News

Southeast Health Medical Center and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) are pleased to welcome Eugenia (Genie) Stark Thomas, J.D., CHC, as director of Compliance for both entities.

Genie most recently served as director of Compliance and Privacy at Ochsner LSU (Louisiana State University) Health Shreveport in Shreveport, Louisiana. She was responsible for oversight and implementation of all aspects of compliance programs at the 444-bed academic medical center and the 112-bed women’s and children hospital, as well as the faculty medical group and area clinics. Prior to that, she operated her own law firm and consulting practice in Jackson, Mississippi, where she advised hospitals and physician practices on a wide variety of regulatory compliance matters.  She also served as an adjunct professor at the Mississippi College of Law in Jackson, Mississippi, where she taught in the health law program.

Genie received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Virginia. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia.  She is licensed to practice law in the State of Mississippi.  Genie also maintains current certification in healthcare compliance (CHC).

A team of faculty from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) was awarded a grant this summer from the American Medical Association (AMA) to enhance medical student training through the association’s new “Student BP Measurement Essentials” online modules. The modules focus on key aspects of blood pressure measurement and are designed to be integrated throughout the medical school curriculum to improve training. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a contributing risk factor for heart disease and stroke, underscoring the need for enhanced training in proper blood pressure measurement to ensure proper treatment. ACOM was one of five medical schools nationwide and the only osteopathic college to receive the grant.

ACOM is implementing the blood pressure training modules during the first-year Primary Clinical Skills course, in second-year fall semester systems courses and during the third-year ACOM Ashford Clinic rotation. The team plans to utilize the grant to purchase equipment to help assess the student’s learning of the modules by determining how accurately they are able to measure blood pressures on simulated models in the classroom setting and real patients in clinic.

The faculty team includes: Lauren Clemmons, DO, Principal Investigator; Ronda F. Carter, MD; James Lyons, MD; Mark Hernandez, PhD; Audrey Vasauskas, PhD; and Veronica Hill, MSN, NP-C. 

“Accurate measurement of patients’ blood pressure is the first step in making sure that hypertension is recognized and treated appropriately,” Dr. Clemmons explained. “The grant will allow us to use innovative methods to assess our students’ learning of this foundational skill.”

Additional information about this grant is available here.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is pleased announce that Jamie Bell, DO, FAAFP, will serve as the keynote speaker for the Class of 2021 virtual Commencement Ceremony. Dr. Bell is a board-certified family medicine physician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP). She is a member of the ACOM Board of Directors and also serves as Secretary/Treasurer.

A native of Birmingham, Ala., Dr. Bell is a graduate of John Carroll Catholic High School.  After high school, she attended Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Spanish Pre-Medicine. Dr. Bell received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (now Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine) in Pikeville, Ky. While in medical school, she was inducted into the Sigma Sigma Phi National Medical Honor Society. She completed residency at St. Vincent’s East Family Practice in Birmingham. While in residency, she was elected “Resident of the Year” twice by the St. Vincent’s East Hospital’s doctors, nurses and staff. She is currently employed with the Birmingham Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.

Dr. Bell is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Osteopathic Association, Mineral District Medical Society, Birmingham Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is an alumna of the 2018-2019 Leadership Hoover Class, and currently serves on their Board of Directors. Dr. Bell previously served on the Board of Directors for Birmingham AIDS Outreach, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Minority Health Resource Center Young Professionals Board.

Dr. Bell resides in Hoover, Ala. (a suburb of Birmingham). She enjoys running, traveling, mentoring students (of all ages) interested in medicine, and spending time with loved ones.

Amir Khiabani, Class of 2022, has been appointed to the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiner’s (NBOME) Special Commission on Osteopathic Medical Licensure Assessment. NBOME is recognized both nationally and internationally for its excellence in the areas of osteopathic physician testing and evaluation. This non-for-profit organization works to create numerous assessments that are distinct to osteopathy. In addition, NBOME strives to partner with other organizations on various assessment programs in order to protect the public by providing the ability to assess the competencies for osteopathic medicine and other related health care professions.

