2 17 - Albany Medical Center · 2 17 WEEKEND Friday, April 28-Sunday, April 30 ... outstanding care at Albany Med. We made our bequest to fund an endowed scholarship at Albany Medical

B U L L E T I N

V O L . 8 2 N O . 1

o f t h e A L B A N Y M E D I C A L C O L L E G E A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O NW I N T E R 2 0 1 7

REUNION

2 17WEEKEND

F r i d a y , A p r i l 2 8 - S u n d a y , A p r i l 3 0

IN THIS ISSUE:

2016 Alden March Distinguished Surgeon Award | Reunion 2017

Faculty Profile: Donna M. Pietrocola, M.D. ’75 | First-Year Medical Students Tour the Capital City

Members of the

ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE PILLARS SOCIETY have created lasting legacies

using their bequests, life income

gifts and retirement plans.

They provide inspiration to

others to do the same.

Learn more, contact Laura O’Brien

Assistant Vice President,

Gift Planning and Principal Gifts

(518) 262-6835 | [email protected]

Tom and Amy MaggsScotia, NY

deviecer syawla evah I dna ymA “outstanding care at Albany Med. We made our bequest to fund an endowed scholarship at Albany Medical College to celebrate the value of having an academic medical center in our

you play in leading-edge patient care, education and research.”

Grateful patients Tom and Amy Maggs celebrated their ties to Albany Med by creating a scholarship

Please consider a bequest in support of Albany Medical College.

amc.planmygift.org

MAGGS_pillarsad.indd 1 12/30/2016 11:11:36 AM

A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N

B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S O F F I C E R S

President Anthony C. Campagna, M.D. ’85

President-Elect Kevin W. Roberts, M.D. ’77

Immediate Past President Janet E. Gargiulo, M.D. ’79

Secretary

Nancy C. Sapio, M.D. ’85

Treasurer David M. Jones, M.D. ’97

Historian

Jeffrey D. Hubbard, M.D. ’68

A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N D I R E C T O R S

Mitchell H. Bamberger, M.D. ’82

Christopher L. Campese, M.D. ’90, M.S. ’15

Jodi Della Rocca, C.R.N.A., M.S. ’02, Ph.D.

Clifford A. Erickson, M.D. ’99

Lynn A. Gorczyca, M.S., P.A. ’11

Robert J. Hedderman, M.D. ’82

Kathryn A. Hogan, M.D. ’04

Siobhan M. Kuhar, Ph.D. ‘90, M.D. ‘99

R. Peter Manes, M.D. ’04

Ursula A. Matulonis, M.D. ’87

Dennis P. McKenna, M.D. ’92

Fassil B. Mesfin, M.S. ’00, Ph.D. ’01, M.D. ’05

Phillip S. Paty, M.D. ’86

Donna M. Pietrocola, M.D. ’75

Mary E. Rappazzo, M.D. ’76

Gary L. Sutter, M.D. ’76

Gurvinder S. Uppal, M.D. ’86

Peter A. Vincent, Ph.D. ’89

Evan Vosburgh, M.D. ’82

Charles L. Poskanzer, M.D. ’45

EmeritusFerdinand J. Venditti, Jr., M.D., Honorary ’15

Ex-OfficioVincent P. Verdile, M.D. ’84

Ex-Officio

A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N S TA F F

Christine Horigan, Interim Executive DirectorAlison Lester, Program ManagerJessica Watson, Archivist

Design: Tessa Cochetti Design

www.tessacochettidesign.com

10

17

27

15

[email protected] or (518) 262-5033

B U L L E T I No f t h e A L B A N Y M E D I C A L C O L L E G E A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N

W I N T E R 2 0 1 7

4 Reunion Weekend 2017

5 President’s Message

6 Upcoming College

& Alumni Events

7 Dean’s Message

8 FACULTY PROFILE:

Donna M. Pietrocola, M.D. ’75

9 ALUMNA PROFILE:

2016 Alden March Distinguished

Surgeon Award Recipient:

Donna A. Caniano, M.D. ’76

10 PILLARS PROFILE:

The Doctors Burns

11 Reunion 2017 Giving Program

12 Archives Corner

15 College News & Events

17 STUDENT PROFILE:

Dennis Nmecha, Class of 2019

26 In Memoriam

27 John A. Balint, M.D.

(Hon.) ’83 Tribute

4 | alumni.amc.edu

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:

Hilton Garden Inn,

Albany Medical Center

62 New Scotland Avenue

Albany, New York 12208

518.396.3500

GROUP NAME:

AMC Reunion Weekend 2017

GROUP CODE:

AMC17

ROOM RATE:

$119.00 (single or double)

per night/per room

(Special reunion rate)

Parking included

alumni.amc.edu/[email protected]

’47, ’52, ’57, ’62, ’67, ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97, ’02, ’07, ’12 and THE GOLD SOCIETY*

H O N O R I N G T H E C L A S S E S O F :

Friday, April 28 – Sunday, April 30

*Celebrates all classes prior to 1967

REUNION SCHEDULEFriday, April 28Pillars Luncheon Hilton Garden Inn,


Distinguished Alumnus LectureHuyck Auditorium, Campus

ReceptionImmediately following

the lecture, Campus

Individual Class DinnersAt various Albany locations

Saturday, April 29Alumni Breakfast/ State of the College AddressDean Vincent P. Verdile, M.D. ’84

Hilton Garden Inn,


MORNING CAMPUS EVENTS:Student-led College tours

Patient Safety and Clinical

Competency Center tour

Academic Sessions

AFTERNOON AND EVENING EVENTS:Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon

Hilton Garden Inn,


Reunion GalaNew York State Museum,

Albany, New York

Sunday, April 30Military Affinity Group Breakfast (all alumni welcome)

Campus, Alumni Lounge

REUNION

2 17WEEKEND

Dear Fellow Alumni,

W E A R E H O P I N G T H AT YO U A N D YO U R FA M I LI E S A R E EN J O Y I N G T H E N EW Y E A R A N D

T H AT W E H AV E A N E A R LY EN D T O W I N T ER H ER E I N T H E N O RT H E A S T ! T H E A LU M N I

A S S O C I AT I O N CO N T I N U E S T O K EEP U S A LL CO N N E C T ED T O O U R A L M A M AT ER .

Along with Dean Verdile, we have held alumni receptions on Long Island, N.Y., New Haven, Conn., Washington, D.C. and Seattle, Wash. in 2016. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming regional events (see schedule on page 6).

The 2017 Alumni Association Nominations and Awards Committee, chaired by immediate past president, Dr. Janet Gargiulo ’79, has selected a superior group for the 2017 Alumni Association Awards. Our thanks to all alumni who submitted nominations. I extend my congratulations to this year’s award recipients and look forward to welcoming them back for Reunion Weekend to accept their awards.

Mark your calendars for the 2017 Reunion Weekend: Friday, April 28 through Sunday, April 30 – plans are well underway. A special invitation goes out to alumni who graduated in a year ending in 2 or 7 to attend. Please reach out to your classmates and plan for a great time with your fellow alumni. See highlights of the Reunion Weekend schedule on page 4.

A word of thanks is in order for the dedication and achievements of our former Alumni Association Executive Director, Maura Mack Hisgen, who left in December 2016. Upon leaving Harvard Business School, Maura joined the Albany Medical College Alumni Association in 2009 and served with four presidents— Dr. Christopher Campese ’90, Dr. Alan Sanders ’88, Dr. Janet Gargiulo ’79 and me. We wish her the very best in her new endeavor.

Albany Medical College is a special place. Its long tradition and legacy of alumni giving allow this great institution to continue to thrive. Please join me in engaging as many alumni as possible to support our alma mater. I am confident that our sustained generosity will keep the College and the Alumni Association a vital and important part of our lives, and that of future generations of alumni.

Please send us any news for our Class Notes section of the Alumni Bulletin. If you need anything from the Alumni Association, please know that you can reach out to me at [email protected].

Anthony “Tony” Campagna, M.D. ’85

D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N U S AWA R D

Edward B. Clark, M.D. ’70

E X E M P L A R Y A L U M N U S AWA R D

Daniel Morgenstern, M.D. ’82

H O N O R A R Y M E M E B E R S O F T H E A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N

Ingrid Allard, M.D.Michael Gruenthal, M.D., Ph.D.

