Winter 2007
www.med.wayne.edu
alum
notes
Wayne State University School of Medicine
23 www.med.wayne.edu
Volume 18, No. 1
Celebrating accomplishments of
African-American doctors and alumni
“W
ithout the post-baccalaureate
program, I wouldn’t be a doctor,” said
Anita Moncrease, M.D., M.P.H. “I
had a disadvantaged background and
wouldn’t have been able to make it
without this important resource.”
Dr. Moncrease echoed the thoughts of nearly every
attendee at the third annual alumni reunion for WSU’s PostBaccalaureate Program and Black Medical Association.
These two programs have fostered the recruitment and
retention of African-American medical school applicants
who receive assistance in the form of academic skills
training, tutoring and personal adjustment counseling, to
help them overcome disadvantages and attain successful
medical careers.
The alumni event, which coincides with Medical Alumni
Reunion Day in May each year, fosters a special camaraderie.
Dr. Anita Moncrease enjoys the reunion with Dr. and Mrs. Mentzer.
As Dr. Moncrease explains, although some people perceive
that affirmative action policies have allowed for quick,
sweeping waves of progress in advancing African-American
physicians, progress isn’t exactly immediate.
“In my graduating class, in 1984, I was one of 14 AfricanAmerican medical students. In a class of over 200, that’s not
overwhelming. Now that the post-baccalaureate program has
been in place a few decades, we have finally accumulated
about 300 African-American graduates. Collectively, we are a
pretty close group and we are deeply committed to
maintaining resources to educate and serve others, like
ourselves.”
The 2006 reunion, appropriately held at the Charles H.
Wright Museum of African-American History, featured
recollections from alumni, an inspirational musical/vocal
performance by Dr. Silas Norman (WSU graduate and
assistant dean for admissions), a call for support for the
Black Medical Association Student Emergency Fund and the
Charles F. Whitten, M.D., Post-Baccalaureate Fund, and a
tribute to some successful alumni.
The keynote speech was presented by honored alumna,
Dr. Joyce Essien, ‘71, a founding member of the postbaccalaureate program, who is the director of the Center for
Public Health Practice at Emory University and a captain
with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In both roles,
she builds on her WSU training to advance health equity
and population health outcomes, to reduce disparities, and
to influence health policy.
Dr. Essien’s vision and efforts with Dr. Charles Whitten in
the late 1960s have established WSU’s minority program as a
Drs. Joyce Essien and Jesse Goodwin
model for the nation. In fact, in September 2006, the Journal
of the American Medical Association published findings that
participants in post-baccalaureate pre-medical programs
were six times more likely to enroll in medical school than
other college graduates who applied to these post-baccalaureate programs but did not participate. In an accompanying
editorial, Jordan J. Cohen, M.D., Association of American
Medical Colleges president emeritus, and Ann Steinecke,
Ph.D., AAMC senior staff associate, called the research
findings “empirical support for the long-held belief that a
sturdy scaffold of academic preparation and mentoring can
offset at least some of the accumulated disadvantages experiContinued on page 24
Inside
Page Twenty-seven
Family Day welcomes new
students to medical profession
Page Twenty-eight
Dr. Rajiv Iyer takes
surgical skills to Iraq
Page Thirty-one
Class notes
24 scribe Winter 2007
Calling all Black Medical Association alumni
The current members of the BMA/SNMA are looking for you! We are in the process of updating our alumni directory
and need your assistance. Please fill out the provided form with your current contact information and send it back to
us. We are eager to know who you are and how you are making an impact in the world of health care. Your existence
is important to us and we look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for your support in this endeavor.
BMA ALUMNI DIRECTORY
Name_____________________________________________________________ Graduating Class_________________
Hospital/Division____________________________________________________________________________________
Position__________________________________________________________________________________________
Current Address____________________________________________________________________________________
Home Phone_______________________________________ Cell Phone _______________________________________
Work Phone_______________________________________ Email Address__________________________________
PLEASE SEND THIS TO:
BMA/ SNMA
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Student Affairs 1369 Scott Hall, 540 E. Canfield Dr, Detroit, MI 48207
Or Email Bernadine Lake [email protected]
Dr. Roger Kahn makes health care a political priority
S
en. Roger Kahn, M.D., practices office-based general
cardiology in Saginaw, Mich., for six to eight hours
each week. The 1974 Wayne State University School
of Medicine graduate spends the rest of his week practicing
medicine in another way—on the Senate floor in Lansing.
“It’s not good medicine for physicians to ignore the
impact politics have on health care,” Dr. Kahn said.
Among many reasons,
one that instigated Dr.
Kahn’s jump into the
world of politics was his
encounter with an
Amish woman from
northern Michigan who
didn’t have any health
insurance. Her muchneeded heart surgery bill
was $60,000. If she
would have had
Medicare, the hospital
Dr. Kahn says he delivers medical
would have accepted
care as a physician and politician.
about $20,000.
“So she had nothing and gets charged three times as much
as someone who has insurance,” said Dr. Kahn, who didn’t
charge her for his professional services. “That was my first
real lesson about cost shifting.”
With rising medical and pharmaceutical costs as Dr.
Kahn’s driving force in politics, he was elected as Saginaw’s
county commissioner in 2002, state representative in 2004
and was recently elected to the state Senate.
“It’s you, your patient, the insurance company, the lawyer
and the government in the examining room. Not just you
and the patient. These all impact your ability to deliver care
and not necessarily in a positive fashion,” he said.
Jobs and education are other important issues, said Dr.
Kahn, who is greatly concerned with the increasing number
of people between the ages of 25 and 35 leaving Michigan.
All of these issues are also related to health care, he said.
From Dr. Kahn’s unique perspective, health care and the
auto industry also go hand in hand in some aspects. “An
automobile is $1500 worth of health care costs. That’s the
difference of cost between building a U.S. car and a Japanese
car,” he explained.
Dr. Kahn completed his cardiology fellowship and
residency at William Beaumont Hospital and belongs to the
American College of Cardiology, the American Heart
Association, Michigan State Medical Society and the
Michigan Heart Association.
