Tulane School of Medicine Class Notes

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1950s
Robert (Bobby) W. Brown, MD (M ’50), is a retired cardiologist. Known as the “Golden Boy,” he graduated from Tulane School of Medicine while playing third base for the New York Yankees. He played in four World Series Championships throughout his sports career. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and did a second tour as a doctor in the Korean War. He is 94 years young and lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

James B. Madison III, MD (M ’59), retired earlier this year after 55 years of private practice and academic and community service.

1960s
William Warner, MD (M ’83), and William J. Bean, MD (M ’60)

William J. Bean, MD (M ’60, R ’62), is the 2019 recipient of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s CD Taylor President’s Award. This award recognizes outstanding service to one’s community.

B. Eugene Berry, MD (A&S ’61, M ’64), retired as cardiothoracic surgeon with CVT Surgical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2011. He enjoys traveling with family and his Colorado home and Texas longhorn ranch.

W. Foster Eich, MD (M ’64), retired completely from medical practice in 2012. He enjoys ministerial work, volunteering with Scouts and working with ham radio.

William J. Ellzey, MD (A&S ’60, M ’64), has been retired for 20 years. He occasionally plays the trumpet in a New Orleans jazz band.

John C. Shaffer, MD (M ’64), lives in in Tucson, Arizona and has been retired for 20 years. His family is spread across Colorado, Kentucky and Utah.

James M. Duncan, MD (M ’66), retired from Brooke Army Medical Center in 2004.

Thomas C. Naugle Jr., MD (M ’67, R ’71), the first surgeon to practice solely in ophthalmic plastic surgery in New Orleans and Louisiana, holds many patents, including the Naugle-Fleming knurled dilator (NKD). NKD creates “the osteotomy and instruments within a central line catheter kit to help easily place or replace a Jones tube into position within a bony conduit.” He continues to pursue his academic career.

The late Grant B. Hieshima, MD (M ’69)

Grant B. Hieshima, MD (M ’69), received the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award at his milestone 50th reunion this past May. Nominations for this award are from the recipient’s class. It recognizes an alumnus whose life has been an exemplary one and who has made many contributions to the medical profession. Sadly, Dr. Hieshima passed away in August, three months after receiving this award.

Philip J. Fagan Jr., MD (M ’69), Wesley King Galen, MD (NC ’65, M ’69), Howard M. Sheridan MD (M ’69) and Kenneth L. Janson, MD (M ’69)

The 2019 recipients of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award are Philip (Phil) J. Fagan, Jr., MD (M ’69); Wesley King Galen, MD (NC ’65, M ’69, I ’70, R ’73); Kenneth (Ken) L. Janson, MD (M ’69, R ’73, R ’77); and Howard M. Sheridan, MD (M ’69). This award recognizes service to Tulane University School of Medicine, and leadership and support of the medical school and Tulane University. They received the award at their 50th reunion celebration.

1970s
David W. Abbott, MD (M ’74, R ’74), is retired and enjoying life in Fargo, North Dakota.

James R. Bean, MD (M ’74), continues to practice general neurosurgery in Lexington, Kentucky, with the same private group he has since 1982. He is now hospital employed.

Kirk F. Bellard, MD (M ’74, R ’77), retired in February 2019 after 42 years as a general pediatrician. He is a professor of clinical pediatrics at Tulane, and he also interviews applicants for admission.

William D. Caldwell, MD (M ’74), retired from a pediatric practice of 41 years. He and his wife, Candy, now live in Vero Beach, Florida. 

William P. Coleman, MD (M ’74, R ’78), is still working. He and his son Patrick (M ’03) practice together and oversee a robust FDA clinical trial unit. Coleman is clinical professor of dermatology and adjunct professor of surgery (plastic surgery) at Tulane. He was reappointed as editor-in-chief of the journal Dermatologic Surgery, having served in that capacity for the last 19 years. He also serves as treasurer of LAMMICO insurance company.