H U M A N I TA R I A N A L U M N U S AWA R D

William P. Schecter, M.D. ’72

M E R I T O R I O U S A L U M N U S AWA R D

David M. Jones, M.D. ’97

WINTER 2017 | 5

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E

Stay ConnectedWould you like an easy way to get back in touch with your classmates?Check out our online directory at alumni.amc.edu/directory

This resource enables you to connect with fellow

alumni and update your current contact information.

6 | alumni.amc.edu

2016 Regional Events

The Alumni Association hosts

a variety of events throughout

the year. These gatherings

provide a wonderful opportunity

for alumni, faculty, staff and

students to make new

connections, renew old

friendships and be a part of

the vibrant Albany Medical

College community. In addition

to Reunion Weekend, alumni

receptions were held in

Las Vegas, Nev., San Francisco,

Calif., Long Island, N.Y.,

Rochester, N.Y., New Haven,

Conn., Washington, D.C. and

Seattle, Wash. Our deepest

appreciation and gratitude to

James W. Biondi, M.D. ’80 and

Donald R. Howard, M.D. ’73

for graciously hosting the

New Haven and Seattle

events, respectively.

UPCOMING COLLEGE &ALUMNI EVENTS

A L U M N I . A M C . E D U / E V E N T S

2017

Calendar of EventsSUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12

Jupiter, Fla. Regional Alumni Reception

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

Boston, Mass. Regional Alumni Reception

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

Match Day

THURSDAY, APRIL 13

Graduate Studies Awards Day

FRIDAY, APRIL 28 – SUNDAY, APRIL 30

Reunion Weekend 2017

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

Medical Student Awards Day/ Commencement Eve Reception

THURSDAY, MAY 25

Commencement

Alumni and guests at the

2016 Washington D.C. Regional Alumni Reception.

Alumni and guests at the

2016 Seattle Regional Alumni Brunch.

WINTER 2017 | 7

“ T H A N K Y O U T O A L L O F O U R A L U M N I F O R Y O U R C O N T I N U E D S U P P O R T O F O U R C O L L E G E A N D O U R S T U D E N T S . ”

O U R 143 - M EM B ER “ C L A S S O F 2020” H A S S E T T LED I N T O A LB A N Y M ED I C A L CO LLE G E

W I T H F I V E M O N T H S O F M ED I C A L S C H O O L N OW U N D ER T H EI R B ELT S . T H I RT Y

S T U D EN T S A LR E A D Y H ELD M A S T ER ’ S D E G R EE S , W H I LE T H E M A J O R I T Y H O LD S

U N D ERG R A D UAT E D E G R EE S I N B I O L O G I C A L S C I EN C E S . D R AW N F RO M M O R E T H A N

9,000 A P P LI C A N T S , T H E C L A S S CO M E S F RO M 2 4 S TAT E S , I N C LU D I N G 48 S T U D EN T S F RO M

N EW YO R K . T H E Y R A N G E I N AG E F RO M 2 0 T O 38.

I am proud to say that 37 of the new students graduated from one of Albany Medical College’s joint degree programs at Siena College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College. These partnerships continue to flourish and produce well-rounded physicians and scientists.

In September, we presented the 2016 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research to three pioneers in protein folding, an area of research with important implications for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, as well as cancer and drug resistance. Our ceremony was bittersweet. Recipient Susan Lindquist, Ph.D., of MIT and the Whitehead Institute for Biological Research, passed away a month after receiving the Prize. Dr. Lindquist was not able to attend our ceremony in person but was so gracious, joining us remotely to speak during the awards ceremony and participate in Grand Rounds. I am grateful to her for her significant and important contributions to science and medicine. The other honorees were Ulrich Hartl, M.D., director of the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, and Arthur Horwich, M.D., Sterling Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine.

Our own biomedical enterprise continues to thrive with a number of new grants, including two important awards to Katherine MacNamara, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease. One is from the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation to support her research on the role of macrophages in aplastic anemia. Dr. MacNamara also received a Careers in Immunology Fellowship from the American Association of Immunologists to help support the work of Julianne Smith, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in her lab.

In other news, a search is underway for a new chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Jeffrey Ross, M.D., a formidable presence in this position for 27 years, is stepping down in January. The national search is being led by Kevin Roberts, M.D., ’77, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology.

Thanks to fundraising efforts spearheaded by the Class of 1990, the College’s ME entrance is undergoing a major facelift that will be completed this winter. If you attend Reunion in the spring, or any time you wish to visit the campus, please take a look at the new façade, as well as all of the other changes to our neighborhood that have formed a new cityscape surrounding the Medical College.

Thank you to all of our alumni for your continued support of our College and our students. I hope the New Year brings you much good health and happiness.

Best Wishes,

Vincent P. Verdile, M.D. ’84

The Lynne and Mark Groban, M.D. ’67 Distinguished Dean

D E A N ’ S M E S S A G E

2017

8 | alumni.amc.edu

FAC U LT Y P RO F I LE :

D O N N A M . P I E T R O C O L A , M . D. ’ 7 5

Q&A

Donna Pietrocola, M.D. ’75 and

Steven Pinheiro, M.D. ’75 proudly

hood their daughter Katherine

Pinheiro, M.D. ’10 at the 172nd

Commencement ceremony.

What are your proudest accomplishments in your career?

First, I have to say going to medical school was in-and-of-itself an accomplishment. In the 1970s, there were always many challenges for women, who made up less than 10 percent of medical school classes. Getting into medical school was a lot harder back then for women, and most women who went to medical school did not choose surgery. The fact I was the first female to become chief resident in general surgery at Albany Med was also a major accomplishment. I also am proud to have spent a lot of my life taking care of people. I’ve certainly enjoyed that. In the last 15 years, my focus was on caring for women with breast issues and breast cancers. When I retired from practicing last summer, I got “thank you” cards as opposed to retirement cards from my patients. That is very humbling.

In those early days what motivated you in school and starting your career?

I’m stubborn (laughs). I really wanted to be a surgeon. I liked the idea of being able to take care of things by fixing them with my hands. I could perform a procedure and rid a patient of a problem. Not that I didn’t take care of patients long-term, especially some of my cancer patients, but I think the fact that I was able to get rid of the tumor, or fix the hernia, or take out the gallbladder was what I liked about the surgical specialty and what kept me going.

Many think of you as a pioneer in the field of surgery. Who was your mentor?

When I was a student I was sent to work with a female surgeon in Syracuse—Patricia Newmann. She was a very good role model. When I was a young attending back in the early 1980s, Dr. Newman was instrumental in starting a society called the Association of Women Surgeons. I helped her with that and remained involved for many years. She eventually became the

president of the American College of Surgeons. I’ve kept in touch with her all these years. She’s now retired but still does some work to advance women in surgery.

How have the many changes in the treatment of breast cancer over the course of your career affected how you treat patients?

I always tell the residents that I do nothing now that I did when I first started. The treatment of breast cancer has changed dramatically. We do much less surgery and get better results. Back in the 1970s, the treatment for breast cancer was mastectomy. That was it. When I first went into practice, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for breast cancer were unheard of, let alone individualized treatment, genetic profiling and the other options we have today. There are even tumors that we used to consider cancer that we don’t anymore. In 1984, I became one of the first surgeons in the Capital Region of New York to perform breast conserving surgery that was followed with radiation. Now, this approach is considered standard-of-care for many patients.

Longtime Alumni Association board member and past president Donna Pietrocola, M.D., ’75, recently retired from Albany Medical Center after a 36-year career as a surgeon and professor. A Staten Island native, Dr. Pietrocola completed her surgical residency at Albany Medical Center in 1979. The following year, she completed a fellowship in transplant surgery. For five years, Dr. Pietrocola performed renal transplantation surgery at Albany Med before moving to the Albany VA Hospital in 1985. In 1990, she went into private practice for 15 years and returned to Albany Med and joined the faculty to concentrate on breast surgery in 2005. Dr. Pietrocola became a preeminent and much sought-after breast surgeon treating women in New York’s Capital Region in more recent years. She reflected on her stellar career.

WINTER 2017 | 9

A LU M NA P RO F I LE : 2016 Alden March Distinguished Surgeon Award Recipient

D O N N A A . CA N I A N O, M . D. ’ 7 6

You’ve also been a long-standing member of the Alumni Association Board, including serving as president; why has this always been so important to you?