Reflecting on his training at WSU and the Detroit Medical
Center, Dr. Kahn said he understands the burden that
Medicaid can have on hospitals that cater to large numbers
of uninsured patients. “I understand as a physician and very
few people in state government understand that,” he said.
“Medicaid underpayments to our hospitals and physicians
are related to the charges that Amish woman received.”
Dr. Kahn’s not the only one who sees that connection.
“As a physician, he carries the clout and knowledge to
bring about health care reforms that could improve access to
the uninsured—something he accomplished on a smaller
scale as a county commissioner,” a Saginaw News reporter
wrote.
Dr. Kahn, who has his acceptance letter to WSU’s School
of Medicine framed on his wall, said being a doctor has
helped him develop a concept of care and social responsibility.
“As a physician, you’re in the business of service and I
hope that politics is an extension of that same idea. It’s
medical care being delivered in a different way,” said Dr.
Kahn, who recommends that students take a public health
course.
“I do miss it. Medicine is pure advocacy. You don’t have to
worry about the issues of balancing one group’s needs versus
another. In medicine you advocate for one person only.”
From time to time Dr. Kahn still visits Detroit hospitals.
“When I was training at Detroit’s General Hospital, there
was a certain ambiance. When I visited Receiving 20 years
later, I noticed it still had the same ambiance and it made
me kind of homesick,” he said.
Dr. Kahn is the father of eight children and grandfather of
nine and lives with his wife in Saginaw.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Dear fellow alumni
and friends of the
School of Medicine,
Each year the School of
Medicine requests the support
of its alumni. This is essential
support that allows the school
to remain a vital academic medical institution
that continues to serve its students and the
community but it also ensures that the school
meets the challenges of tomorrow.
The Alumni Annual Fund supports studentdriven outreach programs that provide health
care to the uninsured and underinsured people
of metropolitan Detroit. The Annual Fund also
makes it possible for students to grow professionally and personally to become physicians of
whom we will be proud.
In addition to community-based programs,
the Annual Fund supports student scholarships
and loans, summer research fellowships and
various other student programs and events.
Furthermore, the Annual Fund allocations
committee has designated $1 million in support
of the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical
Education Commons.
This project will provide a much-needed
academic center for students, faculty, alumni
and the community. It will house world-class
programs and technologies that will educate
and inspire the next generation of physicians.
I urge you to support these initiatives. They
exemplify our mission to improve the School of
Medicine and enhance the educational
experience for its students.
It is more important than ever for us to participate in the positive future of the School of
Medicine.
Sincerely,
Kevin J. Sprague, M.D., ‘80
President, Wayne State University School of
Medicine, Alumni Board of Governors
Celebrating accomplishments
Continued from page page 23
enced by many minority students interested in a career
in medicine.”
The event’s organizing committee challenged participants to solicit friends to gather $100 gifts from 1,000
supporters, with a goal of raising $100,000 on behalf of
African-American alumni to train other minority
physicians in the future. “We want to maintain minority
students with excellent potential, but don’t want them to
be limited by meager financial resources or lack of
support,” Dr. Moncrease said. “It’s a critical mission to
which we are deeply committed.”
25 www.med.wayne.edu
Dr. David Barrett transitions to Massachusetts exec
D
etroit native David M. Barrett, M.D.,
changed the face of Lahey Clinic, a multispecialty health care organization, upon
becoming the CEO of the Massachusettsbased clinic in September 1999.
“When I arrived, the institution was struggling after
coming off a failed merger with a medical center in New
Hampshire. The first year I was there we lost $38 million,
since that time we’ve gone through a turnaround, and in
2006, we will have net operating income of $43 million on a
$725 million revenue,” Dr. Barrett said.
Prior to becoming a successful executive, the 1968 Wayne
State University School of Medicine graduate did his
training in surgery and urology. Then for two years, he
served as a flight surgeon during the Vietnam War.
“It was a life-altering experience,” he said. “There’s a wellknown quote which basically says what I feel: You have
never lived until you have almost died; and for those who
have fought for it, life has a special flavor the protected will
never know.”
While in Vietnam, Dr. Barrett was assigned to a helicopter
special operations squadron and provided medical support
to missions in Laos and Cambodia.
“It was a crazy war and it proved very clearly that war
creates more problems than it solves,” he said.
After Vietnam, Dr. Barrett finished training in urology at
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and eventually became
a staff physician at Mayo in 1975. His medical achievements
include his expertise in urologic oncology, urinary incontinence, bladder reconstruction and genitourinary prostheses.
In 1991, he became the chairman of the Department of
Urology. He also served as vice chair of the board of
trustees.
“The Lahey Clinic is similar to the Mayo Clinic,” he said.
It has over 500 physicians and 4,500 employees and has
been cited in the U.S. News and World Report’s “American’s
Best Hospital Issue” for excellence in treating urological
diseases.
“Guiding a health care institution at this point in time is a
very difficult chore,” Dr. Barrett said of
his administrative responsibilities.
“The patient expectations have never
been higher, the cost of health care has
never been higher and the amount of
profit has never been lower. It’s very
difficult to deliver high quality, safe
health care at a reasonable cost, when
there is such a public outcry to reduce
the cost, yet add expensive technology.”
Aside from his executive responsibilities at Lahey, Dr. Barrett still sees
patients and operates one day a week.
“It’s interesting,” Dr. Barrett said about
his transition from being a full-time
physician to CEO of a large health care
organization. “You have to know things
about finance, about dealing with the
political environment and about raising
Dr. Barrett continues to practice medicine while serving as CEO at Lahey.
money. But, when you boil it all down,
shepherd the bill through the legislature in his role as chair
it’s all about taking care of people and doing the right thing.
of the Massachusetts Hospital Association.
The two jobs have a lot of similarities. This is a people
“I enjoy working with politicians, I have great confidence
business. Our patients are people and employees are
that we will work out health care reform for the United
people.”
States. It has to be done.”