The NBOME reached out to National Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) to submit three nominations for a representative to be on this special commission. Khiabani was eligible to be nominated for a seat on this commission due to his senior leadership position as National SOMA Treasurer.

This Special Commission works to review the COMLEX-USA examination program, evaluate defensible alternative pathways for verification or assessment of fundamental clinical skills and other competencies, and assure the COMLEX-USA licensure examination pathway continues to evolve with the rapidly changing practice of osteopathic medicine, osteopathic medical education, and health care. In addition, Khiabani will provide representation of perspectives that reflect that of National SOMA as well as his constituents, osteopathic medical students.

Through his appointment, Khiabani will have the opportunity to help ensure that the perspectives of the osteopathic student body are continuously represented during discussions that can result in impacting their future. He hopes that appointment will equip him with the experience and resources to be an osteopathic physician that will confidently advocate for the profession.

“I believe that the role of a physician includes a tremendous amount of leadership, communication, advocacy and peer interaction,” Khiabani said. “Not only working within SOMA, but now having the ability to advocate for my fellow students directly to the NBOME aids me in fulfilling my mission to become a strong and effective leader and physician.”

Today, the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the college’s new simulation center. The new 10,000-square-foot building will encompass the existing simulation center and will add more than 7,000 square feet to the space.

Simulation is an integral component of ACOM’s curriculum and training. Clinical simulation is crucial to medical education, as it provides a way for students to engage in emergent clinical scenarios requiring medical knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork, and communication, in a controlled setting. It has been shown to increase critical thinking skills and patient safety leading to fewer medical errors.

“Our simulation program is truly incredible,” Carmen Lewis, PhD, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness said. “It offers immersive experiences that are fully integrated throughout our curriculum during the first two years.”

ACOM and the Southeast Health system are committed to utilizing resources from the region to build this center. The college selected Dothanbased architecture firm Donofro and Associates Architects to lead the design, and Construction CGM, Inc. from Colquitt, Ga., as contractor. Bill Jones, Southeast Health Director of Design and Construction, will oversee the project. Through the construction of this new center, ACOM will be able to double the available training capacity by creating eight simulation bays and a larger skills lab, as well as additional study space for students. The project is anticipated to be completed in fall 2021.

The latest expansion on the ACOM campus symbolizes the continued growth of the college and success of its simulation program locally, nationally and internationally. ACOM has won three national simulation championships and one international simulation title since 2017, taking home the latest national Virtual Patient Challenge title at the American Medical Student Association convention on March 6.

“We are proud that this success represents the solid and strong foundation of medical education that all of our students receive,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, ACOM Dean. “This is reinforced through their training in the simulation center.”

About the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM)

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is a four-year, comprehensive osteopathic medical school located in Dothan, Alabama. As the academic division of Southeast Health, a regional health system, the private, non-profit college was founded in 2010 to help address the primary care physician shortage in Alabama and the surrounding region. ACOM is the third medical school in Alabama and the first osteopathic medical in the state. The college graduated its first class in 2017, and to date, approximately 61% of its graduates are pursuing future careers in primary care. For more information about ACOM, visit www.acom.edu.

ACOM is proud to announce that The SIMps have won the AMSACon2021 Virtual Patient Challenge! The Virtual Patient Challenge is a unique national clinical competition hosted by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). Student teams must use timely critical thinking skills in order to implement their diagnosis and treatment strategies, during timed virtual patient encounters.

Preliminary rounds of the challenge were held in mid-December with 16-22 teams from various medical schools across the country, including two ACOM teams. Four teams advanced to the championship round, held on March 6th. Both ACOM teams advanced to this final round and competed against two other teams from osteopathic colleges. Each team was given two virtual case scenarios to evaluate. Evaluations were completed after each round, followed by a debrief session with a physician to review and host a live Q&A. In the end, ACOM’s team, The SIMps, edged out the competition to clench its second consecutive title.