Albany Med has been my focus since I came here to go to medical school. I believe each of us needs to find a way of giving back to the medical community and Albany Medical College, specifically. When I was the president of the Alumni Association, we started doing more outreach across the country and my message was, “We are able to do what we do because we went to Albany Medical College.” I continue to be involved by serving on the Executive Committee.

You have a strong family connection with Albany Medical Center, correct?

Yes, my husband of more than 40 years is Steven Pinheiro, M.D., ’75, whom I met at Albany Medical College. Our daughter, Katherine Pinheiro, M.D., ’10, is completing her pathology residency at Albany Med. We also have two sons and six grandchildren, who I am spending more time with now that I’m retired and loving every minute of it!

On Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, Albany Medical College’s Department of Surgery presented the Alden March Distinguished Surgeon Award at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Conference in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Donna A. Caniano, Class of 1976, was named the 2016 Alden March Distinguished Surgeon Award recipient and was joined by Dean Vincent P. Verdile, M.D. ’84, The Lynne and Mark Groban, M.D. ’67 Distinguished Dean, Steven C. Stain, chair of the Department of Surgery and alumni and guests. Dr. Caniano is Emeritus Professor of Surgery and H. William Clatworthy, Jr. Professor of Pediatric Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She is internationally recognized as a preeminent Pediatric Surgeon and considered a pioneer for her work as a female pediatric surgeon.

A Vassar College graduate, Dr. Caniano completed a residency in general surgery at the Albany

Medical Center Hospital, a fellowship in pediatric surgical critical care at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and a residency in pediatric surgery at the Columbus Children’s Hospital. She was an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Maryland and and Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1983-1985.

She returned to the Columbus Children’s Hospital in 1985, when she was appointed to the academic faculty at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. From 1993-1997, Dr. Caniano served as the director of the Medical Humanities Program for the first-year medical students and in 1998, received The Distinguished Educator Award by the OSC College of Medicine for her contributions to undergraduate medical education.

In 1999, Dr. Caniano was appointed the H. William Clatworthy, Jr., Professor of Pediatric Surgery at The Ohio State College of Medicine and Surgeon-in Chief at the Columbus Children’s Hospital. From 1998-2000, she served

as the program director, for the residency in pediatric surgery.

Dr. Caniano has served as the chairperson of the Section of Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and as secretary of the American Pediatric Surgical Association. She is a member of numerous surgical organizations, including the American College of Surgeons and the American Surgical Association. She is co-author of Reoperative Pediatric Surgery.

Additional career highpoints for Dr. Caniano include being named the 2008 Albany Medical College Distinguished Alumna. In 2014, she received the Arnold M. Salzberg Award for Mentorship from the Section on Surgery of the AAP. In 2015, The Ohio State University College of Medicine announced the establishment of the Donna A. Caniano, M.D. Lectureship to honor her pioneering work as a female surgeon. The goal of the lecture series is to increase awareness of surgical careers for women and those individuals underrepresented in medicine.

Dean Vincent Verdile, M.D. ’84,

Donna Caniano, M.D. ‘76 and

Steven Stain, M.D., chair of the

Department of Surgery.

Donor Spotlight:

Christine Burns, M.D. ’70George Burns, M.D. ’72

10 | alumni.amc.edu

When Christine Burns, M.D. ’70, and George Burns, M.D. ’72, attended Albany Medical College, they were a bit unconventional. They were one of only two married couples attending the medical school at that time, and Christine was one of just 12 women in her class of 110. Despite being non- traditional, or perhaps because of it, both have fond memories of their time at the Medical College.

“Our experience and training were superb, and it has been important to us over many years to give back to the school that gave us such fine careers,” said George, a dermatologist in Clearwater, Florida.

The Burns’ have regularly made donations to Albany Medical College, including gifts of stock each year to support the Alumni Annual Fund. Recently, they established a bequest which will fund a scholarship in honor of George’s 40thth reunion. “We have certain loyalties—one of them is to our alma mater, Albany Medical College. We encourage others to consider donating on the occasion of their reunion,” George said.

Christine, a retired pediatric ophthalmologist, said Albany Med shaped her future as well, relating that after graduation, she was the first woman resident in ophthalmology at Albany Med.

“At that time, it was customary for an intern to perform an appendectomy as their first surgical case. My turn came to accompany Dr. Harold Welch to the O.R. at 9 p.m. for my first case. As we were scrubbing, he asked me, ‘Dr. Burns, do you sew your own clothes?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He retorted, ‘Thank God! I can go home and get a good night’s sleep. I always have to teach the guys how to sew,’” she said with a laugh.

Sure enough, she added, they finished successfully and in good time. “His attitude and encouragement kept me going when many others decried my ambition to be a surgeon,” she said.

The Burns’ spent much of their careers in the military, traveling the world, practicing in the Philippines, Germany, Texas, Georgia, and Florida, eventually settling near Tampa, where they raised their two children and set up their careers. In their spare time, they are outdoorspeople, enjoying skiing, hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, paddle-boarding and travel.

George’s 45th reunion is coming up in April 2017. Christine celebrates her 50th reunion in 2020. “Between us we have an Albany Medical College reunion to look forward to every few years. We truly enjoy participating in our class gift and hope our classmates will join us by making their own generous gift.”

Doctors Burns the

P I LLA RS P ROF I LE

Doctors Burns Class Reunion MilestonesThe Class of 1967 is celebrating their 50th class

reunion. Led by Reunion Committee Volunteers

Matthew Farina, M.D., Mark Groban, M.D. and A.

John Popp, M.D., the class is honoring the milestone

anniversary by supporting the Alumni Annual Fund.

The Class of 1992 is celebrating their 25th reunion.

Led by Reunion Volunteer Dennis P. McKenna, M.D.,

the class is raising funds for the Class of 1992 Alumni

Endowed Scholarship Fund.

How to Make Your Reunion GiftTo make a gift to your class project now,

simply visit: alumni.amc.edu/reunion_giving

and click on your class year.

If you prefer to make your gift by check, please

make your check payable to Albany Medical

College (memo: Reunion Class Gift) and mail to:

Albany Medical Center Foundation


MC-119

Albany, NY 12208-3478

Class of 1947Levon Bedrosian, M.D.

Class of 1957Martin L. Schulman, M.D.

Class of 1967Mathew Farina, M.D.

Mark Groban, M.D.

A. John Popp, M.D.

Class of 1972Randall S. Krakauer, M.D.

Class of 1977John Czajka, M.D.

Kevin W. Roberts, M.D.

John F. Schenck, M.D.

Class of 1982Mitchell H. Bamberger, M.D.

Robert J. Hedderman, M.D.

Kathleen M. Kelly, M.D.

Patrick G. O’Connor, M.D.

Arnold M. Rosen, M.D.

Evan Vosburgh, M.D.

Class of 1987Randall S. Feingold, M.D.

Elizabeth Garland, M.D.

Samuel E. Green, M.D.

Thomas N. Helm, M.D.

Donna M. Henricks, M.D.

Ursula A. Matulonis, M.D.

Terry Reilly, M.D.

Class of 1992Dennis P. McKenna, M.D.

Class of 1997Timothy F. Goggins, M.D.

David M. Jones, M.D.

WINTER 2017 | 11

T H E R E U N I O N G I V I N G P RO G R A M I N S P I R E S A LU M N I T O S U P P O RT T H E CO LLE G E I N C ELEB R AT I O N

O F I M P O RTA N T M I LE S T O N E S . T H E C L A S S E S C ELEB R AT I N G T H EI R R E U N I O N I N 2017 ( A LL W I T H

G R A D UAT I N G Y E A R S EN D I N G I N 2 O R 7 ) A R E WO R K I N G W I T H G R E AT EN T H U S I A S M T O EN CO U R AG E

PA RT I C I PAT I O N A N D R E U N I O N G I V I N G . R E U N I O N C L A S S E S A R E S U P P O RT I N G T H E T O P P R I O R I T I E S

O F T H E CO LLE G E I N C LU D I N G G I F T S T O T H E A LU M N I A N N UA L F U N D A N D S C H O L A R S H I P S .

Volunteer RecognitionCL ASS REUNION COMMIT TEES

Get Involved:To learn more about planning your

reunion weekend and/or assisting

with fundraising efforts, please contact:

[email protected].