His ability to effectively interact with people, specifically
He also has great confidence in medicine. “The public has
his employees, is what contributed to Dr. Barrett’s success at
been ultra critical of the physicians and hospitals. We’ve got
Lahey, he said.
to be careful we don’t damage what is a wonderful asset for
“I think first and foremost we have good people. They
the United States—and that is our health care system.”
need to be given the responsibility of doing what they are
Among his many professional endeavors, Dr. Barrett is a
capable of doing. The best way to get things done is
professor of urology at Tufts University School of Medicine,
surround yourself with good people and empower them to
where he inspires students, as he was inspired at Wayne
do what they have the ability to do.”
State’s medical school.
After being in the medical business and practice for many
“Wayne State University not only trained me academically,
years, Dr. Barrett wants to continue his work with Lahey but
but there were key people who inspired me throughout my
he is also interested in health care reform at the state and
time there. I try to remember what one of my mentors said:
national level.
‘Never grow weary of right doing.’”
“We just had a milestone health care bill passed in
Dr. Barrett lives in Andover, Mass., with his wife Sibley.
Massachusetts, which provides multipayer universal health
They have three adult children and one granddaughter.
care coverage to all citizens,” said Dr. Barrett, who helped
Oohs and aahs, an annual tradition
WSU alumni and their families have
the best seats in the city each year at
the Freedom Festival Fireworks
Spectacular held in June, as part of
Detroit’s fourth-of-July celebration.
The 2006 alumni event at the top of
the Hotel Pontchartrain featured
family fun including swimming,
dinner, magicians and, of course,
fireworks that lit up the sky. To plan
for your summer and reserve your seat
at the 2007 extravaganza, call the
Medical Alumni Association at (877)
WSU-MED1 or visit:
www.med.wayne.edu/alumni.
For more great photos, visit the online photo gallery at:
http://www.med.wayne.edu/alumni/events/fireworks/.
Correction …
The last issue of alum notes incorrectly listed John
Wisniewski, ‘78, in the In Memoriam section. We
certainly regret the error.
We know that timely reporting of alumni deaths is
important to our readers. At the same time, we must
ensure that our reports are accurate. Therefore, we ask
that friends and family send us either an obituary or a
letter of confirmation notifying us of someone’s death.
Please write to the WSU Medical Alumni Association,
University Health Center, 6-F, 4201 St. Antoine,
Detroit, MI 48201 or e-mail [email protected].
26 scribe Winter 2007
Alum, Dr. Stocker, establishes endowed professorship
In 1949, Dr. Lawrence Stocker became the first resident to
complete the Kresge Eye Institute’s graduate training
program. Now, he has made a generous financial gift to
establish the Lawrence L. Stocker, M.D., Endowed
Ophthalmology Professorship at KEI and the WSU School
of Medicine.
Dr. Lawrence L. Stocker, a 1941 graduate of the WSU
School of Medicine, has been a longtime friend and
supporter of Kresge Eye Institute. His belief in practicing
compassionate medicine, developing strong rapport with
patients and providing assistance beyond a physician’s
required duties has held him in high esteem by all who know
him. He has treated countless patients while in practice and
The Lawrence L. Stocker,
earned the respect of his patients, students and colleagues
M.D., Endowed
for his professionalism, intelligence and ability to foster
Ophthalmology
excellence.
Professorship is established
Dr. Stocker graduated from the Wayne State University
to recognize faculty
College of Liberal Arts in June 1936 with a bachelor of arts
scholarly achievement in
degree and earned a medical degree in 1941. He completed
education and to support
his internship at Detroit Receiving Hospital and was a
the KEI residency program.
resident in internal medicine at the William J. Seymour
Hospital in Eloise, Mich. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at Detroit Receiving
Hospital and finished his training under A.D. Ruedemann, M.D., when Dr. Ruedemann
established the Kresge Eye Institute. Dr. Stocker was the first resident to finish his training
under this program.
Drs. Gary Abrams, Lawrence Stocker and Robert Mentzer look forward to enhanced ophthalmology training as a result of this endowment.
“WE ARE INDEBTED TO DR. STOCKER AND WILL ALWAYS BE HONORED
THAT HE GRADUATED FROM KRESGE EYE INSTITUTE. HE HAS BEEN A
CONTINUAL SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR US. DR. STOCKER’S GIFT WILL
GREATLY ENHANCE OUR RESIDENCY PROGRAM.”
- DR. GARY ABRAMS
Professor and Chairman of Kresge Eye Institute
He was active in the clinical and surgical teaching of ophthalmology at Detroit Receiving
Hospital and Children’s Hospital from 1949 to 1969, and he served as a major in the U.S.
Army Medical Corps. In 1955, he began a private practice that continues today with four
other physicians in Southfield, Mich.
Continually committed to teaching, Dr. Stocker has taught the embryology course at KEI,
helped guide the residency program at Sinai Hospital and served many years as an assistant
clinical professor at the WSU medical school. He was the ophthalmologist for the Detroit
Cerebral Palsy Center for 25 years and served as secretary of the Michigan Ophthalmological
Society and as a member of the council of the Michigan Surgical Society. A large number of
practicing ophthalmologists are deeply indebted to the generous and competent training in
ophthalmic surgery that they received at the hands of Dr. Stocker.
Honoring Dr. Stocker and his generous gift are:
Phyllis Baker, Dr. Jane Werner, Dr. Mark Juzych, Monika
Mentzer, Dr. Lawrence Stocker, Dr. Gary Abrams, Dean Robert
Mentzer, Dr. Evan Black,. Nikole Black, William Winkler and
alum
notes
Dr. Nadia Juzych.
alum notes is published quarterly for the faculty, staff, students
and alumni of the Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Your comments, suggestions and submissions are encouraged.
Wayne State University
School of Medicine
Office of Development
and Alumni Affairs
6F University Health Center
4201 St. Antoine
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 577-1495
Manager, Alumni Affairs
Lori Ann Haddad Robitaille
[email protected]
Alumni Officer, Alumni Affairs
Lisa Ramos
[email protected]
27 www.med.wayne.edu
Dr. Jenkins to become first African-American president of AAP
I
n October 2006, pediatrician Renee Jenkins, M.D.,
59, took office as president-elect of the nation’s
largest pediatric organization, the American
Academy of Pediatricians. This was the first time the
60,000-member AAP elected a black leader. Dr.