Victor M. Garcia-Prats, MD (M ’74), works in the emergency department at Ochsner Health System’s main campus.

G. Bruce Healey, MD (M ’74), has practiced urology in Port Arthur, Texas, since leaving residency at the University of Texas–Galveston. He practiced first with his father, Gordon Healey, MD (M ’42), and now with his son Gordon Sean Healey (M ’93).

William St. John LaCorte, MD (M ’74, SPHTM ’05), practices internal medicine in clinics, hospitals and nursing homes.

Stanley P.L. Leong, MD (A&S ’71, M ’74, PHTM ’74, R ’75, F ’76), has an active practice in surgical oncology at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. His son Ben (M ’14) is practicing as a family physician in Southern California.

Henrynne Louden, MD (M ’74), retired and moved to Prairieville, Louisiana, after Katrina. She is involved with community social justice efforts and political activism.

Robert S. Patyrak, MD (A&S ’72, M ’74), retired from practicing pediatrics in San Angelo, Texas, in 2016.

Dennis J. Rademacher, MD (M ’74) maintains an active practice in family medicine and addiction medicine in Decatur, Illinois.

E. Franklin Rawlings, MD (M ’74), recently retired after 39 years in private practice on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Gary E. Sander, MD (G ’72, M ’74), is professor of medicine at Tulane Heart and Vascular Institute.

Jason V. Smith, MD (A&S ’70, M ’74, R ’79), maintains a solo practice primarily for otology and facial skin reconstructions.

Thomas D. Watson, MD (E ’70, M ’74), is a board-certified cardiologist living in Santa Barbara, California. He recently joined Santa Ynez Cardiology, a new medical cardiology outpatient clinic in the Santa Ynez Valley. Upon completing his residency and fellowship at Letterman Army Medical Center, Watson performed the first balloon angioplasty in the U.S. Army.

Janet Bixby Arrowsmith, MD (M ’79) completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Alabama and a two-year training program in epidemiology through the CDC. She was assigned to an FDA postmarket safety group in the Washington, D.C., area and spent several years at the FDA in both pre- and postmarket product regulation. She served as a primary care physician at the Mescalero Apache Indian Health Service hospital for two years, before moving into private practice for several years in southern New Mexico. She still maintains an epidemiological and regulatory consulting practice, primarily working with pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Franklin Ming-The Chu, MD (A&S ’74, M ’79), is a urologist and senior partner with San Bernardino Urological Associates Medical Group.

William D. Coco, MD (M ’79), recently retired from a small group pediatrics practice in Carrollton, Texas. He had worked in the same community since completing his residency at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.

Pierre A. Espenan, MD (M ’79, R ’82, F ’85), practices internal medicine and nephrology and is the CEO of All Care Medical Group in the Los Angeles area.

Paul N. Fuller, MD (M ’79, PHTM ’79, R ’83), recently retired from the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, having served as the assistant medical director for Kern County and the chief of staff at San Joaquin Community Hospital. He is president of the board of directors for the Southern Sierra Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Dwight A. Green, MD (M ’79), is senior staff physician in internal medicine at Ochsner Clinic.

John (Lindhe) L. Guarisco, MD (M ’79, R ’86), has been a pediatric ENT at Ochsner for 30 years.

Thomas S. Guillot, MD (M ’79, R ’87, R ’89), retired two years ago from surgical practice but still works part-time as an emergency physician. Board-certified in plastic surgery, he is also re-certifying in emergency medicine, and once again may be the only person in the country with board certification in plastic surgery and emergency medicine.

William D. Hardin, MD (M ’79, R ’84), retired as professor of surgery and associate chief medical officer at The Children’s Hospital in Colorado.

Michael A. Henry, MD (M ’79), is actively involved in patient care, working as an emergency room physician.

Diane M. Irvine Duncan, MD (M ’79, R ’82), lives and practices plastic surgery in Colorado. She is involved with clinical research, product development and international education.

