advancing medicine - Albany Medical Center

Albany Medical College
Alumni Association, Inc.
BULLETIN
VOLUME 76 • NUMBER 1 • WINTER 2012
www.amc.edu/alumni
Advancing
Medicine
Through Bioethics
Education
page 6
Also Inside:
A Shared Experience Brings
Compassion to Addiction Treatment
page 10
Albany Med assists with
Hurricane Irene Relief
page 11
y
Reunion Giving
ni unit
um
Al omm
e.
C
id
s
C
AMNettails in
De
EW
page 20
And much more...
N
Reunion
Reunion
Weekend
Weekend
2012
2012
Reunion
Weekend
2012
Reunion Weekend 2012
Save the Date
Save
Save the
the Date
Date
April
27
&
28
Save
the
Date
April 27 & 28
April 27 & 28
April
27 & 28
REUNION
2
22
12
12
12
Honoring the classes of: ’57, ’62,
Honoring the classes of: ’57, ’62,
Honoring
the’87,
classes
of:’07
’57, ’62,
’67, ’72, ’77, ’82,
’92, ’97, ’02,
’67,
’72,
’77,
’82,
’87,
’92,
’97,
’02,
’07
Honoring
the
classes
of:
’57,
’62,’07
& The
Gold
Society*
’67,
’72,
’77,
’82,
’87,
’92,
’97,
’02,
& The
Gold
’67,*Celebrates
’72,
’77, ’82,
’87,Society*
’92,
’97,
’02, ’07
all
classes
prior
to 1962
&
The
Gold
Society*
*Celebrates all classes prior to 1962
& The Gold Society*
*Celebrates
all classes prior to 1962
www.amc.edu/alumni
*Celebrates
all classes prior to 1962
www.amc.edu/alumni
www.amc.edu/alumni
Reunion Weekend
Highlights:
Hotel Information:
www.amc.edu/alumni
Reunion Weekend Highlights:
Hotel Information:
Thursday Scholarship Dinner
Hilton Garden Inn
Thursday
Scholarship
Dinner
Friday Evening
Class Parties
Hilton
GardenAvenue
Inn
62 Hotel
New
Scotland
Reunion
Weekend
Information:
Reunion
Weekend
Highlights:
Hotel
Information:
Friday
Evening
Parties
Dean’s
State
ofClass
theHighlights:
College
Reunion
Weekend
Highlights:
Hotel
Information:
62Phone:
New
Scotland
Avenue
518.396.3500
Dean’s State
of of
thethe
College
Interactive
tours
PSCCC
Thursday
Scholarship
Celebration
Thursday
Scholarship
Dinner
Phone:
Hilton
Garden
Hilton518.396.3500
Garden Inn
Inn
Interactive
tours
of the Lecture
PSCCC
Thursday
Scholarship
Dinner
Distinguished
Alumnus
Friday
Class
Parties
FridayEvening
Evening
Class Parties
Hilton
Garden
Inn
62
New
Scotland
Avenue
Distinguished
Alumnus
Lecture
Group
Name:
AMC
Awards
Luncheon
62
New
Scotland
Avenue
Friday
Evening
Class
Parties
Dean’s
State
of
the
College
Dean’s State of the College
62 New
Scotland
Group
Name:
AMC Avenue
Awards
Luncheon
Phone:
518.396.3500
Pillars
Society
Planned
Giving
Reunion
Weekend
Interactive
tours
of the
the
PSCCC
Phone:
518.396.3500
Dean’s
State
of
the
College
Interactive
tours
of
PSCCC
Pillars Society
Planned Giving
Reunion
Weekend
Workshop
Phone:
518.396.3500
Distinguished
Alumnus
Lecture
Distinguished
Alumnus
Lecture
Interactive
tours
of
the
PSCCC
Workshop
Reunion
Gala
Group
Name:
AMC
Awards
Luncheon
Group
Name:
AMC
Group
Code:
AMCREU
Awards
Luncheon
Distinguished
Alumnus
Lecture
Reunion
Gala
Sunday
Golf
Outing
Group
Code:Weekend
AMCREU
Pillars
Society
Planned
Giving
Reunion
Pillars
Society
Planned
Giving
Reunion
Weekend
Group
Name: AMC
Sunday
Golf
Outing
Awards
Luncheon
Workshop
Workshop
Pillars Society
Planned
Reunion
Weekend
Reunion
Gala
Reunion
Gala Giving
[email protected]
Group
Code: AMCREU
AMCREU
Group
Code:
Sunday
Golf
Outing
[email protected]
Workshop
Sunday
Golf
Outing 518.262.5033
518.262.5033
Reunion Gala
Group Code: AMCREU
Sunday [email protected]
Outing
518.262.5033
2 | www.amc.edu/alumni
[email protected]
Are you someone who supports those who have served and
Are you someone who supports
would like to be involved?
those who have served and
would like to be involved?
If you answered yes then.....
If you answered yes then.....
CONTENTS
Are you an AMC alumnus who
4 / President’s Message
has served or is serving in an
active
reserve
Are
youoran
AMCcomponent
alumnus who has served or is serving in an active or
of the
U.S.component
or another nation’s
5 / Dean’s
reserve
of US or another nation’s uniformed
service? Message
uniformed service?
6 / Advancing
Medicine Through
Bioethics Education
The Albany Medical College Military Affinity Group wants10
YOU!
/ A Shared
Experience
The Albany MedicalThis
College
Military
new military
group was formed to:
Brings Compassion
-Honor
AMC
Alumniwants
who serve
or have served in the uniformed services of the
Affinity
Group
YOU!
to Addiction
United States or other nations
-Foster a sense of camaraderie among AMC staff and alumni who have servedTreatment
This new military
group was
formed and
to: mentoring of AMC students with a
-Promote
the support
or have
potential
military afilliation
11 / AMC
•Honor AMC Alumni whopresent
serve or
served
-Inculcate
a
culture
of
philanthrophy
for
the
College,
Medical Center and the student body
in the uniformed services of the United States
Community
Rallies to Support
or other nations
Alumnus
Membership is free! For more information on the Society and how you can get involved
contact Impacted
•Foster
a sense
of camaraderie
among
AMC
by Hurricane Irene
Tom
Snyder,
MD ’69,
Captain, Medical
Corps,
USstaff
Navy, Retired, at [email protected]
and alumni
have
served
Are youwho
an AMC
alumnus
who has served or is serving in an active or
reserve component of US or another nation’s uniformed service?
•Promote the support and mentoring of AMC
Are you someone who supports those who have served and
students with a presentwould
or potential
military
like to be involved?
affiliation
If you answered yes then.....
•Inculcate a culture of philanthropy for the
The Albany
Medical
College
Military
Affinity
Group wants
College,
Medical
Center
and
the student
bodyYOU!
This new military group was formed to:
-Honor AMC Alumni who serve or have served in the uniformed services of the
United States or other nations
-Foster a sense of camaraderie among AMC staff and alumni who have served
Membership
is
free!
For more information on the
-Promote the support and mentoring of AMC students with a
Society and howpresent
you or
can
get involved
contact Tom
potential
military afilliation
-Inculcate
a culture
of philanthrophy
for the
College, Medical
Center
andNavy,
the student body
Snyder,
M.D.
’69, Captain,
Medical
Corps,
U.S.
Retired,
at For
[email protected].
Membership
is free!
more information on the Society and how you can get involved contact
Tom Snyder, MD ’69, Captain, Medical Corps, US Navy, Retired, at [email protected]
Editor’s Note:
In the 2011 Special Edition issue of the AMC Alumni Association
Bulletin, the story profiling Frank J. Malinoski, M.D. ‘85, Ph.D.,
incorrectly reported that Dr. Malinoski “…left the biological
weapons program…” when it should have stated Dr. Malinoski
“…left the biological weapons defense program...”
you’re online;
so are we!
12 / The Pillars Society
14 / Alumni Association
Scholarship
Recipients
15 / The Albany Medical
College Archives
16 / College News
18 / Medical Education
Transformed: Open
House Showcases
Simulation Center
20 / The Reunion Giving
Program
20 / Upcoming Events
21 / Class Notes
www.facebook.com/AMCAlumniAssociation
Winter 2012 | 3
President’s Message
Dear Fellow Alumni,
I continue to take great pleasure in serving as your president. This fall we’ve been quite busy
in the Alumni Association, visiting our alums in Philadelphia, Boston and New York City.
What has been truly invigorating is the range of class years that have been represented at each
of these events. It’s really terrific to have some of our very recent grads interested in staying
connected with the Alumni Association and the College!