Jenkins will serve as the 2007-2008 president of the
academy.
“You are always surprised when you actually get elected,”
said Dr. Jenkins, who was one of a handful of people interviewed for the position. “When they told me I was a
candidate, I was blown away. I have learned over the years to
go with the flow and not be surprised with other opportunities that come up.”
After graduating from Wayne State University School of
Medicine in 1971, Dr. Jenkins moved to New York and
completed her residency at Jacobi Hospital/Albert Einstein
College of Medicine in New York City. Continuing her
medical endeavors, she completed a fellowship in adolescent
medicine at Montefiore Hospital in New York and
eventually started an adolescent medicine program at
Howard.
Dr. Jenkins, an AAP member since 1974, is currently
professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics and
Child Health at Howard University. She is also an adjunct
professor of pediatrics at George Washington University.
“Having been involved in advocacy for quite a while, I
have learned that people don’t know the issues surrounding
children unless we step up and articulate them,” she said.
“Children don’t vote and they don’t necessarily get their
issues heard.”
With an obvious interest in children’s health care rights,
Dr. Jenkins feels strongly about the Deficit Reduction Act,
recently passed by the U.S. Congress resulting in slashed
funding to Medicaid and other programs that provide
health coverage for people with low incomes.
“Kids like the survivors of Katrina, who don’t have
documents anymore are affected by this and it’s unclear
what will happen to them. The most vulnerable kids are
being denied health care. The academy is working hard to
“HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN ADVOCACY FOR QUITE
A WHILE, I HAVE LEARNED THAT PEOPLE DON’T
KNOW THE ISSUES SURROUNDING CHILDREN
UNLESS WE STEP UP AND ARTICULATE THEM,” SHE
SAID. “CHILDREN DON’T VOTE AND THEY DON’T
NECESSARILY GET THEIR ISSUES HEARD.”
- DR. RENEE JENKINS
get that part of it reversed,” she said.
The newly elected leader will also help the academy
support the amendment of universal access to health care
for children. “We are one of the few industrialized countries
that does not cover its children and we ought to be embarrassed,” Dr. Jenkins told Infectious Diseases in Children in a
Q&A session.
Other issues Dr. Jenkins plans on addressing are:
electronic records, immunizations and obesity.
“Issues that play out in adulthood, like obesity, start in
childhood. If we don’t get attention to it in childhood, it will
impact the country in a costly fashion,” Dr. Jenkins
emphasized.
Dr. Jenkin’s membership in the academy has opened many
doors for her. “The academy helped me get out and get
different perspectives on other people’s reality. You have to
look at an organization from the perspective of many
members and the academy really sensitized me to that,” she
said.
Dr. Jenkins is married and has one daughter who is a
surgery resident at Vanderbilt. The mother, wife, pediatrician, professor and academy leader has overcome many
challenges throughout the years, like balancing her career
and home.
“Things fell through. The babysitter didn’t show up or
somebody forgot to pick her [daughter] up from school. My
daughter is a village child, a lot of people participated in
raising her and I am thankful for that,” she said.
“It’s harder to move up in office and leadership when
you’re a minority and a woman, but I tried not to harp on
that excuse.”
Dr. Jenkins feels it is important to have a voice as a
minority. “It’s always amusing--but not amusing--to be in a
leadership meeting and be the only person with color. That’s
still something that doesn’t feel good to me.”
When Dr. Jenkins graduated from WSU’s School of
Medicine, her class was starting to become more diverse and
included six people of color.
“When you are African American, you have an extra lens
to see things through, and you are aware of the need to
always address issues that are particular to minorities as you
move forward,” Dr. Jenkins said.
“I still have my Detroit roots in what I’ve been doing. I
appreciate that I even got into the medical school; it’s not a
minor opportunity to study medicine.”
Family Day welcomes new students to medical profession
A father white-coating his son summed up the reverent and
landmark highlight of Family Day, a medical school
tradition at WSU.
Like all first-year medical students, Kevin Sprague looked
forward to receiving his first white coat, a symbolic entrance
into the medical profession. Unlike most others, however,
Sprague’s initiation came at the hands of his father, Dr.
Kevin Sprague, ‘80, likewise a WSU School of Medicine
physician and president of the WSU Medical Alumni
Association.
Other family members of the class of 2010 took great
pride in their loved ones as new students recited the
Hippocratic Oath and readied themselves for an intense
several years of study and training.
The Medical Alumni Association sponsors this event in
conjunction with orientation week for incoming students.
Recitation of
Family Day
the Hippocratic
festivities
Oath is a
included a
symbolic part
picnic lunch
of new student
for all.
orientation.
Father coats
Dr. Mentzer
son and keeps
welcomes first-
medicine in
year student
the Sprague
Ogo Azuh to
family.
WSU.
28 scribe Winter 2007
SAVE THE DATE: Medical Alumni Reunion Day
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Don’t miss the opportunity to catch up with your former classmates and current
colleagues at Medical Alumni Reunion Day on May 12, 2007. The continuing medical
education sessions will focus on global health and infectious disease. See the alumni
Website at: http://www.med.wayne.edu/alumni/ for a complete agenda.
Special events will take place for classes celebrating benchmark reunions: 1947,
1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002. We hope you
will join us in May for the festivities!
Looking for Alumni
The Medical Alumni Association is missing valid addresses for the following special
reunion class alumni. Please notify the alumni affairs office if you know the whereabouts of a classmate so that he or she can be kept informed of reunion activities.
1947
Daniel C. Wilkerson, M.D.
1957
Lionel D. Ginsburg, M.D.
1962
Michael Geoghegan, M.D.
Albert Siegler, M.D.
1967
Gordon Goei, M.D.
William Hepfer, M.D.
Alan Kogan, M.D.
James Lipton, M.D.
James Umphrey, M.D.
Lawrence Weiner, M.D.
1972
Robert Belknap, M.D.
Christopher Lee, M.D.
