Vista View Newsletter, June 2014, Vol. 7.2

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RVUCOM Graduation: Congratulations Class of 2014!Page 6

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RVUCOM Provides Healthcare Overseas

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InsideHighlighting the Achievements of RVU Students, Faculty and StaffPages 18-22

Annual Awards Night Brings Honor and Laughter

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June 2014

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Vol. 7 No. 2

FIRST PLACE

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Congratulations to the Class of 2014 on their graduation, their successful residency placements and their outstand-ing results on national boards. Their successes are our successes, and we look forward to seeing them perform in their profession with our core values of integrity, col-legiality, compassion, diversity, excellence and service. In addition, we also want them to uphold the “RVU Way.” The “RVU Way” qualities include being professional at all times, earning your way through your career by work-ing hard and smart, having passion for your work and having fun in life. We look forward to hearing of their successes and accomplishments during their residency programs.

There are so many exciting things going on at RVU that it is hard to summarize all activities in such a brief space. In addition to sending off our graduates, we have been busy interacting with state and federal legislators and discuss-ing the implementation of new programs.

On the state level, RVU had the opportunity to testify on four different occasions, presenting perspectives on criti-cal issues and the impact to the profession of osteopathic medicine. We also introduced our Rural and Wilderness Medicine Honors Track students at a legislative briefing and luncheon for the Rural Legislative Caucus hosted by RVU. It is clear the legislators are seeking our input on key matters and we appreciate their interests.

On the federal front, we are actively engaging all the senate and congressional members from Colorado to ad-dress proposed regulations that will most likely have a negative impact on RVU. We provided comments on the Gainful Employment regulations and began educating legislators on Graduate Medical Education (GME). Many of our Colorado Congressional members have supported our request to be exempt from the Gainful Employment regulations as we are the only medical school in the US to which these regulations will apply. The final rules will be developed by the US Department of Education and will not be available until after November 1, 2014. We will continue with the message that we should be exempt, and at minimum, we will work to lessen the impact of these rules on RVU.

RVU has been a key member of a planning team to host a GME Summit in DC. The aim of this legislative summit is to educate members of Congress on the issues associated with GME and to encourage them to change the way residency programs are funded and how hospitals are reimbursed. A national report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is expected to be released this summer, which examines the alignment of the financing of GME and health care workforce needs and will provide recommendations on improving the GME process. A key recommendation is expected to address the lack of geographic distribution of residency slots. Currently more residency slots are lo-cated in the northeastern part of the US. We hope to have some of those unused slots redistributed to the Mountain West states where we are in dire need of more residency programs, especially in primary care specialties. I will continue to keep you updated on this and other legisla-tive issues.

Turning the focus to RVU itself, we are exploring what additional academic program would complement our COM and move us toward our goal of becoming a com-prehensive health sciences university. We are conducting the necessary due diligence studies to examine the cost/benefit analysis to adding specific programs, and we are exploring accreditation requirements and standards for these programs. We will keep you informed along the way, even though it will be at least two years before an-other program is added.

Rocky Vista University has indeed been keeping busy on all fronts, and as we wrap up another year, we begin to prepare for our next incoming class. One of the great joys I experience in working on a college campus is knowing that each year, a group of new, bright, and eager students will be joining our community.

I wish the best of success to the Class of 2014 and look forward to welcoming the Class of 2018.

President's Message

Cheryl D. Lovell, Ph.D.President and CEO

“Congratulations to the Graduates and Updates on the University”

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Spring is a special time of year for it heralds a change of seasons bringing escape from the icy fingers of winter to the inviting warmth and colors of a soon to be summer. The month of May is traditionally a time of renewal and reaffirmation of things to come, not just for the flowers, grass and trees, but for medical students as well. These dedicated few had been traveling, toiling, worrying and planning over the past four years for that big day in May. After watching two classes graduate before them, this third commencement ceremony – their ceremony – was the charm.

The Class of 2014 began their journey four short years ago. They pulled together through the rigors of one of the profession’s most challenging curricula. They trained together in scores of hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers, and community health centers scattered throughout Colorado and the Intermountain West. Their dedication and resolve had been further tested by subject examinations and national board examinations whose metrics would determine what their life’s work in the future might be. They had put their best feet for-ward in sub-internships where they hoped to impress others with their work ethic and skill. The 2014ers had been welcomed into the heart of healthcare delivery for one express purpose - the gleaning of valuable secrets for practice from the physicians and other health care providers who live healthcare every day. Some students would flourish and others would flounder, but with time all became more polished, focused, and they gained that precious maturity and confidence that is so vital to the skills of a physician.

However, with all this knowledge and training, securing a D.O. degree is not the end of the journey. That degree can only reach its full potential when it is combined with the successful completion of a residency program. The previous two graduating classes had successfully navi-gated the complexities of the various residency selection processes and are hard at work in military, osteopathic and allopathic programs. With experts citing the poor growth in new Graduate Medical Education (GME) pro-grams, along with the rapid growth of applicants, the forecast for RVU's third class was looking much bleaker. Some made it sound as though the salmon had better

odds of reaching their spawning grounds than members of the Class of 2014 had at securing a place to settle in and train. Would this third class to graduate from RVU be a charm or simply a strike out call for some students?

With the melting of the winter snow came the realization that RVU's third graduating class had received one of the greatest of all charms. It began with the Military Match where our students secured very competitive positions in some of the military's best residencies. Then came the AOA Match with a good showing in many of the more competitive fields, and the ACGME Match where many of our students were taken into programs that had passed us over in previous years. In all, over 90% of our students were selected in the first round of the matches, and we were completed with each process in just a few days. RVUCOM had done it again - we had secured a position for each student.

As Graduation Day 2014 grew closer, we all knew it was going to be something special, and indeed it was! As we took in the words of advice from the former head of the Department of Health and Human Services in the Bush Administration, the President of the AOA, and a Three Star Air Force General, the real satisfaction of the day came with the realization that after the ceremony, all our graduates would leave to join quality residency pro-grams throughout the country. There is nothing better a medical school could wish for.

As of the first of July, in hospitals and residency pro-grams throughout the country, patients will meet our graduates for the first time and entrust their health and lives to them. It will be at that point that all the time, effort and preparation of RVU Faculty and Staff will cul-minate into the final product; perhaps this is why gradu-ation feels so special.

