---

May 14, 2012

Contact:Lee Concha
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
847-578-8848
lee.concha@rosalindfranklin.edu

LeadAmerica and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Collaborate to ProvideOne Chicago High School Student with a "Passion for Science" an Extraordinary Opportunity
High School Students Find Out If They’re Really Cut Out For Medicine

CHICAGO, IL (May 7, 2012) — LeadAmerica and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) will extend their partnership into itssixth year to provide summer learning opportunities for middle and high school students interested in science, medicine, and healthcare.LeadAmerica has announced that it will award a full-tuition program scholarship to Philip Gianfortune, a high school freshman from Chicago, Illinoisso he can participate in this summer program July 9-16.

The multi-day LeadAmerica Medicine and Healthcare Conference draws high-achieving high school students from around the nation and the $2,349RFUMS scholarship is highly coveted. “Philip Gianfortune’s story is a particularly compelling one. This is an amazing student with a deep interest inmathematics, captain of his floor hockey team, a student ambassador and participates as a Big Buddy in the Big Buddy Program — and that’s theshort list of his accomplishments,” explains LeadAmerica’s Director of Academics, Dr. Jan Sikorsky. “He’s really interested in giving back andhelping people, which is why he stood out and was ultimately selected for this year’s scholarship.”

The college-accredited, career-focused high school conferences are offered for five to 10 days and are held throughout the summer at leadingcolleges and universities across the United States, including Stanford, Columbia, DePaul, Fordham and University of California, Berkeley.Since 2006, RFUMS, located in North Chicago, Illinois, has been an early partner to LeadAmerica. University faculty established the overallstructure, curriculum and simulation design that is currently used by eight LeadAmerica Medicine and Healthcare Conferences held nationally.

“It’s critical that we provide opportunities for students with the aptitude and the desire to go into scientific research or a health profession. Gettingthem into pipeline programs as early as possible gives everyone in the educational and experiential process the opportunity to prepare students forthese rigorous careers. What can be learned in a textbook is one thing, but what we can teach through patient simulation and interprofessionalcollaboration gets them closer to real world experiences and real world outcomes,” said Jim Carlson, MS, PA-C, assistant dean for evaluation andassessment at RFUMS. Carlson also serves as director of interprofessional simulation and assistant professor in the physician assistantdepartment.

For Philip Gianfortune, science and biology have been a focus since childhood. This is the type of outstanding student LeadAmerica Conferenceswere designed to nurture and support. Gianfortune is a contestant in mathematical competitions, student ambassador, junior counselor, andregular participant and leader in both school and community athletics and other programs. Most recently, he assisted an undergraduate researcherat the University of Chicago who is collecting data about the genomes of Hermetia Illucens (Black Soldier Fly). Gianfortuneraised and supplied the flies for the genome sequencing.

Gianfortune is seriously considering a career in health care and shared, “This conference is going to give me a glimpse of the future and help meprepare for what lies ahead.” This is the first LeadAmerica Conference Philip Gianfortune will attend.

More than 160 high-achieving high school students from around the country are expected to participate in the popular Medicine and HealthcareConference. Attending students will have the opportunity to work with leading health care professionals, including RFUMS’s faculty fromvarious fields. Students will be exposed to a variety of medical and graduate level training tools.

“For high school students considering the commitment to the often grueling college courses needed to prepare for and get into medical school orother healthcare professions, the Medicine and Healthcare Conference can be a real eye-opening experience. A career in medicine is not for themeek. It takes real commitment and its rewards can be amazing,” notes Sikorsky.

While attending the conference, students will face the challenges of emergency medicine and take part in a standardized patient encounter using asimulated patient case. Participants will complete an epidemiological case study to determine the root cause of a widespread illness and develop apublic service announcement to create public awareness around a public health issue that matters to them. They will attend lectures by RFUMSfaculty and expert guest speakers. Where local regulations allow, LeadAmerica students will examine, handle and be briefed about variousorgans of the human body during a tour of a gross anatomy laboratory.

Among the highlights of the program, students work with a robotic simulator known on the RFUMS campus as Frank. “Frank can present symptomsof an illness and we can alter Frank’s heart rate, blood pressure and even how his pupils dilate.  This is highly advanced technology that ourgraduate and medical students work with regularly.By using technology to simulate a health crisis, such as a heart attack, our students learn to workin health care teams to assess, diagnose and treat the patient as any health care professional would. Using immersive techniques, we are able tohelp students understand how to make clinical decisions and learn how to ‘practice’ the art of medicine,” said Carlson.

