Connections
MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FALL 2017
OUTSTANDING
CONTRIBUTORS
Eugene Anderson
and Kevin Seisler
C /// MAYO SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Making a good deal even better
The Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Alumni
Association (MCSHSAA) Annual Meeting in April was
a tremendous success. It is always great to see so many
familiar faces and have the chance to meet new people.
The annual board meeting is our once-a-year opportunity
to bring together the board of directors, alumni, and
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences (MCSHS) leaders
to discuss association updates and events, school news
and novel ideas and socialize a little, too.
One of many highlights for me this year was
meeting Kevin Seisler, RT(R), and Eugene (Gene)
Anderson, PT, recipients of the alumni association’s
Recognition of Outstanding Contribution award.
Hearing their stories, meeting their families, and seeing
their passion and dedication to education and patient
care was inspiring. Read their stories starting on page 2.
The board of directors learned more details about
the innovative Alumni Connect mentor program.
Alumni Connect is a new web-based tool for MCSHS
students to connect to alumni mentors. It is an easy
way for our alumni to continue to influence our future
allied health leaders and employees. Being a mentor
is such a rewarding experience for both parties, and I
hope that you will consider getting involved. I would
not be where I am today without many mentors along
the way, and I am grateful for their time. Read how to
sign up on page 25.
For the next year, the board is seeking opportunities
to further increase the value of membership to our
alumni. (It’s already a good value. By graduating, you
are a member!) We discussed ways to expand member
participation, highlight the successes of our alumni and
make communication channels easier to use. You can
look forward to seeing new electronic communication
and more attention to alumni accomplishments.
Lastly, during the meeting I had the privilege to
officially become president of the MCSHS Alumni
Association. I’m honored to have this opportunity
to give back and stay connected to the organization
that helped to guide my career path. I am working
as pharmacy operations coordinator at Memorial
Hospital Miramar, Miramar, Florida.
I welcome your ideas or suggestions. Just email
mshsaa@mayo.edu. Consider getting involved as a
board member or mentor. And hope to see you next
April in Rochester.
Regards,
Matt Curran, PharmD, CPh
President, MCSHS Alumni Association
Pharmacy Residency, Florida
Class of 2014
ON THE COVER / Eugene Anderson and Kevin Seisler,
recipients of the 2017 Recognition of Outstanding
Contribution award.
NOTE FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI /
2
Meet the 2017 honorees
ALUMNI ALL TOGETHER /
6
2017 annual meeting highlights
SPACE-AGE THERAPY /
8
Associate dean launches
experiment
20TH CLASS /
9
Physician Assistant Program marks
milestone
LIGHTBULB MOMENTS /
14
Feted teacher sees student success
PHARMACIST/RESEARCHER /
18
A groundbreaking Kern Scholar
INTRODUCTIONS, PLEASE /
20
Board members talk education,
careers
HEMODIALYSIS TECHNICIAN
REDUX /
22
Meet a grad from updated program
BE A MENTOR /
25
New, convenient way to connect
Mayo Clinic
School of Health Sciences
Alumni Association
Connections
A publication for alumni, students,
faculty and friends of Mayo Clinic
School of Health Sciences
https://mshsalumni.mayo.edu
facebook.com/mshsalumni
Contents
Nurse practitioner
Claudia Swanton is
breaking down barriers
for nurses in Chile.
Page 17
FALL 2017 /// 1
Kevin Seisler hit the right notes with half of his
college major. Seisler, who plays the violin and
earned a bachelor’s in music education, realized
before graduation that a career in music wasn’t for
him. Education, however, was indeed his calling
— but in an entirely different field. And he has his
parents to thank for helping him discover it.
After graduating from Augustana College in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Seisler moved home.
That’s when his parents, both with medical
backgrounds themselves, made a suggestion.
“They told me about a new radiography program
that was starting at Mayo,” Seisler says.
Seisler was curious. He visited Mayo Clinic to learn
about the program. “It looked pretty interesting,” Seisler
says. “And working with people appealed to me.” He
was accepted into the Mayo Clinic School of Health
Sciences (MCSHS) Radiography Program in 1982.
“Being part of the inaugural class was a lot of fun,”
he says. “It was an exciting venture for the department.
Everyone had a stake in the program.”
Seisler soon had a stake in the program as well.
After working at Mayo Clinic for two years as a
radiologic technologist, he started teaching skeletal
imaging to MCSHS radiography students. The
2017 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS
Recognition of Outstanding
Contribution honorees
following year, he was hired as the young program’s
first full-time clinical instructor.
“It was definitely a challenge,” Seisler admits.
“I had to develop everything.” That included clinical
objectives, competency forms and evaluation
procedures similar to those still used today. Seisler’s
responsibilities grew, and in 1992, he was named
assistant director of the Radiography Program.
While working on the program’s administrative
side, Seisler continued to teach. And teach. And teach.
He’s taught more than 2,000 hours in the Radiography
Program. But his classroom contributions didn’t
end there. He also taught courses for technologists,
physician assistants, and respiratory and physical
therapy students, and developed the first new employee
orientation program for radiology employees. (That
education degree came in handy after all.)
In 2003, Seisler took on a new challenge as
education coordinator for allied health staff in the
Department of Radiology. One of his signature
contributions is the establishment of the annual
allied health symposium for technologists and
nurses. Over the past 13 years, the symposium
has provided more than 90 hours of continuing
education for attendees.
Directing the education of radiologic technologists
In 2017, Mayo Clinic School
of Health Sciences Alumni
Association honored two
alumni with its Recognition of
Outstanding Contribution award.
Congratulations to:
Kevin Seisler,
RT(R), education coordinator,
Department of Radiology, assistant
professor of Radiology, Mayo Clinic
College of Medicine and Science
Eugene (Gene) Anderson,
PT, retired, former private practice
owner, community volunteer
2 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
“Staff really like it,” Seisler says of the event,
which takes place one Saturday each spring. “It’s
one big event just for them.” He’s also produced
more than 70 online continuing education modules,
accessible to Mayo Clinic technologists working
in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota as well as
throughout Mayo Clinic Health System.
Seisler has a hand in recruiting technologists to
the field. For years, he’s spoken to student groups
touring Mayo Clinic. And he’s taken his show on
the road as well, visiting high schools and colleges
throughout the Midwest. “Typically, the kids are like
I was at their age and don’t know anything about
the field,” he says. So he gives them a crash course,
bringing in bells and whistles (in the form of X-ray
tubes and interesting images). “It’s pretty cool to
think I could spark something for them.”
