Hoofprints
A Monthly Newsletter fromUW’s College of Health Sciences
103rd EditionAugust 16, 2010
A Message from Dean Steiner
Dear friends,
August is the quiet month at the College of Health Sciences and the
University of Wyoming, so it was
my initial intent to hang a “Gone
Fishing” sign on my monthly
message. As you will read below,
however, a number of great
things are happening at the
college.
Congratulations to Alicia
Grove, a nursing graduate from
Rock Springs on being named
Dean Joseph F. "Joe" Steiner
Miss Wyoming. We will be rooting for her at the Miss America Pageant in
January.
Congratulations to Deb Fleming for securing the five-year extension of
the Wyoming Geriatric Education Center (WyGEC) grant. This will allow
Deb’s group to continue its important work. As we all know, Wyoming has
one of the oldest populations in the country, and the center provides much-
needed education.
Also, congratulation to the pharmacy students for their top-10 placing
in the National Community Pharmacists Association Pruitt-Schutte Student
Business Plan competition. There is always strong competition from
pharmacy programs across the country, and their great showing signifies
their dedication and hard work.
As you can see, even for a quiet month, there is quite a lot of activity
at the college. Now, I’m going fishing!
Regards,
Joe
Student News
Congratulations to the members of the School of Pharmacy’s (SOP)
student arm of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
who were named among the top 10 finalists in the association’s Pruitt-
Schutte Student Business Plan competition. Morganne Smyth from
Cheyenne; Jared Underdahl from Owatonna,
Minnesota; Kara Kent and Mark Harmon from Laramie;
Joseph Poling from Loveland, Colorado; and Cory
Officer from Evanston, with guidance from Kem
Krueger, Associate Professor of Pharmacy, submitted
“Snowy Range Pharmacy & Peak Urgent Care,” a five-
year plan for purchasing a pharmacy in Laramie and adding an urgent care
center staffed with nurse practitioners. The plan also included enhancing
medication compounding services and a prescription disposal system to
allow patients a safe way to discard unused medications. According to
A business plan submitted by SOP students and their advisor was honored by the NCPA.
NCPA President Joseph H. Harmison, “The future of independent
community pharmacy resides in the hands of pharmacy students, which is
why NCPA invests considerable resources in providing these young people
with the tools to be successful owners. The business plan competition is the
crown jewel of those efforts, as teams of pharmacy students create
independent community pharmacy business plans that are judged by
distinguished panel of pharmacy professionals.” The group will receive $300
and recognition at the NCPA Foundation Awards Ceremony to be held
during the NCPA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in late October.
Program Updates
UW’s IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE),
which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to foster research
in health issues across the state of Wyoming, continues its remarkable
program of supporting faculty and student research and connecting
students in biomedical fields from the state’s seven community colleges to
its UW base directed by Jun Ren, Professor of
Pharmacology and the College of Health
Sciences’ Associate Dean for Research. INBRE
has six lofty goals: to establish a multi-
disciplinary research network with scientific
focus that will build and strengthen biomedical
research at UW and its partner institutions; to
provide research support to faculty, postgraduate
fellows, and graduate students; to create a
pipeline for undergraduate students at UW and
Wyoming community colleges to continue health
research careers; to provide outreach activities
for UW students and the community colleges that are part of INBRE’s
network; to enhance science and technology knowledge of the state’s
workforce; and to expand Wyoming research opportunities across the
Jun Ren, Director of UW's INBRE initiative
region. The project is complex, but its purpose is quite simply to make
Wyoming a healthier state in which to live.
The Family Medicine Residency Programs (FMRP) are pleased to
welcome their new residents. James Dombroski, M.D.; Mesha Dunn, M.D.;
Marcus Harris, D.O.; Jacob Johnson, D.O.; Larry Lauridsen, D.O.; Keyna
May, M.D.; Nikki Myhre, D.O.; and Russel Pierce, M.D. have joined the
Casper Program, and Nima Azarbehi, M.D.; J. Jake Behringer, M.D.; Kristina
A. Behringer, M.D.; Robert E. Oravec, M.D.; Yusuf S. Ruhullah, M.D.; and
Aaron L. Wilson, M.D. have joined the Cheyenne Program. Also of interest is
the fact that the Community Health Center of Central Wyoming,
FMRP/Casper’s partner, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The good
working relationship that has been established between the two groups will
continue to benefit resident physicians and community patients.
The Center for Community Health and Economic Development, a
group of faculty from the SOP, the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing
(FWWSON), and UW’s College of Business, works with the Health as
Human Capital Foundation in Cheyenne to develop market-based solutions
to challenges facing business and health care. The center, which is directed
by Pamela Clarke, Professor of Nursing, has had a productive summer with
its poster presentations and panel discussions in Orlando, Seattle, and
Arlington and at UW. The group’s interdisciplinary approach is proving
effective in dealing with health care issues of Wyoming’s energy and
extractive industries.
Alumni News
Alicia Grove from Rock Springs, a 2010
graduate of the FWWSON, was named Miss
Wyoming and will represent our state in
January during the Miss America Pageant to
be held in Las Vegas. Following her
undergraduate research interest, Alicia has
chosen women’s heart health and prevention
Alicia Grove, Miss Wyoming 2010
of cardiovascular disease as her personal platform. “As a registered nurse,”
Alicia says, “I have a great deal of education in preventative measures, and
while I am focused on women’s heart health in particular, I feel it is of dire
importance to involve as many individuals as possible in the fight against
cardiovascular disease.” As an undergraduate, Alicia was active in Delta
Delta Delta sorority, represented the college during the National
Conference for College Women Student Leaders, and participated in the
FWWSON’s interprofessional brigade that traveled to provide health care to
residents in Honduras.