Interim Dean's Message

Thomas N. Told, D.O., FACOFP - dist., Interim Dean

“Three Times is a Charm”

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RVUCOM Graduation Week

Timothy Heilmann, D.O. '14 and wife, Olivia Heilmann

After finishing up audition rotations and securing their residencies, RVUCOM's Class of 2014 returned to cam-pus for a week of events in preparation for the long awaited graduation day. The week included a family picnic and a military reception among other events. The activities gave students and their families many oppor-

tunities to reconnect with classmates, faculty, staff, and others in the RVU community. A special Awards Din-ner held at the Denver Marriott South at Park Meadows recognized students for their hard work and acheive-ments.

Erin Philpott, D.O. '14 receives the Dean's Award from Interim Dean, Thomas N. Told, D.O.

Ali Ansary, D.O. '14 and Robert Ketchum, Ph.D. Qamrul Choudhury, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Jelinek, D.O. '14

Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Limoge & Bobby Petro, D.O. '14 Alexander Houle, D.O. '14 and his daughter Julia Skoczynski, D.O. '14 and her mom

LeAnn Jons-Cox, D.O. with OPP award recipient, Corinne Reed, D.O. '14

Michael Tieman, M.D. with Emergency Medicine award recipients: Sarah Watkins, D.O. '14 &

Carissa Chalut, D.O. '14

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RVUCOM Graduation Week Class of 2014 Award Winners

Excellence in Public Health AwardExcellence in Public Health Award: Regan Steigmann

Clinical Years AwardsInternal Medicine: Erin PhilpottSubspecialty Medicine: Regan SteigmannFamily Medicine: Megan SankeyPathology: Kabeer ShahPediatrics: Kellee ParkerPsychiatry: Lauren PrestRadiology: Lee HolderSurgery: Nicholas RobbinsSubspecialty Surgery: Vyacheslav MaklerObstetrics and Gynecology: Jillian KurtzAnesthesia: Lucas SittnerEmergency Medicine: Carissa Chalut & Sarah Watkins

Department AwardsAnatomy/Structural Medicine: Nicholas BeckmannBiomedical Sciences: Rayna DollOsteopathic Principles & Practices: Corinne ReedPrinciples of Clinical Medicine: Rayna DollMedical Informatics: Kabeer Shah

AwardsBrandon Trusell Community Service Award: Lauren Prest Colorado Society of Osteopathic Medicine Award: Jesse RobertsonDean's Award Military Service Award: Erin Philpott Donna Jones Moritsugu Memorial Award: Olivia HeilmannGlobal Service Award: Erin PhilpottPresident's Award: Regan Stiegmann Research Award: Kabeer ShahRural Service Award: Jess Anderson, Jessica Gilbert Corinne Reed, Jon Vivolo William G. Anderson Resiliency Award: Jennifer Conard

Top 10% of ClassNicholas RobbinsKellee ParkerErin PhilpottRayna DollJillian KurtzNicholas BeckmannRandon Upp

Julia Cameron-MorrisonTania GorchynskyJessica GilbertRachel NebelsickJohn HawkinsMegan SankeyElizabeth McKay

Interim Dean Thomas N. Told, D.O. with some of the Top 10% Gradu-ates

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RVU's S.O.A.P. Notes

Congratulations to the Class of 2014The Ellie Caulkins Opera House in downtown Denver provided a majestic setting for RVU’s third commence-ment ceremony on Saturday, May 17th.

Michael Martin, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Student Af-fairs, led the 150 soon-to-be physicians of RVUCOM’s Class of 2014 into the theater where they were greeted with cheers and applause from an enthusiastic audience consisting of nearly 2,000 family, friends and members of the RVU Community.

The S.O.A.P. Notes, the RVU a cappella group, sang the National Anthem during the Posting of Colors by the RVU Color Guard. This was followed by the Invocation delivered by Frank Ames, Ph.D., Professor of Medical In-formatics and Director of Library Services.

Greetings and encouraging words were offered by Van-essa Sanchez, Ph.D., Chair and Secretary of the RVU Board of Trustees, and Meghan Croteau, D.O., ’12, Presi-dent of the RVU Alumni Association.

Cheryl Lovell, Ph.D., RVU President and CEO, ad-dressed the graduates, reminding them of the “RVU Way." Interim Dean Thomas Told, D.O., reassured the graduates that they will thrive in the osteopathic profes-sion. Class Valedictorian, Nicholas Robbins, reminded his classmates that they should not let medicine be the ONLY thing that defines them.

The Commencement Address was delivered by Michael O. Leavitt, Founder and Chairman of Leavitt Partners and former Governor of Utah. Governor Leavitt encour-aged the graduates to recognize and become good con-veners and to lead as collaborators.

Norman E. Vinn, D.O., President of the American Osteo-pathic Association, welcomed the graduates into the pro-fession and introduced the graduates to the “D.O. Hug," which Dr. Vinn designated as the secret handshake of the profession. Dr. Vinn asked the graduates to stand and to practice the D.O. Hug to welcome each other into the profession.

Twenty-nine RVUCOM graduates participated in the Commissioning Ceremony led by Lieutenant General Douglas J. Robb, D.O., Director of the Defense Health Agency. The students participating in the commission-ing ceremony entered the stage as the S.O.A.P Notes sang a medley of the military branch songs.

Dr. Lovell provided closing remarks and then signaled the beginning of the recessional. RVUCOM’s Class of 2014 came into the Ellie Caulkins as Physicians-in-Train-ing and left as Osteopathic Physicians. We wish them well as they touch the lives of many and serve their fu-ture patients with compassion, integrity and excellence.

Military graduates receive applause from the audience. Lieutenant General Douglas J. Robb, D.O., delivering his speech.

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Interim Dean, Thomas N. Told, D.O., withKabeer Shah, D.O. '14

Jill Pitcher, D.O., Faculty Marshal & Mace Bearer

Class of 2014 Graduates proudly display their diplomas.

Commencement Speaker, Former Governor of Utah, Michael O. Leavitt

Congratulations to our Class of 2014 on 100% Residency Placement Class of 2014 Match Results:Anesthesiology 8Diagnostic Radiology 3Emergency Medicine 15Family Medicine 32

General Surgery 7Internal Medicine 28

Otolaryngology & Facial Plastic Surgery 1Pathology 3Pediatrics 9

Psychiatry 3

Neurology 1

Radiology 4Surgery 5

Family Medicine/Emergency Medicine 1

Neurological Surgery 2

Orthopedic Surgery 4

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 1

Traditional Year 2Transitional Year 13Obstetrics/Gynecology 8

Richard Darrow, D.O. hoods Janna Kroiss, D.O. '14Andrew Kelts, D.O. '14 gives his wife, Kay Kelts, D.O. '12 a kiss after being hooded by her.

