Inside - Rocky Vista University

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Inside
RVUCOM Welcomes Class
of 2015
Antarctica Video Teleconference
From the Office of Clinical
Affairs: R&W Update
Rural & Wilderness Program
Featured in The DO
Learning the Ropes: Military
Boot Camp & Ropes Course
Relay for Life
CO Receives HRSA Grant
CSOM Conference
Accreditation Update
RVU Representation at the
AOA House of Delegates
Parker Hospital Foundation
Golf Classic
RVUCOM Students Provide
H.S. Sports Physicals
Posters for AOA/BIOMEA
Notable & Noteworthy
Achievements
New Undergraduate Fellows
RVUCOM Student Receives
Welsh Scholars Grant
New Class Officers
From the Wellness Warriors
WW: Garden of the Gods Hike
Class of 2015 Profile
Upcoming Events
Welcome Newest Members of
the RVU Family
New Appointments &
Promotions
Vista View
2011 Newsletter — Vol. 4 No. 1
RVUCOM Welcomes Class of 2015
By Zea Moullet, Director of Student Services
On Monday, July 25, the Class of
2015 arrived on campus, greeted
by cheers and applause from the
Orientation Team. This marked
the first time that RVUCOM had
all four years of students in place.
Orientation week was filled with
sessions and activities designed
to prepare the new student doctors
and their families for what
lies ahead in the next four years.
Monday morning began with
breakfast provided by COPIC
and a slide show of photos and
information about each of the
student doctors. This was a fun way to start to
learn names and some fun facts about each student
doctor. RVU faculty and staff introduced
themselves and shared an interesting fact about
their background. Did you know that we have
amongst us a zombie from a horror movie, a former
gymnast, a few pilots, a Family Double Dare
champion, and even one person who has applied
to be a contestant on Survivor three times?! Introductions
were followed up with the important
things… curriculum, policies, and OSHA/
HIPAA training. Lunch was provided compliments
of the U.S. Army. Monday evening featured
the second annual RVUCOM Orientation
Picnic at the Denver Zoo with great food (fajitas!),
John Michael Yingling, OMS-I exits the stage proudly after receiving his white
coat from the RVUCOM Deans
Students in the Class of 2015 recite the Osteopathic Oath during the White Coat Ceremony
great company, and great fun as everyone was
able to explore the zoo at their own pace.
On Tuesday morning, the students stayed busy
learning about many more important topics –
professionalism, resources around campus and
Medical Informatics. A delicious lunch (sponsored
by the U.S. Air Force Reserves) was followed
by two student panels; the new student
doctors asked many great questions of the upper
class students, who have been in their shoes
most recently. The panels focused on the life of a
medical student and successful study habits. The
discussion was followed by Laura Mohr, Ph.D.,
Director of Behavioral Medicine, who shared insights
into medical student well-being. Finally,
the day was capped off with loan counseling,
compliments of the Student Financial Services
team.
Wednesday was a much more open and relaxed
day. The morning started early with a class photo
in front of the school, then flowed into individual
white coat photos. During these photos, the
students spent time with their mentor groups
– small groups made up of 12-15 students and
2-3 upper class mentors who had been working
with them since the summer. This was a chance
for the Class of 2015 to ask serious (or not so serious)
questions, play icebreaker games with their
(Continued on Page 2)
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RVUCOM Welcomes Class of 2015 (Continued)
not so serious) questions, play icebreaker games with their new
classmates, or just relax and get to know one another. Lunch, sponsored
by Colorado ACOFP, provided more time to spend with the
mentor groups. The day ended with a White Coat Ceremony rehearsal
and a lot of good information about the Rocky Vista Health
Center and student health insurance.
Thursday was a special day, as students were invited to bring their
supporters – spouses, partners, parents and friends – to campus
so that they could see first-hand what the next four years would
entail for their student. The student and their guests attended sessions
such as an introduction to RVUCOM’s honors tracks and their
first case presentation, led by Acting President Bruce Dubin, D.O.
Lunch was sponsored by the U.S. Navy, and was followed by tours
for the guests. After lunch,
Dr. Told provided a session
on the “History of Osteopathic
Medicine”. Dr. Laura
Mohr then spoke to the
families (and students who
have families) about how
they can best support their
students and themselves.
She was joined by a panel
of current student spouses
and partners, who spoke
about their own challenges
and successes, and shared
advice on how to maintain
healthy relationships while
in school. Thursday ended
with a social at LoDo’s,
OMS-I students Anna Hosig, Adrienne Hoyt Austin and
Jill Inagaki take the Osteopathic Oath at the White Coat
Ceremony
sponsored by RVU’s Internal
Medicine and Family
Practice clubs.
A new quirk to this year’s Orientation week was that it ended with
the first day of class on Friday. This allowed the new student doctors
to truly jump right into their education, while their enthusiasm was
at its peak and while everything they had learned was fresh in their
minds.
The culmination of Orientation was the White Coat Ceremony on
Saturday, July 30, held at the Colorado Heights University Theater.
Upper class RVUCOM students started off the ceremony with a
non-denominational blessing, a beautiful rendition of the national
anthem, and a color guard of military students. The guests and student
doctors were welcomed by the RVU Board of Trustees, CSOM,
Student Government President, and of course Dr. Dubin. Dr. Roy
Martin, a renowned medical ethicist from Texas, delivered an in-
spirational keynote address. The highlight of the ceremony arrived
when each member of the Class of 2015 introduced themselves then
proceeded to the center of the stage where they received their white
coat from one of the RVUCOM Deans. The ceremony concluded
with all students standing and reciting the Osteopathic Oath. After
the ceremony, a small reception was held to encourage people to
talk and meet one another’s families.
The week was full and a bit exhausting, but in the end, the newest
additions to the RVUCOM family got everything they needed from
it – information, challenge, encouragement, and a connection to the
RVU community!
l
Juan Arhancet, OMS-I with family, following the White Coat Ceremony
Be sure to check out the Class of 2015 Profile
on Page 14 of the Vista View!
The RVUCOM Class of 2015

Vista View
RVUCOM students, faculty and staff view images of Antarctica and the
McMurdo Station during Dr. Freer’s presentation
RVUCOM’s Rural and Wilderness Medicine Department Hosts
Live Antarctica Video Teleconference
On September 20th,
students, faculty and
staff gathered in
RVUCOM’s large
auditorium to participate
in a live video
teleconference
with the McMurdo
Base in Antarctica.
This event, hosted
by RVUCOM’s Rural
and Wilderness
Medicine Department, marks the University’s second grand
rounds video conference with the Base. Last year, RVUCOM
students made history as the first U.S. medical students ever to
participate in a live video teleconference with a medical team in
Antarctica.
