Class notes
Posted: September 12, 2012
1940s
Leonard Staff Jr., DO, ’45, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association annual convention April 20 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
1950s
Richard A. Berjian, DO, ’55, Stuart, Fla., published the novel, “Behind Hospital Doors,” a story revealing a young surgeon’s worst nightmare when hospital politics and medical incompetence challenge his ethics. A love story also exposes what happens when doctors and nurses confuse personal lives and professional responsibilities.
Trained as a general surgeon, Dr. Berjian took a fellowship in surgical oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., where he attained the rank of senior cancer research surgeon as a member of the attending staff. He also served as chair of the department of surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine. He is currently involved in a research project to improve the staging and treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma.
1960s
Max Helman, DO, ’65, FACOFP, received a Distinguished Service Award at the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Annual Convention in Kissimmee, Fla., on March 15-18.
Albert L. Pick, DO, ’67, JD, reminisced with Still Magazine about his high school tennis days, his surgery residency, meeting with four United States presidents, playing the drums in class reunion bands, and graduating with honors from John Marshall Law School in 1992.
Stephen D. Blood, DO, ’68, FAAO, Alexandria, Va., received the 2012 Fellows of the American Academy of Osteopathy Distinguished Service Award during their annual convocation in Louisville, Ky., on March 23. The award is presented to fellows who have distinguished themselves in the profession.
Dr. Blood is board certified in osteopathic manipulative treatment and family practice. In addition to running a private practice in Alexandria, Dr. Blood has served as a professor at Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
1970s
Dr. Dickey
Jerry L. Dickey, DO, ’75, FAAO, Fort Worth, Texas, received the A.T. Still Medallion of Honor, presented by the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) during their annual convocation in Louisville, Ky., on March 24. The medallion is the highest award conferred by the AAO to members who have exhibited exceptional understanding and application of osteopathic principles and concepts.
Dr. Dickey is certified in neuromusculoskeletal medicine/ osteopathic manipulative medicine. He is a third-generation DO who has devoted his career to osteopathic education. During his 37 years in the profession, he has chaired the OMM departments at KCOM and the University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also started OMM residencies at both institutions and served as residency program director intermittently for 20 years.
Richard A. Feely, DO, ’78, FAAO, Flossmoor, Ill., was elected to a three-year term on the board of governors at the annual business meeting of the American Academy of Osteopathy during their convocation in Louisville, Ky., on March 22.
Dr. Feely is board certified in six specialties—family practice, neuromusculoskeletal medicine/ osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM), acupuncture, disability evaluation, independent medical evaluation, and quality assurance and utilization review. He is an adjunct professor in the OMM Department at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.
Dr. Feely is president of the Illinois Osteopathic Medical Society and a past president of AAO; he has been involved with the organization for more than 27 years.
Dr. Tettambel
Melicien A. Tettambel, DO, ’78, FAAO, Yakima, Wash., was elected to a three-year term with the American Academy of Osteopathy board of governors at their annual business meeting in Louisville, Ky., on March 22.
Dr. Tettambel is chair of the Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practices at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is also a visiting professor and lecturer at several other colleges of osteopathic medicine. She is certified by the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOOG) and the American Osteopathic Board of Special Proficiency in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.
Dr. Tettambel is a past president of AAO and serves on its board of governors and as chair of the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. She is president of the Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation and is also actively involved in the American Osteopathic Association, ACOOG, and the Osteopathic Cranial Academy. She was the 2004 recipient of AAO’s A.T. Still Medallion of Honor and is co-author of “Osteopathic Management of the Female Patient.”
1980s
Marc A. Kaplan, DO, ’81, is program director for the family medicine residency at Sierra Vista Regional Health Center in Sierra Vista, Ariz.
1990s
Dr. Polk
J.D. Polk, DO, ’93, MS, MMM, CPE, FACOEP, presented the lecture “White Swan: Black Swan; Expanding the Osteopathic Mindset from the Whole Patient to the Whole Community” on ATSU’s Missouri campus in March. The lecture was sponsored by DART (Disaster Awareness Response Training).
Dr. Polk is principal deputy assistant secretary/deputy chief medical officer, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Health Affairs. He is former chief of the Space Medicine Division for NASA’s Johnson Space Center and was a consultant for the 2010 Chilean Miner Rescue.