A few years ago, Seisler started the Imaging
Careers and Networking (ICAN) Scholarship
Program. It is a week-long camp that brings minority
students to Mayo Clinic to learn about radiology.
“It’s a way to increase diversity in the field,” he says,
noting that he’s seen a number of participants return
to attend the University of Minnesota Rochester —
one of the Radiography Program’s affiliated academic
institutions — following high school graduation.
Seisler’s contributions stretch beyond Mayo Clinic.
He served as education chair for two Minnesota
Society of Radiologic Technologists meetings,
chaired the group’s annual meeting and served as the
organization’s president and chairman of the board.
Seisler says receiving the alumni award has
provided an opportunity to step back and reflect on
his career. Instead of developing musicians, Seisler
has directed technologists. Hearing he’s made an
impact on that group is music to his ears. “This
recognition is confirmation of what I’ve been doing
for the past 33 years,” he says. “It’s truly an honor.”
Kevin Seisler, RT(R)
FALL 2017 /// 3
Gene Anderson’s professional life could be divided
into two chapters. Both are focused on service and
worthy of recognition.
The first chapter begins right after Anderson’s
graduation from the Physical Therapy Program at
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences (MCSHS).
It was 1969, and like many young men of his
generation, Anderson was drafted into military
service. “I was blessed to help people coming back
from Vietnam,” Anderson says of his two-year stint
in the Army Medical Service Corps at Martin Army
Hospital in Fort Benning, Georgia.
After completing his service, the Nebraska
native became a southern transplant. “I fell in love
with the Ozarks,” he says. He established a private
physical therapy practice with two other MCSHS
grads in northwest Arkansas, working primarily
with patients recovering from orthopedic surgeries.
Anderson also supervised physical therapy students
doing clinical rotations. He served his profession, too,
holding several positions within the Arkansas Physical
Therapy Association, including president. And he was
tapped by then-Gov. Bill Clinton for a position on the
Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy.
Serving patients and serving others
Eugene (Gene) Anderson
4 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
“I didn’t want to be someone who worked
from 8 to 5 and went home,” Anderson says of his
extracurricular activities. “I wanted to give back.”
“Giving back” could well be the title of the second
chapter of Anderson’s career. Since retiring in 2005,
he has devoted himself to service.
“After I retired I was seeking guidance for what to
do with the rest of my life," Anderson says. “I believe
that God calls us to service.”
He’s answered that call in many ways.
Anderson has been active with a number of
local nonprofits, including a community clinic
that provides free and low-cost medical care to
underserved patients. He spends half a day each
week providing physical therapy to patients who
would otherwise not receive care.
“The clinic serves a great need for people
who do not have health insurance,” Anderson
says, adding that the thanks he receives from his
grateful patients — often in the form of hugs — “is
worth more than anything else I’ve done in the
past 48 years.”
But that’s hardly Anderson’s only contribution to
the greater good. He’s also part of two Springdale,
Arkansas, Rotary Club projects that help young
people. The group distributes dictionaries to every
third grader in the Springdale school district, a
project Anderson chaired for several years. That
meant coordinating the purchase and distribution of
some 2,000 dictionaries each year. “Lots of these kids
do not have a book in their house,” he says. “It’s very
rewarding to change that.”
He’s also a presenter for the Rotary Club’s
Choices Program, which brings professionals
into eighth-grade classrooms. “We talk about
the impact the choices they make today can have
on the rest of their lives,” Anderson says. “We
encourage them to make good choices and talk
about the importance of education.”
Anderson has served on the board of the
Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. He’s
deeply committed to the organization’s mission
to enable single parents to attain self-sufficiency
through post-secondary education. “Not only is a
parent getting an education, but they’re also setting
an example for their kids,” he says. “I’ve witnessed so
many heartwarming stories through this program.”
Most recently, Anderson has gotten involved in
Stephen Ministry. The program trains laypeople
to minister to members of their congregations.
Anderson has been matched with two older
gentleman with physical challenges and visits with
each once a week. “They’re lonely,” he says. “So I
go to them and just listen.”
At age 72, Anderson says he is happy to help
wherever he can. His avocation for service early in
his career has become his retirement vocation. “It’s
work I plan to continue for a long time,” he says.
We want to hear about
outstanding alumni
The MCSHS Alumni Association honors
graduates each year with the Recognition of
Outstanding Contribution award.
Graduates considered for the award:
• Are dedicated to the service of patients
• Promote the art and science of medicine
through education of students
• Participate in or encourage research
• Are leaders in their fields
• Are involved in community service
• Have made contributions to underserved
populations or provide service in
challenging situations
• Are involved with MCSHS
Nominate a colleague, former classmate, or
yourself. The next deadline for nominations is
Jan. 31, 2018.
LEARN MORE
https://mshsalumni.mayo.edu/people/awards
FALL 2017 /// 5
2017 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEETING
Connecting,
learning and
honoring
More than 200 Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
alumni — from new grads to retirees — gathered in
Rochester April 21, 2017, for the alumni association’s
annual meeting. They made new connections, learned
new information and honored outstanding alumni.
Highlights of the annual meeting:
• Keynote speakers David Soma, MD, and Cara
Prideaux, MD, Mayo Clinic physicians, shared their
expertise and experience in treating concussions.
• Eugene Anderson, PT, and Kevin Seisler, RT(R),
each were honored with the Recognition of
Outstanding Contribution award. It was the first
time two alumni were honored.
• Claire Bender, MD, was recognized as the first
recipient of the association’s Champion of Allied
Health Award.
• Outgoing alumni association president Karen
Sherk, NP, passed the gavel to new president
Matthew Curran, PharmD, CPh.
Mark your calendar: April 21, 2018
Save the date for the 2018 annual meeting in
Rochester. The event is free for MCSHS graduates.
Watch for details at https://mshsalumni.mayo.edu
6 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
A Champion
for Allied Health
Claire Bender, MD, was honored with the
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Alumni
Association’s inaugural Champion of Allied
Health Award. Dr. Bender was dean of the
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences from
2002 to 2014. She developed the school’s
Radiography Program and was a leader in
establishing the University of Minnesota
campus in Rochester and its Bachelor of
Science in Health Professions degree.
