Connecting Students to Careers, Professionals to Communities, and Communities to Better Health!
Gearing Up for the 2022 Scholars Graduation Ceremony

We would like to take another moment to highlight our incredible 2020 - 2022 AHEC Scholars! All fourteen of the below scholars completed two years of didactic course work focusing on six core topics; interprofessional education, behavioral health information, social determinants of health, cultural competency, practice transformation, current and emerging health issues; such as COVID-19. On top of this coursework scholars were required to complete 80 community based experiential training (CEC) hours. Their graduation is right around the corner. We would be thrilled to have any professionals in our community join us in celebrating these dedicated students. If you are interested in connecting with these future healthcare professionals and wish to attend our graduation ceremony please reach out to Katrina, khoff@jannus.org.

  • Wivine Bisoka, BSU, Pre-Nursing
  • Hayley Brown, BSU, Nursing, Bachelor of Science
  • Morgan Cobley, BSU, Nursing, Bachelor of Science
  • Ashley Frostrom, ISU, Nursing, Doctorate
  • Thomas Garrett, ISU, Pharmacy, PharmD
  • Mindy Hoang, ICOM, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Kendra Ickes, ISU, Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy, Doctorate
  • Benjamin Jantzi, ISU, Nursing, Doctorate
  • Erica LaBranch, ISU, Speech/Language Pathology, Master of Science
  • Michelle Miles, ISU, Nursing, Doctorate
  • Rachel Rogers, ISU, Speech/Language Pathology, Master of Science
  • Kella Louise Vangsness, ICOM, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Kajal Vora, ICOM, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Emily Weerts, ISU, Physician Assistant, Master of Science

If you missed the chance to check out their yearbook please click here.

As we bid farewell to a cohort of scholars we simultaneously open the door to the possibility of new scholars. Our 2022 - 2024 AHEC Scholars application is now open! Please help us spread the word by sharing the link below or forwarding this email. If you have any questions please visit our website or reach out to us directly.
Greetings from SW ID Medical Education (SWIDME)!

As many of you know, SW ID AHEC was approved as an accrediting body by the Utah Medical Association on 12/1/21 as the result of the absorption of the former Ada/Canyon Medical Education Consortium (ACMEC). This accreditation and absorption created a new program for us that will be known as SW ID Medical Education (SWIDME). You may now find upcoming SWIDME offerings included in our monthly release of Frontier Footnotes. Stay tuned for more updates!

We hope the SWIDME Grand Rounds will allow you to connect with your peers and continue to provide a sense of community. As a reminder, Grand Rounds take place Wednesday mornings from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. and will continue to be delivered via Webex. The meeting details and schedule for April 2022 can be found below.
SWIDME Grand Rounds

Wednesdays, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

WebEx Meeting #:25593037051

Password: ACMEC2021

Boise VA Medical Center
Grand Rounds

Thursdays, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Zoom Meeting #: 788159040

Password: 1873
SWIDME Grand Rounds Schedule

April 6 - Long COVID
Featuring Jodie Donovan, MD

April 13 - FMRI OB Fellow Talk
Featuring Nichole Aker, DO

April 27 - Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Featuring Mariko Harper, MD, MS

May 4 - FMRI Resident Talk: The Health Consequences of Forest Fires on Individuals and Communities
Featuring Joseph Pendleton, MD

May 11 - FMRI Resident Talk: Colon Cancer Screening Modalities
Featuring Carson Barnes, MD

May 25 - Harm Reduction Panel
Featuring Majorie Wilson, LMSW, MPH, Christa Weathers, and Jessica Sallstrom, DO
April 2022 Grand Rounds Speakers
Long COVID
Jodie Donovan, MD

Jodie Donovan, MD practices adult general internal medicine, providing care for a wide range of conditions including acute care, management of chronic disease, and preventive care. She served as chief resident at the Boise VA Medical Center.

Dr. Donovan graduated with her M.D. from the University of Washington School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Washington in Boise, ID.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Mariko Harper, MD, MS

Mariko Harper, MD is a Cardiology Specialist in Seattle, WA. Dr. Harper completed her M.S. at Columbia University and then graduate with her M.D. from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Washington School of Medicine before going on to complete her fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease also at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Harper specializes in Adult Congenital Heart Conditions, Cardiac Electrical System Procedures, and Heart Conditions. She is affiliated with Virginia Mason Medical Center.
FMRI OB Fellow Talk
Nichole Aker, DO

Nicky was born in Salem, Oregon where she lived until she was 10 years old. From the ages of 10-16 she lived in China and spent some time in Japan and Chile as well before returning to Oregon. She graduated from Portland State University where she continued her studies in Mandarin and then went on to attend medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Lebanon, Oregon.

Before medical school, Nicky worked as a residential treatment counselor for pregnant and parenting teen mothers. She also volunteered her time at a local hospital as a birth doula. Within family medicine, Nicky is particularly interested in women’s health as well as endoscopy and vasectomy.  