Commander Sean Barbabella, DO, ’96,was awarded the Legion of Merit by the Marines during a year deployment to Afghanistan in 2011-12 where he served
Dr. Barbabella
as second Marine division surgeon. He was also awarded a Purple Heart for his 2009 deployment to Afghanistan where he was a pioneering physician of the Mobile Trauma Bay, a large armored vehicle used in combat to treat wounded on the battlefield. Dr. Barbabella is a Navy emergency medicine physician with 16 years of service and was assigned to the Emergency Department at Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital as department head this summer.
2000s
Amber French, DO, ’00, coauthored “Wellness 100: 100 Carbs/100 Recipes,” a nutritional program and cookbook. Dr. French is a board certified OB/GYN. She was inspired while completing her fellowship in anti-aging medicine to develop a program to help her patients live longer, healthier lives.
Geoffrey W. Hoffa, MS, PA-C, ’00, was elected chair of the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants on Feb. 29. “It is a proud moment for me in my career,” said Hoffa, who is also a current student in ASHS’ Doctor of Health Sciences program.
Patrick McKeon, PhD, ATC, ’01, assistant professor, athletic training, University of Kentucky, was awarded the 2012 New Investigator Award by the NATA Research and Education Foundation. The award recognizes a researcher who is likely to continue to make significant contributions to the body of knowledge in athletic training and healthcare.
Mark Neeman, DPT, ‘02, and Marcy Neeman welcomed their first child, Vivienne Lucille Neeman, on April 25. Dr. Neeman works in outpatient orthopaedics for Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Neb.
Bethany Chernich, DO, ’05, Missoula, Mont., was featured in an online issue of The DO. In the article, Dr. Chernich focuses on the importance of balancing her professional and personal life and shares why she specializes in osteopathic manipulative treatment.
Theresa Boland, DHEd, ’09, passed the Certified Health Education Specialist exam administered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Inc. in April. Dr. Boland has served as chair of the SHM Alumni Board of Directors for the past two years.
Donald A. Donahue Jr., DHEd, ’09, MBA, FACHE, coauthored the article “The All Needs Approach to Emergency Response,” published in the Feb. 2012 issue of Homeland Security Affairs.
Bonnie Young, MS, ’09, was named head coach of the women’s soccer team at North Central College in Naperville, Ill.
2010s
Casey Jones, DMD, ’10, is dental director at CHP Dental Center in Great Barrington, Mass.
Joshua Davidson, DMD, ’11, MPH, ’11, Marshfield, Wis., who works for Neillsville Dental Center, visited 11 Amish schools in the area to provide basic oral health instruction to 220 students ages 6-14 in grades one through eight. He was prompted to launch the program after seeing the condition of some Amish adults’ teeth at an area farmers market. Most Amish do not practice routine home oral hygiene.
Candace Leach, MS, ATC, ’11, is assistant program manager for Boeing Industrial Athlete in Auburn, Wash., with Work-Fit, a company that brings athletic training services to large industrial settings. Leach hires and trains new athletic trainers.
“At Work-Fit, we oversee 7,300 employees, attempt to change the culture of the industrial setting, and make athletic trainers a proactive resource,” said Leach.
Katie Davenport-Kabonic, DO, ’12, was awarded the Wetzel Scholarship from the William L. Wetzel Education and Research Foundation, a non-profit foundation and affiliate of the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Davenport-Kabonic is completing post-graduate training at Cox Family Medicine Residency in Springfield, Mo.
A flourishing legacy
The Steinbaum-Levine families are steeped in 82 years of osteopathic history that began with patriarch David S. Steinbaum, DO, ’30, and grew to include 18 DOs, 12 of whom are KCOM graduates.
In recognition of the family’s history and support, a dedication ceremony was held May 12 for the Steinbaum-Levine Legacy Hall, located in ATSU’s Connell Information Technologies Center. The dedication also celebrated David S. Levine, DO, and his fiancé, Krystin A. Engelhardt, DO, both KCOM class of 2012 graduates.
The family generously created the Steinbaum-Levine Scholarship Endowment Fund that provided scholarship awards to 100 students amounting to $311,750 from 1969-2003. The fund has now changed from a scholarship endowment to the Steinbaum-Levine Endowment Fund for the Advancement of Osteopathic Medicine at ATSU-KCOM.