Joseph René Smith, MD ’80, BS ’74, recently returned from a volunteer mission to Vietnam. Smith was one of two designated medical directors for the Vietnam Health Clinic (VHC), a student-run volunteer organization with the University of Washington. The group is responsible for setting up mobile medical clinics in rural Vietnamese villages to deliver medical and dental care to underserved populations.
This was Smith’s sixth visit to Vietnam as a medical volunteer, and his fifth with VHC.
This year students and health professionals worked in villages west of Da Nang in Central Vietnam. They treated more than 1,700 villagers — including a large number of children — over a two-week period and eight full clinic days. Smith began his academic career at the George Washington University’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences in 1970, two months after returning from a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam serving with the United States Marine Corps.
1960s
Irwin Koff, MD ’69, a family physician, received a 10-year service award from the Kalihi Palama Health Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jerome Mayersak, MD ’64, RESD ’69, received the Distinguished Alumni Urology Award from the Department of Urology at SMHS during the annual Harry C. Miller Symposium and Luncheon.
1970s
Richard Roger Ware, AS ’76, past department commandant, Marine Corps League (MCL), was elected as the MCL Mideast Division National Vice Commandant. Ware, who held positions as sergeant-at-arms and chief of staff prior to being elected as department commandant in 2009–11 and 2013–15, earned his associate’s degree in medical services technology.
1980s
Dominick Gadaleta, MD ’86, was recently named chair of surgery at Southside Hospital, a 300-bed facility that is part of Northwell Health Physician Partners in Bay Shore, New York.
Michael Goldrich, MD ’89, RESD ’91, an ENT-otolaryngologist based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was featured by Castle Connelly Top Doctors as a “Top Doc” in the New York metro area.
Richard Popiel, MD ’81, RESD ’85, BS ’75, has joined health care technology company BioIQ as a senior adviser. Popiel most recently served as co-founder and managing partner of Xploration Health, LLC.
James Roberts, MD ’84, a urologist in private practice, was named a top-rated urologist in San Diego, California, by Kev’s Best, an independent blog and news site. Roberts opened his private practice in 2004 after retiring as chair of the Department of Urology at the Naval Medical Center San Diego after 20 years.
Edward M. Zimmerman, MD ’83, was recently appointed to the medical advisory board of Apyx Medical Corporation, formerly Bovie Medical Corporation. Zimmerman also serves as president and examiner for the American Board of Laser Surgery, and is a member of the board of trustees for the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.
1990s
Jeffrey Bell, MD, RESD ’93, recently merged his practice, Commonwealth OB-GYN, with that of Thomas E. Myers, MD, to form Novant Health UVA Health System OB-GYN, based in Warrenton, Virginia.
Amy Hise, MD ’96, adjunct assistant professor of pathology and international health at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, was elected to a two-year term on the board of directors of the American Medical Women’s Association.
Christine (Cooky) Menias, MD ’95, professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, received the American Roentgen Ray Society’s 2019 Distinguished Educator award at the radiological society’s annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, in May 2019.
Mary Nordling, MD ’98, BA ’92, FAAP, accepted the position of program director of the new Tuality Family Medicine Residency at Tuality Healthcare in Hillsboro, Oregon, where she will create the first family medicine residency in Washington County. Nordling also received a Bronze Level National Program Director Award from the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors.
2000s
Raymond Martins, MD ’00, recently left Whitman-Walker Health, where he served as senior director of clinical education and training, to form an LGBT-focused medical practice in Savannah, Georgia. In addition to his role at Whitman-Walker, Martins has served as associate clinical professor of medicine at SMHS.
Robert Roose, MD/MPH ’05, was named chief medical officer at Mercy Medical Center, Trinity Health New England, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Previously, Roose served in the regional role of chief of addiction medicine and recovery services for Trinity Health of New England.
Shlee Song, MD, RESD ’08, director of the stroke center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, presented the keynote address at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine commencement ceremonies in Coral Gables, Florida.
2010s
Simone Bernstein, MD ’19, was recognized in her hometown of St. Louis as one of the 2019 St. Louis Women of Achievement, in honor of her commitment to youth empowerment and volunteerism.
Christian J. Rivera, AS ’18, CERT ’17, independent duty corpsman with the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, was honored as the Senior Sailor of the Year for the Directorate of Fleet Medicine (2018–19).
Timothy Wagner, MD ’13, completed the Otto E. Aufranc Fellowship in Adult Reconstructive Surgery at New England Baptist Hospital, Beth Israel Lahey Health, in Boston.