2010–12 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Alan M. Sanders, M.D. ’88
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Janet E. Gargiulo, M.D. ’79
SECRETARY
John E. Kaplan, Ph.D. ’76
TREASURER
Donna M. Pietrocola, M.D. ’75
HISTORIAN
Jeffrey D. Hubbard, M.D. ’68
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DIRECTORS
Albert A. Apicelli, M.D. ’65
Frank A. Blumenstock, Ph.D. ’77
Anthony C. Campagna, M.D. ’85
Christopher L. Campese, M.D. ’90
John Czajka, M.D. ’77
Clifford A. Erickson, M.D. ’99
Steven M. Frisch, M.D. ’79, Ex Officio
Robert J. Hedderman, M.D. ’82
David M. Jones, M.D. ’97
Kathryn T. O’Keeffe, M.D. ’78
Philip S. Paty, M.D. ’86
Charles L. Poskanzer, M.D. ’45, Emeritus
Mary E. Rappazzo, M.D. ’76
Kevin W. Roberts, M.D. ’77
Carol L. Roeder, M.D. ’95
Nancy C. Sapio, M.D. ’85
David L. Semenoff, M.D. ’79
Thomas L. Snyder, M.D. ’69
Gurvinder S. Uppal, M.D. ’86
Vincent P. Verdile, M.D. ’84
Robert O. Webster, Ph.D. ’77
Bruce D. White, D.O., J.D., M.S. ’09
Richard A. Wilmot, M.D. ’88
Jitka L. Zobal-Ratner, M.D. ’88
Alumni Association Staff
Maura Mack Hisgen, Executive Director
Logan McCrady, Program Manager
Jessica Watson, Archivist
[email protected] or
(518) 262-5033
4 | www.amc.edu/alumni
We will continue our alumni events in 2012, including an evening with the Albany Symphony
Orchestra here in the Capital Region (January 21), as well as swinging out to the west coast, to see
our alumni in Los Angeles (January 26). We’re also finalizing a few other stops for the 2012 “road
show.” It is a unique opportunity to reconnect with one another and our beloved alma mater;
please join us if your schedule allows.
Those of you who are in reunion in 2012, I hope you are saving the dates of Friday, April 27 and
Saturday, April 28. We have a great program lined up for your reunion: tours of the new Patient
Safety and Clinical Competency Center, updates on the curriculum, opportunities to hear directly
from current students, ethical discussions, a golf outing with the student golf club, and social
gatherings you won’t want to miss. Of course even if you’re not in a reunion year, and you’d like
to return for the weekend, you’re more than welcome!
One of the proudest traditions for the Alumni Association is our annual celebration of the alumni
awards. The official ceremony takes place the lunch on Saturday, April 28 of reunion weekend.
The nominees this year were once again incredibly impressive, and I think our Nominations and
Awards committee did a terrific job. All are invited.
Distinguished Alumnus/a – Honors an alumnus/a who has earned national recognition for
outstanding leadership in health care.
Recipient: Donald Craven, M.D. ’70
Exemplary Alumni Support - Honors an alumnus/a for sustained and extraordinary
philanthropy and support of the College and the Alumni Association.
Recipient: Mark Groban, M.D. ’67
Honorary Member of the Alumni Association – Recognizes outstanding senior members of the
college faculty who have contributed meritoriously in teaching and in furthering the excellence of
Albany Medical College.
Recipients: Liva Jacoby, Ph.D. and Robin Tassinari, M.D.
Humanitarian Alumnus/a – Recognizes graduates who greatly exceed normal career expectations
in the effort to serve mankind.
Recipient: David Kuehler, M.D. ’81
Meritorious Service – Given to a candidate who has demonstrated a deep commitment to and
active participation in the Albany Medical College Alumni Association.
Recipient: Christopher L. Campese, M.D. ’90
We continue to seek your feedback on stories for the Bulletin, events, and opportunities to keep
you engaged. Finally, watch for our new website in 2012.
Wishing you a healthy and happy 2012,
Alan M. Sanders, M.D. ’88
President, Alumni Association
Dean’s Message
Dear Fellow Alumni,
Albany Medical College, long a leader in educational innovation, continues to move
forward, embracing technology not only to enhance education, but also in how we
keep in touch with you.
In August, we welcomed the class of 2015. Among them will be the first class of
medical students to make full use of our newly opened Patient Safety and Clinical
Competency Center (PSCCC). The state-of-the-art facility is 12,000 square feet of
experiential technology, creating for our students a safe yet challenging environment of
simulation in which to learn best practices. Through the teaching tools in the PSCCC,
students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom on lifelike mannequins and trained
actors in a mock medical clinic. Students learn such specific skills as bedside care,
clinical decision-making and how to triage. They also learn to communicate effectively
with multidisciplinary teams through simulated experiences. We also are proud to offer
the educational resources of the PSCCC not just to our students and residents, but to
medical professionals across the region for clinical competency assessment.
To help keep you engaged with the College and networked among your classmates
and colleagues, the Alumni Association is building an online community. Our alumni
are doing some incredibly interesting and exciting things. This website is devoted
exclusively for you to share advancements and breakthroughs with the AMC community.
You will hear more about this initiative in the coming months.
This is an exciting time in our history as we continue to stay at the cutting edge of
medical education enhanced by the many new technological tools we are now able to
provide. I invite you to take a tour of the newly opened PSCCC and to use the alumni
online community to share with us and your fellow alums your accomplishments and
activities.
Vincent P. Verdile, M.D. ’84
Day of Service
On Saturday, August 13, more than 175 Albany Medical College students and faculty
participated in a “Day of Service.” This is the second anniversary for the “Day of Service” and
these AMC community members assisted at nine non-profit locations in the Capital Region,
including Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, and the Albany Food Pantry.
“Medical school is about
far more than studying,
and this ‘Day of Service’
“Our goal was to help medical students connect with the Albany community—the minute they
arrive in town,” said Sheena Gupta, a second-year medical student from Long Island and the
event’s co-organizer. “Medical school is about far more than studying, and this ‘Day of Service’
showcases the many opportunities to volunteer and make meaningful contributions to the place
they will call home for the next four years.”
showcases the many
The event was launched last year by Megan Ash, a third-year medical student from Colorado,
who points out that many new students have relocated to the Albany area from around the U.S.
and want to connect with their new community.
they will call home for the
opportunities to volunteer
and make meaningful
contributions to the place
next four years.”
Winter 2012 | 5
Advancing
Medicine
Through Bioethics Education
Jock Elliott
An 85-year-old diabetic woman is rushed to the hospital with necrotic
gangrene in both feet. The team says, “Mrs. Jones, if we amputate
your feet, you’ll live.” Mrs. Jones replies, “I don’t want you to take my
feet,” thereby refusing life-sustaining treatment just before falling into
unconsciousness. The team approaches Mrs. Jones’ daughter – “What
should we do?” they ask.
A 59-year-old man with adult-onset asthma suffers an acute attack and is
now unconscious and on a ventilator. One son insists that his father would
never want his life sustained on a ventilator. The other son says he will sue
if the hospital removes his father from the ventilator.
A woman, terminally ill, has signed a living will stating that she does not
want aggressive care. After she lapses into a coma, her sister arrives and
insists that all possible measures should be taken to keep her sister alive.
6 | www.amc.edu/alumni
Situations like these occur every day in
hospitals across the United States. To help
provide guidance to the families involved
and the teams providing care, many
hospitals have created Ethics Consultation
Services (ECSs). The Joint Commission
on the Accreditation of Health Care
Organizations requires that hospitals
have “mechanisms” to deal with ethics
dilemmas, but has set no standards for
the qualifications of those who may offer
ethics services.
A 2007 survey found that 81 percent of hospitals in the U.S. had
ECSs and 14 percent were in the process of developing them.
In hospitals with more than 400 beds, Veterans Affairs hospitals,
and hospitals belonging to the Council of Teaching Hospitals, the
prevalence of ECSs was 100 percent. That’s the good news.
The not-quite-so-great news concerns the background and
training of the individuals serving on ECSs. Forty-five percent had
learned independently, without formal, direct supervision by an
experienced member of an ECS. Forty-one percent had learned to
perform bioethics consultation with structured, direct supervision
by an experienced member of an ECS. Only five percent of ethics
consultation providers had completed a fellowship or a graduate
degree program in bioethics. An aggressive lawyer, representing a
family member who disagrees with a clinical decision, might find
that troubling.