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This Spring, the RVU Global Medicine team dedicated themselves to providing care to people who need it most – in some of the most remote areas of the globe. Teams of student doctors, faculty, staff and other vol-unteers went to Nepal and Haiti in late February and Guatemala in May this year, reaching a total of nearly 2,000 patients.

Under the direction of Camille Bentley, D.O., M.P.H., FACOFP, Chair of Global and Community Medicine, a group of 17 volunteers made the difficult journey to the Himalayas of Nepal. They offered primary healthcare to people living in remote areas outside of the capital city of Kathmandu. The team was also able to conduct an IRB approved research study under the direction of Qamrul Choudhury, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology. While there, they hiked into clinic sites in villages situated high on mountain slopes. “We were overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients,” said Dr. Choudhury. Many of the villagers had not seen a doctor in years. Conditions were primitive, and as Dr. Bentley explains, the team “worked by daylight, ate dinner by candlelight and headlamp, then off to bed until the sun came up again.” Dr. Choudhury made use of his Nepali language skills and shared infor-mation about the culture with the RVU group. “My experiences in Nepal have been incredible,” he said, “at times sorrowful and shocking, challenging, enlighten-ing and at many times happy beyond measure.”

The trip to Haiti teamed up with Project CURE to provide supplies and much-needed care to communi-ties where even basic medical attention is a luxury. The RVU volunteers worked side by side with local Haitian physicians, learning valuable cultural lessons in treat-

ing patients from a country so different from their own. Vanessa Campbell, D.O. '14, stated, “This was the most difficult but most rewarding medical mission of my four RVU trips. The devastation from the earthquake is still prevalent and the need of the people is great.” The group was able to treat diseases rarely seen in the US, including malaria, tuberculosis, parasites and malnutri-tion. “The dire situation most people faced on a daily basis was staggering, but they were hardy, celebrated what they had, and were so grateful that our group came to help,” said Dr. Campbell. “I want to go back to Haiti already.”

A group of 29 volunteers traveled to the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala in May. They were guests of SOSEP (Secretaria de Obras Sociales de la Esposa del Presidente), a humanitarian outreach group organized and run by the First Lady of Guatemala. The RVU team chose to focus their attention on rural areas that were two or more hours from a hospital. “Overall, this was a very good trip and great medical learning experience for the students,” said Dr. Bentley. She looks forward to returning to the region next year.

It wasn’t all work and no play, however, as many of the students, faculty and staff had a chance to explore the local attractions in each country. Some of the adven-tures included visiting the Mayan ruins, climbing a volcano, going cliff diving, riding elephants, flying past Mount Everest, and even having a run-in with a group of wild alligators.

All in all, it was a successful spring season for our Global Medicine students!

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Healthcare in NepalFebruary 24-March 15, 2014

Healthcare in HaitiFebruary 22-March 1, 2014

Healthcare in GuatemalaMay 3-10, 2014


Amanda Beach, OMS-II assists Dr. Lea as he performs an amputation.

Physicians, student doctors and volunteers take a break from caregiving to pose for a group photo with the Mayor

of Port-au-Prince.

Physicians, student doctors and volunteers pose after a cultural welcoming ceremony.

Morgan Light, D.O. '14 embraces an infant.

Kaitlin Ryan, OMS-II & Kyle Sonnabend, OMS-II take a patient's history.

Physicians, student doctors, and volunteers take a break from caregiving to pose for a group photo.

Lia Fiallos, D.O. '12 examines a patient.

Elizabeth Tang Polk, D.O. '14, listens to a patient's heartbeat.

A friendly face in the community.

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Through the Eyes of a RVU Rural and Wilderness Medicine Student

Rural communities need more caring and ser-vice than usual. Grow-ing up in rural Auburn, California, I gained an understanding of the lifestyle and needs of a small town. One of these basic and vital needs is adequate healthcare. The quality of care stems largely from the commu-nity's family physician - a compassionate individual

who serves as the keystone to a town's health. They go above and beyond, because rural areas don’t have the same resources, accessibility, number of doctors and support as their urban counterparts. Our fam-ily physician was more than just a doctor; he was a family friend, a mentor, and, to me, a hero. He was a healer. He kept my family and friends happy and healthy. As I aged, I learned the importance of a rural physician.

It was at Rocky Vista University College of Osteo-pathic Medicine (RVUCOM) that I solidified my interest and passion in rural and wilderness medicine. One of the unique aspects that sets RVUCOM apart from other institutions is their honors track in Rural & Wilderness (R&W) Medicine. This program provides a small group of student doctors with extra lectures, workshops, retreats and health fairs that build upon the basic medical and clinical sciences. My experience as an R&W Medicine Student was extraordinary and unforgettable. I gained incredible skills, knowledge, memories, mentors and friends. Some of the most memorable and educational times were during the rural health fairs, retreats and rotations. I've been privileged to travel to a myriad of different rural sites to practice and learn medicine. From Baggs, Wyo-ming; Show Low, Arizona; Winnebago, Wisconsin; Rogue River, Oregon; to Craig, Trinidad, Montrose

and Ouray, Colorado; I harvested unique experiences and insight into the art of medicine in a rural commu-nity. When not working in the clinic or hospital, I was busy building forest shelters, fires and fishing poles; performing hay bale OMT (Osteopathic Manipula-tive Treatment), riding horses and traversing roar-ing rivers with rope. I used compasses, built straight arm casts and bandages, navigated over mountains, and inoculated horses. I sutured countless wounds, completed mock labor and deliveries in fields, and extricated children from a school bus in a mock disaster scenario. I worked with helicopter crews, avalanche dogs and ski patrollers. I’ve laughed and cried with patients, spoken medical Spanish, and I helped provide healthcare for an entire community in one day. Being a member of the R&W Medicine Track is a special and once in a lifetime opportunity, one for which I am forever grateful.

Rural medicine is a unique niche in the health field. It takes a special breed to pursue such a path. R&W re-gions continue to struggle to receive adequate health-care, but despite these obstacles, rural patients are some of the most gracious and down to earth people I’ve ever met. They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. After my train-ing at RVUCOM and the experiences within the R&W Medicine Track, I'm confident and excited to enter this world of rural medicine and provide a unique form of osteopathic medicine that will forever change the lives of those who need it the most. I’m eager to give back to my rural/wilderness communities. I’m ready to offer that extra level of service and care.

Bobby Petro, D.O. '14

"If you want physicians to go to locations where they need to do more caring and service than usual, you have to pick students who want to do more service and caring than usual." - Robert C. Bowman, M.D.