In her free time, she enjoys socializing, traveling, skiing with her husband and kids, and singing to herself and to anyone around. 
Idaho State University News & Updates
Successful Idaho State University Health Science Experience Night Held March 15 at Meridian

High school and college students from around the Treasure Valley and beyond enjoyed Health Science Experience Night at Idaho State University’s Meridian campus on March 15. Hundreds of students and their parents and friends turned up to learn about ISU’s health professions programs, tour the campus, and visit with current students and faculty.

Students enjoyed participating in interactive demonstrations and touring the state-of-the-art Skaggs Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratories, equipped with 3D and virtual technology. “Health Science Experience Night is a wonderful opportunity for Treasure Valley students to see the many health professions that ISU has to offer. We love having the opportunity to provide them a firsthand experience to see what professionals do in the field each day,” said ISU-Meridian Enrollment Services Director Ali Crane.

Students and their parents had the opportunity to win a number of door prizes, learn about career pathways in audiology, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, speech-language pathology, counseling, medical laboratory science, homeland security, and emergency management, health care administration and more. Idaho’s only medical school, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, was also available for questions from students as well as student services offered by ISU such as the Counseling and Testing Center.
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine News & Updates
ICOM Celebrates First-Ever Match Day

On March 18, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) celebrated Match Day with its inaugural class of medical students who will graduate this spring, as the 145 soon-to-be physicians learned where they will complete their residency training.

Twelve will remain in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota — known as ICOM’s five-state target region — helping to address the shortage of physicians in the Mountain West region, with eight remaining in Idaho. Thirty-three graduating physicians will pursue family medicine, a physician specialty that is critically low in the U.S.; and 55 percent of the graduating physicians will pursue primary care. Read More.
ECHO Idaho Introduces New Drop-in Series

Scheduled weekly over lunchbreaks, ECHO Idaho provides virtual, hour-long sessions with a panel of subject matter experts to deliver a brief, high-yield presentation on a topic of interest, specific to Idaho healthcare practitioners. Each session includes a real-life case presentation from an ECHO Idaho participant. 

Our CE-eligible series combine interactive learning and case-based discussions that offer every health professional the opportunity to participate in a community where experts and peers share knowledge, experience and expertise using technology to connect.

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) is a new, weekly drop-in series at ECHO Idaho that is designed for your busy schedule. Every Thursday between 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Mountain time, you can Zoom in to ask addiction and recovery specialists a quick question about topics such as opioids, buprenorphine, MAT, regional resources and psychosocial challenges. This is a unique ECHO Idaho series in that no registration required and no CE is offered. To view all events offered in April please visit our website here.
Empower Idaho Calling All Artists

You are invited to submit original artwork to be featured in the 2022 Idaho Mental Health Month Art Exhibition! The 2022 Idaho Mental Health Month Art Exhibition is open to all Idahoans who identify as having a relationship with mental health. This event is scheduled for May 21, 2022.

  • All ages welcome
  • All mediums compatible (paint, collage, pencil, poetry, movement, etc.)
  • All skill levels are welcomed and celebrated!

You will have the opportunity to talk about your piece(s), if you are comfortable, during the virtual event. If you would like to participate, please email: ajones@idahofederation.org

Pieces will be accepted until April 30, 2022. For more information please visit: empoweridaho.org/mental-health-month
HRSA Opens NHSC New Site Application and 2022 Scholarship Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has opened the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) new site application process! Applications are due by May 10th at 11:59 p.m. ET for sites that:

  • Have never been approved for NHSC, including sites that have applied and had their application denied or canceled.
  • Are currently an inactive NHSC site due to expiration or past compliance issues.

Interested sites and treatment facilities should review the Site Reference Guide (SRG) for details on how to become NHSC approved. Why become an NHSC approved site?

  • Recruit and retain qualified providers using NHSC loan repayment programs and attract NHSC scholars who are ready to fulfill their service obligation at sites like yours.
  • Post vacancies to the Health Workforce Connector.
  • Participate in HRSA Virtual Job Fairs to connect with job-seeking primary care trainees and practicing clinicians.

The 2022 NHSC Scholarship Program is also now open. Apply through May 5th at 7:30 p.m. ET. The 2022 National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (NHSC SP) is now accepting applications from health professional students studying to become physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, or physician assistants.

The NHSC Scholarship Program participants agree to provide a one-year service commitment in an underserved community for each year of scholarship support received. There is a two-year minimum service commitment and participants can receive a maximum of four years of support.
What Can Your NHSC Scholarship Cover?

  • Payment of tuition and eligible fees;
  • An annual other reasonable educational costs payment for items including books, health insurance, and equipment;
  • Monthly stipends to assist with living expenses while pursuing your health professions degree educational training program.
This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U77HP03022, for the WWAMI Area Health Education (WWAMI AHEC) Program Office and its five regional Centers in the total amount of $840,630 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year (with a 1:1 total match of $840,630 from non-federally funded governmental sources). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.