ATSU goes green

With the constant buzz of our daily lives it’s easy to forget the simple things we can do to take care of our planet. Green initiatives have swept the nation in recent years and now our University has joined in by establishing the ATSU Green Club.

The Arizona Campus held its first meeting in January to discuss sustainability and green living at ATSU. Comprised of faculty, staff, and students, the group discussed everything from recycling paper and boxes to the expense of running personal refrigerators in individual offices.

The Green Club established a bi-monthly meeting schedule to discuss core strategies for keeping the Campus green, with a general campus-wide meeting to be held three times a year. They plan to spread the word about small things like turning off office lights, emptying blue recycle bins, and finding new ways to keep everyone mindful of maintaining a green Campus.

According to Provost Craig M. Phelps, D.O., FAOASM, ’84, when designing the main building on the Arizona Campus, conservation and sustainability were always a primary consideration. From high-efficiency lighting to concrete floors and the water-cooling air conditioning system, ATSU has always strived to be cost-efficient and environmentally friendly.

ATSU’s Green Club will soon establish mission and vision statements and is encouraging students to get involved in the work-study recycling program on Campus. They also plan to sell environmentally friendly shopping bags and water bottles adorned with the ATSU logo at Straight A Coffee for $2 each. For more information about the Green Club and how you can get involved, contact Cindy Kaye in the Provost’s Office at ckaye@atsu.edu.

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Phoenix seniors and Mesa graduate students are benefitting from an innovative partnership between A.T. Still University (ATSU) and the city of Phoenix that has brought falls prevention education to elderly citizens in senior centers across the Valley.

Students in ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences (ASHS) occupational therapy, physical therapy, audiology, and physician assistant programs have been trained as volunteer lay leaders in the “A Matter of Balance” falls prevention program, which is designed to reduce program participants’ fears of falling and increase activity levels among older adults.

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ATSU’s online School of Health Management bid farewell to its dean of three years Jon Persavich, Ph.D., on December 17 and welcomed Kimberly O’Reilly, D.H.Ed., M.S.W., who has served as SHM’s vice dean for the past three years, as interim dean.

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YMCA ground breaking

ATSU makes its home in Mesa’s Arizona Health & Technology Park, an area inhabited by a variety of national healthcare industries, professionals, and organizations. Now, with a fourth building completed and construction beginning on a fifth, ATSU is realizing the goal of connecting with partners who will both enhance students’ educational opportunities and contribute to the surrounding community.

In December 2008, construction was completed on a fourth building in the park that is now available for medical and other healthcare services. The YMCA and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital also recently broke ground on new facilities slated for completion in fall 2009.

“The unique opportunity to have a YMCA on the ATSU’s Arizona Campus gives us the chance to directly support the University’s osteopathic philosophy, which is founded on health and wellness,” said Associate Provost Ted Wendel, Ph.D. “Students, faculty, and staff can enhance their own fitness while reaching out to the East Valley community with ATSU educational programs.”

More than 700 people received free health screenings and services at the second annual Free Family Health & Wellness Day held February 21 at San Marcos Elementary School in Chandler, Ariz.

A.T. Still University (ATSU) co-sponsored the event with the Chandler CARE Center and the BHHS Legacy Foundation. Families from the Chandler community were offered free health services such as physical exams, hearing and vision screenings, dental sealants, and vital health recordings, all of which were performed by students and supervised by faculty from the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, the Arizona School of Health Sciences and the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona.

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United Health Foundation (UHF) has committed $100,000 to ATSU-ASDOH to provide loan repayment for ASDOH graduates practicing in community health centers.

“The United Health Foundation is proud to partner with the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University to support the Connect the Docs Graduate Loanship Program,” said Daniel Johnson, president and executive director of the foundation. “Through this partnership, we hope to improve the dental health of some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens by providing trained dentists to serve in community health centers. The dental professional shortage in underserved communities cannot be solved by any one organization. We challenge other foundations and corporations to invest in healthier communities by supporting programs such as this.”

United Health Foundation was established by UnitedHealth Group in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation dedicated to improving health and healthcare.

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Second-year student Stephen Stacey received the Carol Funk Memorial Endowment for the Professional Achievement of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Students at KCOM, which will allow Stacey to attend The Cranial Academy Conference in June in Bethesda, Md. The award was established in 1997 by Robert Funk, a former Kirksville mayor, in memory of his late wife, Carol Funk.

Erick K. Schuermann, OMS III, and Brian J. Snyders, OMS II, were selected for the William L. Wetzel Education and Research Foundation’s 2009 Scholars from KCOM. These student doctors will receive a $2,500 scholarship and will be honored at the President’s Banquet on May 2 in Branson, Mo., held in conjunction with the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons Annual Convention.

Brian Draper, OMS II

Brian Draper, OMS II, wrote an American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) mini-grant proposal titled, “Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Assessing Medical Student Beliefs About OMT Before Entering Medical School to the Utilization of OMT in Their Clinical Practice.” The proposal was accepted for funding in April. A total of five $5,000 mini-grants were funded by AACOM this year. Christian Fossum, D.O.; Jane Johnson, M.A.; and Neal R. Chamberlain, Ph.D.; sponsored Draper and helped write the grant.

Advanced Division
1st place (tie) | Adam Putschoegl, OMS II; Michael Syring, biomedical sciences
2nd place | Philip Gosu, staff

High Intermediate Division
1st place | Neil Sargentini, faculty; Vineet Singh, faculty
2nd place | Jason Blair, OMS II

Intermediate Division
1st place | Tim Hellman, student spouse
2nd place | Brian Krusniak, staff
3rd place | Kurtis Bradley, OMS I

Low Intermediate Division
1st place (tie) | Joni Bramon, OMS II; Kristi Christian, OMS II; Lauren Tillman, student spouse