LeadAmerica is one of the nation’s most respected youth development organizations devoted to providing acclaimed college-level academicexperiences that deliver tangible improvements in college and career readiness. LeadAmerica offers a diverse curriculum, a highlyengaging and rigorous academic experience with hands-on interactive workshops and simulations to immerse students in their chosen field ortopic. To learn more about LeadAmerica, visit lead-america.org or contact a LeadAmerica Admissions Counselor at 1-866-394-5323. 

About LeadAmerica: LeadAmerica, one of the nation’s educational leaders in personalized experiential learning offers outstanding, high-achieving high school andmiddle school students the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and the experience of real college life while they explore their future path anddiscover what inspires them most. They partner and collaborate with some of the top colleges and universities throughout the United States to offercollege immersion programs designed to better prepare these students academically and emotionally for the transition to college life andbeyond. Their mission is to build a more globally competitive America with college-bound students. LeadAmerica high school conferences arecollege-accredited, and all curricula has been approved by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) for the eighthconsecutive year. For more information, please visit www.lead-america.org or call 1-866-394-5323.

About Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science: Formed in 1912 as the Chicago Hospital-College of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a national leader ininterprofessional medical and healthcare education, offering a doctor of medicine program through the Chicago Medical School, doctor of podiatricmedicine program through the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and  a range of degrees through its College of HealthProfessions, including nurse anesthesia, nutrition, physical therapy, pathologists’ assistant and physician assistant.  The University also offersadvanced biomedical degrees through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The university received pre-candidate status for its Collegeof Pharmacy and welcomed its first class August 2011. For more information, please visit www.rosalindfranklin.edu.

###

---

 

January 13, 2012
Contact:Lee Concha
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
847-578-8848
lee.concha@rosalindfranklin.edu

Chicago Medical School Joins White House to Address Military and Veteran Health Needs

NORTH CHICAGO, IL – Earlier this week, the Chicago Medical School (CMS) at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) joined national leaders in healthcare, government and education in Richmond, Virginia to express support for the Joining Forces initiative announced by the White House. Joining Forces is a comprehensive national effort to mobilize all sectors of society, including healthcare, to give service members and their families opportunities and resources to succeed.

As part of this initiative, CMS joins the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) that have pledged to align their missions in education, research, and clinical care to better train future physicians to care for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), as well as sharing best practices. To date, approximately 100 medical schools across the nation have signed on to this initiative. 

In a news release issued by the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama said, “I’m inspired to see our nation’s medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families. By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they’re ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned.”

CMS was one of the first medical schools to express its commitment to work with the AAMC and the Obama administration to ensure that students are trained to meet the specific needs of active service members, veterans and their families.

“We’re proud to be one of the initiative’s early adopters. Given that we are the academic arm of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, our University has a very close relationship with military families. Every day, our students and clinicians see patients with an array of needs and only through continued collaboration can we offer the best care,” said Dr. Russell Robertson, dean of the Chicago Medical School.  

An educational affiliation was established between the Captain James A. Lovell Health Care Center and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in 1974.

“As the nation’s first federal health care center -- which combines the personnel and resources from the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense -- we could not be more pleased to take another groundbreaking step with our educational partner Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science,” said Patrick L. Sullivan, Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center Director. “Our longstanding relationship and shared passion of Readying Warriors and Caring for Heroes makes this a perfect location to begin the Joining Forces initiative.”

About Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Formed in 1912 as the Chicago Hospital-College of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a national leader in interprofessional medical and healthcare education, offering a doctor of medicine program through the Chicago Medical School, doctor of podiatric medicine program through the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and  a range of degrees through its College of Health Professions, including nurse anesthesia, nutrition, physical therapy, pathologists’ assistant and physician assistant.  The University also offers advanced biomedical degrees through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The university received pre-candidate status for its College of Pharmacy and welcomed its first class August 2011.

###

---

November 2, 2011
Contact: Lee Concha
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
847-578-8848
lee.concha@rosalindfranklin.edu 

For Immediate Release:

Interprofessional Collaboration Focus of Rosalind Franklin University Seminar

NORTH CHICAGO, IL –On Oct. 15, almost 100 healthcare professionals gathered in Gurnee to attend “The Interprofessional Showcase Program: Systemic Problems and Pedal Manifestations,” a symposium sponsored by the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and the Chicago Medical School, both part of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

The program focused on the collaborative care need of patients and the intersect of different professions in improving outcomes. Lectures were presented by a podiatric physician, rheumatologist, pharmacist, dermatologist, and nurse practitioner to emphasize the interprofessional perspective of medicine. Rosalind Franklin University faculty members included Scott Hanes, PharmD, Associate Professor and Chair of the College of Pharmacy Practice; Nancy Slone Rivera, MS, ANP-C, CWON, CFCN, Nursing Practitioner and wound care specialist at the Rosalind Franklin University Health System; and Eric Gall, MD, MACP, MACR, former Chair of Medicine at the Chicago Medical School. Other faculty included Paul Goodman, DPM, DABPS, FACFAS, Co-Director of The Foot and Ankle Treatment Center in Glenview; and Bradley Bakotic, DPM, DO, CEO and Principle Partner at Bako Pathology Services in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Course participant Dr. Philip Gianfortune commented “This is the most diverse faculty we’ve ever had at one of these programs. It was an outstanding interprofessional group of speaker who brought in their own levels of expertise that all related to the practice of podiatry. I liked it."

