WVUhealthROBERT C. BYRD HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

SPRING 2012

PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIESWVU’S IMPACT ON WEST VIRGINIA’S HEALTH

A publication of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences CenterWest Virginia UniversityMorgantown, West Virginia www.hsc.wvu.edu

Administration

James P. Clements, PhD President, West Virginia University

Christopher C. Colenda, MD, MPH Chancellor for Health Sciences

Patricia A. Chase, PhD Dean, School of Pharmacy

David A. Felton, DDS, MS Dean, School of Dentistry

Clark Hansbarger, MD Dean, Charleston Division

Mitch Jacques, MD, PhD Dean, Eastern Division

Georgia L. Narsavage, PhD Dean, School of Nursing

Arthur Ross, MD Dean, School of Medicine

Alan Ducatman, MD Interim Dean, School of Public Health In development

Judie Charlton, MD Chief Medical Officer WVU Healthcare

Bruce McClymonds President and CEO, WVU Hospitals

J. Thomas Jones President and CEO, WV United Health System

Editorial Board Bill Case, Editor Heidi Specht, Creative Director Stephanie Bock Geri Dino, PhD Norman Ferrari, MD Amy Johns Misti Michael Gary Murdock Amy Newton Lynda B. Nine Tricia Petty Julia W. Phalunas Shelia Price, DDS

Contributors Bob Beverly Aira Burkhart Danielle Conaway Jeff Driggs M. G. Ellis Autumn Hill Angela Jones Leigh Limerick Mary Rivasio Minard Michelle Moore Brian Persinger Lori Savitch

WVUhealthSpring 2012Vol. 3, Issue 1

© 2012 West Virginia University

West Virginia University is governed by the West Virginia University Board of Governors and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

CONTENTS

1 Chancellor’s Message | EMBRACING WVU’S LAND GRANT MISSION

2 HOMETOWN HEROES

6 DARK PLACES

8 PREVENTION IN THE PHARMACY

10 CHARLESTON DISORDERED EATING CENTER OFFERS HOPE

14 EXERCISE IS MEDICINE

18 A HOME FOR ORAL HEALTH

20 FAMILY STORIES DRIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

22 BRIEFS

25 GROWING TO SERVE WEST VIRGINIA

142

6

CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE

One hundred fifty years ago – in the midst of the Civil War that gave birth to West Virginia – the U.S. Congress passed the Morrill Act, granting federal lands to each of the states to support higher education. The goal was to spur the development of public colleges across the country whose mission was to share the benefits of education and research with citizens at large.

The leaders of the new state were allotted 150,000 acres in Minnesota and Iowa; it was sold to settlers in the Great Plains and generated $90,000. This led directly to the formation of West Virginia University in 1867.

The original Land Grant act called for programs in “agriculture and the mechanic arts.” It didn’t take too long for the leaders of our University to realize that promoting health was a crucial role for WVU in serving the needs of West Virginians. The first medical courses were added to the curriculum in 1878, with a college formed in 1902. Pharmacy education began by 1914. We created an academic health center in the 1960s with a wide, and still growing, range of programs.

The founders of our health schools, and their leaders and faculty down through the generations, vigorously

embraced the spirit of the Land Grant university, dedicating themselves to the education of West Virginia’s young people and to serving the health needs of our state.

We at West Virginia University remain committed to our missions of education, research, service, and healthcare. In this issue of WVU health magazine, you’ll meet citizens all across our state who have experienced first-hand the positive impact our faculty have on the health of individuals and communities.

Christopher C. Colenda, MD, MPH Chancellor for Health Sciences West Virginia University

EMBRACING WVU’S LAND GRANT MISSION

HOMETOWNHeroes

2 | WVUhealth2 | WVUhealth

WEBSTER SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA,

is reached by narrow mountain roads

that wind down to this lovely village in

the valley. It’s a world removed from fast

food joints and big box stores. For quite a

while in its recent past, Webster Springs

was also far away from doctors, nurses,

and other professionals who could

provide healthcare to the people who call

Webster County home.

But a new generation of young health

professionals, inspired by this community,

encouraged by teachers and family, and

provided opportunity by West Virginia

University, are devoting their lives to

practicing healthcare in their hometown.

Nearly 1,650 students statewide have

become “HSTA kids” in the 17 years since

the Health Sciences Technology Academy

began at WVU. HSTA encourages minority,

underserved and financially disadvantaged

high school students to study science and

math, to go to college, and to consider

careers that many never thought possible.

It attracts them with the promise of fun

summer camps and free college tuition

and nurtures them through community

health and science projects.

Webster County HSTA Alumni (left to right): Kelsie Henline, Sierra Miller, Carrie Henline Given, Katie Wetzel Atkins, Candy Cochran. Not pictured: Sara Barbe and Stephanie Hall

Written by Amy Johns Photographed by Greg Ellis and Brian Persinger

SPRING 2012 | 3

“You pick the kids with the potential who wouldn’t

ordinarily go to college and then you show them that

they can do it,” said Ann Chester, PhD, HSTA founder

and WVU associate vice president for social justice.

