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DOTHAN, Ala – Southeast Health is proud to announce we have been named to the Forbes list of Best-in-State Employers for 2022. This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The awards list was announced today, and it can currently be viewed on the Forbes website.

America’s Best-in-State Employers 2022 were identified in an independent survey based on a vast sample of approximately 70,000 Americans working for companies with more than 500 employees in the USA. Across 25 industry sectors, 1,380 employer brands were ranked among the top employers.

The evaluation was based on direct and indirect recommendations from employees who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. Employees were also asked to evaluate other employers in their respective industry and state that stood out either positively or negatively.

“Delivering excellent patient care and top-notch educational experiences begins with great employees, which is why we constantly strive to improve the work experience for our 3,000 team members.” said Rick Sutton, chief executive officer of Southeast Health. “This distinction is special considering the challenging environment we have been operating in during the past two years. I am proud of the dedication and resiliency our team has demonstrated during this time. They are what makes our organization great, and they are the reason we continue to win awards for quality, safety, and now as one of the state’s top-employers.”

About Southeast Health

Southeast Health, which includes the region’s largest not-for-profit hospital, is a community-based academic health system dedicated to improving health and wellness for residents of southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. Southeast Health system includes the Medical Center, Medical Group, Foundation, Statera Network, and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM). The Medical Center is a 420 bed regional referral center serving more than 460,000 residents. It is one of three certified Comprehensive Stroke Centers in Alabama, and is recognized as a Level II Trauma Center and Chest Pain Center. In addition, Southeast Health has the regions only NICU with specialty trained neonatologists.

DOTHAN, Ala – The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) recently announced organizational changes to the division of Clinical Sciences, as well as an addition to the Dean’s Cabinet.

The ACOM division of Clinical Sciences has implemented organizational changes to better streamline its functionality and organized its faculty into three departments, Primary Care Medicine and Specialty Medicine, and Osteopathic Principles and Practices.

The department of Primary Care Medicine, led by Martin Clemmons, DO, FACIO, includes Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Praful Patel, MD, FACOG, is heading up the department of Specialty Medicine that encompasses fields such as Emergency Medicine, General Surgery and OB/GYN.  Thomas Fotopoulos, DO, will continue to lead the department of Osteopathic Principles and Practices.

“These changes should allow for greater communication and comradery among our faculty,” said Stevan Walkowski, DO, FAAMA, associate dean of Clinical Sciences.

The departments meet on a regular basis to share ideas and concerns unique to the medicine they practice.  Creating three academic departments with three chairs offers greater representation and an opportunity to handle problems as they arise with good and reasonable solutions.

Meanwhile, the Dean’s Cabinet is pleased to announce Jonathan Leo, Ph.D., has assumed the role of senior assistance dean of Student Advancement. In addition, Dr. Leo will continue his duties as professor of Anatomy with his teaching responsibilities.

The senior assistant dean of Student Advancement is a new role at ACOM focusing on student success that will support the school’s growth and our strategic plan priority of academic excellence. Within our new division of Medical Education, the senior assistant dean of Student Advancement will serve as the strategic and operational champion to enhance student success by developing and implementing advancement strategies for learning, engagement, retention and program completion.

In his new role, Dr. Leo will oversee the Center for Academic and Career Excellence. He will work closely with the academic deans, the associate dean of Student Services, and the vice president of Institutional Effectiveness to support student development, academic achievement and ACOM’s mission and values.

Dr. Leo has 27 years of anatomy and neuroanatomy teaching experience at osteopathic schools. He is also a well-respected researcher and writer, as well as having held multiple leadership roles in medical education, which includes associate dean of students and graduate programs

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) Board of Directors recently approved the construction of a new open-air pavilion and the development of several acres into a community garden with fruit- and vegetable-producing plants on the ACOM campus. This addition serves as the campus’s latest expansion that will offer unique opportunities for learning.

This project will create an outdoor space for student and faculty events. The open-air pavilion will feature a covered area with audience seating for up to 224 people and table-and-chair seating for smaller groups. This covered area may also be used informally for outdoor eating and study on a regular basis.

The exterior of the pavilion will be designed to coordinate with the main ACOM facility. Construction is planned to begin in Summer 2022. Simultaneously, a task group will work with landscape designers to plan the garden areas.

The new pavilion and community garden were envisioned and planned with the assistance of many faculty and staff. This project represents ACOM’s continued commitment to its core values through the development of innovative areas for enhanced learning and campus life.

ACOM is pleased to share the following medical student appointments to leadership positions with several national and regional associations and groups for 2022.

Melanie Weyers, Class of 2023, has been elected as National Board of Directors Chairperson for the Student Osteopathic Medical Association.

Tiffany Wood, Class of 2023, has been appointed as Student Council President for the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Donatine Afful, Class of 2024, has been appointed education subcommittee co-chair for the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Jennifer Ra, Class of 2024, has been appointed as Membership/Recruitment Representative for the Medical Student Council with the Association of Academic Physiatrists.

Kyle Cohen, ACOM Simulation Fellow, has been appointed as Southcentral Representative for the Emergency Medical Residents Association Medical Student Council.

