SOM Hosts American Cancer Society Legislative Roundtable and Check Presentation

The American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network hosted a legislative roundtable at SOM to discuss the importance of "Finishing the Fight Through Cancer Research." The event, held April 25, focused on the essential need for elevating federal and state government's role in furthering progress against cancer, and featured elected officials and experts in the field of cancer research.
 
The event also featured a check presentation from the American Cancer Society. Two SOM researchers, Dr. Ronald Ellis, professor, Molecular Biology, and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Shin Yi Lin received a $163,500 three-year grant to study control of transcriptional activation by the nematode GLI protein TRA-1.
 
Dr. Jack Goldberg, clinical professor of medicine, University of Pennsylvania, moderated the roundtable discussion, which included panelists: Congressman Donald Norcross, New Jersey Congressional District 1, U.S. House of Representatives; Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, New Jersey Legislative District 6, Assembly Majority Leader; Dr. Thomas Cavalieri, professor, Medicine, endowed chair for primary care research and dean, SOM; Dr. Kenneth Blank, senior vice president for Health Sciences, Rowan University; Dr. Shreekanth Mandayam, vice president for Research and executive director of the South Jersey Technology Park, Rowan University and Dr. Arnold Baskies, vice chairman, 2016 American Cancer Society Board of Directors.

Highlights from the Atlantic Regional Osteopathic Convention (AROC)

The New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (NJAOPS) held their 115th Atlantic Regional Osteopathic Convention (AROC) at Bally's Atlantic City April 13 to 16. AROC, the annual convention of New Jersey's osteopathic physician community, provides an opportunity for medical professionals to attend various educational sessions and continuing medical education (CME) programs.
 
SOM faculty presented a number of the CME sessions throughout the convention. A collaborative OMT Workshop and Student OMT Workshop featured several SOM faculty, including Dr. Millicent Channell, associate professor, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and assistant dean for curriculum, Dr. James Bailey, assistant professor, Rehabilitation Medicine and Dr. Knic Rabara.
 
Other workshops presented by SOM faculty included:
  • "Women's Health," moderated by Dr. Terrie Ginsberg, associate professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology, New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging;
  • "Multiple Sclerosis Update," presented by Dr. Donald A. Barone, associate professor, Medicine and chief, Neurology;
  • "Team Building Workshop for Medical Students," moderated by Dr. Kathryn C. Lambert, associate professor, Family Medicine and assistant dean, Student Affairs;
  • "Palliative Care: Physician Assisted Suicide," presented by Dr. Jacob Niel Rosen, assistant professor, Family Medicine; and
  • "Palliative Care: End-of-Life/POLST," presented by Dr. John Bertagnolli, Jr., associate professor, Family Medicine. 
AROC also provided an opportunity for volunteer faculty to meet. Dr. Joshua Coren, associate professor and chair, Family Medicine and director, Continuing Medical Education, moderated the session.
 
The SOM Alumni Reception and Dinner was held on Wednesday evening, and included presentations of the Student DO of the Year Award to Steve Bialick '16, the Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Ira Monka '84 and the SOM Founder's Award to Dr. James Guidice, professor, Medicine.

SOM Faculty Attend ACOFP Convention in Puerto Rico

SOM faculty and staff traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) Annual Convention and Scientific Seminars April 6 to 9. Dr. Joshua Coren served as program chair for the convention. A reception for faculty, staff, alumni and friends was held on Wednesday, April 6.
 
Presentations by SOM faculty included:
 
Dr. Danielle Cooley:        "How DO You Add OMT to a Busy Practice?"
                                     "Back Pain: When to Treat and When to Image"
                                     "Medicare Wellness, Transition Codes and Patient Centered Medical Home"
                                     "OMT Program: Integration of Osteopathic Medicine Throughout the                                                     Lifecycle"
 
Dr. Joshua Coren:           "Contract Negotiations"
 
Dr. Michelle Tartaglia:     "Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding"
 
Dr. Justin Faden:            "Psychosis and Mood Related Disorders
                                     "When Painkillers Go From 'Helping' to 'Hurting'"

  Dr. Martin Finkel:           "I Can Tell You Because You're a Doctor: Understanding and Responding to                                         the 'Disease' of Sexual Victimization"

Dr. Terrie Ginsberg:        "Blood Pressure Monitoring in the Elderly"

Dr. Richard Jermyn:        "When Painkillers Go From 'Helping' to 'Hurting'"
                                     "Pain Contracting and Drug Testing in the Outpatient Setting"