FALL 2017 /// 7
Do human stem cells grow faster in space? Yes and
no, says Abba Zubair, MD, PhD, associate dean of
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences – Florida
Campus. It all depends on the type of stem cell, he
says of Mayo Clinic’s first orbiting experiment.
Four years ago, Dr. Zubair submitted his proposal
for space-based research to NASA. He hoped to prove
that stem cells — the undifferentiated cells in the
body used to replace damaged or dying cells — can
be mass-produced more quickly in microgravity. And
although NASA selected his experiment nearly three
years ago, aerospace glitches repeatedly bumped
the mission until earlier this year, when three types
of adult stem cells from Dr. Zubair’s laboratory in
Mayo’s Center for Regenerative Medicine spent time
aboard the International Space Station.
During the month the stem cells spent in a
microgravity environment, where objects are essentially
weightless, the cells grew in carefully controlled
conditions. For comparison, identical sets of the stem
cells were monitored in Dr. Zubair’s lab back in Florida.
The initial findings? In general, the three types
of stem cells reacted differently to the lack of gravity.
Some grew up to four times faster in space; some
showed no change in growth rate. All exhibited other
differences from their twins on Earth. For example, in
space the stem cells grew in sheets, while in the lab
the cells grew in clumps.
“It looks promising,” Dr. Zubair says. “There are
differences, but what does it mean? It will take more
than a year to figure out the whole story.”
His ultimate goal is to produce clinical-grade cells for
safe treatment of patients following a hemorrhagic stroke.
Working with mouse models, Dr. Zubair previously
found that an infusion of stem cells at the site of stroke
stimulates regeneration of neurons and blood vessels.
Dr. Zubair attended the Feb. 19, 2017, launch of
the rocket carrying his experiment during a resupply
mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape
Canaveral, Florida. The stem cells safely landed back
on Earth in mid-March.
Dr. Zubair will continue to compare the growth,
gene expression and cell functionality of both
collections of stem cells to gauge their safety for use
in humans.
“We’ll study them to make sure they’re normal,
functional and safe for patients with stroke,” he says.
“We want to treat patients.”
Dr. Zubair, who has had a passion for space since
his childhood in Nigeria, is developing curriculum
on his high-flying stem cells for Orion’s Quest, an
organization that teaches math and science through
classroom participation in research conducted on the
International Space Station.
“It’s pretty exciting,” he says. “The idea of going
into space and doing research first entered my mind
early in high school. I want to pass that on to the
next generation.”
Exploring a
space-age
therapy
Dr. Zubair has been associate dean of MCSHS for three
years. His focus areas have been faculty development
and the expansion of the Clinical Research Internship
Study Program (CRISP).
MCSHS ASSOCIATE DEAN
8 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
In 2017, the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
(MCSHS) Physician Assistant (PA) Program marked
its 20th graduating class.
This unique program is a tri-partnership, with
the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Gundersen
La Crosse Hospital and Mayo Clinic School of Health
Sciences. Students are enrolled in the PA master's
program at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
They complete their clinical experiences at Mayo Clinic,
Mayo Clinic Health System, Gundersen La Crosse
Hospital and other practice sites in southwestern
Wisconsin, southern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa.
All graduates have passed the Physician Assistant
National Certifying Exam (PANCE). MSCHS ranks
No. 9 in the top U.S. PA schools based on student
results in the certifying exam.
Robert Adams, who has been PA Program director
since its inception, says the biggest change over 20 years
has been the expanding practice for PAs. “PAs now are
part of nearly every practice area at Mayo Clinic.”
Education opportunities have grown, too. Mayo
Clinic hosts clinical rotations for PA students from
several partner schools. MCSHS also offers PA
fellowships for specialty training.
New PA program to launch in 2019
In 2017, the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors
approved a new physician assistant master’s degree
program through MCSHS in collaboration with Saint
Mary’s University of Minnesota and University of
Minnesota Rochester.
Students will be able to become a physician
assistant in as little as five years — with three years
at the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona
Campus or at the University of Minnesota Rochester,
followed by two years of graduate study in Rochester.
The first class of 24 students will start in 2019.
“There is great need for more physician assistants,
especially in rural communities,” says Adams. “This
new program will help address that need.
“ PAs now are part of nearly every practice area at Mayo Clinic.”
ROBERT ADAMS
New PA education options in 2019
PA Program marks 20th graduating class
FALL 2017 /// 9
Gaining expertise through Otolaryngology Fellowship
No ‘typical’ PA job:
Snapshots of four career paths
Anthony (Tony) Mendez, PA-C, works alongside the
chair of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and
Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He cares for
patients both in the operating rooms and the clinic.
He completed the MCSHS PA Fellowship in
Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery on the
Arizona campus. Established in 2005, it’s the only
accredited PA fellowship in otolaryngology in the U.S.
“During my PA master’s degree program, I
rotated at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and spent six
weeks in the otolaryngology department,” says
Mendez. “The PAs on staff encouraged me to
apply for the fellowship. It was too good of an
opportunity to pass up.”
Today, all seven of the PAs working in the
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck
Surgery are graduates of the MSCHS fellowship.
“Our fellowship immerses PAs in a rigorous
curriculum that is equivalent to about three years
of private practice experience,” he says.
“Fellowship training helps PAs stand out and
improves your marketability, giving you a significant
leg up in a specialized area,” says Mendez.
Mendez now knows about the fellowship from
another perspective. He has been program director
since 2015. Working with fellow alumni Carlene
Donald, PA-C, associate program director, they
developed standardized curriculum, schedule
rotations for two fellows each year, assist fellows
with research and publication, and field questions
from the fellows.
“When I was a fellow, I saw how valuable it was to
have a mentor, and I wanted to serve in that role,” he
says. “I enjoy teaching.”
Anthony Mendez
10 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Chelsey Hoffmann, RD, PA-C, says her goal is to be
a physician assistant expert in pain management.
“I’m still working on that,” she says. “As soon as I
feel like I master something, a new pain management
technology comes along.” She sees patients in
the Division of Pain Medicine, Department of
Anesthesiology, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Hoffmann is a graduate of the MCSHS Dietetic
Internship. She quickly found she wanted more
direct patient care.