Joshua D. Collingwood, Class of 2025, has been named Vice-Chair for the Medical Student Section with the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

Logan Carlyle, Class of 2023, has been named ACOM Council Representative for the Medical Student Section with the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

Dominic J. Gigliotti, ACOM Anatomy and OPP Fellow, has been appointed to the Special Commission on Osteopathic Medical Licensure Assessment for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) as the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents representative.

ACOM commends these students for their leadership achievements.

In advance of Match Day on March 18, the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is pleased to announce the early residency match results for several students from the Class of 2022.

Match Day is an iconic milestone for a medical student as it signifies the shift to a new phase of medical education – residency, a multi-year program with intensive training in a specific specialty. In their final year of medical school, students apply and interview with residency programs where they may want to train in the future. The students and programs rank each other respectively through the National Residency Match Program that runs a computerized algorithm to determine the match. Those match results are revealed, with much anticipation, on Match Day. Certain programs, such as ophthalmology and the military, complete their match processes separately and announce those results in advance.

ACOM is proud of each of these students for their achievements and looks forward to celebrating the Class of 2022 Match Day later this month.

Ophthalmology Match

Tuba Mirza
Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital Program
Ophthalmology
Madison Heights, MI

Military Match

Benjamin Duong
Madigan Army Medical Center
Internal Medicine
Army
Tacoma, WA

Carleigh Fisher
San Antonio Military Medical Center
Pediatrics
Air Force
San Antonio, TX

Rachel Katz
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Internal Medicine
Navy
Bethesda, MD

Megan Pranger
San Antonio Military Medical Center
Internal Medicine
Air Force
San Antonio, TX

Wendy Richardson
Portsmouth Naval Medicine Center
Pediatrics
Air Force
Portsmouth, VA

Caroline Clark, Class of 2022, has been named ACOM’s 2021-2022 Student Doctor of the Year (SDOY). Each year, the ACOM Student Government Association requests nominations of students who demonstrate the principles of leadership, community service, dedication and professionalism. Osteopathic colleges across the country select one student from their institutions to compete for the national SDOY award.

Clark considers herself a Southeastern transplant, having moved to Alabama from New York nearly 10 years ago. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences with a minor in philosophy from Auburn University. Clark first learned about osteopathic medicine during ACOM’s fall open house and was immediately drawn to the idea of treating patients past their routine medical needs.

“The osteopathic approach to whole-body wellness with an emphasis on patient-centered care really stood out to me, and I knew this was the medical education I wanted,” Clark said. “ACOM’s faculty, staff, and overall environment felt welcoming from the moment I arrived. I soon understood the relationships I was building at ACOM among my peers, the faculty, and administration would challenge and encourage me to become the best physician I could be.”

Clark served as SGA President for the Class of 2022 before moving to Decatur, Ala., to complete her clinical training. She says her most rewarding experience has been being part of the care team for several 23- and 24-week-old newborns in the Neonatal ICU.

“Here I found my calling in medicine during the encounters with both patients and their families. Although the NICU can be a heartbreaking place at times, there was nothing more gratifying and inspiring than sending a child home with their family,” she explained.

Clark plans to pursue a pediatrics residency and ultimately, either a fellowship in neonatology or other pediatrics subspecialty. She hopes to return to the east coast when she completes training to be closer to family and friends.

As Student Doctor of the Year, Clark will represent ACOM for the national Council of Osteopathic Student Government President’s SDOY competition this spring.

“I am overcome with gratitude for both my peers who nominated me and the selection committee who awarded me this honor, for it is truly humbling to receive such a title,” Clark said. “ACOM has provided me with academic and leadership opportunities that have molded my professional identity, and for this I will always be deeply thankful. Moving forward, I hope to represent all ACOM stands for with integrity and enthusiasm.”

Second-year students from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) participated in a day-long, joint Interprofessional Education (IPE) medical simulation session on Friday, February 11, 2022, with students from Wallace Community College Dothan (WCCD) and Troy University Dothan. The event was held in the Health Sciences Simulation Center located inside the Heersink Family Health Science Building on the Wallace Campus in Dothan.

During the session, students from each institution worked together to care for a standardized patient, with the goal of gaining a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities each profession has in patient care.

This session is part of an ongoing series of collaborative events between WCCD nursing students, ACOM medical students, and Troy University Dothan nursing and social work students. The program is designed to underscore the value of team-based healthcare. The students were placed in interprofessional groups to encourage collaborative teamwork and problem-solving. The students participated in breakout sessions for a team-building exercise, followed by a case study segment in which each team member was assigned specific roles.

“Wallace is pleased to host this Interprofessional education simulation,” said Dr. Jacqueline Spivey, WCCD Division Director, Associate Degree Nursing. “This simulation allows different members of the healthcare team to communicate with each other to benefit the patient outcomes as well as the healthcare team members cooperative care. This simulation does benefit the students by preparing them for the world outside of the classroom. We are proud to once again partner with ACOM and Troy. As always, it is such an exciting day to see how the groups interact in such a collegial manner to enhance quality patient care.”

