MESSAGE FROM THE SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN
It has been an eventful week at GW. First, the university officially welcomed students back to campus with its Weeks of Welcome activities, along with numerous Health Sciences and medical students who were already deep into their studies and exams. This Tuesday, the FDA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine/Comirnaty™) to prevent COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. In a bold move, Mayor Bowser and D.C. Health announced, that by September 30, 2021, all health care workers in the district must receive at least the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, to avoid adverse effects on licensure/renewal, employment, and access to medical records. The mayor’s rule—welcomed by many public health leaders and health advocates—applies to all licensed, certified, and registered health professionals, including EMS providers, as well as unlicensed health care workers.
Members of the HS community have concerns, understandably, about the Delta variant. I have heard a few related to GW’s return to campus, and more related to sending children back to K-12 schools. SMHS leadership is taking these concerns to heart; rest assured we will continue to monitor community spread and campus surveillance data closely, taking additional steps, as needed, to protect the health and safety of the SMHS trainees, faculty, and staff. Let me share a bit more about the Delta variant and our campus safety plans.
First, the Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than earlier forms of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Some data suggest it can cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated people. The GW vaccine mandate is important, because COVID vaccines continue to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the virus that causes COVID-19, including this variant. They continue to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, including against this variant. And fully vaccinated people with breakthrough infections from the Delta variant appear to be infectious for a shorter period. The GW testing program is important, because fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others. Getting vaccinated and wearing masks indoors in public spaces can reduce the spread of this variant. Our community is already putting the best evidence and related practices into action, and each of us can support a healthy campus through vigilance with campus safety guidelines. Finally, SMHS and our clinical enterprise have plans underway to support third doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for those eligible as they meet the eight-month mark since their second dose.
From August 1st to the 23rd, GW has administered 13,669 COVID tests with 51 positives and an overall case positivity rate of 0.33% (seven-day rolling average). Excellent outcomes with vaccine compliance and early identification of positive cases through quick, on-site testing for returning students and employees will help keep GW a safe place to learn, discover, and serve. I hope you all are excited to reconnect with students and colleagues this fall, so we can continue our important work to drive innovation and quality in health and health care delivery through education, scholarship, and service. I remain incredibly proud of and grateful for the hard work, achievements, and resilience of our HS faculty, staff, and students. This month’s HB offers some incredible examples of your many talents and dedication—I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I did.
--Reamer Bushardt, professor and senior associate dean
PEOPLE
AIMING HIGH. Angelique Redmond has a passion for improving medical education. “I want students to have the best learning experience possible,” said Redmond, who joined the Department of Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) in May as assistant director of clinical education. Her strategic approach to managing student rotations involves “creating partnerships with preceptors that exemplify our values – equitable, team-based, patient-centered care – and further our mission to help close health disparity gaps in communities by increasing the presence of PAs in health care settings,” she said. “To do this, we will vet and develop unconventional tactics to engage new and current clinical preceptors.” Redmond’s previous experience at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus has prepared her for her GW role. As a program manager at Inova, she was responsible for the recruitment and onboarding processes for medical students, PA students, and physician fellows. Away from the office, she loves to travel and spend time with her two kids who are still at home in Waldorf, Maryland: a daughter who is a rising high school senior and an almost 12-year-old son going into seventh grade. The single mother also has a daughter who graduated from Northeastern University in May and is living and working in Boston. “I like to do new and exciting things – adventurous activities with my children,” she said. “I want them to expand their horizons and experience as many activities as possible, even during this pandemic.” Redmond has a bachelor’s degree from Strayer University and expects to earn her master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus in May 2022. She holds project management professional certification.
QUICK MOVES. Christian Ulysse is looking for a good fight – an enjoyable dodgeball competition, that is. Ulysse, the new assistant director of admissions for PAS, left Philadelphia as a three-peat dodgeball champion and he’d like to continue his streak here. (He does note that before becoming champion he lost in the finals four times in a row.) Ulysse discovered the game as a summer camp counselor and quickly learned it was his sport of choice. “I would destroy the campers,” he said with a laugh, noting that the foam balls didn’t cause any harm. “It turns out I was good with the adults, too,” he added about joining an adult league in Philadelphia. Ulysse’s true occupation in Philadelphia was serving as the assistant director of graduate admissions at Thomas Jefferson University, where he worked with PA, physical therapy, and athletic training programs. Before serving as assistant director, Ulysse was an admissions counselor. The HS PA program and location inspired his relocation. “I wanted to be in DC. It’s my favorite city,” the Pittsburgh native said. “There’s just so much history and it’s beautiful. It’s the place to be.” His position isn’t bad either. “I love working with prospective applicants … being able to see them through from the start to the finish, especially with such an esteemed program as ours,” he said. Ulysse lives in Arlington, Virginia, and has a bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University and a master’s degree in higher education management from the University of Pittsburgh. Away from work, he enjoys exploring museums, reading, visiting restaurants and bars, and taking walks. But make no mistake, dodgeball is his passion: “I’m looking for a team here. I want to continue my winning streak.”