The numbers are impressive: 96 percent of HSTA

students go on to college, and 92 percent stay in the

state after earning their degrees.

The eight HSTA graduates who live and work in

Webster Springs are providing a level of healthcare

that many in the community once feared would

only be found hours away. When Webster County

Memorial Hospital was built 60 years ago, the

community was booming with the coal and timber

industries. But the boom went bust, and the jobs left

town. The hospital nearly closed.

“Now we’ve grown our own healthcare providers

and that’s what HSTA is about,” said Cathy Morton

McSwain, MSEd, a HSTA education coordinator who

lives in Webster County. “The kids have come back

home, and they realize the importance of working

in the hospital and keeping their community healthy.

They’re the staff now, which is just wonderful.”

Stephanie Hall, RN, always knew she wanted to

do something in medicine. But it was her HSTA

summer camp experience that sold her. While her

friends were spending summer vacation sleeping

in, Stephanie was thrilled to be in the cadaver lab at

WVU learning anatomy. She is now a nurse at the

15-bed hospital.

“Well, home is where the heart is, and most people

that go away always dream of coming back. I

thought what better place to start than home? I’m

familiar with the patients, and I’ve been around them

my whole life. I know most of the hospital staff too.

It’s like a second family,” Hall said.

She has even bigger plans for the future. She’s

hoping to be a pediatrician some day and will be

applying to medical school at WVU. “You know you

can do anything you put your mind to. If you want

something so bad that you can’t go one day without

thinking about it, I would say you have to go for it.”

Ann Chester, HSTA Founder, WVU associate vice president for social justice

Cathy Morton McSwain, Webster County HSTA education coordinator

“When you raise the bar, people will rise to the bar.”

—Ann Chester, HSTA Founder rr

Carrie Henline Given and Candy Cochran spring into action to help a patient.

4 | WVUhealth

Crystal Hickman, MD, never dreamed

of becoming a doctor. She wasn’t even

sure that a degree was in her future

because no one in her family had

ever gone to college before. But

strong encouragement from

her teachers in high school

convinced her to give HSTA

a chance, since she was an

excellent math and science

student.

“The first summer camp at

WVU was one of the best

things I can ever remember

doing,” Dr. Hickman said. “I can

never say for sure, but I don’t know if I

would be where I am today without HSTA.”

Hickman is now a family medicine

physician who sees patients at the

Camden-on-Gauley rural clinic about 15

minutes from Webster Springs.

The Emergency Room is Candace

Cochran’s territory. The busy registered

nurse is very involved in her community,

as she has been since high school. Her

HSTA class organized a

community activity

called Walk for a

Healthy Heart and

designed walking

paths throughout

the town.

“I like it because

it’s a small

community. This is

where I’m from. I enjoy

the people,” Cochran said

before running off to answer another

page. “A lot of our patients are people

that I grew up with and have known for

years. They’re proud of me. It’s a great

place to work.”

“I don’t know if I would be where

I am today without HSTA.”

—Crystal Hickman, MD rr

Crystal Hickman, MD, has gone from “HSTA kid” to family doctor.

SPRING 2012 | 5

“People that live here like the roots that they

have here, and they want to build it up and

keep it for their children,” hospital CEO

Annette Keener said. “We’ve got to keep

the healthcare here in the county, and it’s

harder now than it used to be.”

There are big plans for the future, and

Keenan said the grown-up HSTA kids

will play a major role. The community is

working to build a new hospital to replace

the current 60-year-old facility.

Morton McSwain said, thanks to HSTA,

change is in the air. “These kids got to go

to college, got to have a career, and then

are able to live back in the community

where they grew up, so it keeps the

community alive and vibrant, and they

make a difference. They really make a

difference.”

The state legislature sees the benefits of

the HSTA program as well. Lawmakers

unanimously passed a tuition waiver

for successful HSTA students to attend

any state-supported university from

undergraduate all the way through medical,

dental, nursing, or pharmacy school.

“It has released the flood gates for those

people who thought they didn’t have the

potential or the money,” Dr. Chester said.

“The money is now not an issue; now they

can work on their potential.”

Every Tuesday morning, the next

generation of students with potential

visits the little hospital in Webster Springs

and works side by side with health

professionals there. Brittany Bender is a

senior at Webster County High School

who spends time each week in the hospital

pharmacy. She has been accepted to the

pre-pharmacy program at WVU in the

fall. HSTA is helping her to prepare for her

future.

“HSTA opened up the doors to me,” Brittany

said from behind the pharmacy counter. “It

introduced me to things that I didn’t know

before.”

And yes, after graduating from college, she

plans to stay in West Virginia.

Breakfast in Webster Springs

Brittany Bender’s HSTA work with hospital pharmacist Brandon Keiper — a WVU alum — is preparing her for college.

6 | WVUhealth

DARK PLACES TREATING THE MENTAL DISTRESS OF CANCER

SPRING 2012 | 7

Shelley Nakashima was diligent about going for her annual mammogram because of a history of breast cancer in her family. During a surgical exam in 2005, she was devastated to discover she had stage three breast cancer that didn’t show up on any of her mammograms.

“Everything came at me so fast,” she says.

