January 2012 class notes

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Lamar C. Miller, D.O.’57, FACOFP, was chief of staff at Warren County Hospital in Warren, OH, and an associate professor at Ohio University in Athens, OH, from 1976 to 1979, where he was named outstanding professor of the year in 1978. He served as chief of medicine at Pasco Medical Center in Dade City, FL, from 1980 to 1982 and as Salvation Army board president for two years. He has been a member of the NPR rotary club since 1979. He retired from family practice in 1998. He and his wife, Phyllis, reside in New Port Richey, FL.

John P. Henn, D.O.’69, joined Overlake Medical Clinics Gilman in Issaquah, WA. He is board-certified in family practice and spent 30 years serving the Kent community before moving to Issaquah.

James W. Hogin, D.O.’74, practices full-time office OMM and internal medicine after 31 years of hospital gastroenterology and internal medicine. He successfully battled brain cancer for six years, which brought about changes in his practice, but with his D.O. and general background, he is able to practice satisfying and quality medicine. He works because of the satisfaction and desire of providing medical care. As he says, “Never give up.”

Warren S. Silberman, D.O., M.P.H.’74, retired from the federal aviation administration where he was the chief of aerospace medical certification for 14 years. He now practices in the private sector with Aviation Certification Services in Tulsa, OK, where he performs aviation medical examinations and consulting.

Cindy B. Grossman-Green, D.O.’79, is practicing pediatrics at Infants, Children, & Youth in Langhorne, PA, with her husband, Jerry Green, D.O.

Roberta A. Wattleworth, D.O.’81, M.H.A.’99, M.P.H.’04, completed six years as vice coordinator then coordinator of Level III of COMLEX for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. She was asked to join its board of directors and will be inducted in December in San Diego. She is a professor of family medicine at Des Moines University and resides in West Des Moines with her husband, John.

Cynthia R. Jackson, D.O.’89, is the global head for the pediatric center of excellence at Quintiles Inc., the world’s largest pharmaceutical services organization. She leads a multidisciplinary team of clinical research professionals whose goal is to optimize pediatric pharmaceutical research in all therapeutic areas. Her group also provides consulting expertise to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the area of pediatric pharmaceutical development. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the department of pediatrics, division of pediatric infection diseases, at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, NC. She and her husband, Dr. John DiLiberti, reside in Hillsborough, NC, with their daughter.

Robert E. Weissinger, D.O.’89, PA-C’84, was appointed chief medical officer of hospice/palliative medicine and of the palliative medicine fellowship program at Mercy Hospital in Mason City, IA. He is certified in family practice and hospice and palliative medicine by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. He provides education to clinicians and patients on the importance of hospice and palliative medicine as they are vital parts of helping patients and their families progress comfortably through their final phase of life.

Walter G. Bodjanac, D.O.’91, FACOS, joined Avita Health System in Ontario, OH, and is board-certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He completed his residency at the Ohio University/Cleveland South Pointe Hospital in Cleveland, OH. He furthered his training through a fellowship in reconstructive microsurgery at the International Institute of Reconstructive Microsurgery in Norfolk, VA. He is a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons.

Susan M. Ott, D.O.’93, is a sports medicine orthopedist at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen and Brownsville, TX, and actively raises funds for a program that helps veterans wounded in combat when they return to the United States. The program seeks to transform the way wounded veterans are re-integrated into society when they return from combat and exit their position in an active-duty military force or the National Guard. To help these veterans, she participated in an Ironman Florida competition and is poised to qualify for the Ironman 2012 World Championship in Kona, HI.

Jay E. Coates Jr., D.O.’95, is an associate professor with the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He is program director of the surgical critical care fellowship and serves on the admissions committee for the school of medicine. He is vice chief of the department of trauma at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada’s only level one trauma center, and recently was named medical director of the Lion’s Regional Burn Center at University Medical Centers in Las Vegas. He is board-certified in general surgery and surgical critical care.