Commodore T. Mobley, M.D.
Shara Peets, M.D.
Philip Sorensen, M.D.
Marc Stretten, M.D.
Lawrence Timek, M.D.
Joel Zirkin, M.D.
1977
Jerry Bobo, M.D.
Albert Burnett, M.D.
Margaret Edwards, M.D.
David Lyman, M.D.
William Nelson, M.D.
1982
Glen W. Andrews, M.D.
Michael A. Chan, M.D.
Mary Hamer, M.D.
John C. Mincks, M.D.
Michael R. Mullane, M.D.
Marcus E. Raines, M.D.
Laura Sadowski, M.D.
Meketa M. Schlega, M.D.
W. Curtis Small, M.D., FAAFP
1987
Glen T. Clark, M.D.
David B. Cox, M.D.
David G. Elwell, M.D.
Timothy P. Greydanus, M.D.
Michael S. Malian, M.D.
Mary F. O’Brien, M.D.
Curt G. Olesen, M.D.
Charles R. Pattan, M.D.
David S. Phillips, M.D.
Hanh T. Vu-Nghiem, M.D.
Norma C. Welber, M.D.
Mark A. Zainea, M.D.
1992
Elaine A. Durda, M.D.
Carmelita C. Eburuche, M.D.
Frank F. C. A. Fontanares, M.D.
Tammy H. Kejonen, M.D.
Asha I. Parekh, M.D.
Raymond R. Rudoni, M.D.
Alice L. Schlaepfer Van Ess, M.D.
Scott W. Siegner, M.D.
Wayne D. Starks, M.D.
Vincent S. Trent, M.D.
Anne H. White, M.D.
1997
Wayne M. Cumbria, M.D.
Ebonee L. Davis, M.D.
Sarah E. Ducharme, M.D.
Anjanette M. Fenwick, M.D.
Jeremy M. Groll, M.D.
Jason M. Hechtman, M.D.
Bron C. Hedman, M.D.
Paul J. Holman, M.D.
Videsha P. Kulkarni, M.D.
Linda L. McIntire, M.D.
Victoria L. Meredith, M.D.
Ernest S. Munzen, M.D.
Tristy G. Nunn, M.D.
Pete Papapanos, M.D.
James M. Park, M.D.
Gregory G. Pellizzon, M.D.
Christopher R. Pierson, M.D.
Daniel J. Ross, M.D.
Peter J. Rossi, M.D.
Salvatore Ventimiglia, M.D.
Diane A. Vista-Deck, M.D.
Jerome D. Winegarden, M.D.
2002
Cheryl Y. Bailey, M.D.
Theodore D. Barber, M.D.
Dennis M. Bishop, M.D.
Dawn K. George, M.D.
Elisabeth C. Goodall, M.D.
Karl J. Ilg, M.D.
Faye E. Lialios, M.D.
Kris A. Manlove-Simmons, M.D.
Erin C. Nunnold, M.D.
Erica L. O’Neal, M.D.
Karen M. Parisien, M.D.
Kathleen E. Pilchowski, M.D.
Christopher B. Port, M.D.
Yuval Raz, M.D.
Candice K. Sech, M.D.
Geoffrey E. Sultana, M.D.
Nadia Tremonti, M.D.
Lawrence K. Wong, M.D.
Dr. Rajiv Iyer
takes surgical skills to
IRAQ
F
or Rajiv Iyer, M.D., providing medical care for
soldiers on the front lines in the Middle East has
been an honor and a privilege.
“Being in the military is an opportunity for me to serve
my country – it’s a great privilege to live in the United
States,” says Iyer, 32, the son of Indian immigrants. A 2004
alumnus of the Wayne State University General Surgery
Program and a 1999 alumnus of the University of California
David Geffen School of Medicine, Dr. Iyer is currently
stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Tex.,
with his wife Andrea, a 1996 Wayne State alumna.
A general surgeon in the United States Air Force, Dr. Iyer
served in the Gulf from May to late September 2006. He was
stationed at the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, a combat
support hospital located in Balad, Iraq, which is roughly 50
km from Baghdad and located at the northern end of the
Sunni triangle – the heart of the fighting. The 332nd is the
busiest war-time hospital since Vietnam. At this facility,
12,000 procedures are performed per year. Every surgeon,
including Dr. Iyer, handled 200-300 cases – often under
enemy fire.
“Never since Vietnam have we seen the volume we have,
nor have we done as many procedures,” explained Dr. Iyer,
whose primary surgical objective is to stabilize the patients.
After the doctors provide the necessary care for the
wounded, they’re transported to Landstuhl Air Force Base in
Germany within 24 hours via a critical care air transport
(CCAT), which is a large plane complete with its own ICU.
From there, patients are shipped back to the United States if
they are American.
The crew treats Americans, Iraqi civilians, enemy
prisoners of war (EPOWs) and any other member of the
coalition forces. “All of them – regardless of who they were –
got the same level of care. We treated all of them to the best
of our ability,” Dr. Iyer said.
The facilities in Iraq are modest compared to those in the
United States – they operate in tents like the ones seen on
M*A*S*H, however, according to Dr. Iyer, the care patients
receive is equivalent to what they would get at a first-tier
medical center like Detroit Receiving Hospital, as it is
equipped with three operating room suites, three intensive
care units, and four regular wards.
Dr. Iyer explained that there is a “golden hour” of opportunity for treatment following traumatic injury. “One of the
capabilities of the military in modern warfare is that we can
still provide care in the golden hour, thanks to helicopters.
There are specially trained medics on choppers, bringing the
29 www.med.wayne.edu
Dr. Iyer is transported to Baghdad via helicoper. Although he was shot at a couple times,
Dr. Iyer stands in front of tents that are the same as those used for the hospital.
no damage was done to the plane or personnel.
“As a surgeon, you always
have to realize that treating
the patient comes first. You
just can’t stop – it’s war. You
have to understand the
nature and the inherent
risk,” he said. “As hard as
things can be for the
surgeons, the soldier’s life is
much, much more difficult.