The toll wasn’t just physical. About five

months into her treatment, Nakashima,

a Morgantown resident, began to feel

severe anxiety and depression. Her

chemotherapy and radiation were causing

appetite and weight loss, skin irritations,

and pain. She couldn’t get herself up out

of bed in the morning. “I started going

to really dark places. You get to a point

where you start to wonder when you’re

going to get to the end of the tunnel,” she

says. “It was like hitting a wall.”

It took six years for Nakashima to begin

to feel like herself again mentally. She

credits psychiatrist Daniel Elswick, MD,

with helping her find her way back.

Dr. Elswick works with a team of

oncologists and nurses at the WVU Mary

Babb Randolph Cancer Center who

provide psychosocial oncology services

to cancer patients.

Depression is estimated to be four times

greater among cancer patients than the

general public, and untreated mood

symptoms are often associated with

higher illness rates and mortality, Elswick

says. “Having people get some resolution

when they are suffering is what is most

important to me. I let patients know

that we don’t like people to suffer from

physical pain, but there’s also mental and

social anguish, depression, and anxiety

that we need to address and treat,” he

says.

“Some patients fear the stigma of a

psychiatric condition, and despite

tremendous medical strides, cancer is

still considered synonymous with death,

pain, and suffering for many patients,”

Elswick says.

Through medicine, nutrition, exercise,

meditation, and other wellness activities,

Elswick was able to help Nakashima

find solace as she endured the burden

of living with cancer and the debilitating

aftermath of treatment. “Dr. Elswick told

me ‘you have to focus on the things that

make you feel good and happy. Try to find

something that takes you out of yourself

for a while and enables you to get above

the pain and shut out the anxiety.’”

He encouraged her to engage in more

physical therapy and exercise, maintain

a balanced diet, and pursue therapeutic

outlets, like creating art. “He managed

to get my anxiety and depression under

control pretty quickly,” she says.

One year after Nakashima’s cancer

diagnosis, she heard about a poster

design contest that Morgantown’s M.T.

Pockets Theatre Company was hosting for

a play called “My Left Breast.” Nakashima

has an art background — she completed

a master’s degree in painting when she

was younger, but a busy life left her with

little time to devote to art after college. “I

really felt like it was something I should

do, so I got focused and made a collage

poster of a faceless woman based on

myself—but also faceless so that any

woman with breast cancer could relate to

the poster,” Nakashima says.

When Nakashima’s design was chosen

for the play, it was a huge boost for her.

“This was one of those ways where you

have a bad experience in life, yet you see

something really positive come out of it,”

she said. The Cancer Center staff was

thrilled for her achievement.

Today, Nakashima’s breast cancer remains

in remission, and she continues to see Dr.

Elswick every three months to manage

her anxiety, depression, and medication.

“Anyone who has had cancer continues to

live with the thought that it could come

back. That thought never goes away, but

you have to work on it,” she says.

“It was such a relief seeing Dr. Elswick—to

have someone be so empathetic to me.

They were so wonderful at the Cancer

Center. I can’t believe that a place like that

exists. When they say they have a team,

they really have a team.”

Written by Danielle Conaway Poster by Shelley Nakashima Photographed by Heidi Specht

Shelley Nakashima still sees Dr. Elswick regularly.

8 | WVUhealth

Colony Drug and Wellness Center has been a healthcare pillar

in Beckley, West Virginia, since 1950. Two things are obvious

when you enter the pharmacy: how much they care about their

patients and how deeply rooted they are in the community.

Patty Johnston, WVU School of Pharmacy Class of 1977, and

her father, Harold, a 1951 alumnus of the WVU School of

Pharmacy, purchased the store in 1986. Johnston’s daughter,

Caity Frail, graduated from the School in 2009 and has worked

at the family business in between residency and fellowship

opportunities.

Johnston and her employees are committed to serving their

patients by improving their health not only through medication,

but also through health management, including ongoing

preventive care.

“One of the biggest health concerns in Raleigh County is diabetes,”

she said. “It’s a problem throughout the entire state, but if you

look at the breakdown of West Virginia counties in health reports,

Raleigh County is close to the top of the list.”

It’s because of her concern for her patients that Colony Drug’s

team members became involved with the Public Employees

Insurance Agency’s (PEIA) Face-to-Face Program. The program

allows PEIA members who are living with diabetes help manage

their diabetes through regular visits to a pharmacist for counseling

services.

Because patients must meet with their pharmacist on a regular

basis, there is a high level of accountability. Patients know they

will be asked how they have been managing their diabetes since

their previous visit.

PREVENTION PHARMACY:IN THE

Patty Johnston, R.Ph.

SPRING 2012 | 9

“It’s a good program for me and helps me make better choices,”

patient Betty Ganey said. “I come in about every two months,

and believe me, they want a lot of answers! They have given me

so much support over the years. Any questions I have, Patty

can answer.”

Jackie Powell has been enrolled in the program since 2004.

“Patty and her staff have helped me tremendously,” she said. “I

was diagnosed with diabetes in 1995, and when I first came

into the program, my diabetes was not under control. Now that

I’ve been seeing Patty, I’ve been on track for about two to three

years.”