By: Bobby Petro, D.O. '14

Bobby Petro, D.O. '14

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New Academic Medicine Physician-Scientist (AMPS) Honors Track AnnouncedRVUCOM will offer a new Honors Track Program: the Academic Medicine Physician-Scientist (AMPS) Track Program. This program is open to the incoming Fresh-man class and will be capped at eight students per class.

This Honors Track Program is designed to provide qualified and interested students with additional curric-ular training and experience which will enhance oppor-tunities to pursue careers as a physician-scientist and/or careers in academic medicine. There is a recognized need to increase the number of physician-scientists in all clinical fields. With the increasing requirements for scholarly productivity in residency training programs, biomedical research competencies continue to be under-represented in osteopathic medical school curricula and training.

Participation in the AMPS Track will provide basic training in the requisite knowledge and skills neces-sary for success as an academic physician, including: research techniques, experimental design, data analysis, the grant writing process, and proficiency in presenta-tion skills. The AMPS Track is structured to provide a curriculum pertinent to the basic aspects of an academic medical career, including research (basic science, clini-cal, and translational areas) competencies, and will

provide guidance in choosing a career pathway without extending the students’ academic program length. The AMPS Track is designed to span seven semesters of the core osteopathic medical education and will culminate with completion of a research project and presentation of the work in a public forum (professional/association meeting, peer-reviewed publication, or other forum).

Admission to the AMPS Track is by application, with eligibility requirements of commitment to a career in academic medicine and demonstration of academic ability by achieving a minimal 85% GPA during the first semester at RVUCOM. Applicants will also undergo an entrance interview by AMPS Track Faculty. Preferred qualifications include: an undergraduate degree in a sci-entific discipline (biological or physical science); previ-ous experience in a research laboratory; and/or previous experience in a graduate degree program in a discipline with relevance to the biomedical sciences.

A call for applications will go out to the OMS-I class in December of each academic year. Each new Track class will commence in January of the OMS-I year.

Military Medicine: RVUCOM Teams up with Strategic Operations

Recently, RVUCOM teamed up with Strategic Opera-tions in San Diego to provide second-year medical stu-dents a week of intensive surgical skills training using

the Cut Suit technology. Multiple scenarios were created for the medical students including an active shooter, a Boston Marathon bombing attack, a downed helicopter, and an overturned car accident. Second-year medical students were then called in to assess the situation and perform surgeries if needed. The surgeries were per-formed on live humans wearing the “Cut Suit.”

Twenty-one RVUCOM second-year medical students, many teaching faculty, visiting surgeons, physicians, as well as surgical and ER residents and staff from Balboa Naval Hospital participated in this Intensive Surgical Skills Course (ISSC), the first of its kind in the nation.

First responders help "victim" Alicia Unangst, OMS-II

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RVUCOM Creates a Teaching Academy for Faculty

OMM Cranial Course Offered at RVUCOMRecently, RVUCOM offered its first 40 hour introductory course focusing on osteo-pathic manipulation in the cranial field. The course, “Osteopathy in the Cranial Field,” met the highest re-quirements set by the Osteo-pathic Cranial Academy for this type of course in that the lecturers and table train-ers are not only board certi-fied in osteopathic manual

medicine, but have advanced training in osteopathy in the cranial field. RVUCOM was the first COM to offer such a course.

Paul Lee, D.O., FAAO, FCA, was the course director and traveled from Durango, CO, to teach and provide the necessary oversight for this course. Additional lectur-ers and table trainers included RVU faculty and adjunct faculty, Adrienne Kania, D.O., Dana Anglund, D.O., Kenneth Ramey, D.O., and Ellice Goldberg, D.O.

Thank you for all your dedication and additional time to bring this course to fruition!

The Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medi-cine Teaching Academy has been established by Amber Heck, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology, in conjunc-tion with the Faculty Development Committee, and is designed to provide an opportunity for faculty to enrich their skills, deepen their understanding of how students learn, gather new strategies and value the scholarship of teaching. The Teaching Academy gives faculty the op-portunity to interact with other faculty members who are engaged and interested in the pursuit of teaching excel-lence.

All faculty members are eligible to become a Teaching Academy Member and can accumulate hours toward

membership each time they participate in a Teaching Academy or Faculty Development Committee event. Such events include attending a Faculty Development seminar or a Teaching Academy presentation, participat-ing in a yearly Teaching Academy Book Club, presenting a Teaching Academy presentation, or attending a confer-ence or training on education.

Congratulations to our Teaching Academy Members!Rebecca Bowden, Ph.D.*, Fernando Gomez, Ph.D., Am-ber Heck, Ph.D., LeAnn Jons-Cox, D.O., Jonathan King, D.O., Nicole Michels, Ph.D., Jennifer Montemayor, Ph.D., Erin Palazzolo, M.L.I.S., Brian Schwartz, M.L.I.S., Joseph Stasio, D.O., Christopher Unrein, D.O. *Distinguished Member

Amy Baccetti, OMS-III, practices Cranial OMM Skills on Jordan Cohen, OMS-III

Updates from the RVU Security Team By: Dan Havens, Director of Public Safety & SecurityThe RVU Security Team would like to thank all students, faculty and staff for helping us keep this campus safe. Thank you for your cooperation and please continue to contact Security with any issues. Remember, if you see something, say something.

In addition to keeping the campus secure, the Director of Public Safety and Security, Dan Havens, and Security Officer, Tom Johnson, just finished a 25 hour course on the crime reporting regulations for the Clery Act. This training course will help RVUCOM stay compliant with Federal regulations in regards to reporting crimes. If you would like to see a copy of our Clery Report, it is avail-

able on the RVU website under "About RVU" and "Secu-rity", or you may request a hard copy from the security office.

Also, the Security Team is planning a mock mass casual-ity event that will be held here at RVU in October. Ap-proximately nine different emergency agencies will be involved, and we are going to need about 150 students to participate in this exercise. Additional information will be posted as this event gets closer. Please stay tuned and be safe.

SECURITY CONFIDENTIAL HOTLINE: 303-708-8185

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Annual Awards Night Brings Honor and Laughter

Congratulations to the RVU Awards Night Winners!

Every year Rocky Vista University first and second year student doctors, faculty and staff gather together for one night to acknowledge each other for their out-standing work. This year’s annual awards night was hosted by the witty duo, Vijay Setty, OMS-I, SGA Vice President of Operations and J. Barrett Scott, OMS-I,

SGA Officer of Communications. From comical videos to entertaining recollections of professors, the audi-ence walked away with their heads held high and their smiles brighter from all the laughter. Thank you to the students, faculty and staff who helped organize this wonderful event!

