Committed to Learning - Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine ...

Benefactor Spring 2008of emergency physicians who have returned tothe Huntington area. “Emergency physiciansare on the front lines of America’s health caresystem, providing the essential communityservice of emergency care,” said ACEP PresidentLinda L. Lawrence, M.D. “The dedication,passion and commitment Dr. Charles has shownembodies the vision of ACEP’s founders andthe ideals of our specialty. He is an exemplaryemergency physician who strives to harvest aninterest in learning in all students of medicine.He is the inspiration for many students’ decisionsto practice emergency medicine. He is truly anexample of what it means to be a hero in the fieldof emergency medicine.” ACEP, headquarteredin Dallas, Texas, is a national medical specialtysociety representing emergency medicine withmore than 25,000 members. ACEP is committedto advancing emergency care through continuingeducation, research and public education.Dr. Mary Jo Martin, Class of 1988, is anassistant professor of neuropathology in thedivision of anatomic pathology at the VirginiaCommonwealth University Medical Center inRichmond, Virginia.M. Catherine Slusher, Class of 1988, is withHarrisonburg OB/GYN Assoc. Inc. She has beenpracticing general Ob/Gyn since completing herresidency in Roanoke, Va., in 1994. Catherine alsoteaches physicians assistants at James MadisonUniversity. She is very active in the March ofDimes, chairing the Signature Chefs’ Auction inHarrisonburg for the past six years. This eventis No. 2 in fundraising in the state of Virginia.Catherine was the recipient of the BridgewaterCollege Distinguished Alumni of the Year awardin 2004. She married Don Flegel of Cass, W.Va.,in 2006. He is a soil scientist and forester for theNRCS of the USDA and a private consultant.They have three children, Drew Clements (19),a sophomore at WVU; Julie Clements (13); andMacie Clements (7).1990sDr. Gary W. Procop, Classof 1992, has returned to theCleveland Clinic as chairmanof the Department of ClinicalPathology and director ofMolecular Microbiology,Mycology and Parasitology.He was there previously inseveral capacities, including associate professorof pathology at the clinic’s Lerner College ofMedicine of Case Western Reserve. While in theposition of section head at the Cleveland Clinic,he received three Innovator’s Awards and theQuest for Quality Award, and was named to theBest Doctors® in American List, 2005-2006.In addition to his medical degree, Procopreceived a master’s degree in biomedicalsciences from Marshall. He went on to completehis pathology residency at Duke UniversityMedical Center, followed by a fellowship inmedical microbiology at the Mayo Clinic. Hethen went to the University of Miami MillerSchool of Medicine to serve as professor ofpathology and director of clinical microbiologyat Jackson Memorial Hospital. While at Miami,he was awarded the 2007 American Society forMicrobiology BD Award for Research in ClinicalMicrobiology, one of the nation’s top awards inthat field.Procop recalls being interested in infectiousdiseases and microbiology as early as the eighthgrade. “Movie day would often consist of filmsconcerning the adventures of medical pioneers inthe heart of Africa,” he said. “Watching physiciansand nurses detect and identify the causes of exoticinfections, and then administering therapeuticsand vaccinations, was life-changing. Pursuingthis interest, I recently went to Tegucigalpa,Honduras, to lecture and teach local groups aboutmedical mycology. I would say teachers definitelyhave an impact in our formative years.”Medicine was not a foregone conclusion,