In order to make this virtual challenge possible, teams used Body Interact, a real-time medical simulator aimed at developing clinical reasoning and decision-making skills through 3d virtual patients. The simulation allowed the participants to work together as a healthcare team of three to communicate with the virtual patient to conduct assessments, monitor vital signs, order diagnostic exams, perform interventions, and administer medications. The cutting edge experience the students accessed through Body Interact aided in integrating knowledge in the most innovative way.

ACOM is not new to the AMSA Virtual Patient Challenge. During last year’s challenge, ACOM’s team Cotard’s Delutionals won the inaugural title, making this ACOM’s third national title along with the international title received in Paris in 2017. The college is extremely proud of all the students who participated, and extends our deepest congratulations to The SIMps

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) held the 2021 Wiregrass District Science Fair on February 26, 2021, as a reimagined and unique virtual experience due to COVID-19. Although a virtual science fair was not the ideal format, the College incorporated emerging technology to provide a successful experience for the participants. This year’s event showcased more than 30 elementary and middle school projects from Geneva and Houston counties.

The District Science Fair is an important event that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in their appropriate level math and science courses. In addition to having the opportunity to showcase their knowledge, the students were able to use this year’s fair to learn the skill of virtually presenting via Zoom. Middle school students, who advance from the local fair, will have the opportunity to participate in the Greater East Alabama Regional Science & Engineering Fair in March. The District Science Fair gave elementary school students the opportunity to learn the process of science fairs and gain experience in oral presentations, with the hope of inspiring them to participate in science fairs throughout middle and high school. This has been a great way for ACOM to support the science and math curriculum in the area and encourage future careers in science and healthcare fields.

Although virtual, the structure of this year’s fair, mirrored closely to that of past fairs without the in-person component. Students displayed their projects just as they would if being judged face-to-face, making their presentations in breakout rooms to ACOM faculty and medical students who were able to ask questions. Each student rose to the occasion and showed eagerness and excitement to showcase their hard work. With every answer and explanation, each student shined during their virtual performance, and their interest in science translated accordingly.

Fair organizer Caleb Hamilton, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences at ACOM, stated, “Obviously, an in-person event would have been the ideal situation due to the essential interpersonal interaction, so we did our best to embody that type of experience as best as possible through Zoom.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, ACOM is thankful to be able to provide this experience in a safe and socially distanced way and is encouraged by the interest to participate across the Wiregrass.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce the accomplishments of our students and faculty who have been recently published.

Burton’s Agammaglobulinemia and COVID-19
Justin G. Hovey, Denise Tolbert, Druhan Howell
Cureus
November 2020
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.11701
Cureus | Burton’s Agammaglobulinemia and COVID-19

Salt and water balance after sweat loss: A study of Bikram yoga
Hasan Alrefai, Shannon L. Mathis, Sarah M. Hicks, Aleksandra I. Pivovarova, and Gordon G. MacGregor
Physiological Reports
November 2020
DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14647
Salt and water balance after sweat loss: A study of Bikram yoga – Alrefai – 2020 – Physiological Reports – Wiley Online Library

Analysis of Transmission Rates in Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients in a Community Hospital Setting
Casey A. Hughes, Thomas Boeding, Sanjay Desai, Katherine Westbrook, Constance Christian, Akash Patel, Ti Hoang, and Raul Magadia
Clinical Medical Reviews and Case Reports
2020
DOI: 10.23937/2378-3656/1410325
Analysis of Transmission Rates in Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients in a Community Hospital Setting (clinmedjournals.org)

Hydroxylumisterols, Photoproducts of Pre-Vitamin D3, Protect Human Keratinocytes against UVB-Induced Damage
Chaiprasongsuk, A.; Janjetovic, Z.; Kim, T.-K.; Schwartz, C.J.; Tuckey, R.C.; Tang, E.K.Y.; Raman, C.; Panich, U.; Slominski, A.T.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
2020
DOI:10.3390/ijms21249374
IJMS | Free Full-Text | Hydroxylumisterols, Photoproducts of Pre-Vitamin D3, Protect Human Keratinocytes against UVB-Induced Damage (mdpi.com)

