OSU Pride Works honors Ryan Miller

OSU Pride is demonstrated in the way we handle our customers, work with our team mates, view our jobs and ourselves.  It is believing that we have an advantage because we are associated with something that is of high quality and worthy of respect.

Ryan Miller, well-known for his OSU pride, displays a college flag in his office window on the OSU-CHS main campus. Inside his office, photos and OSU-branded items lines walls and tabletops. Miller promotes the association and the school as he takes the impressive OSU convention display to osteopathic medicine events across the nation.

A nomination from Toni Hart says, “I think Ryan Miller exemplifies OSU Pride better than anyone. Ryan has been exceptionally helpful when I needed information for federal reporting.  But, most of all, Ryan talks the talk and walks the walk for OSU. He is a graduate of OSU and lets you know that he is proud to be an alumni.  He is out in the community among our medical school graduates and he represents the college as a professional.  He dresses in his Orange Power when appropriate.  Ryan has been a great asset to that department and he always does his job with a smile.  I think that Ryan’s attitude tells you how much he enjoys his job and this school. I am proud to know Ryan and I always trust that he will represent us well.”

A nomination from Reneé Motte Williams says in part, “Ryan shows his pride every day of the week. He is an OSU graduate and very proud of it.  Ryan works hard and goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to making sure our name gets out there.  He is always thinking of ways to put us in the public eye in a visible way, and enjoys doing it. Everything in his office, from the ceiling to the floor, and all over the outside of his door, says ‘I LOVE OSU!’  He’s got the spirit, that’s for sure.”

Read more about Miller in Rounds Sept. 2005 issue.

Alum honored during State of the State address

January’s ice storm pummeled McAlester, Okla., knocking out power and shutting down most businesses.  Gov. Brad Henry said in his State of the State address in February that the storms are a powerful reminder of what can happen when Oklahomans pull together.

In his address Henry said, “When the storms knocked out power in much of McAlester, the hospital's emergency room became swamped with patients. A general practitioner in town, Dr. Gregory Rogers, decided he needed to do his part to help. While much of McAlester was at a standstill, Dr. Rogers opened his office to treat any and all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. And, because there was no power, he worked by flashlight and candlelight. He simply did what he had to do.”  

“Dr. Rogers and his wife, Judy, are with us in the gallery today, and we are honored by their presence.” 

Rogers, a 1983 graduate of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, gets high praise from his front office supervisor Patti Peterson, too.  “We worked for three days without electricity, the first day with only Coleman lanterns and flashlights,” she said. The clinic treated injuries, flu, pneumonia, and even had an emergency procedure, Peterson said.

Rogers is emphatic about acknowledging everyone who pitched in after the storm. “I told the governor I was pleased (with the honor) but wanted to accept it on behalf of all people who did good deeds,” Rogers says. 

“One of the things I mentioned to the governor and press was that this was just one good deed among thousands that took place.” Rogers said, citing an elderly patient brought in by a concerned neighbor who had checked on the person.

Working under primitive conditions was not entirely new to him. “It was sort of a familiar feeling for me. I have been in the army and in situations where we didn’t have good facilities for treating. When I was in the third infantry division in Germany we went into the woods to prepare for war. If someone was hurt doing guard duty at 2 a.m., I went out to take care of them.”

Rogers was chief of aerospace medicine at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from 1989-93 and was one of the first flight surgeons deployed to South Florida after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. He was awarded the Air Medal.  He also received the Space Operations badge for support of NASA’s manned space flight program.

“Dr. Rogers is caring, compassionate and dedicated to his profession and his patients,” says Peterson. “We are so proud of him.”

Upgrades funded for OSU Medical Center

The Oklahoma State Medical Authority approved $10.6 million in phase I capital improvement projects for the OSU Medical Center.

The projects, scheduled for completion by July 2008, include enhancements and/or expansions to residency program space, Labor & Delivery/NICU, and operating rooms, and the emergency department.  

Funding for the projects will come from the $40 million appropriation approved in 2006 by the state legislature.

Phase 1 projects include:

Residency Commons, Classroom, Sleep Room and Administration Space
Budget – $1 million
This project will convert non-clinical space into centralized classrooms, administration, sleep rooms and common areas to create settings to allow students, interns and residents to participate in an environment more conducive to didactic lectures and education.

• Provide modern technology and an efficient facility to enhance the resident training experience.
• Relocate residency administration space to allow for expansion of staff.
• Create 22 centralized sleep rooms and accompanying lounge and kitchen space for the residents.
• Create 3 new classrooms for educational use in the new area and existing library.

Labor & Delivery and NICU Renovation & Expansion
Budget – $3.5 million
This project will completely rebuild the Labor & Delivery and NICU, increasing bed capacity to 10 labor rooms, 2 triage rooms, 2 c-section
suites, and approximately 26 post-partum rooms.  The NICU will be built to accommodate 16 infants.
First phase activities – complete architectural drawings for new units, begin construction, and begin selected replacement of needed equipment that would be able to be transferred into new unit.

Operating Room Build-Out & Expansion
Budget – $6 million
This project will combine and rebuild the In-Patient & Out-Patient operating suites. Pending final architectural review, 10-12 suites will be built to accommodate current and planned caseload.

First phase activities – complete architectural drawings for new operating suites, begin construction of new suites, and begin selected replacement of needed equipment that would be able to be transferred into new suites. Additionally, office space in the POB would be built-out to accommodate newly recruited faculty.

Emergency Department Flow Optimization
Budget – $100,000
This project will make minor renovations to the existing triage, fast-track and registration areas to optimize the patient flow through the department.

John Fernandes, D.O., M.B.A., president and dean, said in a message to OSU-CHS personnel that these improvement projects for residency programs will directly and positively impact the number and quality of physicians serving Oklahoma patients.  “Our goal is to make OSU Medical Center a world-class facility for medical residency.  The phase I projects are an important step in that direction,” he wrote. 