“It seemed to me that physician assistants are
in a unique position to form relationships with
patients and have hands-on time with them,” she
says. “There was no question in my mind that I
wanted to come back to Mayo to pursue a second
degree as a physician assistant.”
She graduated from the MCSHS PA Program,
a collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-
La Crosse and Gundersen La Crosse Hospital.
Hoffmann provides inpatient and outpatient
care for patients with cancer, spine pain, complex
regional pain syndrome, nerve pain disorders and
other conditions. She administers injection therapies
for pain relief. She helps manage intrathecal pain
pumps and evaluates patients to determine if they’re
candidates for spinal cord stimulators to manage
pain. She manages prescription medications and,
when necessary, works with patients to taper off of
narcotic medications.
On an initial consult, patients are seen by a
physician and either a PA or nurse practitioner. On
return visits, the PA or NP sees the patient and
implements the treatment plan. “We customize
pain management to align with patient goals. It’s
really rewarding to improve patients’ quality of life
and help them be able to do things they love.”
Chelsey Hoffmann
Relieving pain for patients
FALL 2017 /// 11
When patients with complex illnesses come to Mayo
Clinic, William “Patricio” Aleman, PA-C, could
be the first care provider they see. He works in the
Section of Consultative Medicine in the Division of
General Internal Medicine in Rochester.
“They see me first, before they see a physician in
Consultative Medicine. We refer them to the appropriate
specialists to complete their diagnostic journey at
Mayo,” he says. “After they see specialists, patients see
me again for their final visit and dismissal.”
He typically sees two new patients each day and
follows 16 to 20 patients a week.
Aleman joined Mayo Clinic in 1994 as the first
physician assistant in the Department of Medicine. “I
felt a lot of responsibility because I was the only one for
a year and a half,” he says. “It was a learning process for
the department and for me. The first year went really
well, and the department showed it was a good decision
economically and in terms of patient satisfaction.”
Aleman’s career at Mayo Clinic illustrates some of
the many ways physician assistants care for patients.
He has worked in the international medicine clinic,
inpatient internal medicine and psychiatric care as
well as treating patients with nicotine dependency.
Aleman studied medicine in his native Ecuador.
When he moved to the U.S. in 1983, the cost of
medical school was out of reach. Instead, he trained
and worked as an emergency medical technician, a
radiologic technologist and administrator of a small
medical clinic. “The doctors I worked with always
said, ‘You know a lot of medicine. Go back to school.’
He enrolled in the primary care physician
assistant program at the University of California,
Davis, in 1988 and then, in 1993, in the MCSHS PA
Surgical Training Program, the predecessor to today’s
Physician Assistant Program.
“I like the detective work involved with my work,”
he says. “Patients come with symptoms, and I look
for the clues to make a diagnosis. I enjoy talking with
patients and understanding their illnesses. I try to
engage with the mental and emotional part of each
patient as well.”
William "Patricio" Aleman
Seeing patients first in their diagnostic journey
12 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Nicole Gannon, PA-C, is a physician assistant in the
Division of Hematology/Oncology at Mayo Clinic
in Florida. She’s also the director of PA Student
Education Program on the Florida campus.
She says her interest in hematology and oncology
care was sparked during PA school. “I enjoy the
focus on the patients, who we might see in the clinic
two or three times a week,” she says. “I really get to
know patients and their families. It feels like we’re
making a big difference in their cancer care and
seeing them through one of the hardest journeys in
their lives. I can’t imagine working in another area.”
Gannon sees patients before they begin
chemotherapy and between chemotherapy sessions.
She cares for them when they’re hospitalized for
bone marrow transplants and at their post-transplant
follow-up visits. She performs some procedures and
provides patient and family education about what to
expect during and after treatment.
After a year on the job, she became assistant
director of the Physician Assistant Student Education
Program and, recently, program director.
“I’ve always been drawn to education,” she says.
“I got my undergraduate degree in health education
and worked with community partnerships on
outreach. I’ve always had mentors who helped me
along in my career. Now, I want to put my passion for
education toward helping our PA students.”
The Physician Assistant Clinical Rotation at Mayo
Clinic in Florida works with six affiliated schools
in Florida and southeastern Georgia, with 20 to 30
students rotating each year. In addition to serving as
program director, Gannon hopes to teach one day.
“Ten to 15 years from now I want to start teaching
PA students, become a professor and continue to be a
preceptor during rotations,” she says.
“ It feels like we’re making a big difference in their cancer care and
seeing them through one of the hardest journeys in their lives.”
NICOLE GANNON
Nicole Gannon
Caring for cancer patients and PA students
FALL 2017 /// 13
When Jill Tryon, RT(R)(M)(CT), arrived
at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
(MCSHS) in 2011 to take on the role of
Radiography Program director, she knew
right away she had come to the right place.
“A world-class institution with an
impressive reputation for excellent
patient care, I felt Mayo Clinic’s academic
environment would be a great place to
teach,” Tryon says. “I was right. I found
a collegial environment where educators
from different professions work together
to provide the best education for all of
our students.”
Over the past six years, Tryon has
embraced the opportunity to collaborate
with colleagues and enhance not only her
own program, but programs across MCSHS
via her membership on the school’s Student
and Faculty Affairs Committee.
“I appreciate the chance to look at the
big picture,” she says. “We look at ways to
move the school forward as a whole.”
One way the Radiography Program
has moved forward is by putting more
emphasis on flipped and blended
classroom experiences. Students access
online resources that allow them to come
to class prepared to discuss materials
they’ve already reviewed.
“We’re striving for more discussion
and less lecture,” Tryon says. “Our goal
is for students to actively participate in all
aspects of their education. We don’t want
them to be passive learners.”
Tryon’s approach has resulted in
student success. Under her leadership,
student performance on the American
Registry of Radiologic Technologists
certification exam has steadily increased. In
2016, the graduating class performed in the
top 5 percent among the 700 radiography
programs in the United States.
Tryon’s focus isn’t on the numbers,
though. It’s on her students.
“The students are so much fun. They
have energy and are excited to learn,”
she says. “When they have lightbulb
moments, and something really clicks
for them, it’s great to be part of that.
And it’s fun to see their passion grow
for the profession as they go through the
program. I really enjoy both teaching and
learning from them.”
OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR
Honoree puts a
premium on collaborative,
innovative education
“ Our goal is for students
to actively participate
in all aspects of their
education. We don’t
want them to be
passive learners.”
