SUMMER 2024 NEWSLETTER

Dear Family, Friends, and Esteemed Colleagues,

We hope you are all enjoying your summer and staying cool, healthy, and active! We are excited to share some important updates and information on our latest and most recent activities. Enjoy the dog days of summer!

2024 Manhattan Medical Immersion Camp

Our 3rd Annual Manhattan Medical Immersion Camp was held on July 7-13, 2024 in our BioSkills Lab. 20 enthusiastic high school students explored a variety of medical specialties through didactic and hands-on segments, including vascular surgery, orthopaedics, sports medicine, medical imaging, anatomy, suturing, dissection, medical device entrepreneurship, physical therapy, and anesthesiology.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all of the staff and faculty members of the program who volunteered their time to educate the next generation of healthcare practitioners. We could not have done it without you. Thank you to:

  • Dr. William Johnson for presenting on vascular surgery
  • Dr. Cliff Voigt and Dr. Michael DiVella for performing an ACL surgery
  • Dr. Chris Spolarich for performing a shoulder arthroscopy procedure
  • Dr. Marc Koch and Alicia Sicoli for presenting on anesthesiology, intubation and airway management
  • Dr. Eugene Bulkin for presenting on pain management and performing epidural injections
  • Dr. Lisa Corrente for presenting on radiology and imaging and giving the students a tour of her medical facility
  • Dan Coplan for coordinating and teaching the CPR course segments
  • Kevin Rocco for presenting on medical device entrepreneurship and BioBrace
  • Dr. David Beaton Comulada for performing the BioBrace demonstration with Mr. Rocco and for performing a hip arthroscopy procedure
  • Marc Viscogliosi for generously hosting our group at The Harmonie Club for our formal dinner
  • Dr. Pam Jacubowicz for presenting on dermatology and performing injections
  • David Jansen for presenting on medical device engineering
  • Dr. Stephanie Petterson and David Potach for presenting on physical therapy
  • And to our wonderful program graduates from the classes of 2022 and 2023 who have returned to help teach this year’s program – including Emily Koch, Isabella Viscogliosi, Anna Yacura, Levi Pernia Vasquez, Zach Darrow, and Essa Nahshal

Finally, thank you to our amazing co-chaperones, Chris Rish and Alicia Sicoli, for dedicating your time to making this program the best that it has ever been.

Be sure to check out our Instagram page at @ortho_foundation to see more content from the program.

Above: Anna Yacura, one of our 2021 Clinical Research Summer Interns and a student from our 2023 Manhattan Medical Immersion Camp, was invited to shadow live surgical procedures with our Senior Lab Manager, Chris Rish, at Eastern Orange Ambulatory Surgical Center!

2025 Manhattan Medical Immersion Camp Programs

We are excited to announce two sessions for the 2025 Manhattan Medical Immersion Camp!

The first session of the Medical Immersion Camp will be exclusive to students currently matriculated in a college or university, offered between semesters, during winter break – January 4 – 7, 2025.

Our 4th Annual Summer Manhattan Medical Immersion Camp will take place from July 6 – 12, 2025.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. To request an application for either program, please visit www.ofals.org/camp or reach out to Janine Bahar at jbahar@ofals.org. Stay tuned to our Instagram at @ortho_foundation and our newsletters for more information and updates regarding next year’s camp!

BioSkills Lab Updates

We are thrilled to welcome three Lab Technicians and a lab volunteer from Hunter College to our BioSkills Lab team! Welcome to Azamat Davlyatov, Elizabeth Harry, Adina Shamieva, and Maria Zajaczkowska! Adina attended our Doctor for a Day programs several years ago while a student at Stuyvesant High School in New York, which inspired her to explore the field of medicine. We are excited to have her – and everyone – on our team!


Lab Tech Training Day – July 1, 2024. (Left to Right: Serena Kothari, one of our summer Clinical Research Interns; Azamat Davlyatov; Geoff Braun, our Clinical Research Assistant; Chris Rish, our Senior Lab Manager; Elizabeth Harry; Adina Shamieva)

Milestone 20th Anniversary Gala

This year’s milestone 20th Anniversary Gala Auction will be held from Sunday, November 17 through Sunday, December 1. We are thrilled to celebrate 20 years of dedication to research, education, and injury prevention.

Make sure to stay tuned for future communications about the 20th Anniversary Gala event on our Instagram at @ortho_foundation and our website at www.ofals.org.

Congratulations to our Fellows!

We would like to congratulate our ACGME Sports Medicine Fellows, Dr. Michael DiVella, D.O. and Dr. David Beaton Comulada, M.D., and our first ASES Shoulder & Elbow Surgery Fellow, Dr. Christopher Spolarich, M.D., on graduating from the Plancher Orthopaedics / Orthopaedic Foundation Fellowship Programs!