Robert L. Donley, D.O.’95, is the obstetrics/gynecology department chair for Excela Health in Latrobe, PA. He performs minimally invasive surgery and Da Vinci robotic surgery. He is a lieutenant colonel for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

Christine A. Taylor, PA-C’95, recently accepted a new position in sleep medicine with Kaiser Permanente in Vancouver, WA. She has been with the company since 2010.

Penny Osborn-Slings, PA-C’96, joined Van Diest Medical Center’s Stratford Clinic in Stratford, IA. She specializes in family practice, geriatrics, pediatrics and women’s health.

Teresa J. Burtoft, D.P.M.’97, joined the Winchester Hospital medical staff in Winchester, MA. She practices at the Foot and Health Center of Merrimack Valley in North Andover, where she resides. She is board-certified in foot surgery and completed a residency in podiatric surgery at Cambridge Hospital in Cambridge, MA.

Gary E. Griffin, D.O.’97, joined Oklahoma University Physicians in Midwest City, OK. He is board-certified in family medicine.

Catherine M. MacMillan, D.O.’97, joined ThedaCare Physicians in New London, WI. She has family practice certification through the National Committee for Quality Assurance and was honored with an achievement citation by the American Medical Women’s Association. In 2009, she was named Who’s Who “Woman of the Year in Medicine.”

Commander Nicki S. Tarant, D.O.’97, recently completed a deployment lasting more than six months in the Helmand Province in Afghanistan. She was the senior American anesthesiologist at Camp Bastion, a British-run coalition hospital adjacent to Camp Leatherneck, the busiest trauma center in Afghanistan.

Smriti V. Wagle, D.O.’98, was chosen to be the director of the stroke program at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa, CA. She helped the hospital obtain certification as a primary stroke center last year. She and her husband live just north of San Francisco in Mill Valley, CA, with their two-year-old son.

Terence L. Vanderheiden, D.P.M.’01, and his wife, Sharon, welcomed twins Joni Susan and PJ (Paul Jim) on July 12, 2011. The twins join big sister, Ella. The family resides in Woodbury, MN.

Kevin N. Brown, D.O.’02, was appointed medical director of the Hennepin County Medical Center’s Neurology and Specialty Clinic in October 2011. He is an assistant profession in neurology at the University of Minnesota and board-certified in neurology and neuromuscular medicine.

Melissa N. Gentry, PA-C’03, recently purchased a local practice from a retiring physician to continue providing high-quality mental health care to individuals in Ottumwa, IA. She is also the secretary of Iowa Physician Assistant Society.

Tan D. Ly, D.O.’04, joined Southeastern Spine Center & Research Institute in Sarasota, FL, after completing an orthopedic surgery residency at Garden City Hospital of the Michigan University Statewide Campus System and a spine fellowship at the Spine Institute of Arizona in Scottsdale. He has a professional interest in the development of spinal implants and performing minimally invasive surgery for patients with spinal disorders and conditions. He is board-certified in osteopathic medicine, board-eligible in orthopaedic surgery and a fellowship-trained spine surgeon.

Anthony P. Zeimet, D.O.’04, recently relocated to Joplin, MO, to practice in infectious diseases. He welcomed a daughter, Emily Adair Zeimet, on December 14, 2011, who weighed six pounds, eight ounces.

Marco A. Caccamo, D.O.’06, will complete a cardiology fellowship at the University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis and begin a heart failure fellowship in Pittsburgh in July 2012.

Erica C. Field, M.P.H.’07, works for the American College of Radiology (ACR) in Philadelphia as a regulatory associate in the protocol development and regulatory compliance department for the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). RTOG is one of four groups within ACR that develop or work with clinical trials.

Jessica K. Baade Gumm, D.P.T.’07, and her husband, Corey, welcomed a daughter, Chelsea Kathleen, to their family on December 9, 2011.

Sarah A. Smith, D.O.’07, joined the NorthBay Center for Women’s Health in Fairfield, CA, after completing a residency at Akron General Medical Center/Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine.

Denise R. Tittle, D.O.’07, joined Covenant Care Family Practice in Clarksville, TN. She has lived in middle Tennessee for more than 30 years and is happy to call Clarksville home.