SOP alumni were honored during the 93rd Annual Wyoming Pharmacy
Association (WPA)/Wyoming Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy
Convention held last month in Casper. Natasha Gallizzi (Pharm.D. ’01) of
the Laramie County Centralized Pharmacy in Cheyenne
received the Innovative Pharmacist of the Year Award
for her contributions to the medication needs of the
less fortunate. In recognition of his dedication to the
practice of hospital pharmacy and his devotion to the
advancement of patient care at Campbell County
Memorial Hospital in Gillette, Kendall “Ken” George
(B.S.P. ’77) was granted the Pfizer Wyoming Health-
Systems Pharmacist of the Year Award. The
Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award was presented
to Matthew A. Stanton (Pharm.D. ’01), an SOP
preceptor and member of the Department of Pharmacy
at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, to honor his outstanding
involvement in association activities and community projects. Terry Carr
(B.S.P. ’74) of Medicap in Gillette was named the Wyoming Pharmacist of
the Year based on his valued experience in retail facilities, nursing homes,
and hospitals and his many efforts as a patient safety advocate.
New Programs
Terry Carr (right), the Wyoming Pharmacist of the Year, is congratulated by Jennifer Nevins of the WPA.
The Wyoming Center for Nursing and Health Care Partnerships,
currently housed in the FWWSON and established to recruit, train, and
retain long-term health care providers in Wyoming. As a result of UW
funding received from the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, the
center recently added three education pilot projects. Central Wyoming
College will prepare local nurses for roles as clinical instructors; Sheridan
College will research strategies to enhance simulation experiences for
student nurses, while integrating those experiences into its nursing
curriculum; and Sheridan Memorial Hospital will gather information about
what is needed for an area simulation center in northern Wyoming designed
to train rural nurses at their facilities. For details, please contact Matt
Sholty ([email protected] or 307-766-6715).
The Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) has joined Twitter. To
follow WIND’s “tweets,” please visit http://www.twitter.com/WINDucedd
and never miss an update.
The FWWSON received almost $1 million from the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA) to prepare Wyoming nurse educators.
The three-year program is designed to expand the number of nurse
educators in the state with an emphasis on increasing the cultural
competence of new and existing nursing faculty. According to HRSA
studies, a 63% shortage of nurses in Wyoming, the largest shortage in the
nation, is expected by 2020. For more information about this critical
program, please contact Terrie Wiederich ([email protected]), Pamela
Clarke ([email protected]), or Connie Diaz-Swearingen
Service
The Wyoming Geriatric Education Center (WyGEC), based in the
college and funded by the Wyoming Adult Protection
Training Grant (WyAPT), has made three brochures
available to associations and individuals interested
in preventing and detecting elder abuse in the state
WyAPT is dedicated to improving the lives of Wyoming's elders.
of Wyoming. “Suggestions for Law Enforcement as Potential First
Responders to an Elder Abuse Situation” addresses officer safety, persons
who may commit elder abuse, general behavioral indication of elder abuse,
exploitation and intimidation indicators of elder abuse, and environmental
indicators of elder abuse. The “WyAPT Elder Abuse Prevention Guide”
defines elder abuse, identifies possible victims and their abusers, explains
why elder abuse may occur, lists notification information of possible
responders to elder abuse, and offers state and national resources and
information. “Abuse Against Elders and Vulnerable Adults: Potential Legal
Remedies” lists practice tips for law enforcement as potential first
responders to reports of elder abuse, outlines potential criminal justice and
civil action against alleged abusers, and defines various kinds of elder abuse
such as neglect and financial exploitation, and phone numbers of state and
local agencies that work on behalf of the elderly. For more information and
copies of the brochures, please visit
http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/community/education/wyapt.asp.
Faculty News
Linda Gore Martin, Associate Dean of
Operations and Academic Affairs in the SOP,
received this year’s Bowl of Hygeia Award from the
Wyoming Pharmacy Association in recognition of her
selfless and dedicated assistance to the Laramie
community and the profession of pharmacy. Linda
received her doctor of pharmacy degree from
Creighton University in 1998 and her M.B.A. from
UW in 1979. Linda’s research interests include
improving the health care of women and older
adults, and she is a devoted volunteer at Laramie’s
Downtown Clinic and a member of the board of directors for Laramie
Reproductive Health. She also teaches courses in drug literature evaluation
and social and behavioral pharmacy. The Bowl of Hygeia Award is
Linda Gore Martin (left) received the WPA's Bowl of Hygeia Award from Jaime Hornecker of the Medical Residency Program at Casper.
presented annually by participating pharmacy associations of the 50 states,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the 10 Canadian provinces to
honor recipients’ outstanding records of community service.
Susan Steiner, FWWSON Associate Dean for Clinical and Community
Affairs and Clinical Assistant Professor, was one of three UW
representatives appointed to the Wyoming Distance Learning Task
Force by Governor Freudenthal. Sue will serve on the task force
until June 30, 2012.
Sue Steiner will serve a three-year term on the Wyoming Distance Learning Center Task Force.