REUNION

2 17Giving Program

12 | alumni.amc.edu

C L A S S O F 1947C O M M E N C E M E N T S P E A K E R :

E. H. Cushing, M.D., chief of the Education Division, Veterans Administration

The Class of 1947 was the first class to receive The Skull yearbook after a thirty year absence. The absence was speculated to have occurred due to the newly appointed Dean Ordway and his strict running of the College, including tight censorship of the yearbook content.

MEDICAL MILESTONE FOR 1947

The first use of defibrillation on a human subject is performed by Claude Beck, professor of surgery at Case Western Reserve University.


Herman G. Weiskotten, M.D., chairman of the Council on Medical Education and Hospital of the American Medical Association.

The Class of 1952 contended with the construction of the new West Building of Albany Hospital, dedicated in 1951 and increasing the in-patient capacity to 705.


Paul Zoll develops first cardiac pacemaker to control irregular heartbeat.


Irvine H. Page, M.D., director of Research at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

A total of 49 students graduated in 1957; 46 men and 3 women.


Dr. Willem Kolff and Dr. Tetsuzo Akutzu implant the first artificial heart in a dog. The animal survived for 90 minutes.

AR

CH

IVE

SC

OR

NE

R 2017 REUNION CLASSESA LOOK BACK:

WINTER 2017 | 13


Dr. William C. Rappleye, president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation and dean emeritus of Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Out of 61 graduates in the Class of 1962, 8 went into general practice.


First oral polio vaccine (as an alternative to the injected vaccine).


Evan R. Collins, A.B., Ed.M., Ed.D., President of the State University of New York at Albany.

Members of the Class of 1967, and fellow students, led the Albany Medical College intramural basketball team to an All-Albany Community League title for the first time after a double overtime win in the finals.


South African heart surgeon Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs the first human heart transplant.


John Hilton Knowles, M.D., general director, Massachusetts General Hospital, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, president-elect, Rockefeller Foundation.

As freshmen, the Class of 1972 benefitted from a newly built residence hall for Albany Medical College and Albany Law School students. The dormitory contained 98 rooms for medical students and 98 rooms for law students. Today, the building is called Notre Dame Hall and is used as a dorm for the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.


Computerized axial tomography, popularly known as CAT or CT scan, is introduced as the most important development in medical filming since the x-ray some 75 years earlier.


Mary Ellen Avery, M.D., Thomas Morgan Rotch Professor of pediatrics, Harvard University, physician-in-chief, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Mass.

In her commencement address, Dr. Avery stated that the Class of 1977 had the widest exposure to biomedical science of any class of medical students in history, and came from more diverse backgrounds than previous classes.


Dr. Raymond Damadian with Larry Minkoff and Michael Goldsmith perform the first magnetic resonance imaging body scan of a human.


G. Timothy Johnson, M.D., Class of 1969, director of Lay Health Information Department of Continuing Education, Harvard Medical School.

The Class of 1982 had numerous extracurricular activities to choose from, including the Rugby Club, Tennis Club, and the Squash Team, which was considered one of the best in the area.


First permanent artificial heart implant. Dr. William DeVries implants the Jarvik-7 artificial heart into patient Barney Clark. Clark lived for 112 days.


Leonard S. Lilly, M.D., Class of 1977, assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, associate physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

During the medical school orientation field day, the Class of 1987 achieved victory over the Class of 1986 in nearly all sporting events.


The United States Food and Drug Administration, for the first time, approves an antiretroviral drug for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, zidovudine, also known as AZT (azidothymidine) or Retrovir.

2017 REUNION CLASSES

14 | alumni.amc.edu


John Stone, M.D., professor of medicine, associate dean and director of admissions, Emory University School of Medicine.

The members of the 1992 graduating class had some of the following internships and residencies: Naval Hospital, Charleston, S.C.; Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Conn.; Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C.; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass.; and Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.


The Food and Drug Administration approves Depo Provera for use as a contraceptive in the United States.


C. Everett Koop, M.D., United States Surgeon General from 1981-1989.

The basic science curriculum was revamped at the College at the end of the 1996 school year. The Class of 1997 was the first class to complete the radically new curriculum, which was considered an academic success for the College.


Food and Drug Administration approval of daclizumab, the first humanized antibody therapeutic.


Greg Koski, Ph.D., M.D., director, Federal Office for Human Research Protection.

A total of 162 students graduated in the Class of 2002: 5 with doctor of philosophy degrees, 33 with master of science degrees, and 124 with medical degrees.


Red wine is claimed by Spanish researchers to protect against the common cold.


G. Timothy Johnson, M.D., Class of 1969, chief medical editor for ABC News.

The members of the class of 2007 had some of the following internships and residencies: New England Medical Center-internal medicine; Brooke Army Medical Center-orthopedic surgery; UCLA Semel Institute-psychiatry; Hershey Medical Center- emergency medicine; University of Virginia-neurology; Rhode Island Hospital-pediatrics; Johns Hopkins-anesthesiology.


Scientists discover how to use human skin cells to create embryonic stem cells.


Gary Gottlieb, M.D., Class of 1979, M.B.A.

A total of 216 students graduated in the class of 2012: 7 with doctor of philosophy degrees, 67 with Master of Science degrees, and 142 with medical degrees.


In the United Kingdom’s first successful ocular implant trial, two men blinded by retinitis pigmentosa have their sight partially restored by prototype microchip implants.

AR

CH

IVE

SC

OR

NE

R

DO YOU LOVE HISTORY AND WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE?

Then don’t miss out on the newest archival webpage called “Whosits, Whatsits, and other Things…” Visit our website at: alumni.amc.edu/archives and check it out!

WINTER 2017 | 15

No sooner did the Class of 2020 begin to get acquainted with Albany Medical College in early August than they were whisked out into the city for the College’s first-ever community immersion bus tour.

Accompanied by faculty, community members, police officers and fellow classmates, the new students boarded four buses on a sunny morning during orientation week and embarked on a tour that gave them insight into Albany and its residents.

Each bus journeyed through the city’s varied neighborhoods —Arbor Hill, the Mansion District and Park South, among

them—and stopped at different locations that offered unique insights into medical practice: Ezra Prentice Homes, the Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, the Sheridan Preparatory Academy and the Whitney Young Health Center. Here, students got out, toured facilities and met with members of the community.

“We wanted to introduce our students to the history and characteristics of Albany, the city they will call home for the next four years,” said Hyacinth Mason, Ph.D., assistant dean for student support and inclusion. “In addition, we hoped the experience would serve as an in-depth introduction to the College’s service learning curriculum.”

Ingrid Allard, M.D., associate dean for community outreach and medical education, said, “It’s important for our students to become immersed in the community, as well as get to know the community partners and patient populations they will eventually work with.”

The bus tour was conceived and coordinated by faculty and staff in the Division of Community Outreach and Medical Education and the Office of Student Affairs.

Upon returning to the College, students met with faculty and community members from the Albany Police Department, the University at Albany School of Public Health, the Albany County Health Department, the Youth Life Support Network and the New York State Department of Health.

Many were struck by the city’s diversity. “It’s apparent right away,” said first-year student, Kyle Scarano. “I come from a really rural part of New Hampshire. I know more different kinds of trees than I do different kinds of people, so it really hit me, the varied patient population.”

Amy Yue, first-year student, said, “Now, if I meet a patient from one of the neighborhoods we visited, I’ll have a much better idea of the kinds of questions to ask them.”

Kim Kilby, M.D. ’03, associate dean for academic and student affairs and interim associate dean for medical education, said, “The experience was designed to provide students with a deeper appreciation of the people who make up Albany’s communities and the challenges many of our local patients experience every day. We wanted students to think about ways they can make a meaningful difference.”

COLLEGE NEWS & EVENTS

“ The experience

was designed to

provide students

with a deeper

appreciation of

the people who

make up Albany’s

communities…”

— Kim Kilby, M.D. ’03, associate dean for academic and student affairs and interim associate dean for medical education

First-Year Medical Students Tour the Capital City Immersive Bus Tour Offers First Glimpse of Albany and the Patients They Will Serve

Members of the Class of 2020.

16 | alumni.amc.edu

Albany Medical College Professor Named Editor-in- Chief of Human Immunology

In September, Amy Hahn,

Ph.D., director of the

Transplantation Immunology

Laboratory and professor of

surgery at Albany Medical

College, has been appointed

editor-in-chief of Human

Immunology, the official

scientific journal of

the American Society

for Histocompatibility

and Immunogenetics (ASHI).


Softball

On Friday, Sept. 9, 2016,

the Albany Medical College

Softball Team won their first

ever league championship.

