Class notes
Posted: February 25, 2010
1950s
Wilbur Hill, D.O., ’51, is the Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni Association’s 2009 Alumnus of the Year, an award created in 1982 to honor KCOM graduates who have made outstanding contributions to the college and osteopathic profession.
A founder of Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Mo., Dr. Hill maintained a family practice in Liberty from 1952 until his retirement in 2001. He continues to consult on the evaluation of internship and residency programs for the AOA and audits post-doctoral training programs at osteopathic colleges across the country in addition to presenting at medical seminars and conventions.
Dr. Hill has held numerous professional affiliations and has received several awards recognizing his years of service.
Milton J. Mintz, D.O., ’54, Dover, N.J., has been named Physician of the Year by the Visiting Nurses Association.
Plato E. Varidin, D.O., ’54, Seminole, Fla., was selected as one of the American Osteopathic Association’s Great Pioneers in Osteopathic Medicine. As part of the AOA’s Greatness Campaign, AOA members nominated D.O.s, basic scientists, and laymen who have pioneered new frontiers for the osteopathic profession. Dr. Varidin was nominated by his peers for this honor that encompasses his career body of work.
“I had no previous knowledge of the award. This is the third year AOA is giving it out, and to my knowledge I am the only practical physician to win the award,” Dr. Varidin said. “They want to mimic pioneers like A.T. Still with this award. That is one hell of an honor.”
Dr. Varidin served as a member of the KCOM Board of Trustees from 1983-88 and KCOM Alumni Board from 1978-85, where he served as president from 1983-84. Dr. Varidin’s late son, Mark Varidin, graduated from KCOM in 1984, and his grandson Anthony De Lucia is a 2008 KCOM graduate.
Robert B. Vance, D.O., ’58, Las Vegas, Nev., is the father of 10 children and has 36 grandchildren and counting.
1960s
David C. Conner, D.O., ’65, Chattanooga, Tenn., has been named a life member of the Tennessee Osteopathic Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association.
AOA President Larry A. Wickless, D.O., ’67, was honored by the Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni Association with the Distinguished Service Award in November. A fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists and a Missouri native, Dr. Wickless practices at South Oakland Gastroenterology Associates P.C., serves as clinical professor of medicine at Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing, and is associate director of the gastroenterology training program at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, Mich.
Dr. Wickless served as president of the KOAA from 1990-91 and on the ATSU Board of Trustees from 1995-2004.
John R. Bowling, D.O., ’69, Fort Worth, Texas, has made two trips to Kenya, Africa, accompanied by medical students, to study diseases of Africa.
1970s
George W. Jenter, D.O., ’72, Sturgis, S.D., was the attending physician who accompanied 114 WWII veterans and 40 guardians on the honor flight from Rapid City, S.D., to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 28-29. Dr. Jenter and his wife, Ellen, are pictured on the left at the memorial with some of the veterans they accompanied.
Bruce D. Dubin, D.O., J.D., ’73, Keller, Texas, has been named dean of Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine effective December 1.
Charles L. Kaluza, D.O., ’76, Happy Valley, Ore., at right, was named Oregon
Osteopathic Physician of the Year by the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon.
Tim E. Eckstein, D.O., M.P.H., FAOCOPM, ’78, Bay City, Mich., is the new president of the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine. He is medical director of Covenant Occupational Health in Bay City and serves as an assistant clinical professor at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
1980s
Dixie J. Tooke-Rawlins, D.O., ’80, Raford, Va., vice president and dean of Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), appeared on the cover of the August edition of Valley Business Front magazine. An article in the magazine highlighted VCOM’s international mission program.
1990s
Debra A. Mowry, D.O., ’90, Kearney, Neb., was the lead author in a research article featured on the October 2009 cover of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. The article is “Association Among Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Fat, and Bone Marker Measurements in Healthy Young Females.” Dr. Mowry heads the public health undergraduate education program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
J. Matthew Halverson, D.O., FAAFP, ’92, Newport News, Va., recently received his fellowship in the American Academy of Family Physicians and opened a new state-ofthe- art medical facility in Newport News.
Michael G. Saribalas, D.O., ’92, Columbus, Ohio, served on the Obama-Biden Transition Team for healthcare reform.
Kevin T. Miller, D.O., ’96, Bend, Ore., a board certified family practice physician, has been installed as the 2009-11 president of the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon.
Larry Czarnecki, husband of Kelly M. Czarnecki, M.S., PA-C, ‘99, Flagstaff, Ariz., is a member of a gypsy jazz trio that has recorded a CD.
Daniel J. Jones, D.O., ‘99, Sandy Lake, Pa., passed his family practice board recertification exam. He and his wife, Joan Jones, M.D., are medical missionaries in Zambia, Africa, serving there for more than two years through Global Partners of Indianapolis, Ind.
2000s
Geoffrey W. Hoffa, M.A., PA-C, ’00, Phoenix, Ariz., has been appointed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants.
Quinn K. Harper, M.S., ’01, Kansas City, Mo., is the new assistant athletic trainer at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Tracy L. Jones, M.S., PA-C, ’01, Gilbert, Ariz., was featured on “Rx for Phoenix” on Channel 12 NBC News in Arizona. The program discussed the role of the physician assistant in healthcare.
Jennifer M. Medina-McKeon, M.S., ’02, Lexington, Ky., spoke to athletic training students on the ATSU Arizona Campus on November 5.
Adam L. Schreiber, D.O., M.A., ’03, Philadelphia, Pa., recently had two manuscripts published: “Expanding the differential of shoulder pain: Parsonage-Turner Syndrome,” and “Normalization of spinal cord injury urodynamics after intrathecal baclofen therapy: a case report.”
Stephen R. Bergman, D.O., ’05, Kirksville, is a member of the ATSU Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.
Michael D.Waddington, D.O., ’06, Kirksville, is a member of the ATSU Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.
Brad D. Murphree, Au.D., ’08, Decatur, Ala., was featured in an article entitled “All in the family,” which appeared in the July/August 2009 issue of Audiology Today. He is a member of what is believed to be the only three-generational family of audiologists currently practicing in the United States.
Timothy W. Oh, D.M.D., ’08, Ellsworth, Maine, was featured in an episode about the neglect of oral health in rural Maine on a weekly public affairs program.
Ian McLeod, PA, PA-C, ATC, ’08, recently published the book “Swimming Anatomy.”
USA Swimming, the largest swimming organization in the world, specifically recommended McLeod as author because of his extensive experience working with world-class athletes, particularly swimmers. A certified athletic trainer and certified massage therapist, he was a member of the U.S. team’s medical staff at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. He has also worked extensively as an athletic trainer with the sports programs at the University of Virginia and Arizona State University.
McLeod remains deeply involved with USA Swimming’s High Performance Network, a group of volunteer health professionals who support U.S. swimmers at national and international meets. He has been given the organization’s highest honor, the Gold Standard Award. McLeod also served as massage therapist to the Egyptian national swim team during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He has provided athletic training and sport massage to swimming stars such as Ed Moses, Kaitlin Sandeno, Natalie Coughlin, and Jason Lezak. McLeod lives in Tempe, Ariz., with his wife and two children.
For more information on his book, go to humankinetics.com//products/all-products/Swimming-Anatomy.