JILL TRYON
14 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Rochester
MCSHS faculty
award winners
Annually, MCSHS honors
faculty and staff who have
excelled in their work. Here are
the 2017 honorees from the
Rochester campus:
Outstanding Educators
Jill Tryon, MBA, RT(R)(M)(CT)
Radiography Program
Erin Martin, CRNA, DNP
Nurse Anesthesia Program
Philip Kuper, PharmD,
BCPS, BCCP
Pharmacy Residency
Outstanding Physician/
Scientist Educators
Anuradha Luke, MD
Emergency Medicine
Paramedic Program
Michael Henry, MD
Cytotechnology Program
Outstanding Service
Deborah Oscarson
Mayo Alumni Center,
business analyst
Ronda Willsher, MBA
Public Affairs, senior
communications specialist;
editor, Connections magazine
Jill Tryon
FALL 2017 /// 15
Claudia Swanton
Claudia Swanton, APRN, DNP, CNP, was among
the first group of nurse practitioners at Mayo Clinic
in Rochester. “We were pioneers in developing the
advanced practice role here,” she says.
That was in 1998. Today, there are more than
1,500 nurse practitioners across Mayo Clinic on
the Rochester campus providing primary and
specialty care, diagnosing patients and prescribing
medications. They also collaborate with physicians
and the entire care team.
Swanton, who heads the Mayo Clinic School
of Health Sciences Nurse Practitioner Program, is
once again in the pioneer role, educating nurses
in advanced practice nursing in Chile, the South
American country where she grew up.
The seeds for this international outreach were
planted five years ago. A Chilean physician visited the
Mayo Clinic Department of Preventive and Aerospace
Medicine, where Swanton practices. He invited Swanton
and a physician colleague to present at a preventive
care symposium at the University of El Desarrollo in
Santiago, Chile. Swanton jumped at the opportunity.
“I hadn’t been back in 25 years,” says Swanton,
who has family in Chile.
At the symposium, Swanton presented on the
role of advanced practice nurses in preventive care.
“It was and still is a very new idea there,” she says.
Nurses in Chile earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree,
but there is no equivalent to nurse practitioner.
Her presentation piqued the interest of the
university’s director of nursing. “He saw how
advanced practice nurses could expand access to
primary care,” Swanton says.
In 2016, Swanton returned to Chile for a
two-day presentation on developing advanced
practice for nurses. Twenty-five nurses attended.
“We talked about taking patient histories and
conducting clinical exams,” she says, tasks that are
only done by physicians in Chile. “When I talked
about treating my patients, I saw their eyes get big.
Nurses treating patients is a foreign concept there.”
At the conclusion of the event, Swanton was
invited to join the university’s international faculty.
She’ll return once or twice a year to foster advanced
practice nursing.
“It’s not just educating the nurses and other
care providers,” she says. “We also need to educate
government to make changes to expand the
nursing practice.”
The circumstances invoke déjà vu for Swanton.
“When I started at Mayo Clinic, in my role as a
nurse practitioner, our names weren’t even posted as
providers in patient care areas,” she says. “Little by
little, we created our roles.”
Swanton is grateful for the flexibility and
support offered by MCSHS for her long-distance
teaching. “Our school is about education. It
doesn’t have to be in Rochester. I have the great
opportunity to travel about 6,000 miles to teach
nurses and doctors and everyone else just what
nurse practitioners can do for patients,” she says.
FACULTY PROFILE
Pioneering for nurse
practitioners – again
“ When I talked about
treating my patients, I saw
their eyes get big. Nurses
treating patients is a foreign
concept there.”
CLAUDIA SWANTON
FALL 2017 /// 17
Erin Frazee Barreto, PharmD, is the first
pharmacist to be awarded entry into the Kern
Scholar Program through Mayo Clinic’s Robert D.
and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science
of Health Care Delivery. The program helps
practicing clinicians develop the skills to effectively
perform health services research and solve health
care delivery problems. In the past, Kern Scholars
have been physicians or PhDs.
Barreto is an alumna of Mayo Clinic School
of Health Sciences Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY-1)
Pharmacy Residency and PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency
in Critical Care at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester.
She has practiced in Rochester for six years and in
July 2017, began work as program director for the
PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency in Critical Care at Mayo
Clinic Hospital.
As a Kern Scholar, Barreto will continue her
research on the impact of kidney function on
medications used to treat patients in the intensive
care unit. She explains that many drugs are removed
from the body through the kidney. “For example,
a better understanding of kidney function could
improve treatment of infections with antibiotics and
decrease the risk of toxic drug levels,” she says.
“My research has demonstrated that new
approaches to the assessment of kidney function
FIRST PHARMACIST IN KERN SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Pharmacist’s research aims
to improve medication
safety, effectiveness
in hospitalized patients could improve the safe and
effective use of medications,” says Baretto. “But
unfortunately those assessments are not typically
being used now.”
Felicity Enders, PhD, associate director for the
Kern Scholar Program, says that Barreto’s research
is ground breaking. “We look forward to helping her
expand upon this research.”
Barreto says she plans to learn more about why
assessments aren’t used and better understand
barriers that may exist. “As a Kern Scholar, I hope to
develop a more dependable, consistent, sophisticated
approach to medication dosing and monitoring in
critically ill patients.”
And she’s pleased to be the trailblazing
pharmacist in the Kern Scholar Program advancing
this work.
“At Mayo Clinic, the multidisciplinary approach
to practice is the only way to do things,” she says. “I
expect to gain a lot from engaging with others in the
program from across the practice.”
Enders, from the Kern Scholar Program agrees.
“Collaboration and team science are critical for
health care delivery research. Dr. Barreto’s role as a
pharmacist, not only engaging in research but leading
pharmaceutical science to impact patient care, is
integral to this philosophy.”
18 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Erin Frazee Barreto
JODY ERICKSON, RT(R)(MR)
• Radiology clinical manager,
Department of Radiology
• Mayo Clinic in Florida
Education and career path
Bachelor of Science: Health
Administration, University of
North Florida, Jacksonville
Certificate of Radiology: MCSHS
Employment: 25-year career
in radiology at Mayo Clinic —
two years in Rochester and 23
years in Florida — in positions
including radiologic technologist,
assistant radiologic technologist,
CT technologist, and MRI
technologist, lead technologist
and supervisor.