A new and exciting feature this year was a live video feed, broadcast
across the internet to medical schools and friends across the
country, giving an unprecedented opportunity for students outside
of the University to interact with the McMurdo team and
ask questions during the Q&A session.
Douglas H. Freer, M.D., DPM, MPH, Medical Director for Raytheon
Polar Services began the event with an in-depth presentation
on Antarctica, the U.S. Research Bases located there, and
an overview of the challenges that on-base medical professionals
face every day.
Then came the highlight of the event when RVUCOM connected
with the McMurdo station via a live video and audio feed,
allowing students on-campus and online direct interaction with
a crew of medical professionals on the base. Students asked
questions on everything from the common and acute medical issues
that the staff sees, to methods of acquiring medical supplies,
Douglas H. Freer, M.D., DPM, MPH; Tony LaPorta, M.D. and
Thomas Told, D.O.
core-warming techniques and the on-site wellness and exercise
opportunities available.
This teleconference was made possible by the National Science
Foundation and Raytheon Polar Services and arranged by Dr.
Freer along with Thomas Told, D.O., RVUCOM’s Assistant Dean
of Clinical Education and Chair of the Rural and Wilderness
Medicine Department.
McMurdo Station is the largest of the three American-staffed
bases in Antarctica. The other two American-staffed facilities located
there are the South Pole Station and the Palmer Station. All
three are operated by Raytheon Polar Services under a contract
with the National Science Foundation. Antarctica is the southernmost
continent and is almost completely covered by ice that
averages over a mile and a half in thickness – as much as three
miles thick in some
areas. It is the coldest,
driest and windiest
place on Earth.
The RVUCOM Rural
and Wilderness
Medicine Track is
one of the University’s
specialized
educational tracks,
created for students
to enhance the focus
of their medical
A live video feed of the McMurdo Station crew is seen on the screen
during an interactive Q&A session
Elizabeth Jelinek, OMS-II asks a question of the McMurdo team
alongside Thomas Told, D.O.
education. The track is designed to prepare students to serve the
health care needs of patients in rural or wilderness environments
that may lack the availability of major medical support systems.
The track provides students with the educational tools they need
to perform in situations where they may need to fulfill many
community health care roles. As part of the Rural and Wilderness
track, students participate in field training
experiences in wilderness environments
as well as rural clinical rotations.
A video of the teleconference can be
viewed at the following link: http://media.rockyvistauniversity.org/mediasite/Vi
ewer/?peid=c4d01168bbbc410bb01a6e3b
a0ea4fb51d
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The Rural and Wilderness Medicine
track has now been officially in operation
for over a year and a half and already
RVU is making its mark in the
world of medical education. Over the
past several months RVU and students
in the R&W Medicine track have been
featured in the AMA News and The
DO magazine for having a unique solution
to the rural physician shortage.
Since the first meeting at the beginning
of 2010, the program has grown
steadily and has continually been refined.
We now have weekly inquiries
from Physicians in the community and
elsewhere wanting to help teach the
students and participate in the field
trips. We have refined our curriculum
to focus on clinical topics that will be of
most value to those who will practice
in austere settings.
In April and May, RVU participated in two field trips to
Northwest Colorado and Southwestern Wyoming. The
Colorado trip was for second year students who had
completed most of
the didactics of the
program over the
past three semesters
and would train in a
wilderness ranching
environment. The experience
in Wyoming
would cover both rural
EMS and public
health themes.
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From the Office of Clinical Affairs: Updates on the Rural & Wilderness Track
By Thomas Told, D.O., Chair, Rural & Wilderness Medicine
Julie Moseley Watters, OMS-III administers a
vaccination to a horse
Students in the ranch-
ing/wilderness phase learned how to catch and care for
horses. They learned the proper technique for saddling
and riding their mounts in various types of mountain terrain.
Instruction was also given on some common hazards
horse and rider can encounter if they are not vigilant.
Horsemanship also extended to packing the animals.
Students learned the proper way to prepare a horse to
pack medical equipment and survival gear safely. All the
students received instruction on some common diseases
in horses and participated in vaccination and worming
OMS-III students Julie Moseley Watters, Hank Allen,
Kara Jackson and Bonnie Hunt
operations on the ranch. The weather
this year at the ranch was very wet and
slippery which also presented new
challenges for the students learning
outdoor survival techniques.
The students researched various
ways to keep matches and fire starting
equipment dry and in good order.
They learned how to start fires with
wet wood and how to build signal fires.
They learned that pine needles burn
with white smoke, but it takes rubber
products to produce black smoke on
a snow background. We were able to
hire an airplane spotter who could give
us instant feedback on our signal techniques.
We found out that white material
on green grassy fields worked very
well and fresh pealed logs were as visible
as white sheets in the form of X’s.
We divided the students up into small
groups and then had them use their newly learned techniques
to have the airplane locate them. In the end, black
Smoke against a snow background, white on a green
background and signal mirrors worked the best.
We also took this opportunity to have instruction in
hunting injuries and a firearms familiarization course.
Students were able to handle and shoot firearms of all
calibers in a safe and controlled
environment.
In the field we were able
to practice first aid and
transport techniques using
only those resources that
were available in the outdoors.
We had previously
learned how to purify water
and construct a solar
still. Though the weather
was some of the wettest on
record, it did not dampen
our desire to learn and
perfect our skills, but presented
a new set of challenges
for us to solve.
Kenton Asche, OMS-III with his Preceptor Dr.
Troy Phillips, on rural rotation at the Memorial
Hospital in Craig
(Continued on Next Page)

Vista View
The Wyoming outing was for the First Year class who after
one semester of learning lifesaving surgical skills from
Tony La Porta, M.D., Clinical Professor of Surgery, were
ready to take on the challenge of functioning in a small
town EMS System. Our community was Baggs, Wyoming
and it was poised to bear the brunt of a 100-year
flood when we arrived in town. With one eye constantly
on the river and meeting in sandbag fortified buildings
we began our three days of realistic emergency drills with
the Little Snake River EMS, Fire Department, and Search
and Rescue.
The first day involved a simulated oil field emergency, 15
miles north of the community in a rugged, off-road location.
Students were divided into teams along with emergency
personnel, and responded hot to the scene. This
was the first time some of the students had ever ridden
at those speeds in the back of an ambulance. They would
tend to one fatality and several serious injuries successfully
and then we would debrief the maneuver.
This would be repeated during the next day with a mock
truck and school bus wreck. Fifteen school children from
Mrs. Cobb’s
fourth grade
class would
be the victims
along with
a passenger
and the driver
of the truck.
RVU students
evacuated the
children and
used power
Students tend to a ‘victim’ of a mock-oil spill accident tools to cut
Rural & Wilderness Update (Continued)
open the car and extract
the victims successfully.