“The goal of clinical ethics is to improve the delivery of care, the
quality of care, and the doctor-patient relationship,” says Dr. Bruce
D. White, director of the Alden March Bioethics Institute (AMBI), at
Albany Medical College.
He adds, “Ultimately, the objective of bioethics consultation is to
help the parties concerned make better decisions than they would
have otherwise, recognizing that sometimes the choice is not
between bad and good, but between hauntingly bad and not quite
so bad.”
Dr. White notes that the work of the ECSs usually centers around
three key issues:
1.Identifying the patient’s surrogate when the patient lacks
capacity to make decisions for himself or herself.
2.Helping the surrogate to understand the parameters of the
decisions to be made and to accurately reflect the wishes of the
patient inasmuch as they are understood.
Christopher L.
Campese, M.D. ’90
Dr. Chris
Campese, class
of 1990 and
former president
of the Alumni
Association, is an
anesthesiologist
at North Shore
University
Hospital,
Manhasset, NY. A
little over a year
ago, he enrolled
in the Master of
Science in Bioethics offered by the Alden March
Bioethics Institute (AMBI).
“I had a couple of motivations in pursuing a
master’s degree in bioethics,” he says. “First, I
serve on my hospital’s ethics committee, and I
wanted to participate in a more knowledgeable
and effective way. It’s part of my responsibility
as a health care provider to be aware of these
important issues. Second, about five years ago, I
completed a master’s degree program in theology.
The two masters really dovetail nicely. They are
a natural fit to help teach, write, and think about
ethical problems as they occur in medicine.”
“I think the master’s program
offered by AMBI is outstanding. I
am extremely impressed with the
caliber and quality of the students.
The discussions have been very
stimulating. It has been everything I
expected.”
Dr. Campese concludes, “I would absolutely
recommend this program for anyone interested in
the field of bioethics. It is sometimes challenging
to integrate the program into the life and practice
of a busy clinician, but the information is so
valuable and the issues are so pervasive, that
it brings a lot to my work as a physician and is
definitely worthwhile.”
3.Resolving family conflicts regarding decisions to be made for
the patient.
Winter 2012 | 7
Allison Caldwell, M.S. III
Allison Caldwell is a third-year medical student at Albany
Medical College. She completed the Alden March Bioethics
Institute (AMBI) Master of Science in Bioethics following her
second year of medical school.
Allison Caldwell,
third-year medical
student
“The program was
intellectually
stimulating,
allowed me
to focus on
writing, and to
explore issues
of public health,
social justice,
and the direct
implications of
ethical medicine
in patient care.”
She says, “Good fortune, a lifelong love for learning and the
humanities, and a series of excellent mentors led me to the
AMBI program. I had been a part of the scholars in bioethics
program through the medical college and was quite fortunate
to be accepted in the summer following first-year to the
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center summer fellowship
program to complete a research project in the bioethics
department. Bolstered by these experiences, I emerged
from second-year excited to embark on clinical rotations,
yet yearning for a deeper humanitarian complement to the
invaluable medical knowledge I had cultivated.”
She adds, “It is with great thanks to AMBI, and to the
wonderful Professors White, Shelton, Jacoby, Otto, Kaplan and
Balint, that I was able to complete my master’s coursework
in the span of the past year. I was exposed to highly
multidisciplinary material, and examined the field of ethics
within philosophical, legal, intercultural, pharmaceutical and
clinical contexts. The program was intellectually stimulating,
allowed me to focus on writing, and to explore issues of
public health, social justice, and the direct implications of
ethical medicine in patient care. My classmates were nurses,
physicians, lawyers, administrators, and scholars from around
the globe, lending a dynamism and peer-driven learning
experience to each course.“
Caldwell says, “I have since returned to medical school, and
have only just begun to appreciate the impact my year of work
in bioethics will have on my nascent career. In the short term,
I hope to apply foundations set last year to a novel research
endeavor in fulfillment of my master’s thesis requirement.
Rotations in ob/gyn, psychiatry, and neurology thus far have
offered provocative ethical dilemmas, and in the past week
alone I worked at Hospice, in a program established by Dr.
Balint as part of the internal medicine rotation, caring for
individuals at the end of life – a time in which ethics and
medicine must exist particularly cohesively.”
She concludes: “Though I am not yet certain what lies
ahead in terms of my own ethical practice of medicine, I am
confident that the skills I developed in the past year will prove
immeasurably influential in my chosen field, which hopefully
will incorporate pediatric oncology, genetics, and palliative
care. I am interested in the application of ethics to clinical
research trials, the future of genethics, global and intercultural
ethics, as well as narrative ethics. I will strive to work towards
a confluence of medicine, bioethics, and humanism in my
own life, as well as in the greater field of medicine, and only
hope that future AMC students are able to take part in the
great opportunity afforded by AMBI.”
There is a lot at stake in dealing with
these issues. In a 2008 survey of
106 hospitals in Arizona, 91 percent
of the ethical consultations involved
end-of-life issues, 68 percent
concerned family disagreements,
61 percent dealt with advanced
directives, 56 percent revolved
around no available surrogate, and
52 percent involved requests for
medically futile or inappropriate
treatment.
John Kaplan, Ph.D. ’76, director
of graduate studies at AMBI, says,
“The key to providing quality ethical
consultation is education and
training.”
He adds, “To that end, AMBI
provides extensive educational
opportunities in bioethics to
support the doctors, nurses, social
workers, pastoral care providers,
hospital administrators, and hospital
lawyers who participate in ECSs or
hospital bioethics committees as
well as scientists who are involved
in biomedical research. These
include both certificate and degree
programs.”
The Graduate Certificate in Clinical
Ethics consists of four courses
that focus on clinical bioethics,
the legal aspects of bioethics and
an introduction to the skills and
competencies for clinical ethics
consultation. Three of the courses
are totally online and the fourth is
on-site for eight days.
The more advanced Graduate
Certificate in Clinical Ethics
Consultation, which Dr. Kaplan
characterizes as a “virtual
fellowship,” consists of four courses
focused on ethical consultation
in different patient populations.
These include adults with capacity
to make decisions, adults without
capacity, pediatrics, and special or
vulnerable populations. Another
course focuses on mediation to
facilitate agreement when not
everyone agrees on clinical goals.
AMBI also offers two tracks in its
8 | www.amc.edu/alumni
Masters of Science in bioethics degree. The
Master of Science in Bioethics, Comprehensive,
is designed to provide the skills to analyze
ethical situations that arise in health care, public
health, pastoral care, patient advocacy, medical
social work, medical research, and the life
sciences. The Master of Science in Bioethics,
Concentration in Clinical Ethics Consultation
is designed to provide advanced training and
supervision in core competencies necessary to
provide clinical ethics consultation.
In addition, AMBI offers several dual-degree
programs: a J.D./M.S. in Bioethics with
Albany Law School, a J.D./M.S. in Bioethics
with Cumberland School of Law at Samford
University, an M.D./M.S. in Bioethics Dual
Degree Program at Albany Medical College,
and an M.S. in Bioethics/Ph.D. in Basic Medical
Sciences Dual Degree Program at Albany
Medical College.
Dr. Kaplan says, “Right now, we have 60 people
enrolled in our various certificate, M.S., and
dual degree programs, and we’re dealing with
students from around the world. Approximately
75 people have already graduated from our
programs which began in 2007. That is very
gratifying because there are so many ethical
issues in science and medicine today.”
Dr. White concludes: “The reason that this is so
important is that all of us, directly or indirectly,
will face these issues. It’s my hope that when
that happens – whether it is an ECS providing
consultation in a hospital or a research scientist
facing an ethical question in a lab – that the
people involved will be adequately trained to
meet the challenge.”
“The reason
that this is
so important
is that all of
us, directly
or indirectly,
will face
these issues.
ALDEN MARCH BIOETHICS INSTITUTE
AT ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE
The Alden March Bioethics Institute at
Our Graduate Certificate in Clinical Ethics
Albany Medical College is a leader in
(offered every fall) and Virtual Fellowship
teaching biomedical ethics.
(offered every term) provide practical
Our graduate master’s degree programs
training and skills, while teaching the
(offered every term) provide mid-career
core competencies of clinical ethics and
professionals and highly motivated
consultation.
students with the advanced knowledge
To fit into the busy schedules of working
and practical skills necessary to manage
professionals, courses are offered online
complex ethical issues that arise daily in
and with elective short intensive on-site
the ever-changing health care industry.
sessions.
