2023 Upper Midwest Osteopathic Health Conference: Full Conference

Carolynn Francavilla, MD Related Seminars and Products

Carolynn Francavilla, MD is Board Certified in Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.  She owns and operates Green Mountain Partners for Health and Colorado Weight Care in Denver, Colorado.  Dr. Francavilla is a nationally recognized obesity expert, lecturing to clinicians on the topic of obesity as well as teaching through her own platform HelpYourPatientsLoseWeight.com. She also hosts The Doctor Francavilla Show, a podcast about weight and health.  She serves on the Obesity Medicine Association Board of Trustees and was awarded the Dr. Vernon B. Astler Award for dedicated service and support of OMA in 2017.  Dr. Francavilla is also an Assistant Professor at Rocky Vista University and Volunteer Faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  Dr. Francavilla is committed to protecting private medical practices as she believes they offer the best care for patients.  She has been elected as Chair-elect for the AMA’s Private Practice Physician Section.

Sara Schwatken, PhD, LP, HSPP Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Sara Schwatken is a licensed psychologist practicing in Fort Dodge, IA. Dr. Schwatken has extensive training in the field of eating disorders and specializes in eating disorder treatment, with a focus on binge eating disorder and atypical anorexia. Dr. Schwatken has also submitted her application for board certification with the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals and hopes to receive her Certified Eating Disorder Specialist designation in the coming weeks. Dr. Schwatken has served on the board of the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa since 2020 and is proud to be finishing her year as board president as part of EDCI’s presidential triad. During her time as president, Dr. Schwatken oversaw the reorganization of the non-profit, allowing for the organization to have greater reach to Iowans than ever before. She is also spearheading a new Healthcare Training Initiative to reduce weight stigma and encourage a weight-neutral approach to healthcare for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals. In her free time, Dr. Schwatken enjoys cooking and experiencing the rollercoaster of emotions in being an Iowa State athletics fan.

Vanitha Singram, MD Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Vanitha Singaram, MD is board certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Obesity Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine. She did her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and an Endocrine fellowship at the University of Vermont. She moved back to Iowa in 2007 and joined Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology center, now MercyOne Diabetes & Endocrinology. She is very passionate about addressing the root cause of chronic diseases and has been focusing her attention more towards disease reversal and prevention. She believes in educating and empowering patients and communities with the tools & resources necessary to improve their health span and quality of life.

Lena Rydberg, DO Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Rydberg is board certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine and practices in West Des Moines at Iowa Clinic. Her passion is care for patients who live with obesity and diabetes along with associated comorbidities. Her practice reflects that with >40% of her panel with at least one of those diagnoses. Patients with these disorders have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Consequently, Dr. Rydberg has been involved in the Des Moines Board for the American Heart Association since 2017. She served as Board President in 2019-2020 and 2022-2023. On their behalf she has done a variety of speaking engagements on the prevention of cardiac disease through dietary measures and workplace wellness programs along with advocacy at the state and national level for better community access to foods that reduce the risk of cardiac disease.

She also enjoys clinical research and has been involved as a sub investigator and principal investigator in phase 2 and 3 clinical research trials at Iowa Clinic since 2016. In 2022 she accepted the position as the Assistant Medical Director of Research at Iowa Clinic. In her time away from work she and her husband Brad enjoy hiking and biking with their 4 children-preferably in locations with unreliable internet connectivity.  

Richard Deming, MD Related Seminars and Products

Richard L. Deming, MD is Medical Director of MercyOne Cancer Center in Des Moines, Iowa. He received a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University and his medical degree from Creighton University. Dr. Deming is known in the community for the compassionate care he provides cancer patients and their families. He is involved in many national, state, and community organizations and is the recipient of numerous awards. He was awarded the Lane Adams Award by the American Cancer Society for excellence and compassion in patient care. He is the recipient of “the one hundred” Award by Massachusetts General Hospital for his work with cancer survivors. He was awarded the Iowa Cancer Champion Award for his tireless efforts in the field of advocacy. He received the Iowa Star Award from the Des Moines Register for making a measurable difference within the community and improving the quality of life for Iowans everywhere. He was awarded the St. George National Medal by the American Cancer Society for leadership in reducing the burden of cancer.

Dr. Deming is also the founder of Above + Beyond Cancer, a nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating the lives of those touched by cancer. Dr. Deming has led cancer survivors on medical missions and inspirational mind-body-spirit pilgrimages to Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Machu Picchu. He is inspired by the courage and compassion of his patients and their families. His greatest ambition is to encourage others to pursue lives of meaning, purpose, passion, and compassion.

