Tag: Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

Berko, Novotny Named KPCOM Student D.O.s of the Year

Third-year student Joshua Berko (Fort Lauderdale/Davie) and second-year student Kristina Novotny (Tampa Bay) were selected as the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (KPCOM) Student D.O.s of the Year by their peers at their respective NSU campuses.

According to her award nomination, Novotny stood out because of her passion for the osteopathic profession, as well as the tremendous work ethic she displays as she strives to become a competent, compassionate, and dedicated osteopathic physician. She is also focused on dedicating herself to research, advocacy, and awareness surrounding bone health and the osteopathic profession.

Novotny also exhibited her dedication to the profession by becoming president of the KPCOM’s Tampa Bay Chapter of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association. In her role as the founding president in Tampa Bay, she worked hard to build the organization, showcased what it takes to work well with a team, and lead in a time of great adversity

Berko, who currently serves as a KPCOM osteopathic principles and practice fellow, previously showcased his leadership abilities in his role as president of the KPCOM’s Florida Osteopathic Medical Association chapter and as national liaison to the Student Osteopathic Medical Association. His extraordinary academic achievements, numerous community outreach efforts, and dedication to sharing his knowledge about osteopathic medicine helped earn him the Student D.O. of the Year honor at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus.

Because of their wins, both Berko and Novotny had their award application submitted to the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents’ (COSGP) National Student D.O. of the Year competition.  The COSGP is the official national leadership council of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and is the only organization that represents all osteopathic medical students.

Department of Internal Medicine Hosts Heart Health Event, Dec. 16

 

The NSU Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine invites the health care community to attend the next Excellence in Health Care and Medicine Clinical Symposium on Wednesday, December 16 at 6:00 p.m. EST. The event will focus on heart health and is approved for one hour of CME credit.

The event will feature Connie Newman, M.D., FACP, FAHA, FAMWA, a board-certified endocrinologist and specialist in obesity medicine, as the guest speaker. Newman has made significant contributions to cardiovascular medicine through her research on statin safety and cardiovascular disease prevention by LDL cholesterol reduction.

Register here for this complimentary event at https://lnkd.in/ehf5dxm.

Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine Students Raise More than $7,000 for Men’s Health

 

Despite many of the usual KPCOM fall events being postponed, the KPCOM students at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie and Tampa Bay Regional campuses creatively managed to still hold the annual, monthlong “Movember” campaign that advocates for men’s health. Movember took on a different form this year with its main advocacy being through social media efforts. This year’s hashtag NSUDOsforMOs and the familiar Zoom platform further helped to illustrate what both campuses have been doing.

The use of infographics, philanthropic contests, and being able to pie various faculty members, SGA officials, and students, was viewed online and raised hundreds of dollars for the cause. In total, more than $7,000 was raised for the campaign—only $2,000 shy of last year’s efforts—with the goal of making Movember 2021 its most successful yet.

COM Outlook Wins PRSA PRestige Award

On November 12, the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine’s COM Outlook magazine received the first-place prize in the Magazine and Periodicals category at the Public Relations Society of America Tampa Bay Chapter’s PRestige Awards virtual ceremony, which recognizes outstanding PR programs and tactics by PR pros in Florida and across the country

“Winning awards is gratifying, but they are even more meaningful when they involve a team effort,” said Scott Colton, B.A., APR, director of medical communications and public relations for the osteopathic medicine college and the Health Professions Division. “Creating each issue of COM Outlook involves the efforts of many dedicated individuals who contribute to the magazine’s enduring popularity.”

Colton, who oversees the magazine’s editorial content, also credits the talented team from NSU’s Office of Printing and Publications | Division of Business Services for playing a significant role in the magazine’s award-winning success. “The accolades COM Outlook continues to receive truly exemplify the One NSU philosophy of collaboration and collegiality.”

This marks the second first-place prize COM Outlook earned in 2020 after receiving the national award for Best Magazine in March from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine Receives $4-Million CDC Grant for ‘Covid Long Haulers’ Study

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, health care providers are finding that more patients are experiencing lingering symptoms after recovering from the virus. These symptoms include being bone-tired and utterly drained of energy, but in most cases, they continue to negatively impact the patient’s overall well-being and ability to return to normal activities.

While the medical community is working hard to address the virus itself and racing toward a vaccine, there is very little known or being done to address the residual health issues being experienced by those now called “COVID long haulers.”

All of that is about to change, however, thanks to research scientists like Nancy Klimas, M.D., director of the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine and chair of the Department of Clinical Immunology. “Because of our long-standing research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, we’ve been selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to begin researching these symptoms in COVID-19 patients,” Klimas explained. “Because the symptoms are so similar—joint and muscle pain, severe fatigue, and memory and cognitive issues—to chronic fatigue syndrome, NSU is uniquely positioned to study this emerging development in the pandemic.”

Because of her expertise and the work she is involved with at the KPCOM, the CDC has awarded Klimas and her research team a federal contract of more than $4 million to study these residual symptoms in COVID-19 patients. NSU is the only institution to receive this federal contract.