For more information, contact: [email protected]
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AMBioethics
Follow our blog: www.amc.edu/BioethicsBlog
WWW.AMC.EDU/BIOETHICS
Winter 2012 | 9
A Shared Experience
Brings Compassion to Addiction Treatment
Connie Skedgell
Dr. Harry Haroutunian ’73 is a physician
with a mission. As Physician Director
of the Betty Ford Center, he is one of
the world experts on the pathology of
addiction. A life event caused a turn in
his professional path, leading him to
the renowned treatment clinic. For Dr.
Haroutunian, his practice is intensely
personal.
As the one physician practicing family
medicine in an isolated Vermont mountain
community, he was on call non-stop for
13 years. In many ways, those were good
years. “I practiced old-fashioned country
medicine,” he recalls. “I bartered for
maple syrup and cords of wood. I made
house calls, often sewing up someone’s
dog or cat. I was a pediatrician, plastic
surgeon, coroner – and the rescue squad
in a snow storm.”
Harry L. Haroutunian, M.D. ’73
“Medicine
became
more
personal,
more of a
mission.”
But there was a downside to being the
only family doctor in miles. “I worked
way beyond normal boundaries. Those
rare moments when I had time off, I —
like many other physicians — felt I was
entitled to relax. I had a glass of wine.
Then another glass to help me get to
sleep.” Finally, Dr. Haroutunian faced the
fact that he had a drinking problem.
He took time off to learn voraciously
about the area of addiction — the “disease
of addiction,” he emphasizes, for this
view of addiction forms the conceptual
basis of his work. His realization about
himself re-directed him, leading to Board
certification in addiction. “Medicine
became more personal, more of a
mission,” he reflects. Meanwhile, his own
life models the potential for recovery.
“I have not had a mind-altering drug or
alcoholic drink for all these years because
of that revelation about my own disease. I
work very hard on a daily basis to live the
life of recovery.”
Dr. Haroutunian believes his personal
struggle lets him offer patients something
special. “If you have surgery with a doctor
who never had surgery, he’s missing
some part of your experience. If you’re
treated for addiction by someone who was
addicted, there’s a whole different level of
communication and sensitivity.”
He remains deeply grateful to Albany
Medical College for making it all possible.
“The number one gift that Albany Medical
College gave me was extraordinary
opportunity,” the physician notes with
obvious emotion. “I came from a poor
family. I was a graduate student when
accepted, with a one-year-old baby and no
resources. Through the support of Dr. Gerald
Kanter and Dean Harold Wiggers, my family
and I got through school with financial
help and emotional help. Things I never
anticipated I could do, this support allowed
me to do. The socioeconomic forces in
my life were no excuse – Albany Medical
College showed me that nothing can hold
me back.” As Dr. Haroutunian considers
his rise from humble beginnings to being
possibly the world’s leading specialist in
addiction disease, he says, “It’s a miracle. I
have to pinch myself every day!”
Dr. Haroutunian shared his expertise with
physicians and students at the Addiction
Medicine conference sponsored by the
Albany Medical College Continuing
Medical Education Office this past
November. He presented on sedative/
benzodiazepine dependence. “It is much
to Albany Medical College’s credit that
they hosted this addiction weekend,” he
says. “I wanted to be part of it at my alma
mater.” The expert also plans to share his
knowledge of addiction within the ranks
of his fellow physicians; one in ten is
affected by the disease, he says. “I will
talk about this any chance I get,” says Dr.
Haroutunian, the physician with a mission
and a life that offers hope to all.
AMC ALUMNI NEW NET COMMUNITY
Email us now, to make sure you get “connected:”
[email protected]
10 | www.amc.edu/alumni
AMC Community Rallies to Support
Alumnus Impacted by Hurricane Irene
This past September Hurricane Irene brought devastation to the Northeast.
Among those impacted was Lorraine Davis, M.D. ’78. Dr. Davis is a community
preceptor who has taken AMC students into her practice in Schoharie County
for approximately 20 years. She lost her entire practice to the hurricane.
Once the Department of Family and Community Medicine at AMC learned
of this, they immediately wanted to assist. Theresa Weinman, coordinator
with the department, and Kate Wagner, M.D. ’94, Assistant Director of
Medical Student Education for Family Medicine, spearheaded the efforts.
Between students, staff, alumni and faculty, the AMC community headed to
Schoharie where they assisted Dr. Davis with clearing her medical practice
so it could be demolished.
In the meantime, Dr. Davis has been able to continue seeing patients in a
space offered to her by fellow alum, Rebecca Eckel, M.D. ’01. This has been
a difficult journey, but Dr. Davis is grateful for the outpouring of support she
received. In her own words:
Photos - Top to Bottom:
Students aid in flood relief clean up - Organized
through the Dept of Family and Community Medicine,
members of the AMC community lend a hand in relief
clean up from Hurricane Irene in Schoharie County.
Front row left to right: David Sorkin, Amanda Wingle,
Jessica Martinolich, Theresa Weinman, Kate Wagner,
M.D. ‘94, Elyse Demers, Sarah Tran, Nani Phillips.
Back row left to right:Tim Palmieri, Trace Barrett,
Sheena Gupta, Le Du, Jesse Cheung, Zhi Cheng.
Student flood clean up - Albany Medical student
Tom Cacciola (left) and PA student Jon Ford (right),
assisting with clean up efforts in Schoharie County.
Students assist Dr. Davis with her medical records.
The medical students, pharmacy students, and PA student, Theresa, and
Dr. Bob (Paeglow ’94) helped with so much dirty, hard, heavy work! They
emptied the office building of every possible removable thing, which was
a tremendous savings when it came time to demolish the structure. It went
down yesterday-28 years of my life gone in a few hours. Very disconcerting...I
can’t tell you how much I appreciated the initial outreach from the family
practice department in the form of Theresa Weinman. She managed to find me
equipment that made the move to Cobleskill much easier than it would have
been, and she and friends from her church, Journey UCC, even brought the
items to the new space and helped move the salvaged medical records there
as well. The Alumni Association helped locate a shredder and a scanner. Three
first and second-year students spent most of a precious Saturday helping my
secretary and me restore some of the swamped charts. I know Theresa and
her merry band continue to volunteer in Schoharie, where the devastation is
visible and palpable. Hooray and thank God for my beloved Alma Mater! The following excerpt is from an article featured in the Spotlight newspaper by Charles Wiff
Music Among the Pines
Pine Hollow Arboretum hosts concert to benefit Irene victims
John Abbuhl, M.D. ‘49
Bethlehem — John Abbuhl knows his trees.
Walking through the forest near his Slingerlands home, he points
them out one by one. An umbrella magnolia doesn’t escape his
gaze, nor does a great fir reaching into the sky or small ferns lining
the ground. He calls them out by common and scientific name.
Perhaps what’s more impressive than Abbuhl’s encyclopedic
knowledge is that he’s responsible for much of the varied and
beautiful landscape at his doorstep, having planted over 3,200
trees there over the decades. He also welcomes the public to
enjoy the dozens of unique species from all over the world.
Abbuhl is the founder of the Pine Hollow Arboretum, 25 acres
of ponds, nature trails and a remarkable bounty of flora. It’s a
little-known treasure sitting off of Maple Avenue, not far from the
bustling Price Chopper plaza, though it’s doubtful you’d know it
sitting next to a serene, sun-splashed koi pond.
The Arboretum has been growing since Abbuhl bought his home
in 1966 while he was working as a pediatrician. It grew and grew
as his hobby, and now it
exists as a nonprofit entity.
He’s hoping the community
will avail itself of this
resource.
John Ab
“As a growing
buhl, M
.D. ‘49
organization, we
need to increase our
membership, make ourselves more
visible, to make the community understand whatever
our worth is,” Abbuhl said.
The Arboretum is hosting a unique musical evening in hopes
of doing just that. The event had originally been planned as a
fundraiser for the Arboretum’s operations, but after Tropical Storm
Irene devastated parts of the Capital District, the decision was
made to shift the focus and donate the proceeds to relief efforts.
“It’s the right thing to do,” said Abbuhl. “We suffered very little
ourselves here from this whole event, in contrast to what’s gone
on around us.”
Winter 2012 | 11
“It had to be the Library,” says Mrs. Helen Gravelle, referring to
her recent seven figure bequest to the Library Fund she previously
established in her husband’s honor.
Mrs. Gravelle, now retired from a successful nursing career, is the
widow of R. Alvin “Rod” Gravelle, M.D. ’50. Her graciousness
belies her sparkling wit, as she reflects on her decisions to support
the College. Helen has never visited the College, she has never even
stepped foot in Albany, New York – but she knew that this gift in his
name would have a lasting impact on the College.