Dr. Stephen Scheinthal:  "Psychosis and Mood Related Disorders"

Dr. Alison Mancuso:       "Billing and Coding"
                                     "Medicare Wellness, Transition Codes and Patient Centered Medical Home"

Dr. Rebecca Moore:        "Back Pain: When to Treat and When to Image"
                                     "Medicare Wellness, Transition Codes and Patient Centered Medical Home"

Dr. Kevin Overbeck:       "Optimal Heart Health Amid Changing Guidelines (and the Evidence for                                                When to Stray)

Dr. Jennifer Caudle:        "Osteoporosis: Enhancing and Stabilizing Bone Health"

Dr. Adarsh Gupta:          "The Landscape of Obesity Pharmacotherapy: Current and Future Treatment                                        Options"

Prospective Students Welcomed at Annual Open House

Over 150 prospective students and their guests explored SOM at the Office of Admissions' Annual Open House on April 22. Targeted to college undergraduates and their families, along with college pre-medical advisors and pre-med clubs, the event featured information about osteopathic medical education  at SOM. Current medical students, faculty and staff were available to meet with attendees, and delivered presentations about student clubs, financial aid and the ins-and-outs of the medical school application process. Prospective students and guests could also tour the campus, learn about research opportunities on campus and attend an Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine workshop.

National Academy of Inventors Names Rowan's Drs. Blank and Lowman Fellows

Two Rowan University administrators were inducted as Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) at NAI's annual meeting in Washington, DC on April 15: Dr. Kenneth Blank, senior vice president of Health Services and Dr. Anthony Lowman, dean of the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering.
 
Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. The NAI Fellows Program has 582 fellows worldwide, holding more than 20,000 issued U.S. patents.
 
Dr. Blank holds three patents related to his work as a molecular pathologist and has more than 30 years of experience in research program development, technology commercialization and regional economic development. Dr. Lowman is internationally recognized for his hydrogel research, and has published more than 75 papers in peer-reviewed journals, has 11 issued patents and has attracted more than $12 million for his research.  Read more.


Community Grand Rounds Series Welcomes Guest Lecturer

The SOM chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), in conjunction with the Office of the Dean, sponsored a Community Grand Rounds program, "The End of Healing and the Path to High Value Health Care" on April 27. Dr. James E. Bailey, professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, was the guest lecturer. Dr. Bailey has directed numerous behavioral health surveys to assess diabetes disease prevalence, health risk behaviors, health literacy and care-seeking behaviors, and has led health systems research and quality reporting initiatives in the mid-south for over ten years. His lecture centered on his past research, including the impact of health system organizations on quality of care and health outcomes for patients with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

Annual Anatomy Memorial Offers Opportunity for Reflection








On Thursday, April 28, in a solemn, yet celebratory memorial service, first-year medical students paid final tribute to the silent teachers who helped them learn to preserve life. Through song and spoken word, the students celebrated the selfless generosity of the men and women who donated their bodies to help teach this newest generation of physicians.
 
Since their first meeting in October, they have shared countless hours together as teacher and pupil, but neither has ever heard the other's voice. In death, the men and women who may once have been plumbers, artists, attorneys or mechanics, became  teachers to pupils  just starting  on the path to becoming physicians. For months, these  teachers silently  beckoned their pupils to learn unforgettable lessons about the wonders of the human body.
 
Following the service, the students returned  to the anatomy laboratory to spend a few, final reflective moments with their silent teachers before leaving flowers as tokens of appreciation with each donor. 

Camden Community Health Center Program Sheds Light on Super-Utilizers

SOM's student-run Camden Community Health Center recently hosted a dinner and a  presentation of
"Hot-Spotting & Community Health," featuring Drs. Jeff Brenner and Bill Warning, founders of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. Attendees learned about 'super-utilizers,' patients who use several services within a health care system, and were introduced to the team from the Crozer-Keystone Super-Utilizer Fellowship Program. The event exposed students to the innovative work of Drs. Brenner and Warning, who are known for their work in identifying and providing health care for at-risk populations.


Upcoming Events  
 
Holi Festival Fundraiser
Tuesday, May 3
5 to 7 pm
Outside Academic Center (facing Kennedy)
Sponsored by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin to celebrate Holi, a Hindu celebration known as the Festival of Colors
 
20th Annual Stratford Campus Research Day
Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 6
10 am to 3 pm
Academic Center, Multipurpose Room
 
RowanSOM Commencement
Friday, May 13
2 pm
University Green, Glassboro Campus