From top left: Nicholas Wild, ’18,

Kevin Keller, ’19, Kristen Beikirch,

’19, Jonathan Winnick, ’19;

Adam Parker, ’17, Eric Perloff, ’18,

Michael Francke, ’18.

Kneeling in front, from left to

right: Bethany Hawke, ’17, Robin

Pappal, ’17, Justin Kittredge, ’18.

“ Dean Verdile and our department chairs have

worked hard to build our translational research

program, and it is very exciting to be a part of it.”

— David M. Jones, M.D. ’97, associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors

Albany Medical College Pioneering Research

Gabrielle Fredman, Ph.D., assistant professor in Albany Medical College’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, is the lead author of a study that has identified a promising new approach to the treatment of clogged arteries, a condition that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

Scientists at Albany Medical College, Columbia University Medical Center, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital collaborated on the research, which was published online on Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 in Nature Communications. Albany Med attending pathologist David M. Jones, M.D. ’97, associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, was among the study’s co-authors.

Patients with clogged or “hardened” arteries suffer from a disease known as atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque along the artery walls that compromises the flow of blood to the heart and other parts of the body. Some strokes and heart attacks are caused when these plaques rupture.

The study’s investigators identified a crucial dysfunction in the way immune cells communicate in these plaques. Dr. Jones commented that the study is “a fantastic example of the collegial, collaborative atmosphere here at Albany Medical College. Dean Verdile and our department chairs have worked hard to build our translational research program, and it is very exciting to be a part of it.”

WINTER 2017 | 17

2016 Medical Student Investigation Day

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, Albany Medical College students participated in the 13th annual Medical Student Investigation Day, held at the Hilton Garden Inn. Students shared poster presentations on a wide range of research studies that were conducted over the summer. The event was well attended by faculty and members of the wider community, including Arthur Horwich, M.D., one the three winners of the 2016 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, who stopped to talk with Telly Cheung, Class of 2019.

Research Study Examines “Iron Transport” in Cells

In a study reported in the Journal of Cell Biology, researchers from Albany Medical College illustrated a critical step in iron transport inside cells of our body, furthering the understanding of fundamental iron transport mechanisms. Margarida Barroso, Ph.D., associate professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, authored the study, along with graduate student Anupam Das. The research has implications for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, early-onset Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

The research has been partially supported since 2011 by the Namm ’65 Research Award established by alumnus Donald H. Namm, Ph.D. ’65 of Raleigh, N.C.

College Administrator Honored

In October, Theresa Weinman, administrator in the Department of Family and Community Medicine was honored with a Volunteer Leadership Award from Unity House in Troy, N.Y. Ms. Weinman was recognized for her year-round work with Unity House, including her efforts on behalf of its domestic violence shelter through the annual Albany Med Neighbors in Need Holiday Drive.

NAME: Dennis Nmecha

CLASS YEAR: 2019

HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.

RESEARCH: “What do Medical

Students Do For Self-Care?

A Student Centered Approach

to Well-Being.”

LEADERSHIP: Albany Medical

College vice president of the

Student National Medical

Association (SNMA). The mission

of SNMA is to support current

and future underrepresented

minority medical students

and address the needs of

underserved communities.

I am grateful for the educational

and service learning opportuni-

ties that are provided to me

by Albany Medical College.

During my second year, I

published a paper focusing on

medical students and self-care,

a highly important subject that

is often neglected by many

students. My work with the

SNMA chapter of Albany is

special to me because it allows

me to engage and be active

within the local community.

My goal as a future physician is

to help the underserved and

work toward minimizing health

care disparities.

ST UDEN T P ROFI LE

Telly Cheung, Class of 2018 and Arthur Horwich, M.D. at the

2016 Medical Student Investigation Day.

18 | alumni.amc.edu

N.A. Graduation

The Nurse Anesthesiology

Class of 2016 held their

Commencement at the

Hilton Albany Hotel on

Friday, Nov. 18. Twenty-four

degrees were awarded to

the graduates.


Anatomage Table Revolutionizes Anatomical Education in Patient Safety and Clinical Competency Center

Albany Medical College has acquired a new tool to help revolutionize anatomy education: the Anatomage Table, housed in the Patient Safety and Clinical Competency Center (PSCCC), is a device that looks and functions like a giant iPad.

The table provides high- resolution images of anatomy, allowing users to look at gross anatomy, as you would with a traditional cadaver, but also allowing the incorporation of radiological imaging.

This combination enhances the way students learn anatomy and allows them to apply what they see to real-life clinical situations. The table allows the user to upload patients’ actual MRI and CT scans, enabling

faculty to generate meaningful case studies. The functionality of the table also benefits surgical residents. The 3-D cadaver is capable of being manipulated in any direction with the swipe of a finger (as you would on an iPad or any touch screen). This allows surgeons-in-training to examine the anatomy from every angle and explore the approach of a specific surgical procedure before they even touch a real patient.

The data in the Anatomage Table are from real patient scans and cadavers, making the anatomy very accurate. The table creates an ideal environment for small group case-based discussions, and the portability and functionality of the

Anatomage table also allows it to be utilized in a large lecture hall setting. This is a tool that compliments the traditional cadaver based gross anatomy course and will enhance the clinical application of anatomy for both undergraduate and graduate medical students. Moreover, the ability to upload real patient scans into the table will offer attending physicians a unique view of their patients’ anatomy while planning complex invasive procedures.

Staff from the Patient Safety and Clinical Competency Center and Anatomy lab began using the table for education and training in the fall.

2016 Theobald Smith Annual Lecture

On Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, Dan R. Littman, M.D., Ph.D., Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Professor of Molecular Immunology, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine of New York University, delivered the Albany Medical College Theobald Smith Lecture. The title of Dr. Littman’s talk was “Role of Microbiota in Shaping Immune Responses.” The annual lecture is hosted by Dennis W. Metzger, Ph.D., professor and Theobald Smith Alumni Chair in the Department of Immunology & Microbial Disease.

Sandra Moses

In November, the College

bid farewell to Sandra Moses,

coordinator of student

engagement and wellness

in the Office of Academic

and Student Affairs. She was

dedicated to her role and

provided tremendous support

to countless students during

the past 15+ years.

Jamie P. Levine, M.D. ’92

Dr. Levine presented at Grand Rounds on “Improving Accuracy and Outcomes in Reconstructive Plastic Surgery” as the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) William A. Zamboni Visiting Professor, hosted by the Albany Med Division of Plastic Surgery on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. The ASRM Visiting Professor Program highlights the work of microsurgeons and ASRM members, as well as the diversity associated with a practice involving microsurgery and complex reconstruction.

Dr. Levine is currently associate professor and chief of microsurgery at the Hansjorg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery of New York University.

Arthur S. Hengerer, M.D. ’68

Dr. Hengerer was the key note speaker for The John A. Balint, M.D. Lecture on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016, presenting “Would Hippocrates Approve of the Ethics and Professionalism of Today’s Physicians?” in Albany. He was also a morning presenter at the Alden March Bioethics Institute Clinical Ethics Conference at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016.

Dr. Hengerer serves as chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards, and chair of the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct. He is an otolaryngologist and faculty member at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y.

C. Brendan Montano, M.D. ’72

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, Dr. C. Brendan Montano, MD ’72 delivered the talk, “An Integrated Approach to Wellness: Focus on the Mind-Body Connection” at the 2016 Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. ’72 Endowed Lecture in Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the Hilton Garden Inn at Albany Med.

Dr. Montano is an attending physician at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn., and practices internal medicine with a special interest in the mind-body connection. He has been a principal investigator in more than 80 clinical trials over the past 20 years.

ALUMNI ON CAMPUS

WINTER 2017 | 19

ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE WAS PLEASED TO WELCOME BACK THE FOLLOWING ALUMNI:

Stephen Sinatra, M.D. ’72, Dean Vincent Verdile, M.D. ’84

and C. Brendan Montano, M.D. ’72.

20 | alumni.amc.edu

CL ASS OF 1954

William M. Pugliese, M.D. ’54

Dr. Pugliese writes, “I celebrated my 94th birthday in December 2016. I have been volunteering at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. for the past eight years in Day Surgery. My wife, Grace, an Albany Med School of Nursing graduate, recently celebrated her 84th birthday. Warmest wishes to all my classmates.”