On the final day the
students responded
to a local farm to aid
a person trapped in
a bailer. Shortly after
arriving on scene
the driver of the
tractor began having
chest pain and
hypotension. In the
confusion, a fireman
fainted and had to be
Students carry a ‘victim’ away from the scene of a mock
school bus accident
treated for heat exhaustion. The students were able to
adjust and adapt to the changing scene as circumstances
evolved. The final surprise came when a little boy came
riding his bike to announce that his mother who had been
responding to the scene on her bike had hit the cattle
guard and broken her leg. Surprised but unruffled, the
students adjusted yet again and responded to this latest
emergency. During the course of those three days students
learned adaptability and the ability to make decisions
under pressure. Most of all, however, they learned
that some of the finest and most talented people on earth
inhabit the rural and underserved regions of our country
because they can truly make more from less.
Students in our third year are now doing the rural core
rotations with 50% of those clinical experiences taking
place in the 29 rural sites throughout the State. They are
learning first hand the true value of rural doctors, and
hopefully they will choose that same path.
RVUCOM Rural & Wilderness Program Featured in The DO Magazine
The RVUCOM Rural & Wilderness Track Program was recently featured in
The DO magazine and website in an article entitled, “New frontier: RVU-
COM Students Learn the Ropes of Wilderness Medicine”.
The article highlights the Rural & Wilderness program with interview and
commentary from Thomas Told, D.O., Assistant Dean of Clinical Education
and Chair of the Department of Rural and Wilderness Medicine, as well as
RVUCOM students Kenton Asche, OMS-III and Megan Young, OMS-II.
Read the full article at: http://www.do-online.org/TheDO/?p=69411
Julie Watters, OMS III (center), is helped across a swollen mountain stream
by Joseph J. Krakker, III, OMS III. Both students are enrolled in the Rural &
Wilderness Medicine track.
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On a Friday afternoon,
culminating the events of
a week-long HPSP Military
Summer Boot Camp
at RVUCOM, 15 first
year students, joined by
Eric Gish, D.O., Assistant
Professor of Osteopathic
Principles and Practices
and Tony LaPorta, M.D.,
Clinical Professor of Surgery,
gathered for a ropes
course and exercises.
The purpose of the event
was to build teamwork and
leadership skills. “The whole thing was designed around developing
confidence and trust amongst your coworkers and
others involved with the course,” explains Dr. Gish. “We
learned about working with strategizing as a team, learning
how to communicate with or without words, and recognizing
one’s own inabilities – realizing you don’t have to do it
all yourself and you can rely on some of your team members
to help you out so that everyone working together achieves
more than just the individuals. That’s the main reason I got
on, and there were all sorts of activities based upon those concepts.”
In addition to the ropes course, the event included a variety of
activities. One of the activities involved trying to play games
where people were linked up together attempting to catch
each other, while not being allowed to break the link. It required
strategizing as a team to figure out how to add people
to your link. Dr. Gish explains, “It’s like links in a chain, working
together. We learned to recognize that if we go multiple
different directions and there’s no single unified direction,
we’re not going to achieve anything, and we’re just going to
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Learning the Ropes: RVUCOM Military Boot Camp and Ropes Course
The weekend of July 30th, RVUCOM second year students
Carissa Chalut, Bobby Petro, Chris Smith, Chris
Mutter and Mindy Minter spent the morning at Salisbury
Equestrian Park, helping participants of the Relay
For Life, a cancer fund-raising association, clean up and
tear down tables, chairs, signs and tents.
“We had a blast!” says Bobby Petro, OMS-II. “We were
glad we could help out after everyone who did it was utterly
exhausted from the night’s adventures. They were
very grateful to have us there.”
The group of RVUCOM Students and Faculty participating in the ropes course
RVUCOM Students Support Relay for Life
end up spinning around
breaking the chain of
communication and the
chain of action. Once
people learned to talk to
each other and single out
a specific goal, then they
started adding people to
their chain. “
Trust-building activities
were also an important
part of the event. Exercises
included such activities
as having people lift each
other up over their shoulders
and head and spinning them around and putting them
back on the ground safely. “It was interesting,” says Dr. Gish.
“Having confidence in people you just met not to drop you
was a strong component of trust-building.”
A fun aspect of the event was that all the students involved
were new to RVUCOM and were just meeting each other for
the first time. Dr. Gish shares an interesting note about the
event. “I don’t think Dr. Laporta or myself introduced ourselves
as faculty. I intentionally did not introduce myself as
to title or position because I did not want them to know – I
wanted them to get to know me for who I am as opposed to
my position with the University. They just thought I was Eric
Gish. It was a lot of fun.”
Dr. Gish says he would like to strongly recommend having
this event again in the future and would like to see more of
the faculty and staff members get involved next time – to
teach and enhance the teamwork already established at the
University.
OMS-II Students Bobby Petro, Mindy Minter, Chris Smith, Chris Mutter,
and Carissa Chalut

Vista View
Colorado Receives HRSA Grant for New Residency
By Thomas Mohr, D.O., RVUCOM Acting Dean/Vice Dean
Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, Colorado, has been awarded
a 5-year $770,000 federal grant from the U.S. Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA) to train primary care
internal medicine residents. Parkview has developed a new osteopathic
internal medicine residency program which will matriculate
its first trainees in July 2012.
The grant was a joint effort of Parkview Medical Center and
Rocky Vista University along with Rocky Mountain OPTI. The
co-PIs of the grant are Steve Nafziger, M.D., Parkview’s Vice
President of Medical Affairs, and Thomas Mohr, D.O., RVU’s
Acting Dean. Judy Sikes, Ph.D., Administrative Director of
Medical Education at Parkview and Marsha Sellner, Administrative
Coordinator of RMOPTI, were primary contributors to
the application. After a great deal of effort, the application was
submitted and approved in 2010, but unfortunately it did not
receive funding at that time. It was resubmitted in 2011 with further
improvements and HRSA announced in September that it
would be funded at the requested amount.
Parkview Medical Center is located in a Health Professional
Shortage Area and Pueblo is a Medically Underserved Community.
The grant will help to provide funding for the new residency
program which will serve this community in need and
encourage more internal medicine residents to become primary
care physicians in underserved areas.
Parkview is licensed as a 350-bed acute care facility, and is almost
always fully occupied. The service population base for this facility
is approximately 365,000 people. In the last fiscal year there
were 14,871 inpatients; 139,263 outpatient visits. Parkview’s patient
population is 65% Medicare/Medicaid, the highest percentage
in Colorado.
The Parkview Osteopathic Internal Medicine Residency Program
was approved by the American Osteopathic Association
this year and will matriculate its first class of 10 residents in July
of 2012. The program will focus on a primary care internal medicine
track. Parkview recently announced that it has completed
the acquisition of a new ambulatory training center near the hospital.