RIGHT AT HOME. Annie Wildermuth never planned on becoming a triathlete. But at the height of the pandemic, that’s exactly what she did. Wildermuth, who joined PAS in June, is a lifelong swimmer, so when gyms closed she decided to take up running and biking. “I just did it out of the blue; one of the few things you could do was bike and run, so I decided to combine them,” she said. She’s competed in two triathlons already and will undertake a third this fall. The stamina it takes to be a triathlete will serve Wildermuth well in her roles as assistant professor, associate PA program director, and director of didactic education. “GW is a strong program and is associated with an academic health science center; it is a wonderful opportunity,” said the new Arlington, Virginia, resident. “The faculty here are incredible – they’re doing innovative research, considerable advocacy on issues important to the PA profession, and are well-known for being outstanding educators and leaders.” The Health Sciences’ mission to increase diversity in the health professions lines up with her research interests and passion for improving access to the PA profession. She will serve as course director for clinical courses and assist with PA program management. One goal is to expand our work with the military. “A substantial part of my career has involved working with the military, and that’s something I very much want to continue,” she said. Before joining GW, she served as associate PA program director and assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center PA Program. Besides triathlons, Wildermuth, who’s a registered dietitian, enjoys cooking in her spare time. The Connecticut native experts to earn her PhD next spring from Salus University in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. She has a master’s degree from the Division of Physician Assistant Education at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut.
MORE NEWBIES. HS has two more additions. Cliff Cymrot of the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (BLS) and his wife, Sheri, wecomed a son, Alexander Ephraim Cymrot, on May 2, while Melissa Parno of PAS and her husband, Travis, welcomed a son, Finnegan (Finn) Joseph Parno, born on March 25.
IT'S OFFICIAL. Anthony R. Artino Jr. of HS Administration and the Department of Health and Human Function and Rehabilitation Sciences (HHFR) has been named associate dean for evaluation and educational research for SMHS, after serving in the role on an interim basis for a year. Artino was also recently appointed to the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Another organization that Artino and others at HS are involved in, the Association for Medical Education in Europe, has a new website at SMHS. Check it out!
MOVING UP. Desmond Edwards and Vicky Wu both of HS Administration have been promoted to program associates after serving as program coordinators. They joined HS in June 2019 and are part of the records and registration team.
PROGRAMS
SUMMER SCIENCE. Several staff and faculty members of BLS are celebrating another successful Laboratory Sciences Summer Immersion Program. This is the fifth year that the introductory program was offered to high school, community college, and undergraduate students. Ninety-five students attended the sessions held in July. Emma Levine, Cliff Cymrot, Marcia Firmani, Rohini Ganjoo, Allison Cannon, Yousif Barzani, and Graciela Lopez Gamboa of BLS worked on the program.
APPLAUSE.
PEDS PT. Marisa Birkmeier of HHFR and co-authors published, “National Study of Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education: Design, Methods, and Results," in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Journal and “The Minimal Clinical Important Difference (MCID) in Annual Rate of Change of Timed Function Tests in Boys with DMD” in the Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases.
SERVING GW. Several faculty members have been appointed to serve on GW and SMHS committees: Marisa Birkmeier of HHFR - member of SMHS Executive Committee; Joan Butler of the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership (CRL) - member of Clinical Conflict of Interest/Commitment Committee; Mountasser Kadrie of CRL - Committee on Equity and Inclusive Excellence, Faculty Senate Standing Committee for Fiscal Planning and Budgeting, Faculty Senate Standing Committee for Educational Policy and Technology; Gaetano Lotrecchiano of CRL - Faculty Senate Standing Committee for Libraries, Faculty Senate Standing Committee for Educational Policy and Technology; Lisa Schwartz of BLS - chair of Health Sciences Student Evaluation Committee, chair of the Executive Committee of the Clara Bliss Hinds Women in Medicine and Health Sciences Society, and vice chair of SMHS Executive Committee; Kathy Thoma of CRL - Faculty Senate Standing Committee for Libraries, Faculty Senate Standing Committee for Joint Committees of Faculty and Students; Maranda Ward of CRL - Faculty Senate Standing Committee on University and Urban Affairs.
RESEARCH FIRST. Reamer Bushardt of HS Administration has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from HRSA with a T32 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award institutional research training grant – a first for SMHS to train clinical postdoctoral trainees. Bushardt (PI) is joined on the grant by Trudy Mallinson (co-director) of HS Administration and CRL, Sheel Singh of HS Administration, and Sonia Crandall of HHFR. The project hopes to recruit its first three fellows by November, and welcomes nominations and referrals from HS.