“Interprofessional education is experiential learning at its finest, revealing medical team management through experiencing each medical person’s role in healthcare,” said John T. Giannini Jr., MD, ACOM Associate Professor of Internal Medicine/Director of Simulation.

“The Troy University Dothan Campus students have participated in this event for several years now and truly enjoy the experience,” says Rachel Walker, lecturer, Troy Social Work department. “For many students, it is their first time interacting with multiple disciplines. We appreciate the partnership TROY has with Wallace Community College and Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine and look forward to many more years of continued, mutual support for our students and institutions.”

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) held the 2022 Wiregrass District Science Fair on Friday, January 28, at the National Peanut Festival in Dothan. This year’s event showcased approximately 100 elementary, middle and high school projects from Geneva and Houston counties.

The District Science Fair is an important event that gives students the opportunity to showcase what they have learned in their appropriate level math and science courses. Middle and high school students can progress to the Regional and State Fairs. High school State Fair winners can move on to the virtual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held May 8-13, 2022. The event helps elementary school students learn the process of science fairs and gain experience in oral presentations, with the hope of inspiring them to participate throughout middle and high school. ACOM engaged schools and teachers across the region to encourage participation in the District Science Fair. This year, 14 elementary, middle and high schools participated.

ACOM established the Wiregrass District Science Fair in 2015, and to date, it continues to be one of the college’s largest annual community outreach initiatives. An integral part of this initiative is student mentorship. Each year, medical students serve as mentors for school-age children through the project development process, with the goal of encouraging future careers in science and healthcare fields.

A complete list of 2022 fair winners is included below.

Greg Jacobs, DO, DTM&H, CTropMed, FACEP, FAAEM, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM), has been selected by the American Medical Association (AMA) as a 2021-2022 Health Systems Science Scholar. Health Systems Science is the study of how health care is delivered, how health care professionals work together to provide that care, and how the health system can improve patient care and health care delivery.

The Health Science Scholars program, an initiative of the AMA’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium, is a development and mentorship program that equips select faculty from across the nation with the tools and skills to design, implement and evaluate health systems science curricula at their institutions. The program strives to improve healthcare by addressing gaps in undergraduate and graduate medical education through faculty training to enhance and innovate curricula. As part of the year-long scholars program, Dr. Jacobs will participate in educational workshops and training experiences, as well as collaborate with fellow medical education scholars. He is one of four DO faculty chosen nationwide, and ACOM is the only Alabama medical school to participate in this year’s scholars’ program.

Dr. Jacobs is a board-certified emergency physician with 20 years of clinical experience. He recently completed fellowship training in global health and is currently pursuing Master of Science degrees in health care quality and safety and health care administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Jacobs contributes to clinical education across the ACOM curriculum, including teaching in the simulation program, Foundations in Modern Healthcare course, and international medicine.

“It is my hope this Health Systems Science Scholars program will help expose future physicians to the leadership needs and opportunities that will impact health care delivery in rural Alabama and beyond,” Dr. Jacobs said.

A team of second-year students from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) won the International Virtual Patient Challenge hosted by Body Interact on December 11, 2021.

The Virtual Patient Challenge is a competition in which student teams are presented with emergent clinical scenarios that require medical knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork and communication to save the simulated virtual patient. The ACOM team previously won the National Virtual Patient Challenge on March 2, hosted by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). Nine teams from seven countries competed in the international event representing Bosnia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Portugal, Russia and the US.

The nine teams, each composed of three active participants, from across the globe competed in the same two cases simultaneously, with the winners of each competition advancing. ACOM students went head-to-head against Portugal in the international finals on Saturday, where they clenched the victory and secured the title of World Champions. In the final round, the ACOM team was presented with a complex case requiring a high sense of urgency, in which a patient had multiple trauma injuries, including a ruptured spleen and pelvic fracture.

ACOM’s Simulation Curriculum Coordinator, Dianne Walker, spent extensive time with the team to prepare them for the competition.

“A major emphasis that we bring to every simulated encounter here at ACOM is the importance of critical thinking and clinical reasoning to derive at the correct clinical diagnosis and treatment of the patient leading to a successful outcome in ensuring patient safety,” Walker said. “I have never felt so proud of these three students as they represented the United States. It was very emotional and at times gut wrenching as they worked through some very touch cases calmly and professionally.”

John T. Giannini Jr., MD, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of Simulation at ACOM, trained this group of students in weekly sessions leading up to the International Virtual Patient Challenge. Since winning the national competition in the spring, this ACOM team has continued training to strengthen their skills, communication and teamwork. The intense preparation helped ensure that the ACOM team could use their dynamic teamwork structure to excel in the competition.

“The SIMps have been working together over the past few months preparing for this competition and have really transformed into a wonderful healthcare team,” Giannini said. “They work well together – listening and respecting each other’s opinions and insights to caring/treating the patient. They stayed calm in a very high risk, emergent medical situation along with the expected pressures to perform well amongst their competitors around the world and representing ACOM at their best!”

The SIMps team includes Will Laidig, Arianne Serrano, Brian Lewis, Elizabeth Vandervort and Conor Willis.