John D. Hunter III, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.C.R.S., assistant professor of surgery at the USA College of Medicine and a colorectal surgeon with USA Health, presented "Colorectal Cancer Awareness" at a recent Med School Café.
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| Students from PASSAGE USA hold up certificates to mark their completion of the program. |
PASSAGE USA, which stands for Preparing All Students Socially and Academically for Gainful Employment, is a two-year certificate program designed to help students gain skills for independent living, employment and self-determination.
“I knew about PASSAGE USA because my sister is a mentor for the program, and she always tells me great stories about it,” Kantzler said. “I had this idea for a while now that I wanted to teach others some of what I’m learning at USA and that’s educating people about preventable diseases and ways to live healthier lives. I knew I could help this group.”
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| Jade Kantzler |
“I formulated a plan and presented it to Drs. Roveda and Baxter,” she said. “I wanted to hear their input and brainstorm ideas to see if it was possible to start an initiative such as this one.”
Kelly Roveda, M.D., associate dean of student affairs, and Abbie Baxter, Ph.D., director of the PASSAGE USA program and a special education professor, thought Kantzler’s idea was the perfect way to highlight the students of PASSAGE USA while simultaneously helping students at the USA College of Medicine.
“As an educator, I see the opportunity for all students involved to learn more about health topics and the doctor-patient relationship,” Baxter said. “Typically, people in health-related fields report a lack of training in working with people with intellectual disabilities. We also are aware that some people with intellectual disabilities know little about health education. This initiative addresses both of these issues. USA is making a difference.”
Roveda and Baxter said interest groups at the USA College of Medicine may want to be involved with this partnership as well.
Kantzler, who is a member of the pediatric and American Women’s Medical Association interest groups, was able to onboard other groups from family medicine and public health. The groups will rotate teaching topics such as skin rashes, allergic reactions, nutrition and hygiene.
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Jade Kantzler, top left corner, meets with the PASSAGE USA students via Zoom. |
Kantzler hopes starting this partnership will decrease misdiagnosis of patients with intellectual disabilities. She said many patients are misdiagnosed because of miscommunication. “We want to encourage participation and get students to talk about their health and find ways that we all can communicate better with each other,” she said.
For now, COVID-19 has prevented in-person learning, and classes have been conducted via Zoom. Although times are different, Kantzler is looking toward the future of the partnership. She hopes to share these lectures with high school and college students to learn more about common medical conditions. She also plans to keep the initiative going with each new class of PASSAGE USA students.
“This partnership will help build confidence for both PASSAGE USA and USA College of Medicine students,” Kantzler said. “As we help these students, it will create a positive impact on our community and allow us to contribute our unique talents to the medical field.”
For more information, contact Jade Kantzler at ejk1921@jagmail.southalabama.edu.
To register for the lecture, visit https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsdOmqpjgiHdyCaYglXF7_JUtLNLQnNS5N
Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by USA Health. Each month, faculty and physicians share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatments available.
For more information, contact Kim Partridge at kepartridge@health.southalabama.edu.
Age: 22
Class of: 2024
Hometown: Lafayette, La.
Undergrad/grad institution: Dillard University
Degrees earned: Bachelor of Science in biology
Interests, hobbies: Watching movies (especially those by the movie company A24), gardening, crafts, DIY skincare products and reading novels about zombie outbreaks
Something unique about me: I was in French immersion from kindergarten all the way up until I finished high school. The program allowed me to take all of my classes in French, including math, reading and social studies. My senior year of high school, I gave a presentation on Hurricane Katrina in Guadeloupe, and I attended a language school in Quebec that summer.
Three of my favorite things: Family, learning, gumbo
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| Boghuma Kabisen Titanji, M.D., Ph.D. |
The lecture is sponsored by USA's International Studies Program, an Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and the Mobile Medical Museum.
Watch the lecture on Zoom: southalabama.zoom.us/j/91488034551
For more information, contact Christine Rinne, Ph.D., director of international studies at USA, at crinne@southalabama.edu or 251-460–6746.
“I didn’t know I wanted to go to medical school,” Rippey said. “I was an occupational therapist, which I found helps me when I’m treating athletes for musculoskeletal disorders such as sprains, strains and tears. I also love sports. I was a cross country and track athlete as a teenager.”
Rippey, who recently joined USA Health as a family medicine physician and sports medicine specialist and an assistant professor of family medicine at the USA College of Medicine, specifically pursued a career at an academic health system. “I love teaching, and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to come to USA Health to train students in sports medicine and musculoskeletal care,” he said.
Rippey looks forward to furthering the Concussion Awareness and Treatment Program started at USA Health for athletes in Mobile and Baldwin counties. USA Health launched the concussion program to decrease the number of missed concussions and accelerate the recovery process for players.
He plans to work with James Slauterbeck, M.D., professor and chair of orthopaedic surgery at the USA College of Medicine, and other staff within the orthopaedic surgery department, to implement more injury risk assessments and prevention initiatives.
“It’s a pleasure to know that I help injured athletes return to sports and perform at their peak,” Rippey said. “This means looking at the whole person, not just their muscle and joint health, but nutrition, training regimens and mental health to get them to the best of their ability.”
Rippey will work as a primary care provider, while also providing care for athletes. He will treat a variety of conditions such as diabetes, anxiety, allergies, concussions and other sports-related injuries.
Rippey earned a medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia. He completed a residency in family medicine and a sports medicine fellowship at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.
To schedule an appointment with Rippey, call the Department of Family Medicine at 251-434-3475.