GENOMICS GROUP. Shawneequa Callier of CRL has been invited to join the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Genomics and Society Working Group, part of the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research.
LEARNING LEADERSHIP. Saachi De Silva of BLS has been accepted into the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Scientists Leadership Academy for 2021-2022.
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH. Marcia Firmani of BLS is the co-investigator on a $39,434 grant from the GW Cross-Disciplinary Research Fund for “An Amphibian Surrogate Model of Mycobacterial Immune Evasion.” Leon Grayfer of Columbian College’s Department of Biological Sciences is the PI on the grant that runs through next June. Firmani also made two presentations: “The use and feasibility of pathogen reduction technology on several blood components” with Francisco Rentas of BLS to the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Scientists Joint Annual Meeting in June, and “Priori Diseases” to the BLS department’s PACE CEU program in July.
TOP 100 & A NEW ROLE. Leigh Frame of CRL has received a Top 100 Health Care Leaders for 2020-21 award from the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare. She was recognized at a June ceremony in Las Vegas for her “significant and tangible contributions towards the healthcare industry.” In April, she assumed a new role as associate director of the (GW) Resiliency & Well-Being Center. Frame presented, “Nutrition and the Gut Microbiome: How Your Bugs and Diet Interact,” at the Plant-based Prevention of Disease Continuing Education Conference in June. She and Scott Jackson of CRL presented, “Characterizing the Gut Microbiome of Dietary Patterns using Pooled Samples: Assessing a Novel Methodological Approach to a Complex Web of Confounders,” at Nutrition 2021, the American Society for Nutrition conference in June.
HEALTH EQUITY. Rohini Ganjoo of BLS, Maranda Ward and Kathy Thoma of CRL and Heather Yoho (MSHS ’21) presented a poster, “Assessing Health Equity Knowledge and Capacity of Health Professional Students: A Validation Study,” at the 2021 American Society for Microbiology Conference for Undergraduate Education held this summer. The four also presented, “Standardizing Health Equity Competencies Across Health Professions Training Programs,” at the Virtual Health Equity Summit In June.
GO TIME. Mountasser Kadrie of CRL presented, “Tele-ICU: Time is Now,” in June as an invited speaker for a GW School of Business webinar.
PA SCHOLAR. Harrison Reed of PAS has received a Physician Assistant Education Association Scholarship to attend the Harvard Macy Institute Program for Educators in the Health Professions. The program’s goal is to enhance the professional development of physicians, basic scientists, and other health care professionals as educators. Reed also is a recipient of the Doximity Fellowship Program’s “Op-Med’ track for 2021-22. Doximity Fellows are leaders in medical news curation, storytelling, and content creation. Reed has two publications: an editorial, “Diversity requires an admissions process overhaul,” in the June issue of JAAPA and an original research article with co-authors, “Reasons PAs Quit Their Jobs,” in the August issue of JAAPA.
TALKING SCIENCE. Carol Rentas of BLS presented, “Communicating Science to the Public,” at the Biocord Network Summer Conference in July. She also was appointed chair of the Leadership Development Committee of the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science and to the Review Committee for Accredited Programs for the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
CAREER CHOICES. Lisa Schwartz and Cliff Cymrot of BLS presented, “Factors Influencing MLS Career Choice Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic,” at the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science Joint Annual Meeting in June.
IN THE NEWS. Melissa Tice of CRL was quoted in the press regarding the FDA’s review and approval process of COVID-19 vaccines: Healthline.com (July 6), CNN Health (July 22), Buzzfeed (July 23), and FDA News (July 29).
CTE INFLUENCER. Linda Zanin of HS Administration has been appointed to the Virginia Board of Education Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Committee. Zanin was named to the committee for a three-year term by the Virginia Board of Education in recognition of her background and 30 years of experience in education. The CTE committee is charged with advising the commonwealth’s board on policies, procedures, and methods to help strengthen career and technology educational programs.
WORK ANNIVERSARIES. Congratulations to the following colleagues celebrating anniversaries: Shawneequa Callier of CRL (10 years), Holly Jonely of HHFR (10 years), Uli Koch of CRL (5 years), Will Noone of HS Administration (10 years), Howard Straker of PAS (20 years), Nate’le’ge Wardlow of PAS (one year), and Ernestine Yarborough of CRL (5 years).
SAVE THE DATES. Mark your calendar for upcoming events: Sept. 1-2: Proud to be GW Festival and Oct. 1-3: the GW Centuries Celebration Weekend that will include commencement for the Classes of 2020 and 2021. HS will host a reception for graduates, faculty, and staff on Oct. 2 from 3 to 5 pm in the Ross Hall Courtyard. Contact Nick Atlas for information.