The Interprofessional Showcase Program offered critical continuing education credits for healthcare professionals who were interested in systemic problems and pedal manifestations. The program focused on bullous, metabolic/endocrine, papulosquamous, auto-immune, genetic diseases, and drug interactions, and also offered a biopsy techniques workshop. Student research projects were also on exhibit. This year 11 students participated in the Summer Research Fellowship Program sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with projects covering a great breadth of topics. Posters highlighted at the Showcase Course included translational work looking at growth factors, bioburden, and proteomic in the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. Others students worked in the Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research’s (CLEAR) Human Performance (Gait) Lab evaluating various types of footwear and their impact upon gait and functional status, or efforts investigating motor learning in association with balance. Some students were also involved in clinic based studies on topics such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy, orthostatic hypertension, and comparative investigations of surgical procedures.

According to Stephanie Wu, DPM, MSc, Associate Dean of Research at Scholl College and the Director of CLEAR, “It’s critical that students understand the importance of research in podiatric medicine. It has to be an integrated element of the curriculum in order for them to make an impact on tomorrow’s healthcare findings.”

Scholl College will offer its next continuing education program, the Mid-Winter Seminar, on January 13-14, 2012. The Mid-Winter Seminar, now in its 34th year, is a student-sponsored program that coincides with the students’ “Dance-for-Diabetes” event at The Drake Hotel in Chicago. Proceeds of the 13-14 CE hour course will go toward student scholarships and student activities. For course information, email Ellie.Wydeven@RosalindFranklin.edu or call 847-578-8410.

About Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Formed in 1912 as the Chicago Hospital-College of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a national leader in interprofessional medical and healthcare education, offering a doctor of medicine program through the Chicago Medical School, doctor of podiatric medicine program through the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and a range of degrees through its College of Health Professions, including nurse anesthesia, nutrition, physical therapy, pathologists’ assistant and physician assistant. The University also offers advanced biomedical degrees through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The university received pre-candidate status for its College of Pharmacy and welcomed its first class August 2011.

###

---

July 7, 2011

Contact: Lee Concha
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
847-578-8848
lee.concha@rosalindfranklin.edu

Life in Discovery

Rosalind Franklin University Opens New College of Pharmacy and Interprofessional Education Center

NORTH CHICAGO, IL – Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science welcomed more than 225 guests for the ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the opening of its new College of Pharmacy which will be housed in the Interprofessional Education Center, a 23,000 square-foot, three story addition to the campus. The University announced that the addition would be named the William J. and Elizabeth L. Morningstar Interprofessional Education Center in recognition of a $4.4 million gift from the estate of George W. Morningstar, MD, an alumnus of the University.

“Dr. Morningstar wished to honor his parents, Elizabeth and William, for their support throughout his career in family medicine. Aided by this generous gift from Dr. Morningstar, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is providing our students the progressive education they need to become leaders in healthcare for the future,” said Dr. K. Michael Welch, President and CEO of Rosalind Franklin University. The new wing provides small group learning space for medical and graduate health science students, clinical simulation suites, a case demonstration amphitheatre and educational facilities on the first two floors. The third floor houses the College of Pharmacy with a state-of-the-art laboratory space, conference room and faculty offices to serve 70 incoming students who will begin their studies in August 2011. “I am inspired by the far-reaching significance of today’s event in service to our students and the nation’s challenging healthcare needs,” said Ruth Rothstein, chair of the Rosalind Franklin University Board of Trustees.

“It will have a resounding impact for many years ahead.”As a key expansion of Rosalind Franklin University’s academic health sciences programs, the College of Pharmacy will complement the Chicago Medical School, the College of Health Professions, the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. “If we can train our pharmacists, physicians, physical therapists and other health professionals to work in teams, the health care world as we know it will start to change,” said Dr. Gloria Meredith, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “When medical professionals work in teams, they improve the quality of care.”Rosalind Franklin University is known for its interprofessional educational approach, meaning that students learn from, with and about each other’s profession, regardless of their specialty, much in the same way that medical teams are expected to function in the future. The National Institute of Medicine has cited that this approach greatly diminishes medical errors and improves outcomes.