They’re living under a level
of stress with this uncertain
consistency if they’ll live or
die every single minute –
that’s got to have an effect
on them.”
The survival rate of the
U.S. casualties being treated
at the 332nd is 97 percent.
Dr. Iyer is proud of the fact that he lost no patients under
wounded to the next level of care within 20 minutes – that’s
his care, which he credits to Wayne State.
almost as good as what patients get here at civilian hospitals.
“The training I received at Wayne State completely
The only difference is that people are trying to kill you.”
prepared me for the number and the severity of injuries,
To up the stakes even further, the temperature in the OR
which was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The training was
would get as high as 140 degrees, while it averaged 130
invaluable,” praised Dr. Iyer. “Wayne State is one of the best
degrees outside. The OR needs to be kept warm for trauma
programs when it comes to general surgery; it provided me
patients since they’re hypothermic (they lose body heat
with excellent trauma
quickly). It would get even
training. Anyone who
hotter for some doctors if
The 332nd is the busiest war-time hospital
graduates from this program
they wore a flack-jacket
is extremely competent and
while operating due to the
since Vietnam. At this facility, 12,000
a great surgeon.”
violence overhead.
procedures are performed per year. Every
Dr. James Tyburski, chief
Fortunately, the 332nd was
of surgery at Detroit
never hit by enemy fire,
surgeon, including Dr. Iyer, handled 200-300
Receiving Hospital, was Dr.
although there were many
cases – often under enemy fire.
Iyer’s program director at
close calls, according to Dr.
Wayne State.
Iyer.
“Raj spent most of his first year (of residency) at the
“The first week was difficult because I’ve never experiUniversity of Southern California. What I thought was
enced a situation like that before where someone is essenremarkable was how well he adapted to his second year of
tially trying to kill you. After the first week, you get used to
residency here at Wayne State, coming in stone cold,” Dr.
it,” said Dr. Iyer. “You learn how to protect yourself. It’s a
Tyburski said. “He hit the ground running and did very well.
steep learning curve; as soon as you hit the ground, you’re
I thought that was his strength. He showed great versatility
learning. You never know how to deal with the situation
in changing midstream.”
until you get there.” Despite enemy fire, the patient is the top
Although he’s in Texas now, there is a possibility Dr. Iyer
priority, he said. Not losing sight of the patient is how he
may return overseas for another five-month tour. Either way,
overcame his fear.
Dr. Iyer is a major in the United States Air Force and a
diplomate of the American Board of Surgery.
it has given him a new appreciation for life and new attitude
as a surgeon.
“It’s certainly made me a more confident surgeon. I don’t
think there’s anything I won’t be able to handle after that
experience.”
30 scribe Winter 2007
WAY N E S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
Medical Alumni
Association Officers
PRESIDENT
KEVIN SPRAGUE, M.D., ‘80
Dr. Sprague graduated from the WSU School of Medicine
in 1980 and completed his orthopedic residency at WSU
in 1985. He has been in practice in Wyandotte for the past
20 years. He has served on many hospital committees and
has served as president of the medical staff for Henry Ford
Wyandotte Hospital. He is currently co-chairman of the
Quality & Safety Committee at Henry Ford Wyandotte
Hospital.
Kevin Sprague, M.D.
After graduating from Michigan State University, Dr.
Sprague entered the Wayne State University School of
Medicine in 1976 and married his wife, Carolyn, just before his second year of medical
school. She completed a master’s in physiology, then entered the School of Medicine,
graduating in 1984. They have three children: Kevin, Philip and Jennifer.
PRESIDENT-ELECT
ERNIE YODER, M.D., PH.D., ‘78
Originally from southwest Michigan, Dr. Yoder attended
Sturgis High School and Alma College before entering
medical school at WSU. He completed his residency in
internal medicine in 1981, and following a year as chief
medical resident, joined WSU as a full-time faculty
member. He later completed his Ph.D. in education at
WSU in 1997.
After almost 20 years as full-time faculty at the School of
Medicine, Dr. Yoder is now chair of the Department of
Ernie Yoder, M.D., Ph.D.
Internal Medicine at Providence Hospital in Southfield. In
2006, he was inducted into the Detroit Academy of Medicine and he is active in leading
quality improvement studies and teaching for students, residents and faculty at St. John
Health System. Dr. Yoder is clinical associate professor of medicine at WSU, and adjunct
associate professor at Oakland University, where he teaches Quality Improvement in
Health Care.
Dr. Yoder is an honored and respected scholar and clinician. He was named a Central
Group on Educational Affairs Laureate by the Association of American Medical
Colleges; is a member of the School of Medicine Academy of Scholars; and has been
named multiple times as one of the Best Doctors in America.
His clinical and academic efforts have focused on critical care medicine, medical
education, program evaluation, evidence-based medicine and continuous quality
improvement. Dr. Yoder recently completed a four-year term as governor for the
Michigan Chapter of the American College of Physicians; a term on the Executive
Committee of the ACP Board of Governors; and has served as chair of the AAMC
Central Group on Educational Affairs and chair for the AAMC-GEA Section on
Undergraduate Education.
HONORARY PRESIDENT
PAUL CHUBA, M.D., ‘92
Originally from the Detroit area, Dr. Chuba attended
Farmington High School and Kalamazoo College before
pursuing a medical career. He has benefited from WSU
training in basic science (Ph.D. in immunology and
microbiology, 1986) and medicine (M.D., 1992). He
completed his transitional year of residency at St. John
Hospital and Medical Center and his radiation oncology
residency at Harper Hospital. He also completed specialty
training in radiosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh
Paul Chuba, M.D., Ph.D.
and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Chuba has received awards from the ASCO/AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer
Research and the ASTRO/ESTRO exchange program. His main clinical and academic
efforts have focused on general radiation oncology, pediatric radiation procedures,
brachytherapy, and radiosurgery. He has published widely in these areas.
After spending five years on staff at the Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center, Dr.
Chuba joined the Radiation Oncology Specialists group in January 2000. Shortly
thereafter, he became medical director for radiation oncology at the Webber Cancer
Center at St. John Macomb Hospital in Warren, Mich. In 2004, he was inducted into the
Detroit Academy of Medicine. He is active in clinical trials research, especially with the
Children’s Oncology Group.