Phase II projects will be reviewed and determined by the OSU Medical Authority this summer.

Annual report: State of the State’s Health

The OSU Center for Rural Health has released a study of the state’s rural health that provides a baseline assessment of health and health care of Oklahomans.

The State of the State’s Rural Health 2007 Edition presents a picture of Oklahomans’ health, including rates heart disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory disease. It also examines smoking, obesity, health insurance coverage and ratio of primary care physicians to population.

“Among other things, this report indicates that people in rural areas lack access to primary care to a greater extent than people in urban areas,” Val Schott, director of the rural health center, said.  Adding that the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine plans to increase its entering medical class size to help meet the need for more primary care physicians, he said, “Increased access to health care in rural communities contributes to the economic base of those communities, which helps alleviate the problem of less economic opportunity in rural Oklahoma,” Schott said.

Grogg shares travel wisdom

If there are 192 independent countries in the world, Dr. Stan Grogg has 67 more to go to.

He is an intrepid traveler who calculates he has been to 125 countries in 30 years of globe-trotting with wife Barbara, a nurse.  It makes him well-qualified to speak to the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s International Medicine Club members about travel and health. Many of the students will take part in medical mission trips, sometimes to third-world countries.

Grogg, a pediatrician, has been on numerous such trips, traveling to Africa and Mexico.  “It is so rewarding,” he says. “Especially Mexico, where the kids love you and are excited to have you there.”

He recommends several important steps, including proper immunizations before traveling, avoiding bad water, always using a straw with drinks, and stocking up on mosquito repellent, strong sun screen and Pepto-Bismol caplets. Other preparation includes equipment, clothing and insurance. Special preparation may be in order for travelers with medical conditions such as diabetes.

“Diarrhea is the most common disorder for travelers,” Grogg says. The Groggs invokes the “good restaurant” sign when deciding where to eat.  If it’s a busy place, the food is likely fresh.  Otherwise, avoid it.

Travel medicine wisdom

• Absolutely don’t drink the water or use ice
• Don’t eat raw food washed in water
• Don’t drink shower water
• Drink bottled water only that has an unbroken seal
• If you can’t boil or peel it, forget it
• Eat hot foods hot and cold foods cold
• Beware of dairy products
• Use the “good restaurant” sign

 Join Heart Walk on March 31

The American Heart Association’s Heart Walk will be Saturday, March 31, at LaFortune Park. Join the OSU-CHS team and help reach our $5,000 goal in corporate team pledges.

The walk distance is approximately 3.2 miles.  Opening ceremonies begin at 8 a.m. The walk begins at 9 a.m.

Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke are the leading causes of death in the United States, affecting more than 900,000 Americans each year.

To join the team, contact team captain Karen Senger by email or phone. Learn more about the walk and AHA.

OSU-CHS supports RedFork Main Street

OSU-CHS is supporting the RedFork Main Street project to revitalize Southwest Boulevard and the RedFork downtown area in Southwest Tulsa.

RedFork Main Street has applied for funding and will be notified in March if the project is approved.

RedFork boundaries are along and two blocks “deep” on Southwest Boulevard corridor (historic Route 66) from the east end of the Cyrus Avery Bridge southwest to 48th West Avenue. Boundaries extend a distance of two blocks in either direction along both sides of the corridor.

Main Street communities use both private and public partnerships along with private and government funding to stimulate economic growth, increase community pride, implement beautification projects and initiate other activities that enhance the livability and appeal of their downtown areas.

OSU-CHS has supported the project by providing promotional and event coordination assistance.  On Feb. 16, OSU-CHS will host a celebration luncheon honoring Southwest Tulsa businesses and individuals who have contributed funds to the project.  For more information, contact Karen Senger.

Learning technician Jeff Cole lauded by Faculty Senate

Jeff Cole, learning technician for the audio-visual department learning technology services, was recognized by the OSU-CHS Faculty Senate at its January meeting for his service to the faculty and the faculty senate.

Dr. Stan Grogg presented Cole with a certificate of appreciation. Cole maintains presentation equipment for three classrooms and three labs and provides service for equipment including projectors, computers, document cameras and audio equipment.

 “I enjoy making equipment work for a positive environment for education,” said Cole, who is completing requirements for a degree in mechanical engineering.

Seeing red

Round of Applause

Congratulations to these employees, who graduated from OSU Human Resource Training Certificate Programs in 2006.

• RO3 grant from the NIH (NIDCD) transferred to OSU-CHS $67,330, Kathleen Curtis, Ph.D.

Publication
“Presystemic influences on thirst, salt appetite and vasopressin secretion in the hypovolemic rat,” ePublished American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative, Comparative Physiology, January 2007, Kathleen Curtis, Ph.D.

• For Brain Research and for Physiology and Behavior, Kathleen Curtis, Ph.D.
• For the Journal of Biochemical and Biophysical Methods, Joseph A. Price, Ph.D.
• For the American Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Al Rouch, Ph.D.
• For Journal of Microbiological Methods, Franklin R. Champlin, Ph.D.

Edited 16 English versions of abstracts for the Chinese journal Acta Theriologica Sinica,
Tom Curtis, Ph.D.

Served as onsite member of an NIH Institutional Biosafety Committee for local human gene therapy (phase I) research project, Franklin R. Champlin, Ph.D.

Selected for IDeA (Institutional Development Award) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Summer Research Program; will serve as research mentor for an undergraduate student, Kathleen Curtis, Ph.D. and Franklin R. Champlin, Ph.D.

Supervised UAAO weekend visiting clinician cranial conference with Richard Feely, D.O., Robin R. Dyer, D.O.