Heritage College in the news



contact us  

If you have questions, suggestions or corrections for
TOUCH points, email us at 

Visit us online at www.ohio.edu/medicine

follow us on social media


Twitter logo


 
  

virtual reality helps health care providers in appalachia
Lula Mae Tate is a woman from Appalachia in her 70s, who has diabetes. She tries to keep her disease under control on a limited income, but life keeps interfering.

Lula Mae is an invented person, but the challenges she faces are real for many in Appalachia, where diabetes rates are above the national average. She's the main character in an innovative series of virtual reality videos created by an interdisciplinary team at Ohio University, headed by co-investigator Elizabeth Beverly, Ph.D., assistant professor of family medicine at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, and holder of the Heritage Faculty Endowed Fellowship in Behavioral Diabetes, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O., Research Endowment.

Participants use virtual reality to understand diabetic patients The VR project is designed to educate health care professionals about aspects of Appalachian culture and help them recognize implicit bias, which may complicate care provision to diabetes patients in the region. 

Cultural factors include a strong sense of community and "taking care of one's own," pride in self-sufficiency, and a wariness of those, including health professionals, who come to the region from elsewhere.  "There is a long history of distrust of outsiders in Appalachia," Beverly noted. "That's just something providers need to be aware of - that there is a history of distrust and why there is a history of distrust. So what they have to do is work a little bit extra to build trust."

You can read more about this project here.  
new infectious and tropical disease institute initiative focuses on local health
ITDI logo The Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute (ITDI) at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine is most widely known for its work combating the spread of insect-borne diseases such as Chagas in Latin America. But a new project launched by the institute in its home territory of southeastern Ohio aims to head off a possible outbreak of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C (HCV) - infections spread mainly through intravenous drug use.

You can read more about the project here.

Lori Lammert, director of operations for ITDI, said that while the institute prides itself on its work in Latin America - which includes HIV education and prevention efforts - it wants the public to know that it also uses its resources to improve public health in southeastern Ohio.

"We are trying to bring some visibility to this initiative," she said. "We want to make sure that people know ITDI is more than just Ecuador; it's more than just Chagas. There is more going on."
and the winner is...Dr. John Schriner!
The Summer Scholars Program is a five-week immersion experience coordinated by the Heritage College Office of Admissions and designed to give students from underrep resented minority groups, or economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, an idea of what medical school is like. 

As this year's program came to a close, the first-ever Summer Scholars Legacy Award was presented to John Schriner, PhD, associate dean for admissions and student affairs.
John Schriner_ PhD_ accepts the Summer Scholars Legacy Award

Take a moment and click here to visit our Facebook page and send Dr. Schriner a congratulatory note!
mark your calendars!
Mark your calendar now for these upcoming events sponsored by the Heritage College Society of Alumni & Friends! More information will be shared closer to the date of each event.

Monday, August 5 - Dublin Open Golf Scramble. 
Registration is now available by going to:  https://commerce.cashnet.com/ouhcomdublin
Thursday, August 15 - Convocation - including white coating, stethoscope presentation and awarding of The Phillips Medal of Public Service
Friday, September 13, and Saturday, September 14 - Black Alumni Reunion
Monday, September 16 - Cleveland OHIO Memorial Golf Scramble
Sunday, October 27 - OMED Alumni Reception, Baltimore, MD
Thursday, October 31 - ACOI Alumni Reception, Phoenix, AZ

class notes
1980s
Mario Massullo, DO ('88), a Kankakee, Ill., cardiologist, was honored by his local Sons of Italy lodge with the Leonardo da Vinci Award.

1990s
Kindra Browning, DO ('99), has joined the staff of Harrison Community Hospital in Cadiz. 

2000s
Phillip Khalil, DO ('01), has joined the Summa Health Medical Group in Akron to lead its otolaryngology specialty. 

2010s
Hannah McKeever, DO ('12), has joined the staff of WVU Medicine Surgery Berkeley in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Do you have news you'd like to share in Class Notes? Have a photo for Throw Back Thursday on social media? Email us at  ou-hcom.alumni@ohio.edu