Paul J. Rosch, M.D. ’54

Dr. Rosch writes, “I have spent most of my career researching and writing about the effects of stress on health and disease. I am clinical professor of medicine and psychiatry at New York Medical College, chairman of the board of The American Institute of Stress, and honorary vice president of the International Stress Management Association. I recently edited and contributed to Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine, a 50-chapter book that discusses novel energy therapies.”

CL ASS OF 1956

Ken A. Deitcher, M.D. ’56

Dr. Deitcher writes, “I have been retired for the past ten years. I am active in my photographic endeavors and teaching my grandchildren in the photographic arts. I try to keep up on photographic advances and lecture to novice members in my photography club. I am an avid reader of the news and with my wife, get together with friends to discuss politics and play bridge.”

Robert P. Newhouse, M.D. ’56

Dr. Newhouse writes, “I was born in Berlin in 1929. Shortly after the end of WWII, the federal government invited former residents of the city to return, at its expense, for a week’s visit. My fabulous classmate, Paul Davidson, and his Berliner spouse Ursula, went, but my late wife Mary and I, filled with false pride, decided against the generous invite, preferring to pay our own way. Recently, I was able to apply for the journey, even though the program officially ended in 2010, and have been given permission to go in the near future. It’s almost too good to be true!”

CL ASS OF 1958

Arthur Maron, M.D. ’58

Dr. Maron writes, “Greetings from sunny Florida. I recently completed my term as chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Senior Members and continue my 50-year involvement with the AAP. My three children are in New Jersey with 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Blessed with lovely wife, Ruth, who adds two children and five grandchildren.”

CL ASS OF 1959

Ian J. Spence, M.D. ’59

Dr. Spence writes, “In 2006, I retired from my urology practice after forty years. Following retirement, I worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington, D.C. for five years with the Georgetown University

medical students and urology residents. I was also a clinical professor of surgery at Georgetown University. I current-ly volunteer in a medical clinic for the uninsured. My wife, Barbara, and I live in Bethesda, Md. at Maplewood Park Place, a senior living community.”

CL ASS OF 1961

Vija A. Bauer-Lindbergs Aisters, M.D. ’61

Dr. Bauer- Lindbergs Aisters writes, “I am fortunate to consider the years following my 80th birthday as my “third youth.” Regular exercise, neighborhood walks with family and friends, and vitamins help me to stay fit. California sunshine and fresh air, I believe, help too. I enjoy various cultural events in San Francisco. Working occasionally to substitute vacationing surgical pathologists in two hospitals keeps my mind busy, without a chance of getting “rusty.”

Leonard J. Kirschner, M.D. ’61

On Sept. 16, 2016, Dr. Kirschner received the 2016 American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Arizona Andrus Award for Community Service, which is the Association’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service.

CL ASS OF 1963

Roger F. Robison, M.D. ’63

Dr. Robison writes, “I have published a book, ‘Mining and Selling Radium and Uranium’ – available on Amazon.com.”

Notes are edited to fit available space.

CLASS NOTES

WINTER 2017 | 21

CL ASS OF 1964

James P. O’Brien, M.D. ’64

Dr. O’Brien writes, “On September 1, 2016 my wife and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary. Best wishes to all my classmates.”

Fritz H. Vohr, M.D. ’64

Dr. Vohr writes, “I owe my past, present, and future to my wonderful experience at Albany Medical College. After transfer-ring from my pre-clinical years in (then) West Germany, Internship and a first-year residency at Albany, two more years at Rhode Island Hospital, and Brown Medical School. I started in pediatric oncology and internal medicine. Directed a Hospice team for twenty years. I was chief medical officer of a federal disaster team RIDMAT (Lead team at World Trade Center and Katrina). I retired as medical program director from Rhode Island Department of Corrections, now at 80, working with Florida jails/ prisons andthe American Correctional Association. Proud to be an alumnus.”

C. Wendell Wickersham, III, M.D. ’64

Dr. Wickersham writes, “Upon retiring, I am volunteering at Malta House of Care, a charity that provides free medical care to the uninsured. I also serve on the board of the North East (Connecticut) Area Agency on Aging and am active in Rotary. I have traveled India to give polio vaccinations, Nepal for a wedding, and England and France.”

CL ASS OF 1965

Alan B. Ashare, M.D. ’65 (right) and Edward A. Iannuccilli, M.D. ’65 (left) received Lifetime Achievement Awards from Brain In Play, a company that treats neurological disorders and concussions.

CL ASS OF 1967

Dick E. Lavigne, M.D. ’67

Dr. Lavigne writes, “I have been practicing primary care and endocrinology for 42 years in Albany, N.Y. There will always be a necessity for face-to-face contact with your patients despite elec-tronic medical record and “quality” requirements. Happily married for 46 years, three children, and six grandchildren. Best of luck to AMC and the Class of 1967.”

A. John Popp, M.D. ’67

Dr. Popp was the 45th Donald D. Matson Lecturer and commencement speaker for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital —Boston Children’s Hospital neurosurgical training program in 2016. Dr. Popp also gave a presentation on leadership at the World Academy of Neurological Surgeons in Athens, Greece, in September. He is professor emeritus in the Department of Neurosurgery at Albany Medical Center.

CL ASS OF 1967

Anita Balodis, M.D. ’70

Dr. Balodis writes, “I am board certified in Family Medicine and Holistic Medicine and was awarded the Spirit of Planetree Physician Champion Award by Elmhurst Memorial Hospital (EMH) in Elmhurst, Ill. After 42 years at EMH (40 of them in solo practice), I have had the least amount of admissions because I teach my patients how to maintain a healthy life style.”

Michael R. Fischetti, Jr., M.D. ’70

Dr. Fischetti writes, “Since my retirement six years ago, my wife, Marilyn, and I have become actively involved in the effects of inequality in our city, Mountain View, Calif., the heart of Silicon Valley—home to Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. We have worked to increase the minimum wage and get rent control passed to provide support for displaced individuals, families and children. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with many retired professionals who volunteer in our community.”

CL ASS OF 1971

Michael R. Sorrell, M.D. ’71

Dr. Sorrell writes, “I am practicing neurology in Springfield, Mass. but no longer on night and week-end call, which is a great relief and pleasure. I also teach at Baystate Medical Center Anesthesiologists in Pain Medicine and serve as editor-in-chief of MYOPAIN, a journal of myofascial pain and fibromyalgia.”

CLASS NOTES

22 | alumni.amc.edu

CL ASS OF 1973

Winford A. Quick, M.D. ’73

Dr. Quick writes, “I will be retiring from the General Motors Company Medical Department following a 36- year career in Occupational Medicine; the last 20 years as the Medical Director at the Tonawanda Engine Plant, Powertrain Division of General Motors in Buffalo, N.Y.”

CL ASS OF 1975

Theodore H. Zeltner, M.D. ’75

Dr. Zeltner writes, “I was appointed Chief Medical Officer at Whitney Young Health Center in Albany, N.Y.”

CL ASS OF 1978

Lorraine E. Davis, M.D. ’78

Dr. Davis writes, “I closed my private family medicine office in Schoharie after 33 years, and am now working at Hometown Health, a federally-qualified health center for the underserved, in Amsterdam, N.Y. I am also the medical director for the county health department, and chemical dependency and mental health clinics. Working half-time is great!”

CL ASS OF 1981

Steven C. Kaufman, M.D. ’81

Dr. Kaufman writes, “I continue to enjoy working for the Contra-ception Research Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at NIH, living in Rockville, Md. and contra dancing in Glen Echo, Md. (among other places).”

Douglas A. Tebor, M.D. ’81

Dr. Tebor writes, “2016 marked my 35th and 31th anniversary as an Albany Med graduate and psychiatry resident graduate. I continue to be very grateful to Albany Medical College for my career opportunity! Greetings to all.”

CL ASS OF 1983

Hal Farber, M.D. ’83

Dr. Farber writes,” I am a contributing author for a chapter on Viral Infections in the text “Primary Care Dermatology.” I am a guest lecturer on Medical Dermatologic Therapeutics that enhances Aesthetic Outcomes and have presented as far away as Vietnam. I live in Philadelphia and am the founding director of the Center for Dermatology, Laser and Cosmetic Surgery.”