Why did you pursue a career in
health care?
My father was diagnosed with
breast cancer when I was 8.
I saw him go through an eight-
year battle that involved multiple
trips to Mayo Clinic for testing,
treatment and surgeries. Seeing
someone I admired, loved and
cared for go through so much and
still keep a positive attitude gave
me the passion and desire to help
others in similar circumstances.
He is truly my hero.
How do you contribute to the
Alumni Association?
I’m involved in the alumni
association to better understand
how I can be even more of an
influence on others. One way
is to be a mentor to others who
may need direction or guidance
about career choices.
What do you do in your free time?
Free time is limited while I pursue
my MBA, but I enjoy spending
time with my wife and sons.
We play games, swim, boat and
travel. I also enjoy home and yard
projects and riding my motorcycle.
What would people be surprised
to know about you?
I’m a die-hard Minnesota
Vikings fan. I’m equally
passionate about the history
of the Viking people and my
Norwegian heritage.
BRITTANY DOWLING, AuD
• Clinical audiologist
• Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Education and career path
Bachelor of Arts:
Communications, The University
of Arizona, Tucson
Bachelor of Science: Speech and
Hearing Sciences, The University
of Arizona
Externship: Audiology, MCSHS,
Arizona
Why did you pursue a career in
health care?
There’s no greater feeling than
improving someone’s quality of life.
What do you like best about
your work?
I enjoy working with patients
who receive cochlear implants.
So often these patients have
MEET MCSHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS
They talk education, careers,
and interests away from work
20 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Get involved with your
alumni association
More than two dozen Mayo Clinic School of Health
Sciences alumni volunteer to serve on the Alumni
Association Board of Directors.
To volunteer, here’s what you need to know:
• Board members provide direction for Alumni
Association programming and activities.
• Board terms are three years.
• Board members return to Mayo Clinic in
Rochester each spring for an annual meeting.
• To apply, complete the nomination form on the
alumni association website and submit a letter
indicating your interest to the MCSHS Alumni
Association at [email protected].
• A nominating committee considers applications to
ensure a broad representation of MCSHS programs.
QUESTIONS?
Call the MCSHS Alumni Association at 507-284-2317
or learn more at https://mshsalumni.mayo.edu.
become socially reserved, isolated,
withdrawn and reluctant to
communicate with others because
of the severity of their hearing loss.
It’s so humbling to be part of their
journey back to themselves once
their hearing has been restored. In
the time we spend together, these
individuals become more social,
engaged and connected with their
family, friends and community.
What’s a valuable lesson you
learned at Mayo Clinic?
The needs of the patient come
first. It’s simple and honest. It’s
not a saying or catch phrase.
MCSHS teaches you how to
embody this message in your
actions every day.
What do you do in your free time?
I enjoy hanging out with friends,
napping, watching “Roseanne”
reruns on Netflix and looking
at Zillow for houses. I also like
spending time with my dogs and
playing fetch with them at the
dog park.
JAIME ENGHOLDT, PA-C, MS
• Physician assistant, Department
of Otolaryngology/Head and
Neck Surgery
• Mayo Clinic in Arizona
Education and career path
Bachelor of Science: Kinesiology,
Arizona State University, Tempe
Master of Science: Physician
Assistant Studies, A.T. Still
University of Health Sciences,
Mesa, Arizona
Fellowship: Physician Assistant,
Otolaryngology, MCSHS, Arizona
Employment: Joined the
Otolaryngology Department at
Mayo Clinic in Florida in 2011
Why did you pursue a career in
health care?
After high school, I worked
as an optician and then as a
certified ophthalmic assistant
for 10 years. I had direct patient
contact, performing eye exams
and assisting in surgery. However,
there was a limitation to my
scope. I knew I wanted to be more
involved in helping patients.
While working, I pursued my
undergraduate degree and then
my master’s in physician assistant
studies. I always had a passion
for surgery. I heard about the
postgraduate Physician Assistant
Fellowship in otolarynogology on
Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus
and knew this was where I
was meant to be. I spent the
next year learning all the ENT
subspecialties and loved it.
Why did you choose MCSHS?
I was fortunate to get a rotation
with the ENT Department at Mayo
Clinic while in physician assistant
school. I recall my first day walking
into the operating room where head
and neck surgeons were removing
a cancerous tumor. The patient’s
jaw had to be split open to access
the tumor. I was in awe of the head
and neck anatomy and amazed at
the lengths the surgeons went to
in order to treat a cancer. I was sold
on the fellowship and was ecstatic
when I was accepted.
What do you do in your free time?
I’m a first-time mom of a
handsome baby boy. My husband
and I spend a lot of time with him
and can’t wait to see him grow.
I’m an animal lover and have a
very active Boxer and cats. I work
out lifting weights and enjoy
hiking. I love travel and watching
football. I’m also an automobile
enthusiast and enjoy making
small modifications to my car.
FALL 2017 /// 21
Updated Hemodialysis Technician
Program graduates first students
In 2017, Hilda Falla was among the first graduates
of the newly redesigned Mayo Clinic School of
Health Sciences (MCSHS) Clinical Hemodialysis
Technician Program.
Hemodialysis technicians care for people
undergoing hemodialysis treatment due to kidney
failure. They insert a needle into the patient’s blood
vessel or attach tubing to a catheter in the patient’s
chest. They also take blood samples, monitor vital
signs, document care and manage dialysis equipment.
New career in new country
A native of Peru, Falla moved to the U.S. with
her husband and daughters in 2003. She has
a bachelor’s degree in human nutrition and a
master’s degree in nutritional biochemistry. In
Peru, she was assistant director of an infant
nutrition program for a relief agency.
“We came to the United States for education
and better jobs,” she says. “Everything we do is for
our daughters.”
For Falla, it meant starting over with her
education and career. She worked as a community
health outreach worker and educator for the past
11 years. She completed the certified nursing
assistant program at Hawthorne Education Center
in Rochester, where she learned about the Clinical
Hemodialysis Technician Program.
“I like helping people have the opportunity to be
healthy and happy,” she says.
Amanda Dunlop can attest to Falla’s desire to
bring cheer to her surroundings. Dunlop is a clinical
hemodialysis technician at Mayo Clinic Health
System – Albert Lea (Minnesota), where Falla did her
clinical experience.
“Our patients were sad to see her go,” she says.