Carol Venable, M.D. will be supervising the ambulatory
training at the new Parkview Adult Medicine Clinic.
Teresa Braden, D.O. is the Director of Medical Education and
Residency Program Director. Dr. Braden is board certified in
both internal medicine and emergency medicine and was formally
the Associate Program Director of Pontiac Osteopathic
Hospital in Michigan.
Thomas Mohr, D.O. and Marsha Sellner
The Group From Parkview Medical Center, Left to Right: Steve Nafziger, M.D., Vice President
for Medical Affairs; Judy Sikes, Ph.D., Administrative Director of Medical Education;
Teresa Braden, D.O., Director of Medical Education and Residency Program Director;
and Kyle LaValley, Residency Coordinator
Parkview Medical Center has a strong relationship with Rocky
Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine and has acted
as a base site for RVUCOM student rotations. Students have
had overwhelmingly positive reviews of their clinical training in
Pueblo and there is a great deal of excitement and anticipation
for the new residency program. Currently, over 100 students
from across the nation have submitted applications for the new
residency.
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RVU Faculty and Students Participate in CSOM Conference
By Thomas Mohr, D.O., RVUCOM Acting Dean/Vice Dean
The Colorado Society of Osteopathic Medicine (CSOM) held
its Annual Meeting and Summertime CME August 11-14
at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. The educational
program was titled “The Evidence Behind Good
Medicine” with outstanding lectures throughout the conference.
RVU Acting Dean, Thomas Mohr, D.O., moderated the
Gastrointestinal Health Session and Assistant Dean Thomas
Told, D.O. moderated a session on Neurological Health. Liz
Wasson, OMS-IV and other RVU students served as program
assistants during the conference.
On Saturday, August 13th, the Advocates of the Colorado
Society of Osteopathic Medicine hosted their annual golf
tournament to raise money for RVU Student Scholarships.
Duane Brandau, D.O., Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs; Joseph
Stasio, D.O., Chair, Department of Primary Care; and
Eric Gish, D.O., Chair, Department of OPP, ripped up the
links and did their best not to embarrass themselves while
helping to raise money for a good cause.
Acting President, Bruce Dubin, D.O. attended the CSOM
Board Meeting and all RVU Clinical Faculty in attendance
attended the business meeting. A new resolution to the society’s
bylaws brought an end to the Colorado Osteopathic
Education Committee (COEC). This committee of CSOM
has spearheaded the effort to bring osteopathic 3rd and
4th year students from across the country to Colorado for
clinical rotations for the last 12 years. These functions will
now predominately be taken over by RVUCOM. The faculty
and staff of COEC were recognized for their hard work and
dedication, especially Marie Kowlaski, who will retire from
CSOM/COEC in November after a 50 year career serving the
osteopathic profession.
Ray Stowers, D.O., the president elect of the American Osteopathic
Association (AOA), spoke at both the CSOM board
meeting and the meeting of the membership and delivered
greetings from the home office. He presided over the inauguration
of Bill Mandell, D.O. who was sworn in as the new
president of CSOM at the ‘Inauguration Luau’. Also sworn
in during that meeting were RVU faculty Eric Gish, D.O.
(president elect), Thomas Mohr, D.O. (3 year term on Board
of Directors), and Chris Unrein, D.O. (1 year term on Board
of Directors). Clinical faculty member Kelli Glaser, D.O. was
also elected as Secretary/Treasurer.
Bruce Dubin, D.O.; CSOM President Bill Madell, D.O.; Thomas Told, D.O.
and Thomas Mohr, D.O.
Thomas Mohr, D.O.; Kelly Glaser, D.O.; and Eric Gish, D.O. are sworn in by
CSOM President Bill Mandell at the ‘Inauguration Luau’
Joseph Stasio, D.O.; Duane Brandau, D.O.; and Eric Gish, D.O. are ready to
play some golf
Accreditation Update
By Makayla Jacob, Esq., Associate General Counsel & Director of Government Relations
Rocky Vista University underwent its first on-site inspection
for initial candidacy with the Higher Learning Commission
(HLC) on September 12-14. This visit was the culmination of
more than three years of hard work and is a significant step
towards becoming a regionally-accredited university. Results
from the visit won’t be available for several months, but overall
the comments by the HLC team were positive. Thanks to
everyone for all their hard work! The commitment and dedication
by our faculty, staff and students is one of the things
that makes RVU great!

Vista View
Rocky Vista University Representation at the AOA House of Delegates
By Thomas Mohr, D.O., RVUCOM Acting Dean/Vice Dean
The American Osteopathic
Association convened
its annual House of Delegates
business meeting
at the Fairmont Hotel in
Chicago, Illinois on July
15th and 16th. The Colorado
Delegation included
Brett Voigt, OMS-II along
with RVUCOM faculty
Thomas Mohr, D.O., Acting
Dean/Vice Dean; Eric
Gish, D.O., Chair, Department
of OPP; and Tom
Told, D.O., Chair, Department
of Rural and Wilderness
Medicine. Drs. Mike
Mohr, Robin Smith, Dan
Clang and Tamara Clang
rounded out the delegation lead by Terry Boucher, the Executive
Director of the Colorado Society of Osteopathic Medicine.
During the House of Delegates, resolutions regarding the practice
of healthcare, the business of the association, and the process
of osteopathic medical education are debated by individual
committees and voted on by over 500 osteopathic physicians
from across the country who have been elected to represent their
state. Every medical school sends at least one student to serve on
the delegation from the state in which that school resides. The
House of Delegates is a
time for the profession
to come together to establish
its solidarity and
distinctiveness in representing
the over 78,000
osteopathic physicians
in the country.
During the meeting,
Martin Levine, D.O.
was elected as the new
president of the AOA
and the profession
thanked outgoing president
Karen Nichols,
D.O., the first woman
Thomas Mohr, D.O.; Brett Voigt, OMS-II; Robin Smith, D.O.; Thomas Told, D.O.; Eric Gish, D.O.; Daniel Clang, D.O.; Tamara president of the asso-
Clang, D.O.; and Michael Mohr, D.O.
ciation, for all her hard
work. Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee delivered the A.T. Still Memorial
Lecture in which she focused on the osteopathic professions ability
to move forward with innovation. She specifically mentioned
Rocky Vista University in her speech as a new school demonstrating
that innovation. Dr. Tom Mohr was interviewed for the
“Osteopathic Minute” video commenting on Dr. Ross-Lee’s lecture.
This video, and the resolutions passed by the House may
be viewed on the AOA’s website (http://www.osteopathic.org/
inside-aoa/events/annual-business-meeting/Pages/HOD-news.
aspx).