CL ASS OF 1984

Anthony L. Ritaccio, M.D. ’84

Dr. Ritaccio and his colleagues at Albany Medical Center and the New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center hosted world scientists and neurologists at the 10th annual International Workshop on Advances in Electrocorticography in San Diego, November 10-11, 2016. Dr. Ritaccio is the J. Spencer Standish professor of neurology and neurosurgery and director of the epilepsy and human brain mapping program at Albany Medical Center.

CL ASS OF 1985

Michael S. Lauer, M.D. ’85

Dr. Lauer writes: “In October 2015, I was appointed NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research (NIH DDER). In my new role, I serve as the principal scientific leader and advisor to the Director of the NIH on all matters relating to the substance, quality, and effectiveness of the NIH extramural research program and administration. Along with the NIH Director Francis Collins and NIH Deputy Director for Policy Kathy Hudson, I recently published an essay in JAMA on NIH’s reforms of its clinical trial enterprise.”

CLASS NOTES

CL ASS OF 1987

Ursula A. Matulonis, M.D. ’87

In December 2016, Dr. Matulonis received an honorary degree from Harvard Medical School, and was appointed professor of medicine. She serves as medical director and program leader of the Medical Gynecologic Oncology Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass.

Dr. Matulonis is a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

WINTER 2017 | 23

Robert J. Ziltzer, M.D. ’87

Dr. Ziltzer writes, “I changed from primary care internal medi-cine/pediatrics to obesity medicine in 2007. I co-founded Scottsdale Weight Loss Center, opening my fourth clinic in 2016. SWLC provides medical weight loss services throughout the Phoenix Metropolitan area.

CL ASS OF 1988

Conrad T. Fischer, M.D. ’88

Dr. Fischer writes, “I was named vice-chair of medicine in addition to residency program director at Brookdale University Medical Center in New York City.”

CL ASS OF 1990

Christopher L. Campese, M.D. ’90, M.S. ’15

In December 2016, Dr. Campese was elected as Secretary of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA) for 2017. He was elected to a one-year term at their 2016 Annual Meeting in New York.

Dr. Campese, a NYSSA mem-ber since 1991, will work as part of the Executive Committee on membership issues and other matters. In addition, he is a member of NYSSA’s Governmental Affairs and Communications Committees and chairman of the Bylaws and Rules Committee.

Dr. Campese is a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and former board president.

David I. Shapiro, M.D. ’90

Dr. Shapiro writes, “In July 2016, I completed my first Ironman Triathlon in 13 hours, 20 minutes at age 52 in Lake Placid, N.Y. “

CL ASS OF 1991

Anthony M. Szema, M.D. ’91

Dr. Szema writes, “I am the founder and CEO of RDS2 Therapeutics, a seed start-up pharmaceutical company which has a Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) Hyaluronan drug to cure pulmonary fibrosis. I won the Startupalooza New York City competition (August 2016) at the Microsoft Store in Manhattan. Note: RD stands for the late Robert E. Dutton, Jr., M.D., Albany Med professor of medicine and physiology and RPI professor of biomedical engineering, my first mentor at the American Heart Association High School student summer pro-gram at Albany Medical College. MC. S2 stands for the late Sami I. Said, M.D., Distinguished SUNY professor and mentor.”

CL ASS OF 1992

Tyrone G. Bristol, M.D. ’92

Dr. Bristol writes, “I moved to the Triangle Area of North Carolina and joined the UNC Healthcare as medical director of pediatrics at Panther Creek (the newest faculty practice) and am clinical professor of pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. I’m looking forward to seeing my classmates in April for our 25th Reunion.”

CL ASS OF 1994

Alan Boulos, M.D. ’94

In September 2016, Dr. Boulos gave presentations at the World Academy of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting and the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies 2016 Congress. Both meetings were held in Athens, Greece, in September. He is chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and Stall Chair of Endovascular Neurosurgery at Albany Medical Center.

CL ASS OF 1995

Patricia Donahue Chernosky, M.D. ’95

In August 2016, Dr. Donahue Chernosky joined the newly established Women’s Wellness Associates at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA. She is also an instructor at UMASS Medical School.

CL ASS OF 1996

Gary Patry, M.S. ’96

Mr. Patry writes, “I’m working at Merck as Marketing Lead for a set of Bladder Cancer Indications.”

CL ASS OF 1997

Peter T. Skaff, M.D. ’97

Dr. Skaff, writes, “I’m in my 14th year of practice in neurology with the Mercy Medical Group in Sacramento, California, and am currently serving as chairman of neuroscience at Mercy San Juan Medical Center, the region’s only

CLASS NOTES

24 | alumni.amc.edu

CLASS NOTES

Joint Commission Certified, Comprehensive Stroke Center. I am also Team Captain for DHNI Cycling; we have raised more than $190,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society over the last 7 years.”

CL ASS OF 1998

Michael J. Zapor, M.D. ’98, Ph.D.

Dr. Zapor writes, “I have been appointed Deputy Commander for Operations at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in Silver Spring, Md. The WRAIR is the largest biomedical research activity in the Department of Defense, with branches located in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Caucuses, as well as the Continental United States.”

CL ASS OF 2000

Gregory S. Lavigne, M.D. ’00

In August 2016, Dr. Lavigne joined the Pardee Hospital Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics team, a department of Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, N.C.

CL ASS OF 2005

Michael W. Kessler, M.D. ’05

Dr. Kessler writes, “I was recently named chief of hand & elbow surgery and residency program director, Department of orthopaedic surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.”

Gabe Smolarz, M.D. ’05

Dr. Smolarz writes, “I am approaching my second-year anniversary at Novo Nordisk Inc. (Plainsboro NJ), as medical director of obesity, U.S. Medical Affairs. I have also started a concierge endocrinology practice in Robbinsville N.J., where I offer traditional house calls. With my Albany Med Master’s in Bioethics, I currently co-chair of the Medical Ethics committee at University Medical Center at Princeton, leading clinical ethics consultations.”

CL ASS OF 2008

Blake Moore, M.D. ’08

Dr. Moore’s article, “Biomech- anical Consequences of Adding Plantar Fascia Release to Metatarsal Osteotomies: Changes in Forefoot Plantar Pressures,” was published in the June 2016 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.

Jason T. Patregnani, M.D. ’08

In August 2016, Dr. Patregnani joined Washington D.C.’s Children’s National Heart Institute’s Division of Cardiac Critical Care Medicine as a faculty member. He is an attending in the cardiac ICU, and will be pursuing a NIH K12 grant supported research on platelet activity in the context of aspirin therapy in patients undergoing Fontan palliation for single ventricle physiology.

CL ASS OF 2009

Megan Applewhite, M.D. ’09

In October 2016, Dr. Applewhite joined Albany Medical Center’s Department of Surgery and was appointed assistant professor of surgery and assistant professor of biomedical ethics at the Alden March Bioethics Institute at Albany Medical College.

Melissa Leber, M.D. ’09

In September 2016, Dr. Leber was part of a multidisciplinary team of physicians from New York City Mount Sinai Hospital who provided medical services for the US Open Tennis Tournament. She is assistant professor of sports medicine in the Leni and Peter W. May department of orthopaedic surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and director of emergency department, Sports Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West.

Christopher Macomber, M.D. ’09

Dr. Macomber writes, “I have recently joined Surgical Specialists of Minnesota, a 10 surgeon specialty general surgery group in Minneapolis and am practicing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, part of the Allina Health System. The practice is 25% Acute Care Surgery and the other 75% performing general, minimally invasive and robotic surgery with a focus on complex GI/foregut surgery and MIS/robotic hernia and abdominal wall reconstruction. I continue to work in med tech with two start-ups, consult and focus on medical device development.”

WINTER 2017 | 25

Giovanna M. Mahar, C.R.N.A., M.S. ’09

In July 2016, Ms. Mahar was promoted to Assistant Center Director for the Center for Nurse Anesthesiology.

CL ASS OF 2010

Ruth M. Morgan, M.D. ’10

In September 2016, Dr. Morgan achieved the Degree of Fellow of the American Academy of Fami-ly Physicians (AAFP). The degree was conferred on more than 140 family physicians during a convocation ceremony in conjunction with the AAFP’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Morgan is a family physician in San Antonia, Texas.

Karen E. Patricia, M.D. ’10

Dr. Patricia writes, “In June 2016, I completed my fellowship in neonatology at Baylor College of Medicine and accepted a job as assistant professor with Baylor College of Medicine in the Community Neonatology program and will be on the opening staff of the Texas Children’s Hospital in the Woodlands, Texas. I completed my Masters in Medical Education in May 2016 at the University of Houston.”