WVU Pharmacy students who come to the Beckley pharmacy

for their community pharmacy practice rotations also learn

about the health benefits of one-to-one patient counseling.

Johnston has been a preceptor for student pharmacists since

she graduated, and strongly encourages her students to take

the initiative and help patients become more involved in their

diabetes management.

Johnston believes that pharmacists are in a great position to help

patients manage their diabetes because they can be seen on a

regular basis and provide a very hands-on approach.

“Here at Colony Drug, we grow with our patients who are

enrolled in the program,” she said. “We’ve seen them through

life experiences, through births and deaths, so we’re not here

for them just when they have an appointment. The strength to

get better and manage their health must come from within, but

hopefully by providing the tools, we can help them.”

Written by Amy Newton Photographed by Greg Ellis and Brian Persinger

GIVING PATIENTS TOOLS FOR GOOD HEALTH

Fourth-year student pharmacists Andy Richards (l) and Wesley Hutchinson (r) talk with Betty Ganey on one of her regular visits to Colony Drug and Wellness Center.

12 | WVUhealth

Sherry was one of the first patients to

enroll in the WVU Disordered Eating

Center of Charleston, a collaborative

effort of adolescent medicine, nutrition,

psychology, and psychiatry experts in

eating disorders at WVU’s Charleston

and Morgantown campuses. Patients

can work with their care team at

outpatient visits, and when needed, can

be admitted to either Highland Hospital

or Charleston Area Medical Center for

more intensive treatment.

Stephen Sondike, MD, a WVU

adolescent medicine specialist, is

medical director for the program.

“Eating disorders are a common

problem, especially for adolescent

and young adult women,” he said.

“Multidisciplinary programs like ours are

the standard of care for the treatment

of these conditions. But, until recently,

these services were not available in

West Virginia.”

“SHE REALLY IS MY HERO”

SPRING 2012 | 11

Disordered eating program offers help and hope.

Sherry, (not her real name) a 20-year-

old Kanawha County woman, calls her

experience with an eating disorder “a

physical and mental hell.”

“I was afraid to eat anything. When I

did, I felt extremely guilty and was in

a horrible mood,” Sherry said. “The

disease just takes over your whole life.

I withdrew myself from my friends and

activities, and basically life in general. I

was an entirely different person; I didn’t

realize I would ever be able to escape.”

It was Jessica Luzier, PhD, a

psychologist at WVU’s Charleston

Division, who guided her out of her

misery.

“Dr. Jess Luzier was my rock through this

entire thing,” Sherry said. “If it wasn’t

for her, I would still be sick, if not in a

hospital or dead. She really is my hero. I

could tell her anything. ”

Stephen Sondike, MDWritten by Jeff Driggs Photographed by Chris Gosses and Jeff Driggs

12 | WVUhealth

Sherry knows about the need. “I was so lucky to find my

doctors, but I only did so after searching for a long time,”

she said. The new WVU Disordered Eating Center had not

yet appeared on the list of referrals at her doctor’s office.

Treatment close to home made a difference. “My friends,

family, and school were great support systems on the road to

getting better.”

Although eating disorders have the highest mortality rate

of any mental illness, only one in 10 men and women with

eating disorders receive treatment. Of those, only 35 percent

have access to a specialized program or treatment facility.

“Dr. Sondike and I recognized that we were doing a disservice

to individuals in the state with eating disorders because

there were no comprehensive, multi-disciplinary treatment

programs available for them,” said Luzier, who is clinical

director of the program. “So kids and adults, if they were

lucky enough to have good insurance, were going out of

state to get their services. That often presented a problem

when they came back. Patients who do well in a structured

hospital environment sometimes find that when they come

back to the very same context where the disease developed,

it will reemerge.

“There are a lot of kids and adults who are really suffering.

Dr. Sondike was seeing that, and we decided to create this

interdisciplinary team where we could provide wrap-around,

comprehensive care to those with eating disorders.”

“Dr. Jess Luzier was my rock through this entire thing.

Without her, I don’t even want to think about where I’d be.”

Sherry calls Sondike her reality check. “He brought to my

attention that I was affecting my health and that I could do

permanent damage if I didn’t change things,” she said.

“My nutritionist, Jamie Oliver, was so helpful to me. I had

no idea what normal eating was anymore. She talked me

through foods that I needed to eat, but was terrified of eating.

She never got frustrated with me. I would come in to the

doctor’s office not having eaten what I was supposed to eat

that week, and she would just talk me through eating those

foods again until I would come in one week finally saying that

I have.”

Awareness and prevention are also major commitments for

the program. Eating disorders remain hidden and are often

associated with misinformation and strong emotions not

only in adolescents but their families, friends, teachers, and

counselors. The team is developing a theater program to

reach out to middle and high school students. Dr. Luzier

has also presented workshops on disordered eating for local

educators and clinicians.

Prevention and awareness can also begin at home,

according to Sondike, by focusing on healthy behaviors

and not on size or weight. “It is healthy attitudes, healthy

lifestyles, and feeling good about yourself that’s important,”

Sondike said.