RVU Supports Parker Hospital Foundation in Golf Classic
On August 29th, four RVUCOM faculty members gathered
at the Blackstone Country Club to support and play in the
Parker Hospital Foundation’S annual Golf Classic. RVU was
one of the proud sponsors of the event and was represented
in the event by Brian Schwartz, M.L.I.S., Assistant Professor
of Medical Informatics; Cheryl McCormick, D.O., Associate
Professor of Physiology and Phase I Direcor; Joseph Stasio,
D.O., Chair of the Department of Primary Care and Associate
Professor of Family Medicine; and Duane Brandau, D.O.,
Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Professor of Molecular
Medicine. The charity event supports the Parker Hospital
Foundation to support Women’s Health initiatives and adoptive
services at those facilities.
“Our group got recognition for coming in last in the tournament!”
jokes Dr. McCormick. “We represented RVU well!
The event was a nice opportunity for RVU to be involved in
and got our name out in the medical community. We had
several inquiries regarding RVU and our students from folks
who work at those facilities. Many gave us positive feedback
about our students and look forward to them rotating there.”
Cheryl McCormick, D.O.; Joseph Stasio, D.O.; Brian Schwartz, M.L.I.S.; and Duane
Brandau, D.O.
9

Vista View
10
RVUCOM Students Provide High School Sports Physicals
On a Saturday in mid-August, thirteen RVUCOM second-year
students gathered in the OMM Lab of the campus
to welcome students from Chaparral High School for
sports physicals. OMM Fellows Kay Yien Kelts, OMS-IV
and Danielle Sedivy Wurtz, OMS-IV were also on hand
to help supervise the exams. The event was organized by
Jill Pitcher, D.O., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
and Camille Bentley, D.O., Associate Professor of Family
Medicine. Kenneth Ramey, D.O., Assistant Professor of
Osteopathic Principles and Practices, and Kylie Kanze,
D.O., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, also supervised
the exams.
Dr. Pitcher reflects on the day. “We were able to use
the OMM room, which was perfect, and we will likely
do this again next year. We ended up seeing 35 of the
60 that signed up - there is always attrition, especially
at first.” She continues to say that “the students did a
wonderful job, the staff and parents from Chaparral expressed
how impressed they were with the University
and the students doing such a thorough exam, and that
they were very grateful for being able to get their sports
physicals done here.”
AJ Ryan, OMS-II examines a student
Boris Bayerman, OMS-II checks a student’s blood pressure
Sondra Mason, OMS-II checks a student’s heart
RVUCOM Student Posters Chosen for Display at AOA/BIOMEA Seminar
Four RVUCOM second-year, Global Medicine Track students,
Vanessa Campbell, Edward Lin, Erin Philpott, and Tom Rogers,
have had their research posters selected to be presented
during the Poster Session at the upcoming Annual AOA Bureau
on International Osteopathic Medical Education and Affairs
(BIOMEA) International Seminar.
The Seminar, “Osteopathic Medicine in the Global Community”,
is scheduled for October 30th, along with the AOA’s
116th Annual Osteopathic Medical Conference & Exposition
(OMED) in Orlando, Florida.
In addition, Erin Philpott’s poster “Identifying Risk Factors
Involved in the Spread of Dengue Virus in Guyana” was also
chosen as the first place abstract in the Research Category of
the BIOMEA/SOMA Poster Competition, to be held at the
Seminar. Only two winners were chosen for each of the two
categories in this competition.
Congratulations to all!

Vista View
Eric E. Gish, D.O.
Notable & Noteworthy Achievements
Eric E. Gish, D.O., Chair of the Department of
Osteopathic Principles and Practices and Assistant
Professor of Osteopathic Principles and
Practices has had many recent noteworthy
achievements to announce.
Over the summer, Dr. Gish was involved with
the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
house of Delegates as one of the delegates from
the State of Colorado through Colorado Society
of Osteopathic Medicine (CSOM).
He has also been elected as President Elect for CSOM. If everything
goes according to plan, he’ll become the President of
CSOM next year.
In addition, Dr. Gish has been elected President of the Colorado
State Society of ACOFP which is a Family Physicians College.
Dr. Gish has also been selected for the Health Policy Fellowship
through the AOA. Selection for the Fellowship is met through
application and endorsement. Dr. Gish was endorsed for the
Sondra Holloway,
OMS-IV
Sondra Holloway, OMS-IV was elected as
a member of the Colorado Springs Osteopathic
Foundation at their Annual Board
and Membership Meetings.
Congratulations, Sondra!
fellowship by Bruce Dubin, D.O., RVU Acting President, along
with Terry Boucher, Executive Director of CSOM.
Dr. Gish explains,”The Fellowship is geared toward teaching
you how health policy is formed, and giving you the knowledge
and the background to get involved in health policy development.
Essentially, we get to be a player in the health policy
realm. I’ll learn how to create health policy briefs, how to critically
read articles, and start working on some of the issues that
pertain to the profession.
“From a CSOM/ACOFP standpoint, it will help me understand
the process much clearer and as I maintain my involvement
with the House of Delegates,” continues Dr. Gish. “It gives me
an idea of what can be done and what needs to be done to help
secure, not only the future of the profession and access of care
for patients, but also the future of the profession for students
who graduate.”
Dr. Dubin has also completed this fellowship and is serving as
Dr. Gish’s sponsor along with RVU. Congratulations, Dr. Gish!
A manuscript, co-authored by RVUCOM
Associate Professor of Pathology, Dana
Gryzbicki, M.D., Ph.D., has recently been
published in the Cancer Cyptopathology.
The manuscript is entitled, “Cytologic-Histologic
Correlation”.
Congratulations, Dr. Grzybicki!
Four RVUCOM Students Selected for Undergraduate Student Fellowship
RVUCOM has announced the acceptance of four fellows for
the Harold I. Magoun, Jr. D.O. Predoctoral Osteopathic Fellowship,
an undergraduate student fellowship. The third-year
students chosen for the Fellowship are Anthony Furlano, Amber
Koon, Nathan Nakken and Lauren Prest.
As fellows, the students will be on a three-month rotating
fellowship. They begin by rotating three months within the
department, learning how to become instructors/teachers/
professors, enhancing their clinical skills and their hand skills
– learning techniques from RVUCOM Faculty – and working
Anthony Furlano,
OMS-III
Amber Koon, OMS-III Nathan Nakken, OMS-III Lauren Prest, OMS-III
in the clinic, where they will see their own patient populations
under the direction of David Kanze, D.O., the Fellowship Director.
Then the next three months, they’ll be out on their routine
rotations. They continue to rotate every three months in
and out of the department. The goal is for the fellow to take
what they learn here at the University and apply it to rotations
and take what they learn at rotations and apply it here; In this
way, they will become much stronger, both clinically and academically.
