Tulane School of Medicine Class Notes Winter 2019

Update us with your latest news by emailing mednotes@tulane.edu. 

1950s
Robert (Bobby) W. Brown, MD (M ’50), known as the “Golden Boy,” graduated from Tulane School of Medicine while playing third base and competing in four World Series Championships for the New York Yankees. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and completed a second tour as a doctor in the Korean War. He is a retired cardiologist living in Fort Worth, Texas.

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

1960s
William J. Bean, MD (M ’60, R ’62), is the recipient of the 2019 Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s CD Taylor President’s Award, recognizing outstanding community service.

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

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

William J. Ellzey, MD (A&S ’60, M ’64), retired from practice in 1999. He is an amateur musician who enjoys playing New Orleans jazz music.

John C. Shaffer, MD (M ’64), retired from practice in 1999. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, and has family in 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), holds many patents, including the Naugle-Fleming knurled dilator (NKD) and was the first surgeon to practice ophthalmic plastic surgery in New Orleans and Louisiana. He continues to pursue his academic career.

Grant B. Hieshima, MD (M ’69), received the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award at his milestone 50th reunion. The award recognizes an alumnus who has had an exemplary life and made many contributions to the medical profession. Dr. Hieshima passed away in August 2019, three months after receiving the award.

The 2019 recipients of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award include 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). The award recognizes service to, leadership and support of Tulane University School of Medicine. The awards were received at the 50th reunion celebration.

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

James R. Bean, MD (M ’74), has been practicing general neurosurgery in Lexington, Kentucky, since 1982.

Kirk F. Bellard, MD (M ’74, R ’77), retired in 2019 after 42 years as a general pediatrician. He is a professor of clinical pediatrics at Tulane.

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

William P. Coleman, MD (M ’74, R ’78), maintains a practice with his son Patrick Coleman (M ’03) as well as overseeing an FDA clinical trial unit. He is a clinical professor of dermatology and adjunct professor of surgery at Tulane. He has served as editor-in-chief of the journal Dermatologic Surgery for the last 19 years.

Victor M. Garcia-Prats, MD (M ’74), practices emergency medicine at Ochsner Health System’s main campus.

G. Bruce Healey, MD (M ’74), practices urology in Port Arthur, Texas, formerly with his father, Gordon Healey, MD (M ’42), and currently with his son Gordon Sean Healey, MD (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), maintains a practice in surgical oncology at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. His son Ben Leong, MD (M ’14), is practicing as a family physician in Southern California.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Janet Bixby Arrowsmith, MD (M ’79), completed an internal medicine residency and a training program in epidemiology through the CDC and spent several years at the FDA in both pre- and post-market 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 in southern New Mexico for several years. She maintains an epidemiological and regulatory consulting practice, primarily working with pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

William D. Coco, MD (M ’79), recently retired from a small group pediatrics practice in Carrollton, Texas, where he had practiced 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 assistant medical director for Kern County and 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 practiced as 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 and is now a part-time emergency physician. He is one of the only physicians 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.

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

Louis L. Mizell, MD (A&S ’75, M ’79), completed a pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Utah from 1982-1984. He maintains a pediatric gastroenterology private practice 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 gastroenterology private practice 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 Orthopaedic Society, 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 president of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association board of directors. She recently contributed to an article in The Hill about pharmacy benefit managers and is included in a group 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. and was previously president of the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation. He is a clinical associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of Southern California.

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, recognizing 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.  

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.

Paula A. Craigo, MD (M ’84), co-directs the Mayo Clinic Multidisciplinary Simulation Center.   

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 missionary work in Haiti for 20 years.     

Robert P. Fields, MD (M ’84), is 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 and vice chair for academic affairs, pediatrics, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Martha Peaslee Levine, MD (M ’84), works in the Eating Disorders Program, offers counseling to students at the College of Medicine and teaches in the Humanities Department at Penn State. In 2014 she published a children’s picture book, The 12 Days of Christmas in Pennsylvania.     

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

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

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

Christine Ahamori, MD (M ’89), maintains a private plastic surgery practice in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and is in the process of building a surgicenter and spa in Duxbury. In 2017, she published a successful book about aesthetic genital surgery. She enjoys traveling to faraway places and lecturing on topics in plastic surgery.

Karen Tresser Kahn, MD (M ’89), began her career in family practice and urgent care. For the past 10 years, she has exclusively been caring for patients 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 a professor at the University of Florida and 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) maintains a 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 practices medicine/pediatrics in both clinic and hospital settings.

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

Erika R. Larson, MD (M ’94, PHTM ’94), has been in medicine/pediatrics 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 returned to primary care pediatrics.         

Matthew W. Shawl, MD (M ’94, PHTM ’94), completed 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), completed his general surgery residency at Bethesda in 2000, his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Alabama–Birmingham in 2004, and served as a Navy cardiothoracic surgeon in 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), 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), worked as a hospitalist for four years in the D.C. area prior to joining the CDC in Atlanta. He currently supervises a large team of epidemiologists in the Division of STD Prevention, conducting a wide range of epidemiological research studies.

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

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

Desiree Evans Tigner, MD (M ’99, PHTM ’99), trained in pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. She then practiced retrovirology and international adoption for three years before joining 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), known as “The Doctor of the People,” has joined a partnership with EBONY to bring awareness and advocacy regarding health and wellness content.

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 and commander at the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center. She recently returned from two deployments in Central America and is preparing for a research tour in Lima, Peru. She has been married for 16 years to 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), has been an adult and pediatric dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at Advanced Dermatology of Westchester, in Tarrytown, New York, for the past 10 years. She is married to Gary Stallings (M ’04).

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. He subsequently completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York prior to moving into community practice in Traverse City, Michigan.

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 Williams (M ’09). They both work at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Conrad S.P. Williams IV, MD (M ’09), is the 2019 recipient of the Tulane Medical Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Leadership Award, which 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, 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.