Sherry is glad the WVU Disordered Eating Center team

was there for her. “Without these people, my life would be

extremely different, for the worse,” she said.

SPRING 2012 | 13

Jessica Luzier, PhD

14 | WVUhealth

Many people have the misconception that exercise has to be unpleasant to be worthwhile. Think “no pain, no gain,” the mantra of weight lifters and body builders. But others who understand that regular exercise is basic healthcare believe the opposite is true.

“To be useful, exercise needs to be fun and relaxing,” says Mark Cucuzzella, MD, family medicine physician and associate professor of family medicine in the Eastern Division of the School of Medicine. “I like to use the word physical activity, because exercise, to me, is

something that is forced on you in addition to all the other things you have to do all day.”

Dr. Cucuzzella adheres to the novel idea that exercise in itself is medicine. “Staying healthy is all about how you live, what you eat, how you move, all the things you do all day that promote wellness,” he said. “My idea of a good level of exercise is if you’ve exercised properly for your daily session, it should feel easy enough that, if you had to, you could turn around and do it again.”

Cucuzzella practices what he preaches. He loves the

outdoors, and his exercise of choice is running. He’s been a competitive runner for 30 years or so, and he has completed more than 60 marathons.

“For me, running is the activity that I like,” he says. But, lifelong physical activity, just moving, is the point. “Moving at a certain pace and for a certain amount of time as a prescription is what’s important.”

And, he says his motto is not “no pain, no gain.” It’s more like: “No pain? Hey, thanks!”

Exercise is Medicine

Written by Michelle Moore

SPRING 2012 | 15

Exercise is Medicine More than 3,000 people took Dr. Mark Cucuzzella’s prescription for health.

Freedom‘s Run participants cross the Potomac River.

16 | WVUhealth

Freedom’s Run

One of Cucuzzella’s greatest community contributions has been helping to establish a day of foot races through the four national parks in eastern West Virginia and nearby Maryland.

Freedom’s Run, as the race is called, is in its fourth year, and the event includes a marathon, a half marathon, a 10K race, a 5K race, and a fun run for children. Runners follow the race routes through historic Harpers Ferry, along the C&O Canal, across the Antietam National Battlefield, and on the Potomac Heritage Trail. Runners from all over the U.S. and abroad come to compete and enjoy the October scenery and raise funds for sustainable trail and garden building in elementary schools in Jefferson County. Hundreds of local families and children come out for the day. In 2011, 3,000 people from 43 states participated in Freedom’s Run events.

Cucuzzella says that “huge teams of volunteers” help to make the race possible, along with supportive sponsors, like the National Park Service and the Benedum Foundation.

“You would never know by speaking with Mark that he is a near-world-class athlete,” said Dr. Nau. “He is still winning marathons and placing among the top finishers at the Boston Marathon, but he has integrated his athletic passions with his family and medical profession as well as anyone could imagine.”

Champion of the Eastern Panhandle

Cucuzzella directs the family medicine clerkship, taking charge of third-year medical students in their first exposure to being a family doctor. He is one of the

“clinic champions” at Harpers Ferry Family Medicine, where he helped transform the center into a nationally recognized patient-centered medical home. (For more about medical homes, see page 24.)

Cucuzzella is also a champion for the people of the Harpers Ferry area. His interest in wellness and keeping fit have led to creating outdoor activities for school children, building hiking trails, and co-sponsoring the largest running race event in the state. He is a fitness leader, teaching running workshops to help others learn proper technique and avoid injury. As a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserves, Cucuzzella is the coach and captain of the Air Force Marathon Team, and he designs programs for the Air Force to reduce running injuries in military personnel.

“When Mark Cucuzzella responded to our faculty recruitment ad, I knew that he was going to be a different type of physician,” says Konrad Nau, MD, recently named leader of the Eastern Division. “Time has proven how correct those initial impressions were. Mark’s engagement of the community in participating in physical activity has been an inspiration to us all.”

Cucuzzella was instrumental in creating “Tiger on the Trail,” a hiking program for Jefferson County Middle School students. The program gets kids outdoors into the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park where they can hike around and connect with nature. The hope is that through this guided exposure these children will develop an interest in environmental conservation, and the physical activity helps fight childhood obesity. Best of all, it’s fun.

Tigers on the trail.

SPRING 2012 | 17

“He is still winning marathons and placing among the top finishers at the Boston Marathon...he has integrated his athletic passions with his family and medical profession as well as anyone could imagine.”

— Konrad Nau, MD

This year’s Freedom’s Run is October 13, 2012. To learn more, visit freedomsrun.org.

Dr. Nau recognizes Cucuzzella’s unique outlook and the important work he is doing for the people in their region, leading by example instead of merely passing out advice.

“It is all too easy for doctors to sit in our clinics and prescribe exercise to our patients,” says Nau. “Only Dr. Cucuzzella could practice family medicine full-time and teach and organize West Virginia’s largest running event. He is the kind of doctor that we hope inspires our next generation of physicians to answer the national call to serve as primary care physicians.”