The Fellowship also helps provide an opportunity for
them to become future educators for the profession.
Harold Magoun, Jr., D.O., came from a family of osteopathic
physicians. His father, Harold Magoun, Sr., D.O., F.A.A.O.,
wrote one of the texts that RVU still uses today. Dr. Magoun,
Jr. retired from his Denver practice in October 2011 and passed
away in May of this year. He was kind enough to bequeath/
donate to the University, two of the McManus tables used in
the OMM lab, which were used to treat multiple celebrities,
sports figures and national figures during his practice.
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Vista View
Meredith Townsend,
OMS-III
12
RVUCOM Student Awarded Welsh Scholars Grant
Meredith (Kirtland) Townsend, OMS-III was recently
awarded the 2011 Welch Scholars Grant
from the American Osteopathic Foundation.
The $2000 Welch Scholars Grant is provided to
help OMS II, III and IV students at AOA accredited
colleges of osteopathic medicine to defray costs
during their osteopathic medical education. Ac-
Student Government Association
(SGA@rockyvistauniversity.org)
• President: Brett Voigt, Class of 2014 (previously elected)
• Vice President of Operations: Chris Mutter, Class of 2014
• Vice Presidents of Student Welfare: Katherine Tribulato,
Class of 2014, and Payton Flournoy, Class of 2015
• SGA Secretary: Ashley Martin, Class of 2014
• SGA Treasurer: Julia Cameron, Class of 2014
• SGA Curriculum Representative: Chris Smith, Class of
2014 (previously-elected)
Honor Code Committee
(HonorCommittee@rockyvistauniversity.org)
• President: Chad Morrison, Class of 2014
• Class of 2015 Representatives
- Juan Arhancet
- Jie Casey
- Christopher Farrell
• Class of 2014 Representatives (all positions previously
elected)
- Janna Kroiss
- Brittany Van Beek
- *[Chad Morrison] – Now that Chad has been
elected to Honor Code President, this position will
be filled by an additional student in the Class of
2014
• Clinical Years Representatives (all positions previously
elected)
- Eric Elliott (2012)
- Susan Jevert (2013)
- Oscar Noel (2012)
Class of 2015 Officers
(Officers2015@rockyvistauniversity.org)
• President: John Lee
• Vice President: Noah O’Donnell
cording to the AOA, recipients are chosen based
on their outstanding academic achievement, participation
in extracurricular activities, strong commitment
toward osteopathic medicine, and financial
need .*
Congratulations, Meredith!
New Class Officers Announced
* http://www.aof-foundation.org/ American Osteopathic Foundation Website, 2008
Congratulations to all of the new Class Officers! This year’s election had a great cast of highly qualified candidates and
an excellent turn-out of voters. The following people will be serving as officers in Student Government Association
(SGA), class government and honor committee this year. All newly-elected officers are listed in bold.
• Secretary: Elsie Haynes
• Treasurer: Drew Rose
• Curriculum Representative: Charlie Hutchinson
• Historian: Caleb Hedberg
Class of 2014 Officers (all positions previously elected)
(Officers2014@rockyvistauniversity.org)
• President: Regan Stiegmann
• Vice President: Slava Makler
• Secretary: *[Julia Cameron] – Now that Julia has been
elected to SGA Treasurer, this position will be filled by an
additional student in the Class of 2014
• Treasurer: Genevieve Mueller
• Curriculum Representative: Austin Henry
• Historian: Jessica Gilbert
Class of 2013 Officers (all positions previously elected)
(Officers2013@rockyvistauniversity.org)
• President: Josh Gazzetta
• Vice President: Chris Regan
• Secretary: Kara Reynolds
• Treasurer: Jillian Sinopoli
• Curriculum Representative: Derrick Morford
• Historian: Lauren Prest
Class of 2012 Officers (all positions previously elected)
(Officers2012@rockyvistauniversity.org)
• President: Bobby Bahadorani
• Vice President: Heather Katz
• Secretary: David Wood
• Treasurer: Paul Moullet
• Curriculum Representative: Brittany Ganser
• Historian: Lia Fiallos

Vista View
From the Wellness Warriors: What Has Your Wellness Program Done for You Lately?
By Emily Bitterman, Wellness Warriors Co-Chair
What has your wellness program done for you lately? As it turns
out, a lot. Wellness programs are not just the latest fad in corporate
America. They are popular because they work. Forget the financial
incentives, the impact on an individual’s health can be tremendous.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
• 59% of employees do not get adequate exercise
• 50% or more have high cholesterol
• 27% have cardiovascular disease
• 26% are overweight by 20 percent or more
• 24% have high blood pressure
Work site wellness programs can decrease the percentage of at-risk
individuals (those individuals who fall into one of the above categories)
by as much as 50%, if implemented
correctly.
One of the goals of the Rocky Vista University
Wellness Warriors is to, “Grow the
culture of Rocky Vista University to appreciate
the importance of health in its many
forms.” We have a solid foundation and
are making progress in that direction. The
Wellness Warriors and RVU recognizes that health is more than
just physical fitness, we take a mind, body and spirit approach to
wellbeing.
Recently, we have added a book club to our list of activities and
have received a great response. Another new addition is a series
of self-defense classes. We want staff, faculty and students to have
the knowledge to be as safe as possible. We continue to have great
participation in Yoga, with two full classes, and monthly massage
treatments seem to be very popular.
We’d like to remind everyone that it is critical to give yourself a
break during the day. Stretch, walk and try not to schedule too
many lunch meetings. Come join us for a walk on Mondays and
Wednesdays. It’s not only a great way to work in a little exercise
during the day, but staff and faculty will earn points toward time
off!
If you are interested in learning more about any events we sponsor,
or would like to become a member of the Committee. Please contact
us at: wellness_committee@rockyvistauniversity.org.
Be W.E.L.L.
Wellness Warriors Organize a Hike at Garden of the Gods
On morning of Saturday, September 24th, several members of
the RVU community gathered at the Garden of the Gods in
Colorado Springs for a group hike. It was a fun hike through the
Garden of Gods and an opportunity for everyone to get to know
each other outside of the classroom and work environment. The
event was organized by The Wellness Warriors – RVU’s Wellness
Committee, along with Jennifer Herman, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor of Physiology and Anatomy, who headed-up this new
event and suggested her ‘stomping grounds’ for the inaugural
hike.
A group RVU faculty, staff and one student, along with a few children
and dogs, participated in the event. Additional hikes are being
planned by the Wellness Warriors for future dates.