A.T. Still Award for Outstanding OPP: LeAnn Jons-Cox, D.O.Congeniality Award, Class of 2016: Jayce Porter, OMS-IICongeniality Award, Class of 2017: Lauren Warner, OMS-IExcellence in Teaching Clinical Medicine: Christopher Unrein, D.O.Fighting Prairie Dog Award, Class of 2016: Stephen Putthoff, D.O.Fighting Prairie Dog Award, Class of 2017: Tod Clapp, Ph.D.Osteopathic Principles and Practices: Ashley Armbruster, OMS-IIPrinciples of Clinical Medicine: Daniel VanLeuven, OMS-IIRVUCOM Administrative Staff Member of the Year: Erica WhatleyService Award, Class of 2016: Jackie Vroman, OMS-IIService Award, Class of 2017: Vinay Setty, OMS-IStructural Medicine: Veronica Maul, OMS-IISummit Club of the Year: ACOFPUnsung Hero Award: Brenda GonzalesWilliam Osler Award for Outstanding Biomedical Sciences, Class of 2016: Richard GarrisonWilliam Osler Award for Outstanding Biomedical Sciences, Class of 2017: Cindy Funk, Ph.D.Photo Contest Winners: 1st Place, Isaac Billings, OMS-I 2nd Place, Kelly Dea, OMS-II 3rd Place, Wanda Mathwich

Vinay Setty, OMS-I, receives the Service Award for the Class of 2017.

Stephen Putthoff, D.O., gladly accepts the prestigious "Fighting Prairie Dog Award."

Hosts, Vijay Setty, OMS-I, and J. Barrett Scott, OMS-I, accept an award on behalf of Cindy Funk, Ph.D.

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RVUCOM Holds 2nd Annual Donor Memorial CeremonyRVU faculty, staff and students joined Dr. Walter Buck and OMM Fellows Alicia Williams, OMS-III and Ashley Lamb, OMS-III in the 2nd Annual RVU Donor Memori-al Ceremony held on May 9, 2014 in the Large Auditori-um. The event commemorated those who have donated their bodies to science, their extraordinary gifts, and the

learning opportunities given to our students.

The event also gave students a chance to express grati-tude and appreciation to the families of donors. Thank you to all who participated in, helped organize and attended this special event.

Ashley Lamb, OMS-III & Alicia Williams, OMS-III presenting "A Promise Fulfilled."

Isaac Billings, OMS-I, singing "Angel."

Lena Young, OMS-I, plays "Nearer, My God, to Thee." Brian Smith, OMS-I, performing "My Way." Hans Machula, OMS-I, delivers his tribute entitled "Personal Reflections."

Ashley Chen, OMS-I, performing "Ashokan Farewell."

Rocky Vista University's Pediatrics Club hosted a March Madness fundraiser to raise money to support Camp to Belong.

In addition, Michael Martin, Ph.D., As-sociate Dean for Student Affairs, helped organize the first annual 5k Fun Run/Walk to benefit Camp to Belong.

Camp to Belong is an international non-profit 501c(3) organization dedicated to

reuniting siblings placed in separate fos-ter homes and other out of home care for events of fun, emotional empowerment and sibling connection. The main events are summer camps lasting six days, five-nights for children ages 8 to 18+.

Thank you to the RVU Pediatrics Club & Dr. Martin for organizing this fundraiser to aid a great cause!

RVUCOM Raises Money for Camp to Belong

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RVUCOM Hosts Its 4th Annual Hospital Day

RVUCOM Celebrates Research with Annual Research Appreciation Day

The RVUCOM Office of Clinical Affairs hosted its fourth annual Hospital Day on March 7, 2014 with representatives from residency programs from across the coun-try. This event provided opportunities for first through third year medical students to speak with hospital and residency program representatives about clinical rotations, facilities and postgraduate residency pro-grams.

Twenty one residency programs, hospitals and post-graduate training institutions participated in this year’s event. “This has been one of our better attended events, and not only have the students gotten what they wanted from the presenters, the residency programs have learned more about RVU,” says Jo Brogus, RVUCOM Clinical Rotations Coordinator for North-ern Colorado and Rural and Wilderness Medicine.

John Michael Yingling, OMS-III, speaks with St. Anthony Coordinator, Rick Jones, and Tabitha Danley, D.O.

Research Appreciation Day is a chance for stu-dent doctors to share their efforts in the field of Research. The theme for this year's event was “Transplantation of Cells and Organs." The day included open viewing for posters and oral presenta-tions by Kabeer Shah, D.O. ’14, Hans Machula, OMS-I, and Sarah Altenberg, D.O. ‘14 followed by a presen-tation by Lorrie Linquist,

Director of Special Projects for the Donor Alliance. In addition, awards were given for Medical Education/Public Health/Epidemiology Research, Biomedical or Clinical Research, and Best Research Poster.

The first place recipients for the Medical Education/Public Health/Epidemiology Research Award, went to Brandon Noyes, OMS-II, Gregory Gibbs, OMS-II, Alan Alex, OMS-I, Erin Hoffman, Monica Multani, OMS-II, Bilal Nazif, OMS-II and Bradley Rimmert, OMS-I for their poster entitled "A First-Time Look at the Epidemi-ological Composition of the Underserved Petit Trou de Nippes Commune". In second place for this award were Ashley Fejleh, OMS-II, Kate Shelp, OMS-II, Kelly Dea, OMS-II and Chelsey Zahler, OMS-II for their poster en-titled "Comfort, Confidence and the Well-Child Exam:

A Pediatric Skills Training Lab."

The first place recipient for the Biomedical or Clini-cal Research Award was Kabeer Shah, D.O. '14, for his poster entitled "A Family with Achalasia, GIST Tumors, Mastocytosis and A Unique Mutation in KIT". The second place winner was Jennifer Kouri, OMS-I, for her poster entitled "A New Transgenic Mouse Model Reveals that Estradiol Regulates Ovine GnRH Receptor Expression through a Cyclic AMP Response Element in the Proximal Promoter."

Finally, the Best Research Poster Award went to Bryce Vance, OMS-III, and Miranda Allen, OMS-III, for their poster entitled, "A Systematic Review on the Efficacy of Using Parasites in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases".

Thank you to all those who partici-pated in the event and a big thank you to Qamrul Choud-hury, Ph.D., Jen-nifer Monetmayor, Ph.D., Frank Ames, Ph.D., Amber Heck, Ph.D., and Robert Ketchum, Ph.D. for planning this event!

Sarah Mancini Altenberg, D.O. '14 with Robert Ketchum, Ph.D.

Michael Tieman, M.D., discusses a research poster with its authors.