“Dr. Mark encouraged me to take care of and take time for myself. … His consistent checking in, cheering on, and genuine concern as a doctor, a coach, and overall great guy helped me change my mindset. He is a gift to the community and a huge asset to WVU.”

— Susan Reichel, Shepherdstown, WV

Mark Cucuzzella, MD

18 | WVUhealth

There’s a difference between a want and a need. Most people want

to hit the lottery. Everyone needs water to survive.

The WVU School of Dentistry needs a new building to call

home. According to Dean David Felton, DDS, MS, that is a fact, not

an opinion. The School’s future depends on it. And, if he has

anything to say about it, that’s just what is going to happen.

A HOME FOR

ORAL HEALTH

Fall 2010 | 13SPRING 2012 | 19

Dean Felton hit the

ground running

when he arrived in

Morgantown last

summer. Less than

a month into the job,

he delivered his first

State of the School address and outlined

his plans for the future.

Some of those projects are what you

would expect to see on any new dean’s

to-do list: finishing the School’s strategic

plan, improving development efforts,

increasing research, recruiting and

retaining more faculty and staff, and

adopting best business practices.

But one project stands out from all the

rest: the need to expand into a new, state-

of-the-art facility.

When you ask Felton about it, he is very

matter-of-fact. The stakes, he says, are

high. “Our biggest challenge is that we

have no capacity in our current facility to

expand at all — in terms of the number

of students or the programs we offer,” he

says.

The WVU School of Dentistry is the state’s

only dental school. It is the School’s

mission to address West Virginia’s oral

health needs and play a leading role in

health promotion and disease prevention.

Expansion into a more modern facility

means that the School will be able to

increase its class sizes and train more

dentists. Additionally, two much-needed

graduate programs will be able to begin, if

additional space in a new facility becomes

a reality— graduate programs in pediatric

dentistry and in periodontics. These

additional professionals will work to

transform lives and eliminate oral health

disparities, as set forth by the WVU Health

Sciences Strategic Plan.

Historic FacilitiesThe School opened in 1957, and with the

exception of periodic equipment upgrades,

the physical surroundings have changed

very little. The biggest hurdle the School

will face is its upcoming accreditation

review in 2016.

“We must be able to show modern

educational and clinical technologies and

methods for accreditation,” Felton says.

“In our current state, it is not likely that we

will meet this requirement.”

Plus, there’s the bigger picture.

“With this new facility, we will be able to

attract and retain the best and brightest

students, faculty, researchers, and

practitioners, and we can maintain our

Written by Angela Jones

commitment to excellence and innovation

in education, patient care, service,

research, and technology,” Felton says.

“Additionally, our competition is currently

opening new facilities in Maryland,

Georgia, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina,

and other locations — to recruit the best

and brightest students, faculty, and staff,

we must provide a facility that will enable

us to be competitive for them!”

From Ideas to Bricks and MortarThe proposed building will be immediately

adjacent to the Health Sciences Library.

School leaders are planning a four-story

building, with one floor reserved for future

growth. Dental students will continue to

share classroom space, cafeterias, and

other facilities with students in the Schools

of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and

Public Health.

Cost of the new school is estimated to

be between $48 million and $90 million,

including new equipment. Detailed

business and construction plans should

be complete this year or early 2013.

West Virginia’s hills and valleys are full of

tiny towns, and families who have stayed

close to the land they have always known,

generation after generation. Through the

work of a WVU neuroscience researcher,

the family stories of three such towns

could shape the future of personalized

medicine across rural America.

Taura Barr, PhD, of the WVU School of

Nursing, is working at the cutting edge

of 21st century biomedical laboratory

research, identifying genomic biomarkers

that predict or diagnose disease.

Over the past year, she’s taken her

research on the road across West Virginia.

With support from the National Human

Genome Research Institute, she has been

facilitating gatherings of rural community

members, gauging their awareness of

genetics and genomic medicine through

discussion of their family histories. WVU

has become the first institution to study

genetic and genomic literacy in a rural

population.

“What we are looking for is ‘the base’ –

where we stand in terms of genetic and

genomic education,” said Dr. Barr. “Where

do we want to go, where do we need to

go… . Their ultimate goal as an institute

is to develop personalized medicine, and

the consumers of that information are the

community members.”

Working with the WVU Prevention

Research Center’s Community Partnership

Board and health centers in Calhoun,

Fayette, and McDowell counties,

interactions were tailored to suit each

group’s needs. While people in Grantsville

felt comfortable with a town hall-style

discussion, the Mount Hope group

asked for a health fair with various health

screenings.

FAMILY STORIES DRIVE HEALTH RESEARCH

20 | WVUhealth

Written by Leigh Limerick Photographed by Heidi Specht

Taura Barr, PhD

SPRING 2012 | 21

“As the scientist, I did not come into a

community and say, ‘Here’s my research

question,” explained Barr. “We went to

the communities and laid this out as a

family health story discussion. That’s a

new concept. What they want to know is,

‘based on my individual history, what’s my

risk of disease?’”

At each event, participants shared their

own stories and learned that by identifying

their family’s risk factors, people can take

a proactive role in preventing disease. If

they do get sick, treatment plans can be

tailored to their unique needs.