Dr. Gravelle started the couple’s long-term support of Albany Med’s
library by establishing the Dr. Jack Wolfe Section on Anatomy
Fund, which pays tribute to his mentor at the College. In 2007, Mrs.
Gravelle established her own library endowment — the R.
Alvin Gravelle M.D. ’50 Endowed Library
Fund — to honor her husband’s memory
and to support the library’s varied needs
into the future. This past summer, she made
an extremely generous bequest to that fund.
Explaining her continued support for Albany
Med’s library, she says, “My husband was very
fond of books and collected rare books. And
he held the College in very high esteem.”
Helen Gravelle
THE
library, it is the outreach to all who use it — its impact goes on and
on. And that is a very good feeling. I’m satisfied I did the right thing.
This makes me feel great!”
THE
12 || www.amc.edu/alumni
www.amc.edu/alumni
12
PILLARS | S o c i e t y
THE
PILLARS | S o c i e t y
Societ y
PILLARS
Societ y
“My gift to the
By formalizing her bequest in writing, Mrs.
library not
Gravelle specified that her money will go
precisely where she wants it to — straight to
only helps
the library. Now, she can be certain her wishes
will be fulfilled. While Mrs. Gravelle knew
the library,
Photo fr
om the
in advance the area she wanted to support,
Skull ye
of Rodri
arbook
gue Gra
the process of documenting a bequest makes
it is the
velle, M
.D. ‘50
donors aware of the many options for supporting
outreach
Albany Med, everything from the library to
scholarships. Knowing the options, and having the chance to choose
to all who use
meaningfully among them, lets donors express their passions,
values, and wishes.
it — its impact
For Mrs. Gravelle, documenting her bequest has provided pure
goes on and on.
relief. “I am glad to know it’s clear, and that the money is going
where I want it to.” She adds, “It makes me feel good. It will be an
And that is a very
everlasting remembrance of my husband.” What’s more, she was
delighted by the ease of the process. Playfully, she adds, “I don’t
good feeling. I’m
know if it would have been as easy if I’d wanted to borrow money!”
She is glad she acted, and urges others to act promptly. “I’m satisfied
satisfied I did the
I did the right thing. Once you make your mind up, do it now.”
right thing. This
Mrs. Gravelle takes pleasure from knowing her bequest will help
countless medical students who use the library. “Despite all the new
makes me feel
technologies, books will always play an important part in their lives.
They will never be obsolete. My gift to the library not only helps the
great!”
PILLARS
s o csio
e tcyi e t y
PILLARS
PILLARS
THE
THE
Helen Gravelle
THE
William H. Montano, M.D. ’69
Alaska Alumnus Welcomes Opportunity to Give Back
William H. Montano, M.D. ‘69
“If you’re doing
pretty well, that’s an
easy way to make
a contribution. This
comes with real tax
advantages, and that’s
the beauty of it.”
The Army took William H. “Bill” Montano,
M.D. ’69 to Alaska more than 30 years ago.
The state’s free and relaxed lifestyle has
kept him there, and so has his continually
interesting work as a surgeon practicing out of
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
for the scholarships particularly compelling.
“People are coming out with private college
and private medical school debt of $300,000
to $500,000,” Bill notes, “— I mean, that’s
a mansion. That kind of loan will have you
pretty saddled for a long time.”
When Dr. Montano first arrived, before the
days of Medivacs, he tackled “whatever
surgery came along,” including vascular and
even some neurosurgery. These days his focus
is lung surgery, and he’s also on the faculty
at the University of Washington School of
Medicine. “We do a remote surgery rotation
for the medical school here,” says Bill, adding
that “they tell us we’re the most popular
surgical rotation they’ve got.”
Bill was fortunate. Dentistry came in handy
for financing his medical education, and
he was lucky enough to come out with a
relatively modest loan.
It’s all stimulating and as Bill tells it a lot more
challenging than the dentistry he originally
practiced long ago. Albany Medical College
helped Dr. Montano make an early career
change, and he is grateful. “Albany was
always good about taking in dentists,” he
recalls. And they didn’t just take him. Says
Bill, “The major thing I appreciate was the
way the school committed to students once
they took them.”
Returning the Favor
Bill has returned the favor through generous
financial commitments to the college. A
member of the Albany Medical College
Dean’s Council, Bill has supported the Dean’s
Discretionary Fund, the Theobold Smith,
M.D. Alumni Microbiology Chair, and the
William H. Montano, M.D. ’69 Endowed
Scholarship. These days, he finds the case
Bill is doing what he can to help today’s
students start out with less debt, and last year
he found a smart way to do so by making his
gift to AMC from his required IRA distribution.
“If you’re doing pretty well, that’s an easy
way to make a contribution,” Bill says. “This
comes with real tax advantages, and that’s the
beauty of it.”
The opportunity to make this kind of
charitable gift has been extended through this
year, and Bill recommends it to fellow alumni,
stressing that “It’s uncomplicated.”
Doing His Part
Bill’s work ethic is uncomplicated too: you do
what you can because you can. Forty percent
of Dr. Montano’s patients are no-pay or lowpay. But “You know,” says Bill, “those people
have got to go somewhere. Well, I can afford
to do it.”
GIFT
Pl a nning
Ways to Give
We are grateful to have alumni who support Albany Medical College in
many different ways. If you are considering a gift please keep in mind the
wide variety of options available to you.
Please consider a gift in
honor of your Alma Matter.
ALL GIFTS COUNT
■ cash ■ securities ■ bequests ■ trusts
■ life income gifts ■ retirement assets
LEARN MORE.
Contact Laura O’Brien
Director, Gift Planning
518.262.6835
[email protected]
www.amc.edu/foundation
Own a Piece of History
A brick from the former “U Building”
can be yours for $20. Your donation
will support the Alumni Annual Fund
of the Medical College.
Contact Amy Johnston in the
Foundation Office:
[email protected]
or 518-262-8043.
Winter
Winter2010
2012| 13
| 13
Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients
2011 - 2012
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Jennifer Earle, M.D. ’11
Meghan Geary
Luke Pessonen
William Raible
Matthew Santa Barbara
Michael Stern, M.D. ’11
Caitlin Weber
Benjamin & Rhoda
Zuckerman Memorial
Scholarship
Matthew Berk
Lori Brandt
Karim Nathan
Christopher O’Brien
Tara Renna
Bernard F. Brophey
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Misty Richards
Emanuela Sofroni, M.D. ‘11
Doctor Carolyn Fisk
Alumni Scholarship
Stella Huyn
Heather Petrat
Allison Rodriguez
Aimee Steiniger
Heather Sutton, M.D. ‘11
Doctors Victor
and Ethel Cermak
Tompkins Alumni
Scholarship
Trace Barrett
Kellen Galster
Charlene Mantia
Victoria Villescas
Ethel Burack-Cohn
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Christine MacKinnon
Jay D. Mann
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
David Gay
14 | www.amc.edu/alumni
Levon Bedrosian
Alumni Scholarship
Simi Koshy, M.D. ’11
Sidney Olefson
Nirav Shah
Lynden Hulbert
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Brandon Callahan
Morris Alpert Alumni
Scholarship
James Izzano
Amy Kerfoot
Abigail Mantica
Stanley Pietrak
Brittany Potz
Morris Chatlin
Memorial
Scholarship
Geoffrey D’Cruz
Andrew Laccetti
Robert DeCormier
Memorial
Scholarship
Ashish Kabra
Singleton/Huested
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Delores Blais
Anthony Conte
Ian Dempsey
Shazzan Hushmendy
Omar Jilani
Spirit of ’73 Alumni
Scholarship
Pooja Ghatalia
The Class of
1955 Memorial
Scholarship
Kristina Hardy
The Dr. Harvey W.
Kausel Memorial
Scholarship Fund
Annette George
Andrea Goossens
Stephen Hasak
Brett Hayden
Vishnu Kannabiran, M.D. ’11
Michael Maggulli
Joseph Mahon
Katie Pandolfo
Justin Rice
Paris Shah
Jenny Shim
Ashley Vareedayah
Isabelle Walrund
John Wax
Julie Westberg
2011 Post-Match
Scholarships
Clifford H. Marsh
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Tricia Narine, M.D. ’11
James H. Puleo Alumni
Scholarship
Sheel Patel, M.D. ’11
Andreas Zori, M.D. ’11
Roy L. Leak
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Karlin Feldman-Nazario, M.D. ’11
Bradford Wolfram, M.D. ’11
Scott B.