Cindy Funk, Ph.D., Jennifer Herman,
Ph.D. with Josh and Kellen Funk
Andre Bergsagel, OMS-I
From Left to Right: Josh, Kellen and Cindy Funk, Ph.D.; Zea and Caleb Moullet; Andre Bergsagel,
OMS-I; Jennifer Herman, Ph.D.; Leah Heath with her dog “Moby” and boyfriend, Sam Hastings
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Vista View Class of 2015 Profile
For the Class of 2015, RVUCOM received 3550 applications
- Students Matriculated: 161 (4.5% of applicant pool)
- Mean Age: 26 (range: 22-48)
- Cumulative GPA: 3.49
- Science GPA: 3.44
- Average MCAT Score: 26.68
Male: 91 57%
Female: 70 43%
Ethnicity
- White, Non-Hispanic 130 (81%)
- Hispanic/Latino 10 (6%)
- African American, Non-Hispanic 1 (1%)
- Native American, Non-Hispanic 3 (2%)
- Asian, Non-Hispanic 5 (3%)
- Multiple Races, Non-Hispanic 9 (6%)
- Unknown 3 (2%)
Top Feeder Schools
- University of Colorado 22 (14%)
[Boulder:9, Denver:8, CO Springs:5]
Fall Fall Festival Festival - October - October 15th 15th
14
Upcoming Events
Military Fall Appreciation Festival - October Reception 15th - October 14th
Rocky Vista UniVeRsity PResents a
tary
Mili
Friday, OctOber 14, 2011
5:00 tO 7:00 P.M.
A ppreciation
Reception
JOin us tO celebrate and hOnOr Our Future Military Physicians, with a
PresentatiOn FOllOwed by a cOcktail recePtiOn.
- Colorado State University 13 (8%)
- Brigham Young University 8 (5%)
- Boston University 6 (4%)
34 States are represented in the Class of 2015.
Top Feeder States include:
- Colorado 53 (33%)
- California 13 (8%)
- Utah 9 (6%)
- Minnesota 8 (5%)
- Nebraska 7 (4%)
- Texas 7 (4%)
- Kansas 6 (3.8%)
- Illinois 5 (3.1%)
- Washington 5 (3.1%)
Highest Degree Earned:
Bachelors (BA/BS) 130 (81%)
Masters 28 (17%)
Professional/Doctoral Degrees 3 (2%)
(PharmD,PhD, DPT)
TT SS A A
II VV Y KK CC OO RR RVUCOM Student Clubs and Organizations are proud to present the second annual
Fall Festival! All students, staff, faculty, families and friends in the Parker community
are invited to join us on campus, Saturday, October 15th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM for
this fun, FREE event!
Wear your costume and enjoy fun for the whole family with games, a trick-or-treat station,
bouncey tower, pumpkin patch, sack races, treats and refreshments and more!
NN UU I
F O U N D E D 2 0 0 6
I V E R S I T Y
V E R S I T Y
rVucOM has earned the distinctiOn OF haVing One OF the largest Percentages
OF student dOctOrs On Military schOlarshiPs Outside OF the Military’s Own
uniFOrMed serVices uniVersity OF health sciences.
Please rsVP tO Julie rOsenthal at JrOsenthal@rOckyVistauniVersity.Org
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Vista View
Getting to Know You: Welcome to the Newest Members of the RVU Family
Christine Gray has been appointed
a Clinical Rotations Coordinator for
Clinical Affairs.
Chris says she moved to Colorado
after living in “small town” Iowa her
entire life. “My husband’s job brought
us here and we love it!” she says. “I am
very excited to be at RVU. This is the
position I have been looking for since
moving to Colorado. I worked as a
Medical Social Worker, in Iowa, for 15
years and my last position before moving
was at Indian Hills Community College. This position, at RVU, is
a combination of the two.”
Chris received a B.A. in Human Services from Buena Vista University.
third year medical students.
Cassidy Chambers has been appointed
an Admissions Counselor the RVU
Admissions Department.
Cassidy is a Colorado native and currently
lives in Aurora. She earned her
B.A. in International Studies/French
and a Master of Public Administration,
MPA, both at the University of
Wyoming. She previously worked as a
Teaching Assistant in the Political Science
Department at the University of
Wyoming and also spent time at the
public library as an AmeriCorps volunteer.
As a Colorado native, Cassidy says she’s really happy to be back in the
area and working at RVU. “I was immediately impressed with how
kind and welcoming everyone is here at RVU. The admissions and
Justine Holck has been appointed as
ERAS/MSPE for Clinical Affairs.
Justine joins RVU from Perry, Iowa.
She says her education and background
as a Surgical Tech allowed
her great opportunity to expand her
interest in the industry in a variety of
directions. She previously worked as
the Education Manager for a company
training Surgical Assistants, and more
recently worked as a coordinator for
“I enjoy the medical industry and I have volunteered or worked in
education for years,” Justine says. “This position was the next logical
step for me and I look forward to working with the first graduating
class as they continue the process of matching to a Residency program
that will satisfy the hard earned goals they have set.” She continues
to say how impressed she is with the teamwork she has witnessed
throughout RVU.
marketing team is wonderful, like a family, and the care they give to
every prospective student is really phenomenal. I’m tempted to talk
about Katy’s famous brownies, but I’ll refrain.”
She also says that she really loves working with students and says
she’s excited to see prospective students through the admissions process
and hopefully on campus in the following years.
“I share a condo with my brother in Aurora,” Cassidy explains. “We
have two parakeets, one of which likes to sing me an adorable little
song in the morning. I enjoy running, hiking, camping, and generally
taking in all that Colorado has to offer, although I do not ski. I love
to travel, too, which is probably a good thing with this job! I’m also a
closet writer and book nerd and recently finished writing an unpublished
fiction novel.”
Welcome, Cassidy!
Since moving to Colorado, she held previous positions at Arapahoe
Douglas Works and New Horizons, providing career counseling and
assisting people with their job searches.
Chris says she’s excited to work with the medical students. “They have
been great so far. The staff is incredible, especially Elizabeth Mongeau
who has been a great help with my training. Everyone at RVU is so
friendly and I just love the atmosphere. I can truly identify with the
saying ‘it’s the toughest job you’ll ever love’ and I feel blessed to have
joined the RVU family!”
Chris says she’s happily married to her best friend, Bill and they have
four children between them. They are ‘outdoor people’ who love to
hike, run, kayak, camp, etc. They also love to run marathons. “We are
in the 50 State Club as well as Marathon Maniacs. We are scheduled
to run the Pike’s Peak Marathon, in August and I just hope to finish!”
Welcome, Christine!
“I have had the opportunity to work with other colleges, piecemeal,
on the ERAS/MSPE process. To be able to choose from the best of
these processes to make this a streamlined, accurate and efficient system
for RVU is what I would like to accomplish in the future.”
