events

SAAO (OMM) auction

Tuesday, March 24

5:30 p.m. 

Athens: Irvine 194

Dublin: MEB1-331

Bid on many desirable items to raise money for AAO Convocation funding for Dublin and Athens campus students. A $2 entrance fee will benefit My Sister's Place in Athens. To RSVP click here. For more information contact Marcus Bear, [email protected].

Talk on transformative education

Thursday, April 2

Noon-1:30 p.m. 

Athens: Irvine 199, Dublin: MEB1-415

Paul Wimmers, Ph.D., of David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, sponsored by the Curriculum Transformation Team. Contact Mary Wurm-Schaar[email protected] 

Minority Health Month Lecture Series

Monday, April 13

Noon - 1 p.m.

Athens: Irvine 194

Dublin: MEB1-415

Contact Alicia Boards, [email protected]

in the news

South Pointe makes Healthgrades list of Top 100 Hospitals
Students who landed their number one residencies share tips
The DO
March 5
  alumni in the news
People on the move
Gannett papers online
March 17

resources

Faculty Development

Heritage College news

ROUNDS archive   

 

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Study looks at key protein tied to insulin resistance
Leslie Consitt

The National Institutes of Health has awarded more than $371,000 to a Heritage College study that will explore the link between myostatin, a key protein that regulates muscle growth, and insulin resistance.
 

Leslie Consitt, Ph.D., an assistant professor of physiology at the Heritage College, first discovered the connection in preliminary studies.
 

"This finding opens a number of doors for current and future research projects," said Consitt. She hopes her NIH-funded research will lead to the development of targeted and efficient treatment strategies for conditions associated with insulin resistance, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.


Read more>>

 

Osteopathic commitment honored at DOC awards

On Monday, March 16, outstanding Heritage College students and faculty were recognized for their contributions to osteopathic medical education during the college's annual DOC (Distinguished Osteopathic Commitment) Awards ceremony, held in Baker Ballroom in Athens. In one of the more eagerly anticipated awards announcements every year, Simon Fraser, OMS IV, was named Student D.O. of the Year for 2015. For a complete list of award recipients, click here.
 


Primary care research group rolls out strategic plan

Primary Care Research Initiatives has developed a strategic plan for 2014-2017 designed to raise the national profile of the Heritage College as the preeminent primary care research institution.

 

Incorporating input from department chairs, faculty, staff, and leadership, the plan outlines four key strategies:

  • Developing and recruiting primary care research faculty

  • Creating interdisciplinary collaborative primary care research teams

  • Building infrastructure to support primary care research

  • Communicating primary care research developments to people within the college and to potential and current external partners

Two collaborative research teams have already been formed and are open to anyone who would like to participate. One team is focused on maternal, infant and child research; the other is concentrated on lifestyle medicine, behavioral and complementary heath approaches.

 

Team members include representatives from the Heritage College and several colleges and institutes across Ohio University. Executive Director of Primary Care Initiatives Kelly Nottingham hopes to eventually open the teams to partners outside the university and expand the collaborative teams to other topics. Contact Nottingham at [email protected] if you would like more information or are interested in joining. 


announcements
Video available of curricular transformation speaker
Michael A. Seffinger

On March 10, an audience of Heritage College faculty, staff and students heard a discussion of how to embed osteopathic thinking and philosophy in the college's curriculum as it evolves. The speaker was Michael A. Seffinger, D.O., professor of NMM/OMM at the Osteopathic Medical College of the Pacific, and associate editor of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

 

Seffinger's appearance at the college was sponsored by the Curricular Transformation Team, which is exploring opportunities for transforming the primary care curriculum. Such a transformation is one of the goals the college has committed itself to achieving with funds from an historic gift of $105 million from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in 2011.

 

A video record of Seffinger's appearance and his PowerPoint presentation can be accessed online, along with other materials related to the work of the Curricular Transformation Team, by clicking here. (Ohio University employee ID and password are required for access. The video link is near the top, under the heading "video from past speakers.")

 

New research funding program now available

In an effort to encourage collaborations with external research partners, the Heritage College has created a new funding program.

 

The Collaborative Translational Research Award Program is offering three $50,000 grants during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Reviewers are looking for proposals that demonstrate the building of new collaborative relationships and are connected to current externally funded research projects.

 

According to the guidelines, the expectation is that the collaboration will lead to new, externally funded research awards. Reviewers will also consider funding for innovative projects that show significant changes to an existing collaboration and plans to move in a new direction.

 

While not a new award, the Research & Scholarly Awards Committee is also accepting applications for the Pilot/Small Project Award Program, which is looking for proposals aimed at collecting pilot data with strong potential for external funding.

 

Applications for both grants are due April 1. Additional details on eligibility and submission requirements can be found online. 

CARE winners for February announced

The Executive Dean's Prize Patrol was at work again this month congratulating February's recipients of the CARE (Celebrating Achievements & Recognizing Excellence)  award. The recipients are:

  • Administrative: Rachael Crouch, special assistant to the executive dean in the Office of the Executive Dean,

  • Classified: John Dehmann, facilities coordinator in Administrative Services, and

  • Faculty: Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and director of the Clinical Presentation Curriculum.