Sabah A. Shah, M.D. ’10

In December 2016, Dr. Shah joined the Retina Group of New York, on Long Island, and will be specializing in uveitis and vitreoretinal surgery.

CL ASS OF 2011

Josh M. Lennon, M.D. ’11

Dr. Lennon writes, “We welcomed a new daughter, Aviya Sydney.”

Julia Mathew, M.D. ’11

In July 2016, Dr. Mathew joined Highland Ophthalmology Associates in Windsor, N.Y. She completed her Cornea Fellowship at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York City.

CL ASS OF 2012

Beamy S. Sharma, M.D. ’12

Dr. Sharma writes, “I completed my residency in anesthesiology at NYU in 2016 and am starting a regional anesthesia fellowship at UCSD. I love being back in California! I am getting married this August.”

CL ASS OF 2015

Shari Esquenazi, M.S. ’15

Dr. Esquenazi writes, “I recently completed the Yale University’s Summer Institute in Interdisci-plinary Bioethics with honors, and will return to campus to instruct a summer seminar in 2017. My writing has been featured in the American Bar Association’s Health Law Newsletter and Dialogue, a philosophy journal. I’ve also completed a clinical ethics internship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and am pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health with a focus on Behavioral Sciences. In January, I served as an ethics expert on a panel discussing “Bodyhacking” in Austin, Texas.”

CL ASS OF 2016

Ajay Major, M.D. ’16 and Aleena Paul, M.D. ’16

Drs. Major and Paul’s book, “in-Training Stories from Tomorrow’s Physicians” was favorably reviewed by the British Medical Journal in on Aug. 19, 2016. In addition, the book is now required reading for Rice University’s new minor in medical humanities.

CLASS NOTES

Share Your News!The Alumni Association is happy to pass along your news and messages to fellow

classmates and community members. If you would like to share an announcement,

news or update regarding your professional and/or personal life, please contact:

[email protected].

26 | alumni.amc.edu

James H. Cleary, M.D. ’51

James Dougherty, M.D. ’51

Stephen E. Monaghan, M.D. ’53

Clifford H. Casey, M.D. ’55

William H. Meyer, Jr., M.D. ’55

T. Donald Eisenstein, M.D. ’56

Antoine C. Harovas, M.D. ’60

Ethan T. Colton, III, M.D. ’61

G. Dwight Maud, M.D. ’62

Myron G. Schultz, M.D. ’62

George J. Roff, M.D. ’65

Roy W. Stevens, Ph.D. ’65

Alan J. Silverstein, M.D. ’72

John A. Balint, M.D., (Hon.) ’83

Tara Hennessey, M.D. ’98

Stephanie J. Van Dyke, M.D. ’09

Myron G. Schultz, D.V.M., M.D. ’62The March 5, 2016 issue of The New York Times marked the passing of alumnus Dr. Myron Schultz, Class of 1962, in an article highlighting his career as director of parasitic diseases in the Division of Epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notable was his work detecting a cluster of pneumonia cases that helped to identify the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s.

Dr. Schultz passed away on February 19, 2016.

James Dougherty, M.D. ’51A leader in the field of orthopedics and instrumental in the founding of the practice that is today’s Bone and Joint Center in Albany, N.Y., Dr. Dougherty was a beloved and respected doctor in the community. He had a long and distinguished history of service to Albany Medical Center, Albany Medical College and the Alumni Association. He served as an attending surgeon and chief of staff at Albany Medical Center, professor emeritus at Albany Medical College and was president of the Alumni Association from 1994 to 1996. He received the Meritorious Service Award from the Albany Medical College Alumni Association in 1996.

Dean Vincent P. Verdile, M.D. ’84 fondly remembers him: “Dr. Dougherty had an exceptional influence on me while I was a student at Albany Med. His legacy lives on in the medical students and residents he helped train here at Albany Medical Center.”

Dr. Dougherty passed away on November 2, 2016.

James H. Puleo, M.D. ’61A two-term president of the Albany Medical College Alumni Association, from 1986-1988 and 1991-1992 respectively, Dr. Puleo had a notable medical career spanning 46 years. He practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology in Albany starting in 1965. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968. He was the recipient of many awards throughout his medical career including the Meritorious Service Award from the Albany Medical College Alumni Association in 1990. In 2006, he was recognized as a Laureate Awardee by the American College of Physicians. He served on numerous boards and was a tireless advocate for patients.

Anthony C. Campagna, M.D. ’85, president of the Alumni Association, shares, “We are proud of Dr. Puleo’s accomplishments and thankful for his remarkable commitment. His friendship to the College will be missed.”

Dr. Puleo passed away on December 4, 2016.

I N M E M O R I A M

W E M O U R N T H E PA S S I N G O F T H E F O L L O W I N G C L A S S M AT E S :

WINTER 2017 | 27

John A. Balint, M.D., (Hon.) ’83 After over three decades of dedicated service to Albany Medical College as a researcher, practicing physician, administrator, and mentor, when some people might consider retirement, John Balint in the early 1990’s was just beginning to redefine his career. It was during this time that I first met John at the University of Chicago, Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, when we were both members of the 1993-1994 Fellowship class.

John sought out this fellowship opportunity to prepare himself to lead the new Center for Medical Ethics which would be charged with teaching a new course that was being created in the curriculum reform process called Health, Care, and Society (HCS). As one of the leaders of this four-year longitudinal course, John was now able to focus on his deepest passion in medicine: the physician- patient relationship and the elements of good doctoring.

John often said his interest in the physician-patient relationship was passed along to him from his father, Michael Balint, the prominent physician-psychoanalyst and early thought leader on this topic. As a small boy growing up in Budapest, Hungary, John told me the story of joining his dad on a trip to Vienna to visit Sigmund Freud, where John played under Freud’s desk while the two men talked about their patients. Though John went on to study medicine at Cambridge University in England, and then received advanced training in gastroenterology both in England and the United States, he maintained an interest in his father’s work, which included The Doctor, The Patient, and His Illness originally published in 1957.

John came to Albany Medical College in 1963 to head the new division of gastroenterology and to put an indelible mark on the institution to which he dedicated most of his life. From having leading roles in NIH research grants, to serving as chair of the Department of Medicine and being an invaluable mentor and teacher to many students, residents, and fellows, John was a remarkably well-rounded physician-scientist. But most of all, he was the consummate clinician—a good doctor in the mold of great doctors since Osler. One can hardly imagine better preparation, along with a fellowship in medical ethics, for leading the new program in ethics in Albany.

John was a visionary who never stopped dreaming about new possibilities. He was excited to support the joint Albany Medical College/Union Graduate College Master’s of Science in bioethics as well as the new Distinction in Bioethics for our medical students, both of which began in 2001. By the time John stepped down from the directorship, the Center for Medical Ethics had become the Alden March Bioethics Institute, which has continued to grow and flourish.

Though we mourn his loss, we also celebrate his remarkable life and work. He will be greatly missed, but the work he was so dedicated to and his memory will continue.

Remembrance submitted by Wayne N. Shelton, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Bioethics, Albany Medical College

Editor’s Note: Dr. Balint’s daughter, Jane P. Balint, M.D. ’89 is an alumna of the College.

I N M E M O R I A M

“ Dr. Balint was simply a

wonderful man. It is hard

to put into words how

much we will miss him.

He was the consummate

academic physician,

and we were fortunate

to have him with us for

so long.”

— Dean Vincent P. Verdile, MD, ’84

A L U M N I O F F I C E ( M C - 5 ) P 4 8 0 0 A L B A N Y M E D I C A L C O L L E G E


Albany, NY 12208

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

ALBANY, NY

PERMIT NO. 187

Y O U R G I F T T O T H E A L U M N I A N N U A L F U N D

P R O V I D E S E S S E N T I A L S U P P O R T F O R :

Financial Aid | Research projects | Faculty development | Technological advancements | Student advocacy initiatives

Your gift touches nearly every aspect of life at Albany Medical College.

Visit: alumni.amc.edu/annualfund, or simply use the enclosed envelope for your convenience.

www.facebook.com/amcalumniassociation

2 17 - Albany Medical Center · 2 17 WEEKEND Friday, April 28-Sunday, April 30 ... outstanding care at Albany Med. We made our bequest to fund an endowed scholarship at Albany Medical

Documents