Justine says she has four grown children living nearby, as well as a
five-year-old grandson with a granddaughter on the way (the first girl
born to the family in 26 years!). Over the years, she has also been a
sponsor mom to eight Air Force cadets while they attended the USA-
FA. “I am considered the ‘other mother’ by them and their families
and will attend their important life events.” She loves crafts like sewing
and flower arranging and is currently sewing pillow cases for soldiers
recovering from wounds/surgery in the Middle East. She also
cooks and serves homeless teens 5-6 times a year.
She also says she would like to take photography lessons and loves
historical fiction. “My fencing lessons will start this fall. I love going
with the girlfriends to hole-in-the-wall restaurants, playing croquet
and I’ve purchased my first pair of roller blades. I thought this would
be a great work out, but much to my disappointment, I cannot keep
them under me!”
Welcome, Justine!
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Vista View
16
Getting to Know You: Welcome to the Newest Members of the RVU Family (Continued)
Jonathan King, D.O., J.D. has been appointed
the Associate Professor of Primary Care.
Dr. King earned his B.A. in English Literature
and studied Cell Biology at Michigan State
University. He earned his D.O. at Michigan
State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
and later earned his J.D. at the University
of Miami School of Law in 1986.
Jesse Lyon has been appointed a Clinical Rotations
Coordinator for Clinical Affairs.
Jesse says she’s proud to be a “CSU RAM!”
She attended Colorado State University
and studied Public Relations. Her most recent
employer was Planned Parenthood of
the Rocky Mountains where she worked
in the Education Department. “Our goal in
the Education Department was to provide
comprehensive sex education in an age appropriate
manner to the youth of Colorado. I
also worked in the Medical Services Department as the Clinical Rotations
Coordinator.”
“I am a firm believer in D.O.s and will never go to another kind of
doctor,” Jesse claims. “I am thrilled to be a part of the clinical rotations
Jill Pitcher, D.O. has been appointed Assistant
Professor of Primary Care.
Dr. Pitcher describes the journey that
brought her to RVU and a little about herself:
Growing up in Loveland on some small
acreage with animals, it was natural to be
drawn to Colorado State University which
emphasizes agriculture and animal sciences.
I chose to pursue veterinary medicine
in high school until the large animal
vet I was working with told me in no uncertain terms I was just
too small. Attending the pre-med talks at CSU I became very disenchanted
with the impersonal way the doctors addressed their
“cases” and about dropped this idea for a career too, when Miguel
Perea from COMP made a short stop to talk to us. That really put
everything I wanted in one package I did not know existed, it was
great.
I finished a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Sciences and
started at the osteopathic college in Pomona, California in 1984. I
Dr. King comes joins RVUCOM from Bradenton, Florida where he
most recently held the position of Associate Clinical Professor at Lake
Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also previously worked as an
Attending Surgeon at Phoenix Indian Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona
and a General Surgeon in private practice, among other positions.
Welcome, Dr. King!
program here at RVU. It is important that our doctors of tomorrow
have rich experiences while in their third and fourth years, and I want
to help make that happen.”
She says that she wants to be an effective rotations coordinator and
know the answers people are looking for. “It may take me some time
but I am committed to be very effective in this position.”
Jesse is from Aurora, Colorado and says most of her family lives in
Aurora with all her nieces and one nephew. “I love watching them
grow up - they are cool kids! I am so proud to have such awesome
youth in my life!” She also says that she loves cats and jokes, “if there
wasn’t a two pet limit at my apartment, I’d be a cat hoarder.”
Welcome, Jesse!
was able to get back to Denver to the Osteopathic Family Medicine
Residency graduating in 1991. Since then I have lived east of
Parker and have been in practices that were both rural and urban
in the area, teaching at a resident level, and recently practiced more
specialized medicine dealing only with fibromyalgia and fatigue.
If it were not for good training in family medicine, this would not
have been possible.
There was a very sudden and unexpected change in the structure
of the fibromyalgia company I was working for this spring which
did not fit me at all. I learned about the possibility of teaching
again, volunteering with the students at the very same time, and
really feel fortunate for both the timing and now the opportunity
to get back to teaching, which was a close second to medicine in
high school, as a career choice. I have really loved the transition.
During the always too short weekends, I try to enjoy just being outside.
My family is still close by and I have a motorcycle, a horse, a
camper, a bike, a set of golf clubs and a wonderful partner to enjoy
my days with - and who waits for me to cut the lawn. Life is
GOOD!
Welcome, Dr. Pitcher!

Vista View
Getting to Know You: Welcome to the Newest Members of the RVU Family (Continued)
The Rocky Vista Health Center welcomes three new members to their staff.
Liz Joye joined the staff in August as the Lead Medical Assistant/Office Manager.
Rachel Moore and Dominique Harris both joined the staff in September. Rachel is a Medical
Assistant and Dominique is the new Medical Receptionist.
Welcome to all!
Pictured from Left to Right:
Dominique Harris, Liz Joye and Rachel Moore.
The Department of Rural and Wilderness Medicine is pleased to announce that Jo Brogus will assume the newly created
position of the Clinical Track Rotations Coordinator, and will also continue in the role of Meetings and Continuing
Medical Education Coordinator. Everyone in the Department of Clinical Affairs is pleased to have her serve in this new
position.
Francine Lata has been promoted to Assistant Director of Student Financial Services. Fran has been with RVUCOM for
three years and has worked closely with students, faculty and staff to provide information and guidance on student
financial issues. As Assistant Director, Fran is responsible for the daily operations of the Office of Student Financial Services,
including loan processing, student health insurance and military programs.
Monique McKenna has been promoted to Shadowing Coordinator for PCM Courses. Monique has been with RVU-
COM for four years and has worked closely with students, faculty and staff and provided excellent support for the Department
of Primary Care. In her new role, Monique will facilitate and coordinate the shadowing experiences for first
and second year students.
Kenneth Ramey, D.O. has been appointed the First Year Course Director for OPP courses and LeAnn Jons-Cox, D.O.
has been appointed the Second Year Course Director for OPP courses. This will promote their already well-developed
leadership skills by allowing them to manage day-to-day operations of the courses. Further, they will be responsible
for student evaluation and assessment by attending focus group meetings and instituting curricular modifications and
examination construction.
Erica Whatley has been appointed the new Student Services Coordinator. Erica has been a member of the Student Services
team since November 2010 and has assumed responsibility for student clubs, organizing RVU student activities as
well as helping plan for RVU’s first graduation. Congratulations, Erica!
A Thank You to Our Sponsor
New Appointments & Promotions
The Office of Admissions would like to thank and
acknowledge their corporate partner for
sponsoring lunches for interviewing applicants
in September.
Published by the
Rocky Vista University
Marketing Department
8401 S. Chambers Rd.
Parker, CO 80134
720.875.2800
Editor & Graphic Designer:
Holly E. Kaspar
Marketing Coordinator
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