Louis L. Mizell, MD (A&S ’75, M ’79), did a pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Utah from 1982-1984. He is in private-practice pediatric gastroenterology in the Salt Lake City area.

Nick M. Moustoukas, MD (A&S ’74, M ’79) is a retired cardiovascular/thoracic surgeon.

Brian M. Rees, MD (M ’79, PHTM ’79), is semi-retired and does volunteer work with veterans who have PTSD.

David R. Silvers, MD (A&S ’72, M ’79), is in private-practice gastroenterology at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana.

1980s
Frederick C. Flandry, MD (A&S ’77, M ’81, R ’86), is currently serving as president of the Clinical Orthopedic Society. He also serves on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board of Councilors and is board chairman of the Medical Association of America.

Madelaine Turegano Feldman, MD (NC ’77, M ’82, F ’88), is currently the president of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association board of directors. She recently contributed to an article in The Hill about pharmacy benefit managers. Feldman is included in a group that has been honored with an invitation to testify on drug pricing before the Health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Brian M. Kinney, MD (M ’82), was recently appointed to the Medical Advisory Board of Apyx Medical Corp., a maker of medical devices and supplies in the cosmetic surgery market. He is a clinical associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of Southern California, and a past president of the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation.

Clyde W. Yancy Jr., MD (M ’82)

Clyde W. Yancy Jr., MD (M ’82), is the 2019 recipient of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumnus Award, the highest award given by the association. The award recognizes career accomplishments and excellence in the medical profession.

Hans C. Andersson, MD (A&S ’78, M ’84, R ’87), is director of the Hayward Genetics Center at Tulane University School of Medicine.           

Matthew S. Bargas, MD (M ’84), is currently working at Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, as a pediatric anesthesiologist.  

Paula A. Craigo, MD (M ’84), co-directs the Mayo Clinic Multidisciplinary Simulation Center — and is still having fun.   

Michael S. Dale, MD (M ’84) has practiced internal medicine in Gaffney, South Carolina, since 1987.

Charles W. Dunn, MD (M ’84), is in a four-physician, independent surgery practice in Springfield, Missouri. He has conducted mission work in Haiti for 20 years.     

Robert P. Fields, MD (M ’84), is still working as a general internist in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington, D.C.

Paul A. Krogstad, MD (M ’84, R ’87) is professor of pediatrics and molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and vice-chair for academic affairs–pediatrics.

Martha Peaslee Levine, MD (M ’84) works in the eating disorders program at Penn State, and also offers counseling to students at the College of Medicine. She teaches in the Humanities Department and loves all the contact that she has with the students. She wrote a children’s picture book, The 12 Days of Christmas in Pennsylvania.            

Karen M. Pendleton, MD (M ’84), completed her ophthalmology residency in 1993 and fellowship training in cornea and refractive surgery in 1994 at the LSU Eye Center. She is co-founder with her husband, Jack Ward, MD, of the concierge lifestyle medicine practice pairO’docs Bio-Rejuvenis. Pendleton also received continuing education from Tulane’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, New York. Pendleton, affectionately known as “Dr. Karen,” is a sought-after speaker in the United States and abroad and takes a comprehensive approach to patient care, concentrating on the management of metabolic and hormonal imbalances, correction of nutritional deficits, and tailoring exercise physiology.    

Marc J. Salzman, MD (M ’84) is in private practice plastic surgery.

W. Dore Binder, MD (R ’84, PHTM ’04), was named chief medical officer of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in December 2018. He has served as a board-certified OB-GYN at Woman’s Hospital for the past 34 years.

Daniel A. Beals, MD (M ’85), was recently named a professor in the department of surgery at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Specializing in pediatric surgery, Beals served as chief of the division at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, as well as Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana.