Klimas and her team will work with the Florida Department of Health to identify potential participants. They will then contact individuals to explain the study and inquire about their interest to participate in the study.

 

 

Osteopathic Medicine Trio Receives Dean’s Awards of Excellence

On October 7, during her virtual address to the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine’s faculty and staff members, Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S., M.S., M.S., M.S., presented her annual Dean’s Award of Excellence to three colleagues who showcased exceptional qualities in the staff, director/manger, and faculty categories.

The Faculty Member of the Year honor went to Stephanie Petrosky, M.H.A., RDN, LDN, FAND, assistant professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition, while the Director/Manager of the Year accolade went to Dana Famularo, M.S., manager of the Biomedical Informatics Program. The Staff Member of the Year honor went to Nicola Cooper, administrative assistant I.

Department of Family Therapy Joins the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

As result of NSU reorganizing, the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) welcomed the addition of the Department of Family Therapy in June. The fit served as a proper one, as the department has already been collaborating with the KPCOM through the Medical Family Therapy Clinic launching in 2016, and most recently the joint B.S. in Health and Wellness Coaching program in fall 2020.

“Based on the systemic and collaborative perspectives utilized by the KPCOM and similarities in our philosophies, this reorganization has been a good fit for us,” said Farah Niazi, Ph.D., LMFT, LMHC, Department of Family Therapy chair and assistant professor. “We believe that this transition has brought new prospects for us in learning opportunities and to expand what we do well as systemic marriage and family therapists.”

The integration will allow several opportunities to work collaboratively with other departments within the KPCOM to provide opportunities for students and faculty members, as well as to create the space to seek new grants and contracts. The department has already been highly involved with the NSU-KPCOM Unity Program for Change, while working with the departments of basic sciences, geriatrics, medical education, and internal medicine on upcoming projects. In addition, it has started teletherapy services for clients at the Brief Therapy Institute on-site clinic and plans to launch the service at the Medical Family Therapy Clinic at NSU’s Sanford L. Ziff Health Center.

The Department of Family Therapy’s academic offerings include the B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies, B.S. in Health and Wellness Coaching, M.S. in Family Therapy, Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy, and Ph.D. in Family Therapy. The department also houses a unique certificate in solution-focused coaching, concentrations in medical family therapy and equine-assisted therapy, in addition to coursework in military families, infant mental health, grief and loss, and much more.

“We are excited about the future possibilities for collaboration, including expanding practice of medical family therapy, collaborating on medical outreach trips, working together on school-based and other community service projects, and cocreating educational opportunities for students, such as joint certifications and degrees,” Niazi said.

Student Osteopathic Medical Association Provides Supply Donation

The Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) chapter at the NSU Tampa Bay Regional Campus exceeded expectations with its school supply drive for the Chi Chi Rodriguez Foundation.

SOMA’s original goal was to establish a mentorship program with the foundation, which is a youth organization aimed at providing students a unique environment to develop teamwork, community building, and leadership skills. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, SOMA had to find different ways to engage with the program. SOMA reached out to the foundation and found it needed various supplies such as sanitizers, cleaning supplies, and masks. This is when SOMA decided to hold a school supply drive for the students.

SOMA had volunteers donate items, while making sure they were all sanitized before being donated. To ensure social distancing requirements were being followed, SOMA held the drive in the outdoor courtyard area of the campus and had three to four people sign up for each shift. Each volunteer had his or her own table where people could drop off materials.

The drive was a success, as more than $1,000 was raised, along with various donations as requested by the foundation. SOMA hopes to continue working with the foundation and eventually coordinate a mentorship program once in-person activities resume. SOMA members are already participating in the foundation’s career day activities, which involves having a few students discuss their journey to medical school and answer any question the youth may have about the process of becoming a physician.

“We were super excited to have raised this much and very happy with the level of participation from our class,” said second-year student Madhuri Prayaga, SOMA president. “Even during such difficult times, they came together to help raise money for an important and meaningful cause. We are incredibly grateful to our class for helping so much.”

KPCOM Launches Unity Program for Change

As police brutality toward communities of color continues to make national headlines with protests, riots, and trials, Paula Anderson-Worts, D.O., M.P.H., assistant dean of faculty and alumni affairs, along with Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S., M.S., M.S., M.S., dean, have created a program that will promote cultural sensitivity and address the impact of racial injustice and racism in the United States.

The program, titled the KPCOM Unity Program for Change, has involved KPCOM faculty and staff members, as well as students, with the goal of serving as a catalyst for ongoing change toward equality and justice for all. The program began in July, with its first Zoom meeting being a dialogue on racial injustice. The program has since followed with various Zoom meetings with speakers on racial consciousness, discussion groups on healing, taking action, and racial consciousness and Zoom group discussions on related topics—all with the hope of galvanizing others to work to educate, unify, and advocate for change that will help eliminate systemic racism and inequality.

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