Falla now works as a clinical hemodialysis
technician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She plans
to continue her education to become a registered
renal dietitian.
Her hopes for coming to the U.S. are coming
to fruition. She has a career in medicine, and her
daughters are on their way to careers, too. Briggitte,
21, recently graduated in biomedical science
from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, where
Stephanie, 20, is a student.
A new flexible approach
to learning
After a hiatus of more than a year, the 16-week
Hemodialysis Technician Program was
relaunched in 2017 with a flexible, blended-
learning format.
Most of the curriculum is online. Students also
have a weekly four-hour lab and a clinical day that
can be arranged to fit their schedules.
Program Director Julie Yotter, RN, says
many students see this entry-level position as a
springboard to other health care careers. “It’s a
good way to learn if you like hands-on patient care
and flexible enough that you can work or attend
other classes during the program.”
Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System
have many job opportunities for hemodialysis
technicians. Annual salaries for hemodialysis
technicians range from $29,800 to $46,300.
ALUMNA PROFILE
22 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Hilda Falla
FALL 2017 /// 23
Anita Bissinger and Rachel Mattick
Smoothing the way for social work
interns in Mayo Clinic Health System
Anita Bissinger, LICSW, loves teaching
new social workers — especially those
drawn to work in rural communities.
Bissinger is a social worker in the
inpatient psychiatric unit at Mayo
Clinic Health System in Austin.
“Austin isn’t exactly rural,” she says,
“but it’s darn close.”
Bissinger, who has a degree in
education in addition to her social
work credentials, sees herself as
building the rural social worker
practice, one intern at a time. “There
aren’t enough social workers in small
communities,” she says. “And we wear
lots of hats in serving our patients.”
Bissinger almost always has an
intern working with her. “I wish you
could see my office,” she says of the
smallish space designed for one. “I
made it into a two-person office.
That’s how much I want an intern
here all the time.”
Rachel Mattick interned with
Bissinger for six months in 2017
through Mayo Clinic School of Health
Sciences (MCSHS). “Everything
Anita did, I was right behind her,”
says Mattick. Over the course of
her internship, she progressed from
shadowing to working directly with
patients under Bissinger’s supervision.
Mattick worked on discharge
planning, family meetings,
guardianship planning, suicide
prevention education and suicide
evaluation. It was all done in close
collaboration with psychiatrists,
nurses and other care providers.
“Being here opened my eyes
to how close-knit a team can be,”
says Mattick.
In 2016, MCSHS made changes to
make it easier for Mayo Clinic Health
System hospitals to work with social
work interns. The orientation, as well
as coordination with the student’s
school, is handled on the Rochester
campus. The administrative changes
were “a huge relief,” says Bissinger,
leaving her more time for patient care
and teaching.
Mayo Clinic Health System sites in
Eau Claire, La Crosse, Mankato and
Red Wing also welcome social worker
interns who are pursuing a bachelor’s
or master’s degree. Internship
curriculum is the same at all locations,
and students have the opportunity to
work on the Rochester campus, too.
Mattick will earn her master’s
degree in social work in 2018 from
Mankato (Minnesota) State University.
She grew up in a small town in
southeastern Minnesota, and although
she hasn’t decided yet where her ideal
job might be, she says it’s likely to be in
southeastern Minnesota.
News briefs
A mentee is
waiting for you!
Here’s an opportunity to share some
of your career wisdom and experience.
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
Alumni Association is launching a mentor
program called Alumni Connect.
Students have asked for more
mentorship opportunities. The alumni
association is providing the structure to
connect mentor and mentee. You and
the student take it from there.
• Students self-select a mentor based
on profession and geography.
• It’s up to you and the student to
arrange to connect electronically, over
the phone or in person.
• You and the student define the
parameters of your relationship.
It could be short-term, offering
guidance on landing a first job, or
longer term over the student’s early
career development.
Once the mentor database has a sizable
number of volunteers, students will
receive an email about Alumni Connect
and how to use the program.
Sign up to be included in
the Alumni Connect mentor
database:
• Visit https://mshsalumni.mayo.edu/.
• If you haven’t yet, activate your
account with your 10-digit alumni
ID. (Obtain your number by clicking
the blue “Request ID” button. You’ll
receive your number via email.)
• Complete the mentorship form.
• Wait to hear from your mentee.
FALL 2017 /// 25
See your pharmacist on your cell phone
Two more MCSHS residents
take top spots
Pharmacy residents from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
claimed three of the four finalist honors for 2017 research awards
from the Minnesota Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP).
For its Outstanding Resident Research Project Award, MSHP
named two finalists for each year of postgraduate residency. In
addition to Alexandra Quinn, PharmD, R Ph, who received the
Pharmacy Resident Outstanding Research Project Award for
postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2), MCSHS finalists were:
• Logan Olson, PharmD, a PGY-1 pharmacy resident, for his
research project “Warfarin Requirements: Heart Valve Replacement
vs. Non-Heart Valve Replacement”
• Kristen Knoph, PharmD, BCPS, a PGY-2 pharmacy resident, for
her research project “Bleeding Risk Associated with Apixiban
Compared with Warfarin in Patients with Severe Chronic Kidney
Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease”
home or a hotel — wherever it’s
convenient,” Quinn says.
In April, the Minnesota Society
of Health-System Pharmacists
(MSHP) presented Quinn with
the PGY-2 Pharmacy Resident
Outstanding Research Project
Award. Quinn was selected based
on the originality, patient care
impact and innovation shown in
her research. Pharmacists at the
MSHP annual conference voted to
determine honorees.
Alexandra Quinn, PharmD, R Ph,
postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2)
pharmacy resident, is focused
on what kidney transplant
candidates think about video
visits with pharmacists.
In a research study, Quinn is
comparing patient satisfaction for
in-person pharmacist consults
vs. video consults conducted
via smartphone or computer. “I
think video is a great option for
patients, who can participate from
Alexandra Quinn,
Logan Olson, and
Kristen Knoph
26 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Mayo Clinic scores
workplace honors
Check out these recent workplace
recognitions for Mayo Clinic:
• Forbes magazine ranked Mayo Clinic
No. 8 among 500 large organizations
in its list of “America’s Best
Employers 2017.”
• Fortune named Mayo Clinic to its 2017
list of the “100 Best Companies to
Work For,” ranking it No. 84. This is
Mayo’s 14th consecutive year on the
list, which recognizes companies that
rate highly with staff.