Lamotrigine-Induced Stevens–Johnson Syndrome: A Clinical Report
Sujana Reddy, Sunita Puri
International Journal of Case Reports and Images
2020
https://www.idoriums.com/edpanel/media/Z01_International%20Journal%20of%20Case%20Reports%20and%
20Images%20(IJCRI)/2020/pdf/101175Z01SR2020.pdf

Medical Simulation-Based Learning Outcomes in Pre-Clinical Medical Education
Maxwell J. Jabaay, Dario A. Marotta, Stephen L. Aita, Dianne B. Walker, Leah O. Grcevich, Victor Camba, James R. Nolin, James Lyons, John Giannini Jr.
Cureus
December 2020
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.11875
Cureus | Medical Simulation-Based Learning Outcomes in Pre-Clinical Medical Education

Detailed Analysis of Urinary Tract Infections After Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy
Naif A Aldhaam , Ahmed A Hussein 1, Ahmed S Elsayed 1, Zhe Jing 1, Jennifer Osei 1, Zachary Kurbiel 1, Tarik Babar 1, Sara Khan 1, Avneet Nagra 1, Brahm Segal 2, Qiang Li 1, Khurshid A Guru 1
Journal of Endourology
January 2021
DOI: 10.1089/end.2020.0316
Detailed Analysis of Urinary Tract Infections After Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy | Journal of Endourology (liebertpub.com)

Impact of Perioperative Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Pathway on Early Outcomes after Robot-assisted Radical Cystectomy: A Matched Analysis
Naif A Aldhaam 1, Ahmed S Elsayed 1, Ahmed A Hussein 1, Alat Siam 1, Jennifer Osei 1, Zhe Jing 1, Tarik Babar 1, Michelle Graton 1, Therese Kurtz 1, Teresa Johnson 2, Stefanie Rowan 3, Carolyn Miller 4, Qiang Li 1, Khurshid A Guru 5
Urology
January 2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2020.05.113

In the wake of COVID-19, organizations around the United States worked tirelessly in order to present important health information to the public that would result in a decrease in the number of positive cases.

As researchers began to learn more about the coronavirus and information rapidly increased, a new unique set of challenges was presented, how to disseminate accurate and reliable information to the public that would enable them to make informed health decisions?

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) Library and Learning Resource Center acknowledged these challenges and, as a result, was awarded the COVID-19 Health Information Outreach Award from the Southeastern Atlantic Region of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

The grant’s purpose is to enable organizations to develop and offer programs that will increase access to and use of authoritative health information resources that will impact health and health literacy related to the global pandemic.

ACOM’s librarians recognized the need to disseminate appropriate, timely, and accurate information to the general public in their grant proposal, presenting the idea to set-up state-wide training for health care providers and consumers on how to find reliable information sources.

The proposal outlines the creation of TEACH Across Alabama: Training, Educating, Advising, Connecting, and Helping Alabama’s Healthcare Workforce and Healthcare Consumers to engage with ACOM’s clerkship sites, affiliated physicians and medical students in order to build a self-sustaining network distributing information to healthcare providers, patients, and families. The librarians plan to mentor students to teach the community how to use resources from the CDC, National Institutes of Health, and NLM.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is pleased to welcome Thomas J. Fotopoulos, DO, as Chair of Osteopathic Principles & Practice (OPP).

Dr. Fotopoulos earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in biological science from Florida Atlantic University. He obtained his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Fotopoulos attended his internship year at Florida Hospital East Orlando and later completed his residency in neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM) at Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas in Fort Worth. He is board certified in neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine. Prior to joining ACOM, Dr. Fotopoulos served as Chair and Associate Clinical Professor of OPP at the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine. His previous positions include Chair and Associate Professor of OPP for Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Associate Clinical Professor of OPP at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton.

Dr. Fotopoulos is a second-generation osteopathic physician and enjoys teaching students to better understand and utilize OMM. He is passionate about teaching and is able to break down complex material into easily understood concepts.  Dr. Fotopoulos has been honored with numerous “Teacher of the Year” awards throughout his career in medical education. He is a member of several organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s Educational Council of Osteopathic Principles. His research interests include osteopathic medical education.