Department of Surgery News

SIU Med School Announces Members for Honor Society

Nine new members have been inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.  All nine were inducted at the spring banquet for SIU’s Eta chapter.

Newly elected student members from the Class of 2011 are Blake Cohen, son of Brian and Pam Cohen of Dunlap; Minh-Bao Le, daughter of Thong and Minh-Tam Le of Waterloo; Adam Rodos, son of Jerry and Joyce Rodos of Western Springs; and Mary Sterrett, daughter of Paul and Marguerite Sterrett of New Baden.

Resident physicians from SIU training programs selected were Dr. Brooke French, a plastic surgery resident from Springfield; Dr. Masaya Higuchi, a family medicine resident from Japan; and Dr. Abiy Kelil, an internal medicine resident from Ethiopia.

Dr. Thomas Tarter, SIU associate professor of urology, was elected an honorary faculty member.  Dr. Roxanne Guy, a plastic surgeon in Melbourne, Fla., and 1977 graduate of SIU, was elected an alumni member. 

The AOA volunteer clinical faculty award was presented to Dr. Lynne Barkmeier, a vascular surgeon in Springfield and a volunteer faculty member with SIU since 1989.  Her nominators said Dr. Barkmeier “went above and beyond in teaching medical students.  She took time to explain each step of what she was doing and was happy to talk students through the procedures.”

Election to AOA is based on integrity, leadership, compassion and fairness and scholastic excellence.  The only national honor medical society in the world, AOA recognizes and works to perpetuate excellence in the medical professions.  

First Folse Endowed Chair Awarded to SIU Surgery Chair
Dr. Gary Dunnington, professor and chair of surgery, has been named recipient of the
J. Roland Folse, M.D. Endowed Chair in Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of
Medicine. Memorial Medical Center established the endowment to honor Folse’s 29-year
career as the first Department of Surgery chairman for SIU School of Medicine and his many
extraordinary contributions to the field of surgical education.
“An endowed chair is the highest honor that a university can bestow on a faculty
member who has had a distinguished career in a particular field of study,” said Dr. J. Kevin
Dorsey, SIU’s dean and provost. “Dr. Folse has meant so much to not only the medical
students, fellows and faculty but also to his peers across the world. He started the department
and brought it to a level of international recognition, particularly in the area of surgical
education.”
Interest earned from the endowment will be used to further research and education in
the area of surgery.
“Memorial Medical Center is honored to recognize the accomplishments of Dr. Folse
through our support of this endowed chair. We are proud to partner with SIU School of
Medicine to continue Dr. Folse’s legacy of serving the community as an exceptional clinician,
researcher and educator for generations to come,” said Edgar J. Curtis, president and chief
executive officer of Memorial Health System.
For 29 years, Folse was chair of SIU’s surgery department and helped establish and
recruit faculty for seven divisions of the department. He joined the faculty in 1971 and stepped
down from the chairmanship in 2000. Folse said he enjoyed the challenge of building the
department while meeting the mission of SIU as a community-based medical school.

Dunnington is currently the professor and chair of SIU’s surgery department and
director of the Breast Center at SIU. Prior to joining the SIU faculty, Dunnington served as
senior associate dean for academic affairs and director of the Breast Center at the University
of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Throughout his career, Dunnington has achieved the highest honors for academic and
teaching excellence. He has received a total of twelve teaching awards at three institutions and
frequently serves as visiting professor to medical schools throughout North America. He is
nationally renowned for his published work and research achievements in the fields of surgery
and surgical education with more than 120 peer reviewed publications.
Dunnington completed his surgery residency training at the University of Arizona
Health Sciences Center in Tucson (1985) and his medical degree from Indiana University
School of Medicine in Indianapolis (1980). Dunnington is board certified in general surgery by
the American Board of Surgery. He is a member of numerous academic and professional
organizations including the American College of Surgeons, the American Surgical Association
and the Society of Surgical Oncology. He is past president of the Association for Surgical
Education.