“We don’t have to wait until we are in the hospitals and clinics to experience this level of interprofessionalism in providing patient centered care. The pharmacy students will provide another perspective that will ultimately strengthen us as we become the next generation of healthcare professionals,” said Zubin Wala, current Executive Student Council President and second-year medical student at Rosalind Franklin University.

The cost of the construction project was approximately $5.5 million and funding was provided by public and private support, including gifts from Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Walgreens, and the Grace P. Rose Charitable Foundation Trust, among others. State Senator Terry Link, State Representative Carol Sente, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and the Illinois Federation of Independent Colleges and Universities provided essential leadership for state funding. “Rosalind Franklin University will undoubtedly produce exemplary young professionals that when they graduate from the College of Pharmacy will have increased opportunities to find jobs within the community and help countless individuals,” said Representative Carol Sente from the 59th District.

About Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Formed in 1912 as the Chicago Hospital-College of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a national leader in interprofessional medical and healthcare education, offering a doctor of medicine program through the Chicago Medical School, doctor of podiatric medicine program through the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and a range of degrees through its College of Health Professions, including nurse anesthesia, nutrition, physical therapy, pathologists’ assistant and physician assistant. The University also offers advanced biomedical degrees through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The university received Pre-candidate status for its College of Pharmacy and welcome its first class August 2011.

###

---

May 2, 2011
Contact: Lee Concha
Executive Director, Marketing and Communications
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
847-578-8848 
lee.concha@rosalindfranklin.edu
Life in Discovery

For Immediate Release:

Rosalind Franklin University Receives Sponsorship for Laboratory Enhancements

Dr. K. Michael Welch (left), president and CEO of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, received the $100,000 sponsorship check from Eric Warner (right), CEO of Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers.

NORTH CHICAGO, IL – Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers, a Chicago-based, physical therapist-owned and operated rehabilitation company, is supporting Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science with a $100,000 sponsorship for its Gross Anatomy Laboratory.

“Individualized care, advanced treatment techniques and clinical excellence are important aspects to our operations, but it all starts with the heathcare practioner. Rosalind Franklin University trains students with a ‘patients first’ philosophy that’s very similar to ours. Together, we are committed to innovation, clinical quality and effective outcomes,” said Eric Warner, PT, MS, CEO of Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers.

The funds will be used to update the University’s gross anatomy laboratory, which is outfitted with workstations that include high-speed data, audio and video capabilities. The laboratory, which opened in 2003, can accommodate up to 300 students at a time and all University students use this laboratory as part of their core curriculum. The updates will include the replacement of the majority of the workstations.

“As a graduate level health professions university, we are dedicated to preparing exceptional healthcare providers, and to do this, technology and education must intersect at every step,” said Dr. K. Michael Welch, president and CEO of Rosalind Franklin University.

The University has programs in medicine, podiatric medicine, and nine allied health programs, including physician assistant and physical therapy. Students work together in interprofessional teams which helps them learn, practice and deliver healthcare in a collaborative manner.

About Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Formed in 1912 as the Chicago Hospital-College of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a national leader in interprofessional medical and healthcare education, offering a doctor of medicine program through the Chicago Medical School, doctor of podiatric medicine program through the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and a range of degrees through its College of Health Professions, including nurse anesthesia, nutrition, physical therapy, pathologist and physician assistant. The University also offers advanced biomedical degrees through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The university received pre-candidate status for its College of Pharmacy and will immediately accept applications for fall 2011.

The mission of Rosalind Franklin University is to serve the nation through the education of health professionals and the discovery of knowledge dedicated to improving the health of its people. Today, the University stands on the frontier of the new healthcare by educating the next generation of healthcare professionals, conducting leading-edge biomedical research, and serving the community in innovative ways.

About Accelerated Rehabilitation
Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers is a physical therapist owned and operated rehabilitation company. With a network of over 200 outpatient rehabilitation centers located throughout the Midwest, Arizona and Georgia, Accelerated offers a wide range of programs and specialized services to help our patients restore and maintain their physical strength, performance skills, and levels of function.Our highly respected employees—both clinical and non-clinical—have strong reputations for clinical quality, effective outcomes, and exceptional customer service. Together, we are completely committed to improving our patients' health, their well-being, and most of all, their quality of life.

The Accelerated team leads with a forward-thinking Patients First philosophy that is applied to all aspects of our operations. For our patients, this means that Accelerated will work every day to meet every one of their rehabilitation needs. From us—always—our patients are guaranteed: Individualized care. Advanced treatment techniques. Clinical excellence.We appreciate your interest in Accelerated, and we'd love for you to learn a little more about our company online at www.acceleratedrehab.com

###