Fellows Graduation Day at Brae Burn Country Club – July 30, 2024. (Left photo, Left to Right: Dr. Spolarich, Dr. DiVella, Linda Neves, Dr. Stephanie Petterson, Dr. Beaton, Janine Bahar; Right photo, Left to Right: Dr. Kevin Plancher, Dr. Paul Sethi, Dr. DiVella, Dr. Spolarich, Dr. Beaton, Dr. Seth Miller, Dr. Dante Brittis)

Dr. DiVella will be moving on to a position at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Washington, PA; Dr. Beaton Comulada will be moving on to a position at Hospital Metropolitano in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Dr. Spolarich will be moving on to a position at the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover, OH. We wish them the best!

Incoming 2024-2025 Fellows

We are excited to welcome our incoming fellows for the 2024-2025 fellowship year – our new ACGME Sports Medicine Fellow, Dr. Rachel Brandl, D.O. (left), and our ASES Shoulder & Elbow Surgery Fellow, Dr. Patrick Tate, M.D. (right). Dr. Brandl was previously a resident at MountainView Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, NM and Dr. Tate was previously a resident at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Akron, OH.

Special Shout-Outs

We would like to give our biggest congratulations to three former interns of the Foundation: Dr. Brenda Milla, Dr. Sandip Tarpada, and Noah Li!

Brenda recently graduated from the University of Connecticut with her Ph.D. in Physiology and Neurobiology. We are beyond proud to call you Dr. Milla! We would also like to congratulate Dr. Milla on being accepted to a postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard University. Brenda was a Clinical Research Intern with the Foundation from 2015 to 2018.

Congratulations to Dr. Tarpada for recently graduating from the Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship Program at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He recently accepted a position as Chief of Trauma Surgery at Harlem Hospital. Sandip was one of the Research Department’s Summer Interns in 2015 and 2016.

Congratulations to Noah Li for being accepted to the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. We congratulate him and wish him the best of luck. Noah was Janine Bahar’s Executive Assistant and a Lab Technician at the BioSkills Lab from 2023 to 2024.

We wish all of you great success!

Research Corner

As we wrap up another fruitful summer, we would like to shine a spotlight on our six bright summer research interns, who have contributed to advancing research in orthopaedics. These interns immersed themselves in projects that help to advance patient care and surgical outcomes.

  • Harshill Patel, a second-year medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
  • Cameron Whitacre, a second-year medical student at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.
  • Serena Kothari, a second-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine.
  • Dan Coplan, a senior at Rochester Institute of Technology.
  • Felix Flakstad and Christina Zhang, from Greenwich High School, completed their Senior Summer Research Project with us.

The future shines bright for each of these individuals and we are excited to follow them on their journey in medicine.


Left to Right: Max Pagano, Harshill Patel, Dr. Stephanie Petterson, Serena Kothari, Janine Bahar, Dan Coplan, Cameron Whitacre

14th Annual Orthopaedic Summit: Evolving Techniques Conference

We are happy to be a partner of the Orthopaedic Summit: Evolving Techniques (OSET) conference. This year’s 14th Annual Summit meeting will be returning to its roots in Las Vegas, at the brand-new Fontainebleau Las Vegas, on September 13 – 18, 2024.

The Orthopaedic Summit is a premier gathering of Total Joint (Knee, Hip, Shoulder), Foot & Ankle, Sports Medicine, Arthroscopic, Spine and Trauma Surgeons, Physician assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Athletic Trainers, Physical and Occupational Therapists from across the globe, fostering innovation and advancement in the world of orthopaedics.

Register to attend the conference here. We hope to see you there!

Hey Doc…

What weight baring exercises do you recommend for bone loss and osteoporosis? Can lifting 1 to 3-pound weights have any benefit?

“Weight-bearing exercises play a critical role in preserving and enhancing bone density, particularly for those with osteoporosis or those who are at risk of bone loss. Although we typically recommend using heavier weights for optimal bone stimulation, using lighter weights of 1-3 pounds can still be beneficial. Lightweight resistance training can help maintain muscle strength, improve balance, and stimulate bone growth to some extent. However, it’s essential to gradually increase the weight and intensity of the exercises as your strength improves to achieve more significant bone health benefits. Some recommended weight-bearing exercises include walking, jogging, dancing, stair climbing, and resistance training exercises such as squats, lunges, and weightlifting. It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional or certified personal trainer to design a personalized exercise program that is safe and effective for you.”

Many thanks to David Potach, PT, for this Newsletter’s segment of “Hey Doc!”. David is a board-certified sports physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist who founded the Injury Prevention Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit focusing on promoting activity and health. He is currently the Director of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at Beth Israel Lahey Health in Massachusetts.

Do you have a question for one of our fellows, surgeons, or medical professionals? Feel free to submit your questions to Janine Bahar at jbahar@ofals.org.

We hope you enjoyed this newsletter, and we hope you have had a safe, healthy, and active summer!

Warm regards,

Janine Bahar
Executive Director

Orthopaedic Foundation
Ph: (203) 869-2002
Web: www.ofals.org