Schleiermacher
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Mary Wojtyk, M.D. ’11
Van Alstyne
Alumni Memorial
Scholarship
Jillian Gasiewicz, M.D. ’11
Upcoming Events
Albany:
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Alumni Evening with the Albany Symphony Orchestra
Calling All Alumni Musicians!
Are you part of a band, do you perform with an
orchestra, or moonlight as a lounge singer? The Alumni
Association wants to hear about our musical alumni for
an upcoming issue of the Bulletin.
Please email the Alumni Association:
[email protected]
or fax: 518.262.6824 and include your name, group
name, and anything else you would like to share.
Los Angeles:
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Alumni Association Reception
UCLA Faculty Center
Tampa:
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Alumni Association Brunch
Miami:
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Alumni Association Reception
Campus:
Thursday, April 26, 2012
John A. Balint, M.D. Lecture
Lecturer: G. Timothy Johnson, M.D. ’69
The Albany Medical College Archives
“Giving the Past a Future”
Preserving Albany Medical
College’s Heritage and Culture
“Facts from the Past”
Spontaneous
Human Combustion
Widely used in fiction (Charles Dickens’ “Bleak House,” Frederick
Marryat’s “Jacob Faithful,” and popular television shows, such as CSI,
and The X-Files) spontaneous human combustion was once a popular
defense against criminal charges. The Albany Medical Annals, housed
in the AMC Archives, contain an extract from a paper read before
the Medical Society of Albany County on January 14, 1880, by AMC
graduate, H.I. Fellows M.D. In this paper, Fellows describes several
cases of spontaneous human combustion. One such case occurred
in France in 1725, when a husband and wife accused of killing
the husband’s father, avoided murder charges due to the
defense of spontaneous human combustion. In this
case, it was determined that since only the
father and his bedding were burned
that the man must have burned
“due to some inherent cause in the
individual...”
Campus:
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Scholarship Celebration,
Hilton Garden Inn at AMC
Campus:
Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28
2012 Alumni Reunion Weekend
Campus:
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Medical Student Awards Day
Saratoga:
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Commencement, Saratoga Performing Arts Center
(S.P.A.C.)
Questions: [email protected]
or 518.262.5033
Photos
Want to learn more?
Subscribe to the weekly “Facts from the Past”
by emailing: [email protected].
The Archives are supported by the AMC Alumni Association.
Upper: Philly Regional Alumni Event –
Alumni gather in Philadelphia with the Alumni
Association and Dean Verdile
Lower: 30th Residency Reunion – David Newman, M.D. ’98,
Vincent Verdile, M.D. ’84, Heather Prunty, M.D. ’09,
Mark Conroy, M.D. ’11, and Lindsey Tillack, M.D. ’10,
from the 30th anniversary of the Pitt EM residency. Adam
Frisch, M.D. ’08, and Maria Guyette Koenig (‘05) also
attended, but not pictured.
Winter
2012
| 15
Winter
2012
| 15
Medical Education Transformed
Open House Showcases Simulation Center
The Patient Safety and Clinical Competency Center
(PSCCC) opened last spring and already is an
indispensable component of medical education for
students in all four years. The Alumni Association,
Dean Vincent P. Verdile, M.D. ‘84, and Vice Dean
Henry Pohl, M.D., held an open house for alumni and
led guests on an interactive walking tour of the Center.
In the photo above:
John A. Nolan, M.D. ‘77,
accompanied by his
son, John G. Nolan, at
the PSCCC open house
examining the “Harvey”
manikin.
The 12,000-square-foot center is a vital learning hub
for AMC students as well as residents and practicing
physicians, nurse-anesthetists, PAs, and EMTs. It
houses 16 exam rooms for interviewing and examining
standardized patients; suites set up to simulate an OR,
ICU, or ER; a task training room where students can
practice everything from simulated colonoscopies
and laparascopic surgery to operating the controls
for minimally invasive robot-guided surgery; and a
viewing room where faculty observe everything. There
is direct video conferencing to a real OR so that, for
example, students learning about the musculoskeletal
system in year one can watch live surgery in the
nearby Bone and Joint Center and ask questions of the
surgeons. On “Harvey,” a manikin with a pulse and
visible breathing, second-year students study heart and
breath sounds, listening for aortic regurgitation, or a
heart murmur. Using a ventriloscope (stethoscope with
an MP3 player) real patients can appear to have heart
and lung findings to test third year students. Hands-on
simulations in ultrasound technology help students
16 | www.amc.edu/alumni
hone their skills in the immediate image acquisition
that is so critical in emergency medicine.
While some of this equipment has been used for a
few years, all of it was ordered in anticipation of this
facility, where it is integrated with the standardized
patient program. That program, long a staple of
medical education at AMC, brings in students starting
in the first year, when they might handle a case of a
sore throat. Each year brings more challenging case
scenarios—second-year students learn how to question
someone about sexual assault and domestic violence—
and each scenario is carefully and realistically
constructed. The man with a post-op fever is set up
in a full hospital room, with urine bag and IV and a
tattooed “incision” closed with steri-strips. In another
case, a female patient uses a ventriloscope to generate
breath sounds such as wheezing or rales that students
need to take note of. In each case, students log in at a
computer station outside the exam room and review
the door notes on the case; they then have 15 minutes
to interview and examine the patients; and finally they
follow-up with the “paperwork” back on the hallway
computer. The “patients” record their experience as
well. Faculty debrief the students on their work and
send them back for more practice.
“This is a game-changer, you know that? A real gamechanger.” So said Dr. Ingrid Allard, associate dean of
community outreach and medical education,
at the Open House. But you could have heard
similar affirmations from any number of the
alumni, friends, and medical staff who witnessed
the technological wonders and human ingenuity
of the new state-of-the-science teaching facility.
volume and type of drug given and respond
accordingly. Faculty program the cases and
observe students from the control room. They
can make the “patients” speak or throw students
a curveball—an anesthesiologist might faint in
the OR or power might go off mid-surgery.
“All medical schools should have this,” said Pohl,
adding that “I think having an integrated facility
like this one puts us on the cutting edge of the
continuum of medical education.”
“You try to bring things in here that they learn
about in textbooks but don’t experience every day,”
explained Jodi M. Della Rocca, C.R.N.A., M.S. ’02,
associate director of the Center for Nurse
Anesthesiology. Students have the opportunity to
learn from their mistakes without putting anyone
at risk, and they never know what might happen
in an OR simulation. “It’s a little intimidating at
first,” said Della Rocca, “but once they get to
the debriefing room, they’re really excited, and
they want to keep coming back. It’s such a good
learning tool.”
The integration of the standardized patient
program with advanced simulation technology
gives students the opportunity to hone skills
along the full continuum of clinical care, from
history-taking, communicating with patients and
diagnosing problems, to mastering procedures,
working in teams, and handling emergencies.
Faculty observe and videotape students and
thoroughly debrief them on their work.
Four manikins were set up with the day’s cases
in the ER, where Center Director Mark Heller
described their capabilities. “They can do nearly
every bodily function,” he explained; “they can
sweat, they can cry, the nose runs, they can
drool, they can cough, they can urinate, they can
have seizures.” On the newest systems, students
can insert syringes and the manikins register
While the PSCCC is still being fine-tuned to
enhance and expand its capabilities both within
the college and as a regional resource, it’s
ramping up to be running 24/7, helping students,
residents and practicing physicians develop the
clinical competencies essential to treating their
patients effectively and safely.
“All medical
schools should
have this. I
think having
an integrated
facility like this
one puts us
on the cutting
edge of the
continuum
of medical
education.”
– Henry Pohl, M.D.
GIFT
Pl a nning
Enroll Now
PErsoNal EstatE PlaNNiNg
sElf study CoursE
n set successful financial goals
n launch your estate plan
n lessen tax burdens
n increase the power of your giving
lEarN morE.
Contact laura o’Brien, Director, Gift Planning
518.262.6835 [email protected]
www.amc.edu/foundation
Winter 2012 | 17
College News
$3.1 Million Grant Funds Research Focused on
Discerning Between Natural Bacteria and Bioterrorism
and Microbial Disease at Albany Medical
College, has received a $3.1 million,
5-and-a-half-year grant from the U.S.