After one of the forums, a young mother

of two children approached. She was very

timid during the discussion; she didn’t

speak up. She thanked Barr for coming,

and told her about some of the many

medical issues she has already dealt with

firsthand.

“She’s a very young mom, and she’s very

concerned that her two children are going

to have these same issues,” explained

Barr. “She said that the forum had given

her a lot of really good discussion points

for her healthcare provider, for telling him

her concerns about her daughters.”

“Then one of the ladies walking by

overheard her and said, ‘Now, don’t forget

- your mom had...’ You don’t get to see

that in a lot of places, everybody knows

everybody. What we heard overwhelmingly

was that these people believe knowledge

is power: they want to be educated and

want to feel equipped to educate their

children.”

Barr’s goal is twofold.

First, key community members benefit.

They will be trained to collect adequate

family health histories. They will grow to

understand the relationship of genetics

and genomics in the prevention and

treatment of diseases they see every day.

Second, Barr plans for WVU to develop a

“family health story tool,” one that can be

tweaked for use in virtually any other rural

community to assess the individual risks

and concerns of each patient. It’s a prime

example of research being applied at the

clinical level, and Barr strongly believes

researchers must engage outside the lab

for their work to reach its full value.

“You can be the best bench scientist

and come up with discoveries that are

amazing, but if you cannot translate that

to the community, it gets lost,” she said.

“I think most folks will sit at the bench,

identify what’s important, and expect

somebody on the other side to grab it and

translate it to the community. It doesn’t

work that way.”

The idea of working across communities to

encourage and share meaningful research

is a main driver of translational science,

and this particular project is part of a larger

initiative by the PRC and the West Virginia

Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

These multidisciplinary teams collaborate

with other regional institutions, public

health agencies, and community groups

to improve the health, education, and

economic well-being of all West Virginians.

“You have to talk to people, bring complex

concepts, and explain them in a way that

folks will understand,” Barr said. “It’s

about identifying what their priorities are

and what’s going to motivate them. As a

nurse, that’s what I’ve been trained to do:

to educate folks. I think that’s one part

that makes this not necessarily easy for

me, but definitely enjoyable.”

22 | WVUhealth

Protea Technology One of Top 10 InnovationsMary Babb Randolph Cancer Center researchers and Morgantown biotechnology

company Protea Biosciences are working together to discover why some cancer cells

resist treatment and don’t respond to chemotherapy. The collaboration is the first to use

Protea’s laser ablation electrospray ionization (LAESI), a technology chosen as one of

the top 10 innovations for 2011 by The Scientist magazine.

LAESI technology simplifies sample preparation for mass spectrometry, an analytical

technique that, in this case, helps identify biomolecules associated with cancer cells

and the microenvironment they live in. LAESI uses a special laser to burn a tiny hole

in an individual cell, releasing a plume of cellular particles. The plume is intersected by

a jet of ionizing gases and analyzed in the mass spectrometer, providing a wealth of

data on the composition of the cells. LAESI technology will be used to clarify chemical

changes and chemical signals in the microenvironments of cancer cells, providing new

information to support development of new therapeutics.

WVU research leads to national children’s screening guidelinesNew National Heart, Lung, and

Blood Institute (NHLBI) guidelines for

cardiovascular disease screening in

children reflect research findings of WVU

pediatric cardiologist William Neal, MD.

Dr. Neal heads the CARDIAC (Coronary

Artery Risk Detection in Appalachian

Communities) Project, a survey of school-

age children to identify if they have risk

factors for heart disease.

The guidelines now recommend

cholesterol screening for all children.

Earlier guidance suggested targeting

only those with a family history of heart

disease. The NHLBI says that blood

cholesterol should be checked between

ages 9 and 11 and then be repeated

between ages 17 and 21. The American

Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed this

recommendation.

Since 1998, the CARDIAC Project has

screened more than 100,000 West Virginia

children for cardiovascular disease and

other health risk factors. The data showed

that more than one-third (37%) of children

with cholesterol levels high enough to

consider medication would have been

missed by selective screening.

For information about the CARDIAC

Project, visit www.cardiacwv.org.

BRIEFS

William Neal, MD

SPRING 2012 | 23

Hospitals across West Virginia – and

their patients – are benefitting from the

growing emergency medicine residency

program at WVU.

“More than half of the graduates in the

last five years have stayed in the state

to practice, despite the fact that the

majority of our residents come from out

of state,” said Hollynn Larrabee, MD,

residency program director and vice chair

of the School of Medicine’s emergency

medicine department. “We’re very excited

to be able to recruit quality individuals

who enjoy living in West Virginia so much

that they decide to stay and make homes

here,” she says.

The success has allowed the three-year

residency program to grow from seven

new residents per year to nine. The

chance to work in rural West Virginia is a

recruiting plus.

“One reason physicians are drawn to our

program is because of a desire to work

in a rural community where they can

have a larger impact on health care,” Dr.

Larrabee said.

Nationwide, nine percent of medical

students pursue emergency medicine as

a specialty.