Christine Ahamori, MD (M ’89), is in solo private practice plastic surgery (cosmetic only) in Duxbury, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. In addition, she is in the process of building a free-standing surgicenter and spa in Duxbury. On the academic side, she wrote a book two years ago on aesthetic genital surgery that is doing well on Amazon. She enjoys traveling to faraway places and lecturing on various topics in plastic surgery.

Karen Tresser Kahn, MD (M ’89), started her career doing family practice and urgent care. For the past 10 years, she has been taking care of patients exclusively in nursing homes, dementia-care facilities and hospice.           

Suzette Sonnier Killeen, MD (M ’89, R ’93), practices general ophthalmology in Marrero, Louisiana. She has four children, ages 20 to 29.     

Leonel Lacayo, MD (M ’89), is chief of gastroenterology at Veterans Affairs New Orleans.          

Wendy Male Latshaw, MD (M ’89), is an OB-GYN in a private group practice.

James G. McPherson, MD (M ’89, PHTM ’89), is a practicing cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon in Ventura County, California. 

Patricia M. Mengoni, MD (M ’89), is an attending physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Her specialty is radiology, and her subspecialty is breast imaging.

Theresa P. Roca, MD (M ’89, F ’95, R ’95) is on the University of Florida faculty. She practices pediatric cardiology in the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama.

Miguel H. Rodriguez, MD (A&S ’84, M ’89), is the emergency medical director of the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Kevin R. Ward, MD (M ’89), directs the Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care at the University of Michigan, where he develops new technologies and businesses to improve outcomes in critical illness and injury.  

1990s
Lisa M. Donofrio, MD (M ’90, R ’94), is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine and Tulane University School of Medicine. In May 2019 she was featured in an article on Today.com about the effects of collagen on improving skin’s health and appearance.

Hector M. Cabrera, MD (A&S ’89, M ’94, PHTM ’94), is a family practitioner in New Orleans.

Wendy J. Coffman, MD (M ’94), is a family physician at Providence Medical Group near Everett, Washington.

Steve E. Goldwasser, MD (M ’94) is in urogynecology practice in Jacksonville, Florida.

Lisa Gorry-Distefano, MD (M ’94), completed a residency at the Medical College of Virginia and a year at West Jefferson, before moving to rural Missouri. She currently works in both clinic and hospital settings and practices medicine/pediatrics.

William L. Holcomb, MD (M ’94), resides in Austin, Texas, and owns Austin Family Mental Health.        

Erika R. Larson, MD (M ’94, PHTM ’94), has been happily working in a med-peds clinic for the past 16 years.  

Pandora Lee, MD (M ’94), is retired from clinical practice and is currently working for the Department of Health Care Services in the San Francisco area.

Kelly A. Mero-Francis, MD (M ’94, R ’00), is in private practice performing general, advanced laparoscopic, bariatric and breast surgery. 

Kathryn E. Noles Garr, MD (M ’94), is board certified in anesthesiology and pain management, practice sports, and spine medicine pain management.            

Shelly D. Rogers, MD (M ’94), practiced developmental pediatrics for several years, but recently switched back to primary care pediatrics and loves it.         

Matthew W. Shawl, MD (M ’94, PHTM ’94), did his ENT residency in New York City and facial plastic fellowship in Atlanta before moving back to New York, where he has been practicing ever since.

John S. Thurber, MD (A ’81, M ’94), did his general surgery residency at Bethesda from 1995–2000, his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Alabama–Birmingham from 2001–2004, and served as a Navy cardiothoracic surgeon (Bethesda) from 2001–2014. He has practiced cardiothoracic surgery in Birmingham since 2014.

Marchant Woodhouse Vangerpen, MD (M ’94, R ’98), is a geriatric psychiatrist at Metropolitan Human Services District in New Orleans.

Ian H. Zlatkiss, MD (M ’94, R ’97), practices pediatric emergency medicine at Ochsner Medical Center.

Sheilaine Rodrigo Mabanta, MD (M ’95), recently joined the Cancer Care and Research Center at Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She is a member of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

Heather L. Andrews, MD (NC ’95, M ’99), works as a hospitalist in Nashville.  