• Mayo Clinic was ranked No. 22 by
Fortune magazine in its 2017 list of the
top 30 “Best Workplaces in Health Care.”
• For the sixth consecutive year,
Mayo Clinic has been named to
DiversityInc’s “Top Hospitals and Health
Systems,” a ranking that acknowledges
organizations that demonstrate a
significant commitment to diversity and
inclusion. Mayo Clinic ranked No. 6.
Allied health job
opportunities
Mayo Clinic, including Mayo Clinic Health
System, is always is seeking qualified
candidates for allied health positions.
Opportunities are especially high for:
• Physician assistants
• Nurse practitioners
As one of the world’s leading research
and teaching hospitals, Mayo Clinic
offers full support to take your career to
the next level.
LEARN MORE
mayocareers.com/MCSHS
Thank you to the 2016-2017 Mayo Clinic School of Health
Sciences Alumni Association Board of Directors. These
volunteers provide direction for the alumni association
and meet in Rochester once a year. See page 21 to learn
how you can apply to be a board member.
Front row: Christina Lazer, Ruth Bello, Matthew Curran,
Karen Sherk, Jocelyn Moen, Joan Hunziker-Dean, Jody Erickson
Back row: Jane Deering, Danicia Asberry, Judy Anderson,
Andrew Walker, Stephanie Nunn, Courtney Grunewald,
Karen Shaw, Caren Hughes, Rita Marquardt, Stacey Mroczenski,
Brittany Dowling, Chelsey Hoffmann
Not pictured: Kimberly Bishop, Christopher Bleau,
Jaime Engholdt, Kerri Hook, Claire Jensen, Erin Morris,
Bella Panchmatia, Stacey Rizza, MD, Ruthann (Randy) Roesch
A thank you note
to the board of directors
MCSHS open house
set for Nov. 20
Know someone who’s thinking about an
allied health career? Or thinking about a
career change?
All are welcome to learn about allied health
education opportunities at the Mayo Clinic
School of Health Sciences (MCSHS) Open
House. The free event is open to the public.
Nov. 20, 2017
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Phillips Hall, Siebens Building
Mayo Clinic, Rochester campus
Students and faculty from many MCSHS
programs will be on hand. Tours of clinical
and classroom areas are available.
LEARN MORE
http://www.mayo.edu/mayo-clinic-school-of-
health-sciences/careers
28 /// MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Your comments, academic and career news, and story ideas
are welcome. Email: connectionsmageditor@mayo.edu
About Connections
and MCSHS
Connections is published
three times a year and mailed
free of charge to alumni,
students and friends of Mayo
Clinic School of Health
Sciences (MCSHS).
MCSHS has a
distinguished history of
preparing students for
successful careers in the
health sciences. Mayo Clinic
has been training allied
health professionals for
more than 100 years.
Nearly 1,700 students
are enrolled in more than
128 MCSHS programs and
rotations representing more
than 68 health sciences
careers. Programs are
available at Mayo Clinic
campuses in Arizona,
Florida and Rochester.
Enrollment information
www.mayo.edu/mayo-clinic-
school-of-health-sciences
507-284-3678 or
1-800-626-9041 (toll-free)
young.jolene@mayo.edu
Alumni information
https://mshsalumni.mayo.edu
Deborah Oscarson,
Alumni relations
business analyst
507-284-2317
mshsaa@mayo.edu
Stay in touch
You have three easy ways to
update your address:
• Visit MCSHS alumni
website https://
mshsalumni.mayo.edu
• Email: mshsaa@mayo.edu
• Call 507-284-2317
Editorial advisory board
Robert Adams, Deb Anderson,
Judith Anderson, David Ausejo,
Ruth Bello, Lisa Buss Preszler,
Carrlene Donald, Margaret
Dougherty, Caren Hughes,
Shannon Newberg, Deborah
Oscarson, Bella Panchmatia, Mary
Kaye Peterson, Randy Roesch,
Jamila Russeau, Michael Schuh,
Ann Sullivan, Claudia Swanton,
Ronda Willsher, Sheri Zastrow
2017–2018 MCSHS ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
AND BOARD MEMBERS
Officers
Matthew Curran
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
President
Jocelyn Moen
Rochester, Minnesota
President-elect
Pamela Lovett
Jacksonville, Florida
Vice president
LaChelle Wieme
Rochester, Minnesota
Secretary-treasurer
Karen Sherk
New Hope, Minnesota
Past president
Judith D. Anderson
Alumni Center director
Debbie Oscarson
Alumni relations business analyst
Executive Committee
Ruth Bello,
Rochester, Minnesota
MCSHS operations manager,
ex officio member
Robyn Finney,
Rochester, Minnesota
Courtney Grunewald,
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Caren Hughes
Jacksonville, Florida
Bella Panchmatia,
Scottsdale, Arizona
MCSHS operations manager,
ex officio member
Stacey Rizza, MD
Rochester, Minnesota
MCSHS associate dean,
ex officio member
Board of Directors
Brittany Dowling
Rochester, Minnesota
Jaime Engholdt,
Scottsdale, Arizona
Jody Erickson
Jacksonville, Florida
Chelsey Hoffmann
Rochester, Minnesota
David Holley
Phoenix, Arizona
Claire Jensen
Scottsdale, Arizona
Grace Jenson
Rochester, Minnesota
Rita Marquardt
Rochester, Minnesota
Sean Marsh
Phoenix, Arizona
Ashley McWalter
West Fargo, North Dakota
Stacey Mroczenski
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Stephanie Nunn
Jacksonville, Florida
Karen Shaw
Aurora, Colorado
Christen Waddell
Phoenix, Arizona
Andrew Walker
Phoenix, Arizona
We welcome alumni
and student news
MC4192-1702
MAYO CLINIC SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905
https://mshsalumni.mayo.edu/
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
A mentee is
waiting for you!
Register to be a part of Mayo Connect, a new
mentor program through MCSHS Alumni Association
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Alumni Association
is launching a mentor program called Alumni Connect. The
alumni association provides the structure to connect mentor
and mentee. You and the student take it from there, deciding
how to connect and what you want to accomplish.
Share your career wisdom and experience. See page 25 to learn
more about Alumni Connect and how to register. MCSHA alumna Pam Lovett and mentee Jeannie Yen