The WVU Center for Reproductive Medicine offers a way for a man to still father

children, even if an illness or its treatment severely affects his fertility. Sperm

cryopreservation, or freezing, is a procedure to preserve sperm for future use. By

cooling the specimen to sub-zero temperatures, the frozen semen will remain

viable for an indefinite period of time.

This service may prove to be invaluable for men facing some tough circumstances,

such as cancer. The closer radiation treatment is to the testicles, the higher

the risk of infertility. Certain high-risk occupations, such as working with

environmental toxins, also can be hazardous. Even military deployment to combat

zones can be a cause for concern.

Karen Merryman, RN, clinic manager with the Center for Reproductive Medicine,

said that it’s better and more effective to preserve fertility prior to beginning

treatment for medical issues.

“I’m happy to talk with patients or their health care providers to expedite this

service to avoid delaying cancer treatment initiation,” she said. “And we have low-

cost options to encourage and support patients in protecting their future fertility.”

Preserving Hope

Hollynn Larrabee, MD

Emergency medicine grads calling West Virginia home

24 | WVUhealth

Harpers Ferry a “Medical Home”

The National Committee for Quality Assurance has

recognized WVU’s Harpers Ferry Family Physicians

as a Level 1 Patient-Centered Medical Home. The

designation means that the medical practice has

achieved the organization’s high standards for access

and communication, patient tracking and registry, care

management, patient self-management and support,

electronic prescribing, test tracking, referral tracking,

performance reporting and improvement, and advanced

electronic communication.

In a patient-centered medical home, “Your primary

doctor is the center of your organizational hub,” said

William Lewis, MD, one of the Eastern Division physicians

who leads the practice. “The patient is at the center of

everything. We’re managing all the information and being

proactive for the patient instead of waiting for them to

come to us.”

This means, for example, calling a diabetes patient to see

how things are going and suggest that an appointment

with the doctor is due.

Studies have shown that medical homes improve access

and reduce unnecessary medical costs.

Dr. Lewis says that some of the changes at Harpers Ferry

Family Physicians involved empowering their medical

assistants to ask questions and to encourage patients to

achieve healthier behaviors. A pediatric care coordinator

works with entire families, helping them navigate their way

to raising healthy children.

The clinic is making sure patients with chronic illness have

access to care when they need it. “If they have a problem,

they can walk in any day, Monday through Saturday, and

see one of us,” said Lewis. “The hope is to get them into

the office so they don’t end up in the emergency room.”

Nau to Lead Eastern Division

Konrad C. Nau, MD, has been

appointed associate vice

president for health sciences

and campus dean for the

School of Medicine, Eastern

Division, effective July 1. Nau

will fill the vacancy left by retiring

associate vice president Mitch

Jacques, MD, who has led

the Eastern Division through a

tremendous period of growth

and accomplishment.

“We are extremely fortunate to

have a leader for our Eastern

Division academic programs with Dr. Nau’s credentials, experience

and dedication to rural health,” said Christopher C. Colenda, MD,

MPH, chancellor for health sciences.

Nau previously served the campus as associate dean and chair

of Family Medicine. He established and led the WVU Rural Family

Medicine Residency Program from 1994-2004.

Interprofessional project to improve communication, rural care

The Department of Family

Medicine is leading a five-year

project to help train health

professionals in all disciplines

to be better communicators

and deliver healthcare

more effectively in rural and

underserved communities.

“Communication, in general, is

where mistakes are made,” said

Dorian Williams, MD, who directs

the project. “As physicians and

healthcare providers, we

must maintain a constant vigil to make sure we are effectively

communicating with our patients and that they understand what we

are saying.”

The advanced communications skills curriculum will better prepare

students in all the health professions to understand their patients

and to interact in teams with their colleagues. The Federal Health

Resources and Services Administration provided WVU with a

$948,000 grant to support the communications curriculum and a

primary care rural and underserved education track for medical

students.

Dr. Williams led a team of 65 faculty members from across the Health

Sciences Center to plan and implement the program.

WVU Healthcare is growing again.

WVU Hospitals plans to add a 10-story tower to handle the increasing numbers of patients who have chosen us for their care. The $280 million tower project will take four years to complete.

The project — the largest construction project on campus since Ruby Memorial Hospital was built in the late 1980s

— will add adult and pediatric beds, expand the Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Emergency Department, and the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center, and provide all future patients with private rooms.

It will also result in additional conference and educational space, along with more convenient and accessible patient parking.

WVU Hospitals expects to add 750 permanent jobs as a result of the expansion.

We’re growing to serve West Virginia

New Tower

New Entry

Morgantown

Eastern Division

Charleston Division

Harpers Ferry

Webster Springs

Camden-on-Gauley

Mount Hope

Beckley

McDowell County

Grantsville

PO Box 9083Morgantown, WV 26506 www.hsc.wvu.edu

School of DentistrySchool of MedicineSchool of NursingSchool of Pharmacy School of Public Health (in Development)

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Member, West Virginia United Health System

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Morgantown, WV 26506-9083

In this issue of WVU health magazine, you’ll meet citizens all across our state who have experienced first-hand the positive impact our faculty, students, and alumni have on the health of individuals and communities.