He also teaches medical students and residents.
TREASURER
DONALD MUENK, M.D., ‘68
Dr. Muenk is an ophthalmologist in private practice and a
clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology at the School
of Medicine. He is a past president of the Wayne State
University Medical Alumni Association and is currently its
treasurer. In 2005, he was the recipient of the
Distinguished Alumni Award He now serves as chief of
ophthalmology at St. John Macomb Hospital.
Dr. Muenk is in his tenth year as a member of the board
of directors of the Michigan State Medical Society,
Donald Muenk, M.D.
currently serving as secretary. He is also serving as
chairman of the Third Party Committee and on the board of directors of the Macomb
County Medical Society.
SECRETARY
RICHARD RUZUMNA, M.D., ‘61
After graduating from the WSU School of Medicine and
completing his residency in psychiatry at the Detroit
Psychiatric Institute, Dr. Ruzumna joined the Public
Health Service and was assigned to the National Institute
of Mental Health for two years.
Upon his return to Detroit, Dr. Ruzumna pursued
psychoanalytic training and for many years, was in private
psychotherapy and psychoanalysis practice. During this
time, he also served as a clinical associate professor of
Richard Ruzumna, M.D.
psychiatry at WSU. He is now retired from the faculty,
although he remains active in the alumni association and school activities.
Dr. Ruzumna was former president of the alumni board and a longtime member of
the admissions committee for the School of Medicine.
31 www.med.wayne.edu
Class Notes
1942 George Mogill, M.D., [pictured right]
received the Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Michigan Academy of Family
Physicians on July 6, 2006. This prestigious
award was presented to him at the MAFP’s
annual meeting held at the Grand Traverse
Resort in Traverse City, Mich. He also received
the American Academy of Family Physician’s
2006 Exemplary Teaching Award as a volunteer faculty
member. He accepted that honor at the annual meeting of the
AAFP in Washington, D.C., in September 2006.
1963 M. Gary Robertson, M.D., is a delegate of the Ottawa
County Medical Society, after serving as past president. He has
practiced gynecology for nearly 40 years in Ottawa County,
Mich., and has delivered more than 5,000 babies in that time. Dr.
Robertson is a member of the American College of Obstetrics
and Gynecology, American College of Surgeons, American
Medical Association, the International Society for the
Advancement of Humanistic Studies in Medicine, and the
Central Travel Club of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
1970 Ronald Isley, M.D., has retired after 35 years of service as
the team physician for Blissfield High School, in Blissfield, Mich.
Dr. Isley was an extremely important part of the team and was
appreciated greatly by parents and coaches.
1978 John R. Hamill Jr., M.D., was named Volunteer Faculty of
the Year for 2005 by the Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery
Department of the University of South Florida for his longstanding commitment to quality resident education. Dr. Hamill
has been clinical professor at the University of South Florida for
23 years and is the coordinator for advanced dermatology
surgery clinics for dermatology residents at the VA in Tampa. He
lectures widely and has been published in numerous journals,
especially on skin cancer and treatment. Dr. Hamill is the
founder of Gulf Coast Dermatology with locations in Hudson,
Brooksville and Palm Harbor, Fla.
Dr. Hamill was also selected as Surgeon of the Year at the
Florida Society of Dermatologic Surgeons meeting held
September 9-11, 2006, in Orlando. Dr. Hamill has been a
member of the Dermatologic Surgeons Society since 1982 and
has served on the board of directors, as a member-at-large,
secretary, treasurer, vice president and president.
1979 Steven M. Lynn, M.D., has been named director of adult
psychiatric services by the Ridgeview Institute in Atlanta. Dr.
Lynn completed his residency in psychiatry at Emory University
and has been an attending physician at the Ridgeview Institute
for the past 17 years. Dr. Lynn is board certified in psychiatry and
addiction psychiatry and is also certified by the American
Society of Addiction Medicine.
Matthew J. Kraay, M.D., was appointed the Kingsbury G.
Heiple, M.D., and Fred A. Lennon Professor and Chair of
Orthopaedics at Case Western Reserve University and also as
director of the Division of Joint Reconstruction and Arthritis
Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Earlier this
year, he received the Otto Aufranc Award from the Hip Society
for his research in the area of failure mechanisms in retrieved
total hip replacement implants. Following his graduation from
WSU, Dr. Kraay completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery
at University Hospitals of Cleveland/CWRU and fellowship
training in arthritis surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in
New York City.
1985 John Cleveland, Ph.D., has been appointed chairman of
the new Cancer Biology Department at Scripps Research
Institute in Jupiter, Fla. The new institute will focus on
developing new and better ways to treat several types of malignancies. Dr. Cleveland has been at the St. Jude Children’s
Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., for the past 17 years where he has
researched the Myc gene and
how it activates cancer cells.
1986 Patrick DeMeo, M.D.,
[pictured left] was appointed
chairman of the Department of
Orthopaedic
Surgery
at
Allegheny General Hospital in
Pittsburgh in June.
1987 Karen Barnes Mitchell,
M.D., has been elected chair of the American Board of Family
Medicine for the 2006-2007 year. Dr. Mitchell is also the
associate residency director for the Providence Family Practice
in Southfield, Mich. She is also active in the Michigan Academy
of Family Physicians, having recently served as past president.
Arlene Fischoff, M.D., was named one of the best doctors in
2005 in Oakland Magazine, which circulates in Oakland, Calif. Dr.
Fischoff is the Pediatric Asthma Champion at Kaiser Permanente
in Oakland where she has practiced since 1990. She is married
to Rich Trevor, and they have two children: Mimi, age 8, and
Frankie, age 5.
1990 Sanjay Batra, M.D., has been appointed section chief of
cardiovascular services at St. John Hospital and Medical Center
in Detroit. Dr. Batra has been a cardiovascular surgeon at St.
John Hospital since 1998.