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RVUCOM Sponsors a Lunch with Rural Legislators

RVU in the News

RVU at the Capitol

In an effort to promote awareness within the community, Rocky Vista Univer-sity sponsored a legislative lunch with rural legislators throughout Colorado. House representatives from Fort Collins, Centennial, Montrose, Salida, Windsor, Colorado Springs, Elizabeth, Carbon-dale, Littleton, and Sterling attended the lunch as well as Senators from Brighton, Alamosa, Pueblo, Cowdrey, Denver,

Thornton and Snowmass.

Interim Dean Thomas N. Told, D.O., FACOP, along with a group of RVUCOM Rural and Wilder-ness Honors Track students, talked with these legislators about the measures that RVUCOM is taking to produce more rural physicians within the community.

Over the past several months, Rocky Vista University (RVU) has been featured in various news outlets.

In March, President and CEO, Cheryl Lovell, Ph.D. and Graham Kehrer, OMS-II, were included in a segment that aired on Colorado Public Radio regarding a bill that aims to address the rural physician shortage.

The Chronicle of Higher Education wrote an article entitled “Nation’s Only For-Profit Medical School Seeks Exemption from Gainful-Employment Rule," which high-lights RVU’s work in Washington, D.C. to draw attention

to the Gainful Employment Regulations and their nega-tive impact to RVU. It highlights RVU’s good outcomes and makes the point that RVU is unique in that it is the only U.S. Medical School to which the regulation would apply.

Rocky Vista University was also included in the US News and World Report article, “10 Least Expensive Private Medical Schools."

RVU has been busy promot-ing its exemption from the Gainful Employment regu-lation as well as spreading awareness of needed changes regarding residency slots and Graduate Medical Education (GME).

Recently, Cheryl Lovell, Ph.D., CEO and President of RVU, went to Washing-ton, D.C. to speak with Ajita

Talwalker Menon, the Special Policy Advisor for Education at the White House, re-garding our request for exemption. This was a great op-portunity in continuing our mission to promote aware-ness of the cause.

In addition, RVU recently received news that the Colo-rado Medical Society (CMS) has decided to support

RVU’s exemption request. An eNews mailing from the CMS stated that the CMS board “approved a recommen-dation from Arapahoe-Douglas-Elbert Medical Society (ADEMS) that CMS support a federal exemption for Rocky Vista University from the proposed U.S. Depart-ment of Education ‘gainful employment’ regulation."

On the GME front, RVU cosponsored a GME Summit at the Capitol. This event included multiple presentations and generated a greater awareness for the obstacles fac-ing the medical world today in regards to GME.

We are thankful for the positive feedback we have been receiving for both causes.

RVUCOM Rural and Wilderness Honors Track Students

Cheryl Lovell, Ph.D. representing RVU at the White House.

Cheryl Lovell, Ph.D. and Thomas Told, D.O. with presenters from the GME Summit

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From the Rocky Vista University Alumni Association

Practice Opportunity for Future Family Practice Residency Grads of 2015 If you are interested in practicing family medicine in Colorado, James A. Zimmer, D.O., has a prac-tice in SE Colorado Springs that may be the right fit for you. It is never too early to start looking at options for your future career.

If interested, please contact Dr. Zimmer at 719-661-3759 or [email protected].

New Board Members Announced

V UALU M N I

A S S O C I A T I O N

The RVU Alumni Association would like to proudly announce the newly appointed members of the Rocky Vista University Alumni Association Board of Trustees. Congratulations to the new officers!

President: Heather Katz, D.O. '12 Immediate Past President: Megan Croteau, D.O. '12 President Elect: Alexander (A.J.) Ryan, D.O. '14 Vice President: Christopher Mutter, D.O. '14Secretary: Vanessa Campbell, D.O. '14 Treasurer: Jerry McQuain, D.O. '12

Trustees: Andrew Kelts, D.O. '14 RVU Liason & Trustee: Julie Rosenthal, MS, David Wood, D.O. '12 Executive Director of Admissions Morgan Campbell, D.O. '12 and Marketing

Incoming student, Simrat Kaur is the recipient of the COPIC Medical Foundation Scholarship. She will receive a tuition waiver of $5,000 per year (for a maximum of four years) as long as she maintains the eligibility requirements.

Congratulations, Simrat!

Applications for the Brandon Trusell Scholarship are due by Monday, June 30. For additional information, please contact: [email protected].

Brandon Trusell Scholarship Applications DueSimrat Kaur

COPIC Medical Foundation Scholarship Recipient Announced

Megan Croteau, D.O. '12 was mar-ried to Jason Fels on June 8, 2014.

Congratulations, Dr. Croteau-Fels!

Megan Croteau, D.O. '12

Class Notes

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Achieving New HeightsHighlighting the Accomplishments of Our Faculty, Staff and Physicians in Training

Frank Ames, Ph.D., has published his 4th book, “Warfare, Ritual and Symbol in Biblical and Modern Context (Ancient Israel and its Literature).” Co-authors are Brad Kelle and Jean Ann Wright and the book is available on Amazon.com. Congratulations on your acheivement, Dr. Ames!

Heather Ferrill, D.O., was elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Osteopathy. The mission of the American Academy of Osteopathy is to teach, advocate, and research the science, art and philosophy of osteopathic medicine, emphasizing the integration of osteopathic principles, practices and manipulative treatment in patient care. We’re very proud of you, Dr. Ferrill!

LeAnn Jons-Cox, D.O., was awarded the prestigious A.T. Still Award for Excellence in Teaching. We all send our congratulations to Dr. Jons-Cox and wish her much continued success!

Cheryl Lovell, Ph.D., has been published in “Higher Education in the American West: Regional History and State Contexts” and “Public Policy Challenges Facing Higher Edu-cation in the American West.” Her chapter, "The Growth of Community Colleges in the West: Conditions and Public Policy Challenges" addresses one of the key public policy challenges facing higher education in the West today. Both volumes are available on Ama-zon.com and at www.palgrave.com.

Also, Dr. Lovell was a guest panelist for “Grad Made Good” at Florida State University. The “Grad Made Good” discussion panel shared stories about their experiences at FSU and allowed graduate students to learn more about available resources to advance their lives and careers. Well done, Dr. Lovell!

Jeanna West-Miles, OMS-III, presented a poster entitled “The Relationship of Alzheim-er’s Disease to the Human Prion Diseases Through Shared Biochemistry and Pathology” at the AAO Convocation held at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in March, 2014. SD West-Miles was awarded a third place honor in this national competition. Congratulations, SD West-Miles!