SIU Med School Receives McElroy Grants

Dr. Elizabeth Peralta, associate professor of surgery, received a two-year grant to study an estrogen receptor, GPR30, that is believed to stimulate cancer cell growth and make tumors more resistant to chemotherapy.  The GPR30 receptor has been found in young women and blacks who have a type of breast cancer that is difficult to treat.  The results of the study could lead to a new treatment for breast cancer.  The budget for the grant is $38,500.

The McElroy Foundation was established by the estate of William E. McElroy, a former central Illinois businessman and Springfield postmaster, who died in 1992.  It provides various local grants and loans including grants to medical researchers studying cancer and heart disease.  Eight previous SIU research scientists have received McElroy grants.

Peralta joined the SIU faculty in 2000.  She completed a three-year fellowship in surgical oncology at the City of Hope National Medical Center (2000) and her general surgery residency at Virginia Mason Medical Center (1997).  She earned her medical degree at the University of California College of Medicine (1992) and her bachelor’s degree at the University of California in Berkley (1987).  Peralta is board certified in general surgery. 

The Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU is focusing the medical school’s efforts in cancer research, physician and public education, and treatment for patients from across central and southern Illinois.  Its web site is www.siumed.edu/cancer.  The main phone number is 217-545-6000.    

Carol Bauer, M.D. Elected into Collegium (CORLAS)

Carol Bauer, M.D. has been elected into the Collegium Oto-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum (CORLAS) which is an international otolaryngology research organization. Her election took place at a meeting in Berlin in August.
The US has 20 membership slots (all other countries have 10), and now 3 seats are occupied by people from SIU, Drs. Carol Bauer, Len Rybak, and Gayle Woodson.

Members are nominated by members from their country of residence. Then each candidates CV and 5 most significant papers from the previous 5 years are reviewed by an international jury. If the candidate passes the jury, then membership is confirmed by election at the general membership meeting. The organization was established in 1926, after WWI to foster free exchange of information. For further information, the website is www.corlas.net

Gary Dunnington, M.D. Receives Leonard Tow Award

Several honors and awards have been announced as part of the 34th commencementat Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.

A faculty member and graduating senior were named recipients of the 2008 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award during commencement on May 24. Dr. Gary L. Dunnington, professor and chair of surgery.
Dunnington’s nominator said “He displays the best of a physician.
He empathizes with his breast cancer patients [and] provides them with trust and confidence….he is extremely approachable and accessible to all students. His focus is on education and helping all those involved. I found his balance of life, community, church, medicine and family very refreshing.”

Gayle E.Woodson, M.D. Receives National Award

Alexandria, VA – Gaye E. Woodson, MD, of Springfield, IL, received the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Distinguished Service Award at the opening ceremony of the 2008 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL.

The Academy presents Distinguished Service Awards to medical professionals in recognition of extensive meritorious service through the presentation of instructional courses, scientific papers, participation on a continuing education committee, or Academy leadership position.

Dr. Woodson is currently at the Southern Illinois Univ. School of Medicine.

Featuring more than 165 scientific research sessions, 200 posters, and over 300 instruction course hours for attendees, the AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO is the largest gathering of otolaryngologists in the world.

About the AAO-HNS
The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (www.entnet.org), one of the oldest medical associations in the nation, represents nearly 12,000 physicians and allied health professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The Academy serves its members by facilitating the advancement of the science and art of medicine related to otolaryngology and by representing the specialty in governmental and socioeconomic issues. The organization's vision: "Empowering otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons to deliver the best patient care."

Brad Schwartz, DO

Brad Schwartz, D.O. is the first recipent of the Concept Development Award for his research " A New Stone Retrieval Device and Laser Resistant Material". This award will help further his research on a better way to remove kidney stones. The next cycle of the Concept Development Award has begun and applications will be accepted until December 17. For more info go to www.siumed.edu/adrfa/cdaward.html