Hillary Campbell, MD (PHTM ’95, M ’99), is the director of medical education for Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento Valley.                

David T. Coffin, MD (M ’99) is a senior physician at Ochsner Medical Center Emergency Department.

Carol Darwish, MD (PHTM ’94, M ’99), has left her second group practice and is doing per diem work.

April J. Fox, MD (M ’99), has been in private nephrology practice with classmate Angela Reginelli, MD (NC ’90, G ’92, G ’95, M ’99), in New Orleans since 2004. 

Robert D. Kirkcaldy, MD (M ’99) is currently living in the Atlanta area. After working as a hospitalist for four years in the D.C. area, he has been at the CDC for the past 10 years. He currently supervises a large team of epidemiologists in the Division of STD Prevention. They conduct a wide range of epidemiological research studies on syphilis among men, antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhea, chlamydia and multiple other STDs.

Julia A. Liaci, MD (M ’99, PHTM ’99) is working as an OB-GYN in Dallas.              

Claudia H. Methvin, MD (M ’99), runs her own solo family practice in a small town in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Desiree Evans Tigner, MD (M ’99, PHTM ’99), moved to Houston after graduating from Tulane to train at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in pediatrics. She then worked in retrovirology and international adoption for about three years, and then moved to the Texas Children’s Pediatrics Community Cares Clinics.

Rachele M. Williams, MD (M ’99) is in a physical medicine and rehabilitation private practice.

2000s
Corey J. Hebert, MD (R ’01), has joined a partnership with EBONY to bring awareness and advocacy regarding health and wellness content to EBONY.com. Hebert is known as “The Doctor of the People.”

Sara S. Batya, MD (M ’04), moved to Eugene, Oregon, where she specializes in movement disorders.

Celene R. Hadley, MD (M ’04), is living in San Antonio, Texas, and working as a neuroradiologist in a private practice group.

Rhonda Foard Lizewski, MD (PHTM ’00, M ’04), is a preventive medicine physician currently stationed at the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, commander status. She recently returned from two deployments in Central America and is preparing for a research tour in Lima, Peru. She is happily married to her husband of 16 years, Stephen Lizewski, PhD (G ’03), a Tulane graduate in microbiology.

Nathan M. Spengler, MD (M ’04), lives in Denver and has been working at Kaiser Permanente since 2010.

Alison F. Stallings, MD (M ’04, R ’08), is an adult and pediatric dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon working with the same practice, Advanced Dermatology of Westchester, in Tarrytown, New York. She has worked there for the past 10 years. She is married to Gary Stallings (M ’04) and they live in Yorktown Heights, New York.

Gary W. Stallings, MD (TC ’99, M ’04, PHTM ’04, R ’08), is an assistant dean at New York Medical College and a practicing internist.

Zachary H. Word, MD (M ’04), completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Michigan –Ann Arbor following graduation. He subsequently did a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York before moving to Traverse City, Michigan, where he is currently in community practice.

Lindsay A. Stevens, MD (M ’09), is currently a faculty pediatrician at Stanford and a clinical informaticist specializing in physician efficiency and the integration of informatics and EHRs into medical education.

Kelli Wong Williams, MD (M ’09, PHTM ’09), lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, Conrad (M ’09). They both work at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Conrad S.P. Williams IV, MD (M ’09)

Conrad S.P. Williams IV, MD (M ’09), is the 2019 recipient of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Leadership Award. It recognizes a young medical leader who serves his or her medical community while providing high-quality, meaningful healthcare to patients.

Tara Benjamin, MD (R ’11) recently joined the Woman’s Hospital fetal medicine team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Benjamin comes to Woman’s as a nationally recognized expert in caring for women with perinatal substance-abuse disorders. As an attending physician in Indianapolis, she started the Maternal Recovery Program, which specializes in the care and management of pregnant women battling opioid addiction.