Frank Ames, Ph.D.

LeAnn Jons-Cox, D.O.

Cheryl Lovell, Ph.D.

Jeanna West-Miles, OMS-III

Heather Ferrill, D.O.

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Jacob Ludwig, OMS-IV, participated and won third place in the recent A. Hollis Wolff competition at the AAO Convocation. SD Ludwig gave a presentation entitled “A 9 Year Old Boy with Hip Pain.” This national competition allows only one student from each osteopathic college to give a five minute presentation of the case and is graded on understanding of the subject, integrating osteopathic concepts and speaking performance. Well done, SD Ludwig!

Charles Simpkin, OMS-I, was published in the journal, Sleep, as co-author of the article entitled “Chronotype is Associated with the Timing of the Circadian Clock and Sleep in Toddlers.” J Sleep Res. March 2014. The team looked at the relationship between chronotype (morningness/eveningness) and salivary melatonin, which is a marker of the circadian clock in 2.5 to 3 year old children. The research may have important implications for understanding the marked variability in sleep timing during the early years of life. Congratulations, SD Simpkin!

Jacob Ludwig, OMS-IV

Charles Simpkin, OMS-I

ACOFP AccomplishmentsThomas N. Told, D.O., FA-COP, dist. was presented with the ACOFP Educa-tor of the Year Award at the ACOFP Annual Convention in Philadel-phia in March, 2014. The Osteopathic Family Physi-cian Educator of the Year Award honors an indi-vidual who exemplifies the osteopathic family medi-cine profession’s highest standards of excellence in teaching and has made

significant, commendable, and longstanding contri-butions to the academic advancement of osteopathic students, residents and the osteopathic profession.

Also at the ACOFP Annual Convention, Rebecca Lewis, D.O. '12 and Jeremy Jie Casey, OMS-III were sworn onto the 15-member Board of Governors. Dr. Lewis’s title is Resident Academic Board Member and SD Casey's is Student Academic Board Member. This is an exceptional honor for RVUCOM.

Lastly, the RVUCOM Student Chapter received the SAACOFP President’s Award for being the all-around best chapter in the country! Congratulations to SAA-COFP President Netana Hotimsky, OMS-II and mem-bers for this outstanding achievement.

RVUCOM is truly well represented and has grown to prominence in the osteopathic profession!

Thomas N. Told, D.O. accepting his award.


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RVU's Marketing Team Takes First and Second for AACOM Communication Awards

The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine held its annual conference in Washington, D.C. in April. The theme of the conference, Osteopathic Medical Education: Keys to Success, could not have been more appropriate for the RVUCOM presence and presentations given by faculty and staff.

Schoen Kruse, Ph.D. and Cheryl McCormick, Ph.D. presented “RVUCOM Curriculum Reorganization: A Six Month Transition with Improved Outcomes” highlighting the key steps in transitioning from a tradi-tional systems-based curriculum to a modified systems application-based curriculum.

Brian Schwartz, M.L.I.S. presented “From Locating Information to Creating Meaning: Recalibrating Li-brary Education in Medical School,” which focused on creating information and resource-literate students.

Judy Thornton, M.A. presented “Designing Individu-alized Academic Support Across Four Years of Medical Education using a Diagnostic-Prescriptive Approach.” The process used at RVUCOM includes a diagnostic approach to develop individual interventions and strategies for students needing academic assistance.

Nicole Michels, Ph.D. and Brian Schwartz, M.L.I.S. presented “Application of a Social Constructive Model to an Undergraduate Medical School Curriculum,” promoting interaction and mentorship between faculty and students to improve participation and perfor-mance.

Thomas Told, D.O., Rebecca Bowden, Ph.D. and Tina Underwood, M.A. presented “Babes in the Woods: An Assessment of Rural Track Medical Students’ Basic Obstetrical Skills in a Remote Field Setting.” The team spoke on the continuing development of an innovative obstetric training program for second-year students interested in rural medicine and using simulation mo-dalities for practice in non-traditional settings.

Michael Dewsnap, M.S.Ed presented the poster “Developing Professionalism in Peer Tutors,” showing the structure and teamwork approach to developing professional skills of tutors to improve the academic performance of the students being tutored.

LeAnn Jons-Cox, D.O. presented the poster “Stan-dardized Patients’ Perception of Osteopathic Manipu-lative Medicine,” which focused on the importance of standardized patients to effectively evaluate and provide feedback of OMM assessment and treatment by medical students.


RVU Well Represented at AACOM Conference

Rocky Vista University's Vista View Newsletter won 1st place in AACOM's 2014 Excellence in Communications Awards for Best Newsletter. In addition to this award, Rocky Vista University won 2nd place for Best Promotional Item with its physician flashdrives loaded with RVU's marketing materials.

Congratulations to Julie Rosenthal, MS, Executive Director of Admissions and Marketing and the Marketing Team!

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New Student Officers ElectedCongratulations to the new Student Leaders!

Student Government Association (SGA)President: Vinay Setty, OMS-IVice President of Operations: Vijay Setty, OMS-IVice President of Student Welfare: Jillian Thompson, OMS-ISecretary: Nikolas Hadley, OMS-ITreasurer: Aaron Moore, OMS-ICurriculum Representative: Samantha Engle, OMS-IHonor Code President: Brandon Hoy, OMS-IOfficer of Communications: J. Barrett Scott, OMS-I

Class LeadersClass President: Hajerah Hameeduddin, OMS-II Jane Wieler, OMS-I

Class Vice President: Ryan Kostka, OMS-II Eleni Weisnicht, OMS-I

Class Secretary: Kelly Dea, OMS-II Mariah Norby, OMS-I

Class Treasurer: Alicia Unangst, OMS-II Matthew Kalina, OMS-I

Class Curriculum Representative: Brandon Noyes, OMS-II Laura Gibbons, OMS-I

Class Historian: Lauren Powell, OMS-II Michael Miller, OMS-I

Class Honor Code Committee Representatives: Derek Hayden, OMS-II Sarah Monahan, OMS-II Gregory Gibbs, OMS-II Karly Fischer, OMS-I Jeffery Whitcomb, OMS-I William Robar, OMS-I

Class Tutor Representative: Marc Mitton, OMS-I

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Nicole Michels, Ph.D., Phase Director, Year 2

Cindy Funk, Ph.D., Phase Director, Year 1

Brendan Fowler, OMS-II John Yurek, OMS-II

Brianna Anthony, OMS-II Charlie Echeverria, OMS-II Kyle Sonnabend, OMS-II


Congratulations to the New OPP Fellows!RVUCOM has announced the acceptance of three new Fellows for the Harold Ives Magoun, Jr. D.O., FAAO, FCA Memorial Undergraduate Osteo-pathic Principles & Practices Fellowship. The sec-ond year physicians in training who were chosen for the Fellowship are Brianna Anthony, Charlie Echeverria, and Kyle Sonnabend.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the New Anatomy Fellows!RVUCOM also announced the acceptance of two new Fellows for the Predoctoral Anatomy Fellowship.