Bradden T. Cannon, M.P.H., M.H.A.’08, is the manager of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab & Procedure Recovery Unity at Mercy North Hospital in Mason City, IA. He also volunteers as a DMU alumni mentor for current students.

Sarah E. Fatland, D.O.’08, joined Massa Berry Regional Medical Clinic in Sturgis, SD, after completing a residency within the regional health system at the Rapid City Regional Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program.

Jennifer A. Gerteisen, D.P.M.’08, joined St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia, MI, after completing a residency at St. John Hospital & Medical Center in Detroit. She is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association and Michigan Podiatric Medical Association and is an associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Krissondra L. Klop, D.O.’08, joined MedCenter One Bismarck Family Clinic North in Bismarck, ND, after completing a family medicine residency at Munson Family Practice Residency Program in Traverse City, MI.

Todd C. Schemper, D.P.T.’08, M.S.P.T.’99, and his wife, Denise, welcomed daughter Sarah Dawn to their family on September 15, 2011. Sarah joins a brother, Zachary, and sister, Kate. Todd manages the downtown Des Moines clinic of Work Systems Rehab and Fitness.

Matthew W. Trump, D.O.’08, completed his internal medicine residency with the University of Iowa-Des Moines internal medicine residency program with Iowa Health Systems and the Central Iowa Veterans Administration Medical Center in Des Moines. He will begin a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. (This is a correction from the July 2012 class notes.)

Brian E. Salton, D.P.T.’09, and Elizabeth Easley were married on July 9, 2011, in Ames, IA, where the couple currently resides. She is employed at Iowa State University, and he practices with Sports Plus Physical Therapy in Marshalltown, IA.

Shari Lagodzinski, PA-C’09, joined Newton Clinic in Newton, IA, to practice family medicine. Upon graduating in 2009, she worked in a metro area emergency department.

Megan M. Foster, D.P.T.’11, and Ryne L. Foster, D.P.T.’09, were married on September 3, 2011. Megan is a physical therapist with Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, and Ryan is a physical therapist with Spooner Physical Therapy. The couple resides and works in Scottsdale, AZ.

Erin M. Ott, PA-C’11, joined Covenant Clinics and sees patients in Tripoli and Fairbank, IA. She was featured in an article in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier about physician assistants and their role in rural health care. She was also recently engaged and is busy planning her wedding.

Julie A. Quam, PA-C’11, and Derek Quam were married in the summer of 2011. She joined OSF Medical Group Galesburg in Galesburg, IL, as a family practice physician assistant and is active in her church, women’s small group and her local gym. The couple resides in Peoria, IL.

January 2012 achievements

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Ralph E. Hinz, D.O.’54, was awarded the French Legion of Honor Medal for service during World War II. He was in France from the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 until the war ended.

Phillip E. Cohen, D.O.’73, FACOI, was named the 2011 American College of Osteopathic Internists Teacher of the Year. He resides in Ft. Worth, TX.

Erik N. Nieuwenhuis, M.S.P.T.’98, achieved faculty status with the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA). He is one of seven individuals in Iowa to complete four or more WELCOA certifications.

U.S. Army Captain Barbara A. Krugler, PA-C’01, was named 2011 Iowa Physician Assistant of the Year. She served in Afghanistan from November 2010 through July 2011. She practices at the Veterans Administration Central Iowa pain clinic and resides in Adel.

Laurie K. Tope, D.O.’08, Jennifer D. Haden, D.O.’11, and Benjamin M. Miller, D.O.’11, were awarded Farm Bureau Rural Family Medicine Scholarships during the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians’ annual meeting in November 2011. The purpose of the scholarships is to encourage residents, upon graduating from an Iowa family practice residency program, to pursue a medical career in Iowa communities with populations under 10,000 and to encourage medical students to enter an Iowa family residency and to practice in a rural Iowa community. Dr. Tope completed her family medicine residency at Mercy Medical Center in Mason City, IA, and now practices with Decorah Clinic Physicians in Decorah, IA. Dr. Haden is a resident at the Siouxland Medical Education Foundation in Sioux City, IA. Dr. Miller is a resident at the Cedar Rapids Medical Education Foundation in Cedar Rapids, IA.