dr. Benninger provides Basic Science and Clinical Anatomy expertise as well as implant research. Previously, Dr. Benninger had been the only non-dental clinician to sit on the Oregon Academy of General Dentist Board. Dr. Benninger has also been selected to provide Continuing Dental Education courses using Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs ) because of his research work using TADs with swine and humans.

From the College of Allied Health Professions:

Department of Physical Therapy Education News

Assistant Professor Janet Konecne, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, will be performing at the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts Saturday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. The concert theme is “Celebration of Nature” featuring works from Handel, Vivaldi, and Debussy. During this 50th anniversary season of the La Mirada Symphony Association, concerts are free with donations at the door gratefully accepted. Dr. Konecne, an established expert in physical therapy for performing artists, plays principal bassoon with the La Mirada Symphony Orchestra. More information on this and future performances is available at www.lamiradasymphony.com.

Kudos on accomplishments

Andrew Pumerantz, DO, FACP, Assistant Provost for Strategic Initiatives, Western University of Health Sciences and Executive Director for the Western Diabetes Institute, Pomona, made a presentation at the 2012 California Academy of Physician Assistant Conference in Palm Springs, Calif. titled “An Inter-professional Approach to Diabetes Management.” The following learning objectives were covered and were of interest to both Primary Care and Specialty PAs: Outline the challenges faced by interprofessional teams in successfully delivering high-value integrated and coordinated full cycle care to patients with diabetes; relate the complex interplay between abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammatory dysregulation to the complications of poorly controlled diabetes; justify the restructuring of health care delivery systems to assure closer collaboration between medical and dental clinical teams to better diagnose and manage patients with diabetes and periodontitis; justify organizing interprofessional diabetes management teams around a core collaborative therapeutic alliance between the patient, a clinical pharmacist, and a PA care coordinator; justify designing personalized full-cycle diabetes care plans based on patient’s specific disease severity and complexity index profile.

Leadership Symposium

Join the celebration of Humanistic Leadership with the health science students in their 4th Annual Leadership Symposium 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 in Compatriots Hall, Health Science Center (HSC). Panelists include Charles Ng, Vice Chancellor of Fiscal Services for the San Bernardino Community College District; Dr. Clinton Adams, Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University of Health Sciences; Dave Demerjian, Head Deputy District Attorney of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Public Integrity Division, and Attorney Sara Griffin-Gapasin, Associate Attorney at Egelsee L.L.P. Our panelist will be speaking about leadership styles, their experiences, and advice on successful leadership. Please join us! Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP with Jacque Mosco at (909) 469-5397 or jmosco@westernu.edu.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments

Veterinary professor and equine internist Dr. Joe Bertone authored a featured web article titled “West Nile Virus: a warning to vaccinate” for the website “Caballos y Opinion, http://caballosyopinion.com/?p=11713. This site is targeted to the equine industry from Mexico to South America. The article has also been translated and posted in www.damepaso.com.ve (Caracas). This was requested for the following reasons:

WNV encephalitis diagnosed by an equine practitioner on dead and /or ill horses at Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico on the Texan-Mexican border; estimated 99 percent of an extremely large population of horses and equids in Mexico and Latin America are not vaccinated for WNV; testing facilities are at a minimum; the criteria supported by many Mexican veterinarians, owners and governments is that it is not necessary to vaccinate equids for WNV. About 100,000 people per year visit the site to use one or more of its multiple products that cover the horse world, such as medicine, welfare, the industry and the vet’s life.

From University Advancement:

The College of Pharmacy received its fifth and final endowment pledge payment of $5,001 from the Indian Pharmacists Association (IPA) on Sept. 29, 2012, at the annual IPA Trade Expo and Conference in Anaheim. This payment establishes the IPA Endowed Scholarship Fund for the students of the WesternU College of Pharmacy with an endowment of $20,000. Dr. Sunil Prabhu was in attendance to accept this gift on behalf of the WesternU College of Pharmacy.

A story by WesternU Public Affairs Writer/Photographer Jeff Malet on College of Pharmacy graduate Esmeralda Downs, PharmD ’12, was featured as the cover story in the National Community Pharmacists Association’s publication, America’s Pharmacist. The story garnered a lot of attention at the recent NCPA annual meeting in San Diego. And Dr. Downs recently passed her licensing boards in her first “sitting.” Click here to view the story as it appeared in the College of Pharmacy’s RxBound magazine.

New Alumni Connection

The October 2012 edition of WesternU’s alumni e-newsletter, The Alumni Connection, is now available. This edition features the latest news from WesternU, including the upcoming “A Tribute to Caring” gala, at which we’ll celebrate the close of a successful capital campaign and the University’s 35th anniversary, as well as other upcoming events and college-specific information. News for future editions can be e-mailed to Russel Heskin, director of Alumni Relations, at rheskin@westernu.edu.

From the Pumerantz Library:

National Medical Librarian Month

To celebrate NMLM the library has the following events scheduled for this week, our annual book sale, book repair week, and fine free Friday 10-26-12. Read the library’s News and Events Blog for details.

Open Access Week

What is open access publishing? Is there way to promote it? Read more about what open access is and what you can do to promote it here.

Epocrates

Until the end of October the WesternU community has access to discounted pricing for Epocrates. Read the blog entry for details and linking.

Your Vote, Your Voice

The Presidential General Election is Nov. 6, 2012, two weeks away, don’t forget to vote.

“Paleo CSI” exhibit at the Library

The Pumerantz Library is hosting an exhibit titled “Paleo CSI,” which will open Oct. 25, 2012. The exhibit focuses on the research by paleontologists on the Western U faculty: Dr. Elizabeth Rega, Dr. Brian Kraatz, Dr. Amy Chew, Dr. Matthew Wedel and Dr. Gerald Bales. Items on display include a black bear and coyote skull, tools used by paleontologists, and a 68-65 million year old triceratops fossil that you can touch! You are invited to view the exhibit anytime during library hours and attend our upcoming speaker series. Dates will be announced at a later time.

For more information on this and other upcoming events at the Pumerantz Library please read the News and Events Blog.

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Western University of Health Sciences, 309 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif. 91766

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