The second year physicians in training who were chosen for the Fellow-ship are Brendan Fowler and John Yurek.

Congratulations!

New Phase Directors AppointedPlease join RVUCOM in congratulating Cindy Funk, Ph.D. and Nicole Michels, Ph.D. on their new positions of Phase Director, Year 1 and Phase Director, Year 2.

In the role of Phase Director, Drs. Funk and Michels will oversee and manage the Year 1 and Year 2 curriculum. In addition, they will serve as an advocate for the first and second year students; interfacing with the students on both academic and nonacademic issues.

Congratulations, Drs. Funk and Michels!

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Welcome to the New Faces Around Campus Dennis Kinder, M.D.Staff Physician at the Rocky Vista Health Center

Originally from Twisp, WA, a small town in the North Cas-cades, Dr. Kinder comes to the Rocky Vista Health Center (RVHC) from Craig and Steam-boat Springs, where he and his wife lived for the last 19 years. Dr.

Kinder received his medical education from the University of Washington and did his residency in Internal Medicine at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT. Dr. Kinder states, “My first position after completing my Internal Medicine Residency was with Dr. Told in Craig, CO. The rural setting allowed me to practice in the clinic, hospital, ER and ICU.” When asked why he chose the RVHC, Dr. Kinder said he looked forward to the opportunity to work with resident physicians, medical students, and Dr. Told again!

Dr. Kinder’s wife, Pamela is a neurologist and currently practices in Craig and Steamboat Springs. They have two children, Jacquelyn, a recent Pharm D graduate now com-pleting her Residency, and Buddy, a recent graduate from the Air Force Academy now stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, MT. They have an Australian Shepherd and enjoy hiking, biking, running, skiing, and all the great out-door activities.

Welcome, Dr. Kinder!

Georgia MartinezBilling Specialist at the Rocky Vista Health Center

The newest addition to the Rocky Vista Health Center is Georgia Martinez, who moved to Denver from Pueblo, CO, where she previously worked for Pulmonary Associates P.C. for 12 years. Georgia has exten-

sive experience in medical office management and says, “I am so excited to be a part of RVU. I have found a home where I can be myself. The staff that I have encountered are friendly, delightful, and very welcoming.”

Georgia has three grown children and eleven grandchil-dren. She loves to bake with her grandchildren and have sleepovers.

A fun fact about Georgia is that she is the family historian. She loves to collect old photos of family members and has hopes of one day compiling their stories.

Welcome, Georgia!

Jennifer Williams, Ph.D.Executive Director of Institutional Planning & Assessment

Dr. Williams comes to RVU-COM with an extensive back-ground in higher education as Dean of Academic Program Development at Lamar Commu-nity College, Assistant Dean of Instruction at Colorado Moun-

tain College, Director of Faculty and Curriculum at Regis University and Human Resources Manager at the Univer-sity of Denver.

Dr. Williams says, “I was very attracted to RVU’s mission to provide exceptional healthcare education embedded within a philosophy that invests in whole body wellness and treatment. I’m an advocate of nutrition, exercise, and overall well-being, and was impressed with RVU’s founda-tion on these principles. After I met the staff, I was sold!”

Dr. Williams is a self-proclaimed “outdoor nut” and enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, climbing 14er’s, sea kayaking, and pretty much any opportunity to immerse herself in nature and play outdoors.

A little known fact about Dr. Williams is that she had a key removed from her stomach when she was 2 1/2 years old living in Africa, after having accidently swallowed it. The surgeon that removed it was Glenn Close’s father, Dr. William Close, a D.O. who dedicated his life to the goal of getting health care into rural areas of Africa. It was a har-rowing ordeal; however, Dr. William’s mom still has the key in a frame on her wall.

Welcome, Dr. Williams!

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The Vista View is published by the Rocky Vista University Marketing Department.

8401 S. Chambers Road, Parker, CO 80134720.875.2800

To make comments, suggestions, submissions or to be added to the newsletter mailing list, please email [email protected]

Rocky Vista University provides quality healthcare education while inspiring students to serve with compassion, integrity and excellence.

In MemoriamMary Burnett, D.O.

A light has been dimmed in the osteopathic profession as Rocky Vista University has received notification regarding the passing of Mary Burnett, D.O.

Dr. Burnett was a founding member of the Rocky Vista University Board of Trustees serving from July 2006-July 2008.

Dr. Burnett was very accomplished in the osteopathic profession and admired by all who knew her.

Rocky Mountain OPTI has been busy working to expand graduate medical education opportunities in the region. We are pleased to announce that we have submitted an ap-plication to the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) for a new osteopathic general surgery residency program at Swedish Hospital in Denver. The program will be in-spected and if all goes well, it will seek applications for a July 2015 start. Dr. Emmett McGuire is the Residency Program Director and Dr. Sue Sloan will act as the Asso-ciate Program Director. At the current time, no audition rotations are being offered, but we hope to make such op-portunities available in the future.

We are also working on applications for a Family Medicine Residency at the Medical Center of Aurora and an Internal Medicine Residency program at Ogden Regional Medical Center in Ogden, Utah. It is too early to tell if these pro-grams will be funded for the July 2015 cycle, but we are working towards that goal.

We had previously announced the approval of a new os-teopathic family medicine residency program through Peak Vista Community Health Centers in Colorado Springs. Unfortunately, due to some last minute changes at Penrose Hospital, we were forced to delay the launch of the program. We are hopeful that the program may launch in July 2015, but there are still some significant fund issues to work out before the program will enter into the match.

Rocky Mountain OPTI is busy preparing for a late summer AOA inspection, and we are working on an application to achieve 501(c)3 non-profit status. We have been work-ing with the OPP Department, which has been presenting quarterly OPP workshops for OPTI residents, and these programs have been very well received.

The OPTI continues to work with 6-8 other hospitals who have expressed some interest in starting GME programs. It often takes many years to get a residency program up and running and the process requires substantial resourc-es to build the required relationships.

Update on Graduate Medical Education By: Thomas Mohr, D.O., FACOI, Executive Director of RMOPTI, Vice Dean

Documents

Vista View Newsletter, June 2014, Vol. 7.2