Class notes

1980s

Richard G. Stefanacci, DO, MGH, MBA, AGSF, CMD, ’89, was appointed medical director of Inspira Living Independently for Elders (LIFE). Dr. Stefanacci will oversee the medical aspects of care for the LIFE program, ensuring effective utilization management and clinical outcomes. He will also mentor medical residents and serve as a member of the Inspira LIFE executive leadership team. Dr. Stefanacci is also the founder of the Go4theGoal Foundation, a charity established in memory of his son. The foundation has raised millions of dollars to assist hundreds of children affected by cancer at nearly 100 children’s hospitals nationwide, while also funding research to find a cure.

1990s

Victoria Damba, DO, ’97, joined Mercy Convenient Care in Perryville, Missouri. She is a family medicine physician with experience in inpatient and outpatient primary care. Prior to her career as a physician, she provided care to patients across nearly all nursing specialties.

2000s

Col. William F. Bimson, DO, ’01, became the 59th commander of Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Bimson previously served as command surgeon for U.S. Army Central, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. A graduate of Truman State University and ATSU-KCOM, he completed his internal medicine residency in 2004 and cardiology fellowship in 2007 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He graduated from the U.S. Army War College with a master’s degree in strategic studies. He has served in various hospital leadership roles, including clinic chief, officer in charge, and deputy commander for clinical services, and in several operational medicine positions, including surgeon for the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, and XVIII Airborne Corps, as well as chief of clinical operations and professional services for the 44th Medical Brigade. He commanded the 531st Hospital Center at Fort Campbell.

Dr. Bimson’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Service Medal, Combat Medical Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Ranger Tab. He is also a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.

Lori Riddle, DHA, ’04, was named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Alaska for 2024 by Women We
Admire. Dr. Riddle is executive director of operations and interim administrator at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center.

Priscilla Tu, DO, FAAFP, FAOASM, FAAMA, FACOFP, dipABLM, ’05, Roanoke, Virginia, was named Family Physician of the Year by the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians in July 2024 and selected for the Outstanding Female Leader Award by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) in 2025. A graduate of ATSU-KCOM, Dr. Tu serves as an associate professor for Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and associate program director and director of osteopathic education for Virginia Tech Carilion Family Medicine Residency Program. She also serves as associate professor and regional director of student medical education for Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is the immediate past president of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine, chair of the Procedural Committee for ACOFP, and a team physician for USA Volleyball.

2010s

Katie Davenport-Kabonic, DO, FAAP, FACOFP, ’12, a graduate of ATSU-KCOM, was installed as the 2025-26 president of the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons’ Board of Trustees.

Tara Sullivan, DPT, ’12, launched her new company, Mind to Body Healing in March 2024. Dr. Sullivan aims to empower patients and healthcare providers by promoting awareness, education, and integrated care solutions in pelvic health. In 2024, she also cofounded PelviEd, a virtual residency program designed to mentor upcoming pelvic health providers to treat patients with the utmost quality of care.

Brian W. Jones, DHSc, ’13, was named vice chancellor for regional campuses at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Since 2017, Dr. Jones has been the president and CEO of the SHARE Foundation, an El Dorado, Arkansas, nonprofit working to identify and foster programs to improve health and well-being in the region.

Ben Cook, DO, ’14, a graduate of ATSU-KCOM, was honored as the 2025 Physician of the Year by the
Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons.

Jordan Palmer, DO, ’17, a graduate of ATSU-KCOM, was installed as a new trustee to the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons board.

Nadia Syed, DO, ’18, a graduate of ATSU-KCOM, received a master of public health degree from Vanderbilt University. Her thesis analyzed the impact of financial toxicity on clinical outcomes in the pediatric hematologic malignancies.

Lauren Hilmes, DO, ’19, originally from southern Illinois, continues her support of rural medicine as the emergency medical director at Seton Highland Lakes, a critical access hospital outside of Austin, Texas. A graduate of ATSU-KCOM, she additionally serves as affiliate faculty for the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, hoping to inspire students and residents to provide care in underserved areas.

Kalena Jones, DHSc, ’19, was named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Arkansas for 2024 by Women We Admire. Dr. Jones serves as director of Baptist Health’s Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me, a health program through the Arkansas Department of Human Services focusing on improving the lives of at-risk populations.