TCOM ALUMNITCOM ALUMNIN E W S L E T T E R

April 2013

Organized Curiosity: Research Highlights at UNTHSC

Promising New Treatments and Therapies Our application of “organized curiosity” also includes a focus on cancer, cardiovascular injury and disease, women’s health, vision and osteopathic manipulative medicine. For example, one of our recently published studies shows that osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) improves a condition that affects nearly one-third of all Americans: chronic low back pain, which accounts for more than $550 billion in annual medical costs. “Chronic low-back pain is an important component of these costs,” said John Licciardone, DO, Executive Director of The Osteopathic Research Center at the UNT Health Science Center, and author of a study recently published in the Annals of Family Medicine. “Our research offers hope in the form of a hands-on treatment that provides moderate to substantial improvement in pain, and reduces the use of prescription medication.” The study used OMT and ultrasound therapy to treat 455 adult patients. Nearly two-thirds of those receiving OMT noted “at least” a 30 percent reduction in pain levels. Half of the people in the study who received OMT noted a 50 percent reduction in pain. Those receiving ultrasound therapy saw no significant improvement. Taken together, the diverse research efforts at UNTHSC are creating solutions for a healthier community both today and tomorrow.

esearch is sometimes defined as “organized curiosity.” Across our campus, we’re conducting research that ties to our

areas of strength as well as broader health concerns.R Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease:

• TestingmoreeffectivedrugtreatmentsandpreventiveprotocolsforAlzheimer’sdisease

• Anewbloodtestthatcouldaffordablyandeasilydetermineolderadults’riskforAlzheimer’sdisease

• Investigatingtheimpactofhormonesoncognitivedeclineandnervecellloss

Applied Genetics: • Determiningspecificgeneticvariantsthatinfluence

theriskofdevelopingcertaincancers• EstablishingnewguidelinesforuseoffamilialDNA

toidentifycriminals• ResearchingtheroleofDNAgenomeanalysisin

personalizedmedicine

Primary Care and Prevention: • Studyingtheprevalenceandriskofcertaindiseases

inspecificpopulations• Studyingtheobstaclestoaccessiblehealthcarefor

minorities• Analyzingtheeffectsofalcoholabuseonyoung

people

IN THIS ISSUE

• Generosity That Lasts Beyond a Lifetime: Wayne Stockseth

• In the Spotlight: “Felix and Oscar”

• Oglesby’s Ponytail!

• Keeping Pace with PACE

• Save the Date

• Nobel Winner Visits Campus and more!

Did You Know? Led by Roberto Cardarelli, DO (TCOM ’01), MPH (SPH ’01), the North Texas Primary Care Practice-Based Research Network, or NorTex, conducts primary care and public health research to improve the health of North Texans. It’s just one of many differentiating research capabilities of UNTHSC.

UNT Health Science Center2

Generosity that lasts beyond a

Lifetime

ayne O. Stockseth, a member of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine’s founding board and an instrumental driver in helping the institution join the UNT System, passed away on March 11. Stockseth was a successful businessman in Corpus Christi, Texas, when he met Sam Ganz, DO, and began serving on the board of that city’s osteopathic hospital. Dr. Ganz asked Stockseth to join the board of what eventually became TCOM, and Stockseth played a

key role in ensuring TCOM became part of the UNT System in 1975. He went on to serve on the UNT System Board of Regents from 1983 to 1987, chairing the board for the last three years of his term. Stockseth remained a steadfast friend and supporter of TCOM, the UNT Health Science Center and the osteopathic profession throughout his life, earning numerous honors from each. TCOM awarded Stockseth a Certificate for Meritorious Services in 1974 and the Founders’ Medal, the university’s highest honor, in 1980. To celebrate the graduation of TCOM’s first class in 1974, he and his wife, Norma Lee Stockseth, presented the first annual Stockseth Award for Osteopathic Excellence, and eventually created an endowed fund that supports this ongoing award as well as the Wayne O. and Norma Lee Stockseth Endowed Scholarship. Given each year to TCOM students, the scholarship has benefited close to 100 aspiring physicians since its inception. If you’d like to contribute to the Wayne O. and Norma Lee Stockseth Endowed Scholarship fund at TCOM, please contact UNTHSC Institutional Advancement at 817-735-2445.

PACE KUDOSPACE Associate Vice President Pam McFadden is the current President of the Society of Academic CME (SACME). And PACE won two awards at the 2013 Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions (ACEHP) Conference: “Great Ideas” and the “CE Outcomes” Award.

WTCOM awarded Stockseth a Certificate for Meritorious Services in 1974 and the Founders’ Medal, the university’s highest honor, in 1980.

Wayne O. Stockseth

PACE (Professional and Continuing Education) provides high-quality continuing education opportunities for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and other health care professionals. For details about the opportunities below, call 817-735-2539. Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care Intensive Board Review May 9-11, 2013 UNT Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 32nd Annual Dr. Stanley Weiss Practical Topics in Primary Care June 26-30, 2013 Pearl South Padre Hotel, South Padre Island, Texas

Pictured: Wayne O. Stockseth and Norma Lee Stockseth

Keeping Pace with PACE

www.unthsc.edu 3

The Texas Osteopathic Medical Association (TOMA) provided the context for a mini-reunion of two TCOM

alums (Jerry Davis, DO, pictured left top and bottom, and Jess Vredenburgh, DO, both TCOM class of ‘81) and former roommates who cheerfully recalled the good old days.