Rachael Crouch manages the day-to-day operations of the office of the executive dean. From overseeing large events to handling non-routine items, Rachael works behind the scenes to make sure projects run smoothly and nothing falls through the cracks.

 

Chief Administrative Officer Beth Maxon nominated Rachael saying, "Rachael always puts the success of the Heritage College first and it shows in her work and work effort."

 

John Dehmann is the go-to person whenever something breaks in the college's buildings. Recently, a steam valve break in Parks Hall caused water to leak into hallways and offices on four floors. The water threatened to damage University Medical Associates' paper records, supplies and equipment. John minimized disruptions so that UMA staff could continue caring for patients.

 

"John, covered in dirt, water, and sweat from his efforts, still managed to maintain a sense of humor and a smile, and not once did he complain about any of it," said UMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Davies, who nominated John. "His reliability, coupled with his genuinely kind personality, makes him an asset to our organization."

 

Called one of the hardest working, most dedicated professors at the Heritage College, Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D., juggles multiple responsibilities. He is a professor of anatomical sciences in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, whose research on dinosaurs and birds has received international attention. He is also director of the Clinical Presentation Curriculum and takes an active role in mentoring students and junior faculty.

 

Assistant Professor Joseph Bianco, Ph.D., who nominated Pat, describes him as "living proof that faculty can truly excel at research, teaching and service. His contributions in all three areas are outstanding. His drive for continuous improvement is inspiring and contagious."

 

Nominations for March can be made until Wednesday, March 31, on the CARE website. At the end of the month, the nomination pool will be cleared. If your nominee's name was not drawn, you may resubmit the person's name beginning April 1. 

Documentary to look at veterans' health issues

A documentary training film featuring veterans talking about their personal experience (both military and health) is currently being developed by Heritage College Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Army National Guard Col. Todd Fredricks, D.O., and Associate Professor Brian Plow, with the Ohio University School of Media Arts & Studies. The collaborative team has released a trailer for the documentary that can be viewed on YouTube

 

The documentary is being created as part of a research project to identify health-related communication themes that are common to veterans. The research team is asking medical students and medical professionals, including faculty, to view the trailer and then complete a Qualtrics survey accessible here. The complete documentary is expected to be finished in June 2016. Anyone who is interested in staying up-to-date on the progress of the film is encouraged to follow the project's Twitter account: @mediainmedicine. 

Wexner holds 4th annual Primary Care Career Day

On April 18, the Wexner Medical Center at the Ohio State University will be hosting the 4th annual Primary Care Career Day for the entire state of Ohio. There are no fees for medical students, residents or mentors for this conference. The day will include a light breakfast and lunch and discussions of hot topics, careers and scholarly activity in primary care. This is an opportunity for medical students and residents to present clinical vignettes/research and begin to explore careers in the fields of internal medicine, pediatrics and/or family medicine.  

 

To register click here. Submit to [email protected]. The location to attend is Biomedical Research Tower, 460 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, Ohio.

human resources
New hires

 

Elizabeth Murphy, administrative services associate-Athens campus, joined the Office of Academic Affairs on Jan. 20.  She can be reached at Grosvenor 228 at 740.593.2342.

 

 

 

Jessica Downs, administrative services associate-Athens campus, joined the Office of Academic Affairs on Feb. 9.  She can be reached at Grosvenor 422 at 740.593.1597.

 

 

 

 

Stacy Wright, R.N., community health nurse/patient navigator-Athens campus, joined Community Health Programs on Feb. 16. She can be reached at Grosvenor 064 at 740.597.1412.

In each issue of ROUNDS, look here

for information on transformative initiatives within Heritage College.

 

Curriculum revision process getting underway

The Heritage College has begun an overhaul of its curriculum, which is expected to take two years and requires approval from Ohio University and COCA. Phase I of the curriculum revision is underway. To help guide how the new curriculum is designed, faculty and staff on the Curriculum Transformation Team have reviewed the curricula at numerous U.S. osteopathic and allopathic medical schools to identify best practices and potential challenges or issues.

 

In their assessment of other medical schools' curricula, the team looked closely at team-based, case-based and problem-based learning; active learning methods; inter-professional education; competency-based assessment; and how primary care and wellness and disease prevention are integrated into the curriculum.

 

Select team members will visit five medical schools this spring to look more closely at their use of software, faculty workload and class schedules. Through the spring and summer, a series of invited speakers will also share their expertise on curriculum transformation with college faculty, staff and students. Times and dates for each speaker will be announced by email and in ROUNDS.

 

By summer, the team plans to create the guiding principles for the new curriculum and will then begin the design process. A list of team members and updates on the team's progress are available online. Pending approval, the new curriculum is expected to be implemented in July 2017. The college's last major curricular overhaul occurred in 1999 when the Clinical Presentation Continuum track launched.