29
COM Outlook . Fall 2013
Alumni Corner -
Activities, Accomplishments, and Awards
staff at Mid-
land Medical
Center, which
is located in
Oakland Park,
Florida, and
focuses on
primary health care services
as well as special health care
and preventative services for
HIV, hepatitis, and GLBT pa-
tients. After receiving his D.O.
degree, Dr. Kenney completed
his internship and internal
medicine residency training
at Broward Health Medical
Center in Fort Lauderdale
before relocating to Tampa to
complete his infectious disease
and tropical medicine subspe-
cialty fellowship training at
the University of South Florida
Morsani College of Medicine
at Tampa General Hospital.
Dr. Kenney is board certified
in internal medicine by the
American Osteopathic Board
of Internal Medicine and board
eligible in infectious disease.
Michael J.
MacDonald,
D.O., M.P.H.,
M.B.A.,
FAOCOPM
(’90) was
selected as the
Naval Reserve Flight Surgeon
of the Year and awarded the
Navy Commendation Medal.
He is a captain in the Navy
Reserve and currently serves
as the flight surgeon for Patrol
Squadron 62 based out of Na-
val Air Station Jacksonville in
Florida. In his civilian life, Dr.
MacDonald is board certified
in occupational medicine and
aerospace medicine and is the
co-medical director for Health
First Occupational Medicine in
Melbourne, Florida.
Jose Paz, D.O.
(’11), who
recently began his third year
of internal medicine resi-
dency training, was named
chief academic resident in the
NSU-COM/
Palmetto
General Hos-
pital Internal
Medicine
Residency
program in
Hialeah, Florida.
Ronald Renu-
art, D.O.
(’90),
a three-term
Florida House
of Representa-
tives member,
was presented
with the 2013 Florida Dental
Association Legislator of the
Year Award at the Florida
National Dental Convention
held June 13-15 in Kissimmee,
Florida. Dr. Renuart practices
internal medicine in Ponte
Vedra Beach and is recognized
as a leader in health policy in
the Florida House of Represen-
tatives. He was acknowledged
for his efforts during the 2013
legislative session.
Lior Shamai, D.O., M.P.H.
(’06), a board certified cardi-
ologist, is now employed at
Owensboro Health Cardiology
in Owensboro, Kentucky, and
is also seeing patients at the
Riverfront Medical Clinic in
Tell City, Indiana.
Steven P. Stanos, D.O.
(’95),
director of corporate pain
services at the Rehabilita-
tion Institute of Chicago, was
selected by the Mayday Fund
to be a Mayday Fellow. Estab-
lished by the Mayday Fund
in 2004, the fellowship trains
physicians, nurses, pharma-
cists, social workers, scientists,
and legal scholars in the pain
management community to
more effectively communicate
their work and raise awareness
of and improve the treatment
of acute and chronic pain.
Richard R. Thacker, D.O.,
FACOI
(’92), who is a past
president of
the Florida
Osteopathic
Medical
Association
(FOMA), was
reelected to
the American Osteopathic
Association’s (AOA) Board of
Trustees for a three-year term.
On August 3, he participated
as a speaker during the grand
opening ceremony of the Ala-
bama College of Osteopathic
Medicine in Dothan, Alabama,
representing both the AOA
and FOMA.
J. Brian Thornburg, D.O.,
M.S.M., FAAP
(’00) was
selected as one of the most
innovative pediatricians in the
country by
Parents Magazine
and will be featured in the
magazine’s November issue,
along with six other pedia-
tricians who are “making a
difference.” Dr. Thornburg
also received a $1,000 check to
be donated to the charity of his
choice—The Children’s Advo-
cacy Center of Collier County,
which is a facility for victims of
child and sexual abuse.
Woodwin Weeks, D.O.
(’10)
joined the medical staff of
Colquitt Regional Medical
Center in his hometown of
Moultrie, Georgia, in July, and
is practicing family medicine
at the Kirk Clinic.
Michael C.
Weiss, D.O.,
FAOAO
(’86),
who was ap-
pointed to GE
Healthcare’s
Pain Manage-
ment Advisory Board, serves as
chairman of surgery and direc-
tor of the Laser Spine Institute’s
Spine Fellowship Training
Program—the world’s largest
provider of minimally invasive
spine surgery. In addition, he
recently committed a $5,000
scholarship in his name to a
current NSU-COM student.
Todd Zus-
mer, D.O.
(’96), who
was elected
to the South
Carolina
Osteopathic
Medical Society Board of
Trustees in April 2013, also be-
came president of the Edward
Via College of Osteopathic
Medicine (VCOM) – Carolinas
Campus Faculty Senate and
is serving as a member of the
VCOM – Virginia Campus
Faculty Senate. Dr. Zusmer
currently serves as director of
procedural skills at VCOM’s
Carolinas Campus.
The mission of the College of Osteopathic Medicine is to provide
learner-centered education, both nationally and internationally,
for osteopathic medical students, postgraduate trainees,
physicians, and other professionals. Through its interprofessional
programs, the college prepares competent and compassionate
lifelong learners; supports research, scholarly activity, and
community service; and advocates for the health and welfare of
diverse populations, including the medically underserved.