Q: You ran into each other at the TCOM Dean’s Reception during the TOMA MidWinter Conference, correct?Dr. Davis: Yes and it was wonderful! After graduation, Jess joined the Army and spent some time in California and wound up in Corpus Christi, while I stayed at the Osteopathic Medical Center, so we sort of lost touch. But it was a real blessing to be able to share news about our respective families with each other.Dr. Vredenburgh: “Wonderful” is exactly the right word. I came to the conference thinking that I might run into Jerry and sure enough, I’m walking around a corner and there he was! I recognized the hair right away, even though it wasn’t quite as curly (laughs).

Q: Did you have a typical bachelor pad? Dr. D: We shared a two-bedroom house in Ridglea but we were pretty quiet, as I recall. We had friends over and cooked out a lot, or took in the local music scene.Dr. V: It was pretty typical, I guess. My cocker spaniel was in the backyard and we enjoyed the occasional backyard barbecue with friends.

Q:Who was Oscar and who was Felix? Dr. D: We were both pretty neat, but he was definitely the neater one. Dr. V: Was I? I’ll take Jerry’s word for it. We always got along very well and enjoyed similar pastimes.

Q: What do you think about today’s TCOM? Dr. D: It’s wonderful. I’m more involved than ever. We bring students to our clinic, I’m involved with the hooding ceremony this year and my partners are both TCOM grads, Tamara Hanby (TCOM ‘86) and Scott Hughes (TCOM ‘91). Dr. V: It’s great how it’s blossomed into such a positive force in Texas medicine, especially for general practitioners, and how well it’s regarded in terms of its high standards.

In the SPOTLIGHT

or TCOM students past and present, it’s a moment rivaling Samson’s shearing: Dr. Oglesby’s ponytail is no more.

The ponytail fell in late March in return for a $750 donation to the Betty Ford Center in California. Every member of the 2015 class kicked in at least $2 to make up the total. The rest came off in early April to support the St. Baldrick’s Foundation head shaving event to fight children’s cancer, an initiative supported by the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). More than 250 students attended each event, cheering noisily and frequently. Chris Vera, TCOM 2015 class president, coordinated both events. “Every year, competition is intense to go to the Betty Ford Clinic in California during our Fundamentals of

Behavioral Sciences course for special training,” he says. “It’s a pretty prestigious thing for the students to do. And once word got out about Dr. Oglesby’s willingness to cut his ponytail in support of student donations to Betty Ford, SOMA Secretary Sarah Valliere (TCOM 2015),

asked if he’d consider shaving his head for their initiative, too. He agreed to both requests instantly.” How does the newly non-hirsute Dr. Oglesby feel about his sudden northern exposure? “If we can raise funds and support organizations we believe in so much with something this simple, I’m happy to do it.”

F

Pictured: Before and after of Michael W. Oglesby, PhD, TCOM Year 2 Curriculum Director. Top photo courtesy Liz Levacy, TCOM (’15).

“I just wish I was like one of those chia pets, where it all grows back in a month so we could keep doing it again and again.” Michael W. Oglesby, PhD

LEGENDARY LOCKS LOPPED

TexasCollegeofOsteopathicMedicine3500CampBowieBlvd.

FortWorth,TX,76107

Nobel Winner Headlines 2013 Research Appreciation Day (RAD)

Stanley Prusiner, MD, delivered the keynote address at UNTHSC’s 21st annual Research Appreciation Day on April 12, 2013.

Notables On Campus

President’s Invitational Golf Tournament April 30, 2013 – Ridglea Country Club, South (Championship) Course Tee times and reservations: 817-735-2282

TCOM Class of 2013 Hooding, Awards And Reception May 17, 2013 from 3-5 p.m. – Will Rogers Auditorium

TCOM Class of 2013 Commencement May 18, 2013 at 3 p.m. – Daniel-Meyer Coliseum (TCU)

Eighth Annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities May 30-31, 2013 – UNTHSC campus

TCOM Class of 2017 White Coat Ceremony July 20, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. – Will Rogers Exhibit Hall

Sign up for a lifetime TCOM Alumni Association membership and get connected with the entire TCOM family of graduates. For a one-time fee of just $100, you’ll receive a keepsake crystal paperweight and access to an unparalleled network of fellow graduates. And of course, you’ll also receive regular updates about your association, TCOM and UNTHSC.

Sign up now! Email “alumni@unthsc.edu” and tell us you want to be a lifetime member: we’ll handle the rest!

Noted ABC Analyst and Author is 2013 Commencement Speaker

Noted safety pioneer and health care thought leader John Nance, JD, brings his unique perspective to UNTHSC Commencement on May 18, 2013.

SAVE THE DATEMembership forA LIFETIME OF MEMORIES