Department of Defense in support of his
research. Specifically, he will study the
biological differences between naturally
occurring and lab-grown Francisella
tularensis (the bacterium that causes
tularemia), as well as Acinetobacter
baumanii, an emerging antibiotic-resistant
bacterium capable of causing deadly
infections.
Research Tech Tiffany Zarrella and
Dr. Karsten Hazlett.
In the case of an unusual outbreak
of disease, the ability to differentiate
between bacteria or viruses that occur
naturally and those which have been
cultured and maliciously dispersed by
a bioterrorist is obviously pivotal to
national security. While scientists can
make this determination for some forms
of bacteria—for instance, the bacteria that
causes anthrax—there are still gaps in
knowledge for many others, including the
bacterium that causes tularemia. Research
at Albany Medical College is aiming to
change that.
Karsten R.O. Hazlett, Ph.D., assistant
professor in the Center for Immunology
“Bacteria grown under laboratory
conditions and the very same type of
bacteria that grow in the water or soil can
have a very different chemical makeup,”
says Dr. Hazlett. “We refer to this as the
bacteria’s signature.”
Dr. Hazlett explains that bacteria can alter
its form in response to such environmental
cues as temperature and stress, or when
exposed to different organisms.
Dr. Hazlett says tularemia is of interest
because the disease can be cultivated in a
lab and weaponized, and in fact, was done
so by both the United States and the former
Soviet Union during the Cold War. The
other bacteria he will study, Acinetobacter
baumanii, was responsible for serious
wound infections among injured soldiers in
Iraq. Dr. Hazlett says the bacteria is highly
resistant to antibiotics.
For the research, Hazlett and his team
members will cultivate both tularemia and
Acinetobacter baumanii under conditions
AMC Welcomes M.D. Class of 2015
141 new medical students entered Albany Medical College this past
August. The class of 2015 was drawn from more than 9,000 applicants
from 24 states, including 47 students from New York. This year’s class
ranges in age from 20 to 32 and is almost equally divided between
women and men. Thirty-five of the new students graduated from one of
Albany Medical College’s three joint degree programs at Siena College,
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College. Twenty-three
students hold master’s degrees, and three have doctoral degrees.
Photo: Medical students from the class of 2015 recite the physicians’
Hippocratic Oath at this year’s White Coat ceremony.
18 | www.amc.edu/alumni
which mimic the bacterium’s natural
environment and those which mimic the
standard laboratory conditions that would
be used by bioterrorists. Samples will be
sent for analysis to his collaborators at the
Universities of Maryland and Chicago.
“We will specifically be looking to
understand the differences in the lipids
and proteins expressed by the bacteria.
We anticipate that these are the areas
where the differences will be found,”
explains Dr. Hazlett.
Not only will better knowledge of the
different makeup of bacteria aid in
national security, but Dr. Hazlett says the
information can also be helpful in vaccine
research. “Knowing how certain bacteria
respond in different settings and in various
hosts can aid us in making vaccines that
have higher success rates,” he says. “For
example, knowing whether a bacterial
protein is expressed and antibodyaccessible in host-adapted microbes (as
opposed to those grown in the lab) is a
strong predictor of that proteins’ potential
success as a vaccine candidate.”
There currently are no vaccines available
for tularemia or for Acinetobacter
baumanii. A strong vaccine and
biodefense research program at Albany
Medical College funded with more than
$10 million dollars in government grants
is focused on creating new and better
vaccines for many diseases, including
inhaled tularemia, which is always fatal.
The Reunion
Giving Program
2 12
The Reunion Giving Program continues to inspire our alumni to support the College during their
reunion year. The classes celebrating their reunions in 2012 (all with graduating years ending in 2
or 7) are already hard at work with great enthusiasm. Our reunion year classes are making gifts to
the top priorities of the College such as the Alumni Annual Fund and scholarships. This year we
have two exciting Reunion Class Gift Challenges to announce:
Class of 1967 Challenge
Class of 1992 Challenge
Mark and Lynne Groban have supported an
endowed scholarship, The Harry and Bernice
Groban Family Scholarship, since 2004. In
honor of Mark’s 45th Reunion they will again
contribute to their scholarship and they will
match the amount the class contributes to
the College during this Reunion year up to
$250,000! Contemplating the decision to
create the challenge, Mark says, “We’ve found
great joy in giving back to a school that was so
good to us. It is our hope that this challenge
encourages my classmates to participate and to
share that feeling while helping the students and
faculty of the College.” Recognizing that the
class of ‘67 is passionate about many areas of
the College, the Grobans have agreed to match
all gifts (cash, securities, documented bequests,
income producing gifts) to all purposes or
programs at the College.
The Class of 1992 has chosen
scholarship support as their class
project. Their goal is to raise a
minimum of $50,000 to endow
The Class of 1992 Scholarship
Fund. Dr. Tyrone Bristol, who is
serving as class agent for 1992,
has generously offered a very
special challenge to the class. He
will match dollar-for-dollar up
to $25,000 towards the $50,000
goal. He is doing so through a
multi-year pledge, and encourages
his classmates to do the same. Dr.
Tyrone Bristol, M.D.
Bristol says “having the option
to make a multi-year pledge has
allowed me to do more for the College than I originally thought
I could. The College has made it easy for me by setting up a
payment schedule that meets my needs.”
Highlighted above are only two classes of many that will celebrate reunions in 2012. Every class has a goal set for fundraising.
How to Make Your Reunion Gift
Thank you in advance for your support and for helping to ensure that current and future students receive the same high-quality
education you did at Albany. To make a gift, simply visit www.amc.edu/reuniongiving and click on your class year.
If you prefer to make your gift by check, please make your check payable to Albany Medical College (memo: Reunion Class Gift)
and mail to:
Julie Ruttan
Albany Medical College | 43 New Scotland Avenue MC119 | Albany, NY 12208
We look forward to seeing you at Reunion on April 27 and 28, 2012. If you have questions about reunion giving or would
like to become a class agent, please contact Julie Ruttan, Associate Director of Annual Programs, at (518) 262-6806 or
email [email protected].
Winter 2012 | 19
CLASS
Notes
honorary members
John A. Balint, M.D.
Honorary Member of the Alumni Association, 1983
Dr. John Balint
Dr. Balint was named
by the University at
Albany Foundation
as one of their 2011
Citizen Laureate Awards
recipients. Dr. Balint
received the 2011
Academic Laureate
Award. The Citizen
Laureate Awards
recognize outstanding
leaders in business and
industry, government
and academia, and are
the most prestigious
honor bestowed by the
University at Albany
Foundation.
Edward Iannuccilli, M.D. ’65
Dr. Iannuccilli recently had a chair named in his honor at Brown
Medical School/Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Iannuccilli, former
chairman of the board at Rhode Island Hospital and a former
member of the Lifespan Board, is a clinical professor emeritus
at the Alpert Medical School. His many years of leadership
at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University in the field of
medicine and within the state of Rhode Island as a whole, have
been and continue to be invaluable. To celebrate his leadership
and contributions, Lifespan presented an annual award in his
honor, the Edward A. Iannuccilli, M.D., Civic Leader of the Year
Award. Iannuccilli is the author of the bestselling book, “Growing
Up Italian, Grandfather’s Fig Tree and Other Stories.”
David R. Nalin, M.D ’65
Dr. Nalin returned to campus this past fall to deliver a lecture to
the students: “International Research in the Context of Prospects
for Global Diarrheal Diseases Control.” During his visit he
was able to meet several of the students who have received
scholarship awards through the David R. Nalin Endowed Fund
for International Research, which he established in 2006. The
scholarship provides funding for at least two students a year to
study abroad for a three-month period in a laboratory with which
the Medical College has an agreement.
Martha L. Lepow, M.D.
Honorary Member of the Alumni Association, 1997
Dr. Martha Lepow
20 | www.amc.edu/alumni
Dr. Lepow was
recognized by the
American Association
of Pediatrics with the
“Lifetime Contribution
in Infectious Disease
Education” award during
their annual conference
in Boston. Dr. Lepow is
a professor of pediatrics
and division head of
pediatric infectious
diseases at Albany
Medical Center. Dr.
Lepow has educated
hundreds of medical
students and residents
since joining Albany
Medical Center in 1978.
She is considered the
nation’s most senior
pediatric infectious
disease expert.
David Nalin, M.D. (far right) with medical students who have
benefited from his scholarship
Vincent R. DiGregorio, M.D. ’68
Dr. DiGregorio has been appointed to the advisory board of the
Adelphi NY Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program. He is a
partner and senior surgeon in the Garden City-based Long Island
Plastic Surgery Group (LIPSG). “It is indeed an honor to work
with the seasoned professionals at the Adelphi Breast Cancer
Program,” remarked DiGregorio. “Coordinated care is essential
to helping women successfully cope with the diagnosis of breast
cancer and we are happy to assist with our considerable assets.”