1991 William Karpus, M.D., Ph.D., was named a tenured
professor in the departments of pathology and microbiologyimmunology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of
Medicine in Chicago,.
Gene R. Pesola, M.D., M.P.H., was named Teacher of the Year
by the Department of Medicine at Harlem Hospital in the
College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in
New York.
Jane (Lux) Krasnick ,M.D., was appointed chief of allergy and
immunology at St. John Macomb Hospital in Michigan. She has
a solo allergy and asthma practice in Warren.
1983 Ernest P. Chiodo, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., has been elected to
Apple Award in June 2005, as a second-year attending physician
at Washington University in St. Louis. In August 2005, Dr.
Carpenter was selected as the emergency medicine content
expert by the American Geriatric Society to author the second
Research Agenda Setting Process, which outlines five-year
research priorities within emergency medicine for aging adults.
In January 2006, he served as the only American faculty member
for McMaster University’s Best Evidence Emergency Medicine
course. In March 2006, he was awarded the Jahnigen Career
Development Scholars Award by the John Hartford Foundation
in New York, to develop clinical decision rules for older adult
abdominal pain patients.
serve on the Environmental Law Council of the State Bar of
Michigan. Dr. Chiodo, a physician and attorney, also serves as
the vice chairman of the Environmental Litigation and Administrative Practice Committee of the State Bar of Michigan. Dr.
Chiodo received his medical and law degrees from Wayne State
University and his master of public health from Harvard. His
medical practice includes providing occupational and environmental health advice to corporations and governmental organizations and he is the international advisor to Goodrich Corp.
(formerly B.F. Goodrich) on avian influenza. Prior to entering
private practice, he served as the medical director of the Detroit
Health Department.
1995 Michael S. Euwema, M.D., has left the United States
Navy after 11 years of service , including a tour in Fallujah, Iraq.
Dr. Euwema, his wife, and his three children are now settling
down in Jacksonville, Fla. Dr. Euwema is an emergency
physician now working for Jacksonville Emergency Consultants P.A.
1996 Matthew A. Facktor, M.D., is the director of thoracic
surgery at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Penn. He
married Marti Harris in September 2005 and they are
celebrating the birth of their first child, Grant Michael Facktor.
1997 Rajesh D. Dhamecha, M.D., has joined Radiology
Associates of Indianapolis. Dr. Dhamecha is a specialist in
mammography and will be practicing at all St. Francis Hospital
and Health Centers, located throughout the greater
Indianapolis area, and Community Hospital South located in
Indianapolis.
1998 Eric Sokol, M.D., and his wife, Nikki Sokol, welcomed the
birth of a baby girl, Aria Helene Sokol, on December 17, 2005. Dr.
Sokol and his family moved to Menlo Park, Calif,, when he
became co-director of urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive
surgery and director of gynecology clinics at Stanford University
School of Medicine.
2000 Chad M. Charapata, M.D., has joined Galen Medical
Group of Chattanooga, Tenn., in the practice of gastroenterology. Dr. Charapata completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt
University Medical Center in Nashville.
2001 Sarah Muenk-Gold, M.D., and Jeff Gold, M.D.,
welcomed the birth of their first child, a baby girl named Stella,
on October 4, 2006.
Bradley Trivax, M.D., is completing a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at UCLA Medical Center in
Los Angeles.
2002 Sean Bender, M.D., completed a four-year emergency
medicine residency at Denver Health Medical Center. It is
considered one of the nation’s most competitive programs, and
is the only one of its kind in Colorado.
Dawn K. George, M.D., joined the Women’s Clinic in Lafayette,
Ind., in September 2006. Dr. George is board certified in
obstetrics and gynecology and is a fellow of the American
College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists.
2003 Joshua J. Gibson,
M.D., [pictured left] joined
the staff at Fairview Northland
Health Services in Princeton,
Minn. Dr. Gibson specializes in
family medicine which he
says, “encompasses care for all
aspects of life; I’m fortunate to
be able to care for patients of
1994 Christopher R. Carpenter, M.D., recieved the Golden
Daniel Sudakin, M.D., has been promoted to associate
professor at Oregon State University. Dr. Sudakin is boardcertified in medical toxicology and has an active clinical
consulting practice. He is principal investigator of two U.S. EPAfunded cooperative agreements that are focused on the clinical
toxicology of pesticides.
all ages.”
Giancarlo Zuliani, M.D., was awarded the Charles T. Ferguson
1st Place Clinical Research Award at the annual American
Society for Pediatric Otolaryngology meeting in Chicago in May.
Dr. Zuliani also presented his research project, “Biofilm Density
in the Pediatric Nasopharynx: Chronic Rhinosinusitis Versus
Obstructive Sleep Apnea,” at the Combined Otolaryngology
Scientific Meeting in Chicago as well. His research was accepted
for publication in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck
Surgery.
32 scribe Winter 2007
Continuing Medical Education
Children in Pain 2007:
The Culture of Pain Management
April 4, 2007
Novi, Mich.
Golden Path to Success: 50 Years of Advanced
Pediatrics
May 31-June 1, 2007
Detroit, Mich.
4th Annual Summit on Organ Donation
April 19-20, 2007
Dearborn, Mich.
MRSA The New Challenge:
Epidemiology & Treatment
June 2, 2007
Novi, Mich.
Medicolegal Investigation of Death
April 25-27, 2007
Dearborn, Mich.
Advanced Regional Anesthesia 2007:
Invasive Pain Management Techniques
and Regional Anesthesia Hands-On Workshop
May 4-6, 2007
Detroit, Mich.
19th Annual Great Lakes Family
Medicine Update Symposium
June 4-8, 2007
Beverly Hills, Mich.
7th Annual Update in Internal Medicine
August 3-5, 2007
Bay Harbor, Mich.
You Heard It Here First: Experts
Discuss the Latest Advances in Their Fields
May 12, 2007
Detroit, Mich.
3rd Annual Pulmonary,
Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
August 17-19, 2007
Boyne Mountain, Mich.
20th Annual Issues in Aging
May 14-15, 2007
Troy, Mich.
For more information,
please contact CME at (313) 577-1180.
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