Coming Attraction
STAY
CONNECTED
AMC ALUMNI NET COMMUNITY
News, events, an online directory, and so much more.
Don’t miss out, visit the site: www.community.amc.edu
Email us now, to make sure you get “connected:”
[email protected]
Winter 2012 | 21
CLASS
Notes
Price Chenault, M.D. ’69
Dr. Chenault has retired from orthopedic surgery practice after
tending to some “deferred maintenance” issues. He and his wife
Barbara plan to remain in the Pacific Northwest for the duration
where they have enjoyed living since 1981. They want to continue
travelling internationally as those opportunities arise, watch their
grandchildren and children continue to grow and develop, and
devote additional time to those activities which they find interesting
and meaningful, more or less like all of us approaching retirement.
Thomas L. Snyder, M.D. ’69
Dr. Snyder organized alumni in the San Francisco area for an
afternoon cruise on the San Francisco Bay on the USS Potomac.
Warren Silverman, M.D. ’78
Dr. Silverman was elected to the position of president of the New
York Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association.
Dr. Silverman is the medical director of Access Health Systems,
an Occupational Medicine, risk management company serving
Upstate New York and New Jersey. He is also Medical Director
for the affiliated Access Compliance, The Panel, a medico-legal
consultation provider, Advocase, a Case Management company,
and Aetna’s AWCA workers compensation PPO. The New York
Occupational and Environmental Association is the state component
for the American College of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine and represents physicians specializing in the field
of medicine regarding the interface between individuals, their
workplace and their environments.
James M. Provenzale, M.D. ’83
Dr. Provenzale was the 2011 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Visiting
Professor. AOA is a national honor society for medical students,
residents, scientists and physicians. Dr. Provenzale is a professor of
Radiology and chief of neuroradiology at Duke University Medical
Center. He spoke to students about “The Future of Medicine”
and addressed the AMC community on a lecture titled: “Recent
Advances in Brain Imaging: What They Tell Us About Brain
Development and Function.”
Paul Davidson, M.D. ’56; Richard Gracer, M.D. ’76; Tom
Snyder, M.D. ’69; Peter Koltai, M.D. ’75; Vija Lindbergs,
M.D. ’61; William Olson, M.D. ’77
Murray Korc, M.D. ’74
Dr. Korc joined the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon
Cancer Center as the first Myles Brand Professor of Cancer Research
on Oct. 1. Dr. Korc previously worked as the scientific leader of the
Pancreatic Cancer Group at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton
Cancer Center in Lebanon, NH. “I hope to work with my colleagues
to design strategies for early pancreatic cancer detection, improved
prevention and treatment modalities, and meaningful prolongation
of pain-free survival,” said Korc. He will also hold the titles of IU
professor of medicine and of biochemistry and molecular biology.
James Provenzale, M.D. ‘83 celebrating at the AOA dinner
In
Memoriam
We mourn the passing of the following classmates:
Dominick A. Papandrea, M.D. ’43
John A. Britting, M.D. ’55
John E. Glennon, M.D. ’58
22 | www.amc.edu/alumni
James F. Hoffman, Jr., M.D. ’58
Cornelius A. Toner, M.D. ’58
Robert D. Meyers, M.D. ’61
Margaret L. Hayes, M.D. ’65
Alan M. Miller, M.D., J.D. ’70
Martin E. Schick, M.D. ’75
Philip Hlavac, M.D. ’93
Dr. Philip Hlavac
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
recently welcomed Philip Hlavac,
M.D., to its neurosciences team. Dr.
Hlavac, a member of the department
of neurosurgery at Penn State Milton S.
Hershey Medical Center, will practice
full-time at Wilkes-Barre General
Hospital in collaboration with the
chief of neurosurgery. As a key leader
of the Neurosurgical Department,
Dr. Hlavac will have access to some
of the most advanced neurosurgery
technology available—including the
IMRIS intra-operative MRI, which
enables surgeons to perform MRI tests
during surgery.
Jake Kushner, M.D. ’94
Dr. Jake Kushner
Dr. Kushner has been named
a McNair Scholar in diabetes
and section head of pediatric
diabetes and endocrinology at
Baylor College of Medicine.
Additionally, he has been
named service chief of pediatric
diabetes and endocrinology
at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“My rationale for accepting
this position is simple,” said
Kushner. “I want to have a
major impact upon the health of
this generation of children with
diabetes and other endocrine
disorders by promoting
innovative research and by
advancing clinical care.”
Julie G. Pilitsis, M.D. ’98
Dr. Pilitsis returned to Albany, where she has joined the division of
neurosurgery and has been appointed associate professor of surgery at
Albany Medical College. Pilitsis is the only neurosurgeon in the region
with subspecialty fellowship training in functional neurosurgery.
Anthony Chang, M.D. ’99
Dr. Chang recently co-authored a kidney pathology textbook, released
this past June. This book includes an up-to-date, concise presentation
of major pathological, clinical, pathophysiological, and genetic
information for over 200 diagnoses. This disease-oriented guide,
focused on medical kidney, provides an understanding of infections,
injury, toxins, drugs, and genetics.
The Siena College-Albany Medical College Program in
Science, Humanities and Medicine 25th Anniversary
Gathering.
Siena - AMC Program
Celebrates 25th Anniversary
The Siena College-Albany Medical College Program
in Science, Humanities and Medicine has become
synonymous with innovation, enthusiasm and service.
Since its inception 25 years ago, the program has
produced world-class physicians that have used their
skills to transform hospitals, empower communities
and save villages —one patient at a time.
The program’s creators and graduates celebrated its
25th anniversary with a reunion at the Desmond
Hotel. It was an opportunity for graduates to reflect
on their careers and the contributions they have made
to the world thanks to the skills they developed in the
program. It also gave them the chance to reconnect
with their friends and former classmates.
Jeannette Guerrasio, M.D. ’03
Dr. Guerrasio has written a book, “Teaching Those
Who Need Us Most: Remediation of the Struggling
Medical Learner” which will be published by
Lippincott. For more information, alumni are invited
to visit her website: www.clinicalremediation.com or
www.jeannetteguerrasiomd.com.
Mark T. Preissler, Ph.D. ’04
Dr. Preissler has been certified as a Diplomate of the
American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology
(ABMLI). ABMLI certification is the highest credential
that a doctoral-level immunologist can earn. Dr.
Preissler met rigorous educational and experiential
eligibility requirements and passed a comprehensive
written examination. Dr. Preissler is director of
serology/immunology at AMC.
Winter 2012 | 23
Nonprofit Organization
US POSTAGE
Alumni Office (MC-5) P4800
Albany Medical College
47 New Scotland Ave.
Albany, NY 12208
PAID
Albany, NY
PERMIT NO 187
Change Service Requested
AMC Alumni:
Membership Makes
A
Difference
Pay Membership Dues online: www.amc.edu/alumni
“
Jessica Overs
treet
“
“
“
”
Dear AMC Alumni Association,
Dear AMC Alumni Association,
Thank you for providing travel funding to the 50th
annual meeting for the American Society for Cell
Biology (ASCB). This was my first conference and it
was enlightening and enjoyable. I was also afforded
the opportunity to attend St. Jude’s National Graduate
Student Symposium, which is by invitation only.
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude
for the Alumni Memorial Scholarship. It is
an especially generous gift given the current
economic situation, and serves as another
reminder why Albany Medical College is the
right place for me to become a physician.
Thank you, again!
Jessica Overstreet, Ph.D. Candidate
Thank you again,
Meghan Geary, AMC ‘14
”
Dear AMC Alumni Association,
Thank you for your support, which allowed me to attend the AAMC, to present my
poster with my classmate, Michelle Hughes. It was an enlightening experience, and
a terrific opportunity to share with other institutions the type of initiatives we at
AMC are leading through Service Learning, and our Strong Mom program.
Julie Westberg, M.S. III
”
”
On behalf of the AMC Keytones, thank you Alumni Association for assisting us
with the purchase of our ‘Keytones Scrubs’ to wear at performances. We greatly
appreciate your support! - AMC Keytones
24 | www.amc.edu/alumni
Julie Westber
g, M.S. III an
d Michelle H
with their po
ughes, M.S.
ster at the A
III,
AMC confer
ence in Den
ver.