Todd Eibes, MD, FACS Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Todd Eibes, MD, FACS is a bariatric surgery specialist at the Iowa Specialty Hospital. He had the opportunity to work with Dr. Ed Mason during medical school at the University of Iowa. Dr. Mason was the founder of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and first performed some of the common bariatric surgeries that we do today. Dr. Eibes began his career as a general surgeon doing some bariatric surgery, but his passion for bariatrics has led him to focus on that exclusively since 2006. He believes obesity is a terrible epidemic and that we have highly effective treatment options that are vastly underutilized. He doesn't believe that the best results can be achieved using survey, medicine, psychiatric care, or behavior modification alone and that much better results are obtained when a team of these specialists work together. He believes we are currently living in an era when people are starting to realize the importance of treating obesity to resolve to comorbidities. The biggest change that he has seen over the past 20 years is we finally have very low risk surgical options combined with effective medications, and these effective tools allow us to give our patients hope in treating their obesity.

Tyler Aasen, DO Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Tyler Aasen is a gastroenterology located in Des Moines Iowa at The Iowa Clinic. He attended osteopathic medical school at Des Moines University where he trained in the greater Des Moines area. Dr. Aasen completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona in Phoenix Arizona and completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at East Tennessee State University. He returned to the Des Moines area to practice gastroenterology in 2020. His clinical interests include IBS, GERD, celiac disease, and liver disease.

Thomas Heineman, MD Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Heineman is currently a practicing otolaryngologist - head and neck surgeon (ENT) in Cedar Rapids. He received his undergraduate education at the University Iowa and his medical school education at Weill Cornell Medical College. He completed his ENT residency at UCLA. He currently treats patients with sinus disorders, sleep apnea and sleep surgery, head and neck cancer, as well as voice and swallowing disorders. He is an early adopter of biomedical technology both in the operating room and the clinic. He is the author of over 50 peer-reviewed publications and national and international presentations. He is board certified by the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and neck surgery.

Jennifer Groos, MD, FAAP Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Groos earned her medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and completed a pediatrics residency at University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital in Madison, WI. She returned to Iowa in 2004 and joined Blank Children’s Hospital General Pediatric Department. After practicing there for 16 years, she joined PHC, Inc, the Federally Qualified Health Center in Des Moines, Iowa in 2020 as a general pediatrician. Dr. Groos also works part-time with Iowa Primary Care Association as clinical leadership consultant.  She is an adjunct faculty member with the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa.  She is active in community and legislative advocacy and health eating and active living promotion with many partners within the state. Dr. Groos currently serves as Faculty for the AAP Rural Health Obesity ECHO.  She serves the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity as Executive Committee member and Co-chair for the A Childhood Obesity Advisor Network (COACH).   While at Blank she founded the Healthy Kids Program.  She is a past-president of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, chair of the chapter committee on legislation, and founder and chair of the chapter committee on obesity.  She received the 2018 Iowa Medical Society Physician Community Service Award for her statewide childhood obesity work.  

Rachelle McCabe, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C Related Seminars and Products

My name is Rachelle McCabe, I am a family nurse practitioner with Iowa Weight Loss Specialists.  I specialize in medical weight loss and work with patients through the bariatric surgery process including presurgical counseling and long-term post-op care.  I graduated with my Doctor of Nursing practice degree from the University of Iowa where I completed my graduate project on how patients with obesity are treated in primary care.  I researched the stigma and deficiencies in care surrounding individuals struggling with this disease, which are many.  I have had the pleasure to meet with experts working in the field of obesity medicine throughout my studies and career.  I felt called to form a collaborative of interested healthcare professionals across the state to discuss trends, standards of practice, and concerns surrounding the care of patients with obesity in Iowa.  I established the Iowa Obesity Society, LLC early last year.  I am also a member of the American Nurses Association, Iowa Nurses Association, Iowa Nurse Practitioners’ Society, The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, PEO, and the Obesity Medicine Association.      

Karli Burridge, PA-C, MSS, FOMA Related Seminars and Products

Karli Burridge is a Physician Associate and a Fellow of the Obesity Medicine Association. She is the co-founder and President of PAs in Obesity Medicine and serves on the Board for the Illinois Obesity Society. Karli is the owner of Gaining Health, where they offer a roadmap, resources, and support for clinicians who want to start an obesity management program. She is also the host of the Gaining Heath podcast, and she works clinically at Ascension Medical Weight Loss Solutions in Westmont, Illinois. Karli holds the Certificate of Advanced Education in obesity management. She is the recipient of Obesity Medicine Association’s 2020 Dr. Raymond E. Dietz Meritorious Service Award, the 2018 Dr. Vernon B. Astler Award, and the 2017 Committee Leadership Award.

Sheila Russell, LISW, CADC Related Seminars and Products

Sheila Russell is a licensed independent social worker (LISW) and a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC).  Sheila is an Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Certified Therapist and EMDRIA-Approved Consultant.  In her private practice, she focuses her specialization on working with first responders, military personnel and veterans, substance use and gambling disorders, domestic violence, and perinatal and postpartum mood disorders.  Sheila is a member of Iowa's Public Health Mental Health WorkForce Advisory Group, and provides consultation and psychoeducation as a community educator.    

Jo Ellen Whitney, JD Related Seminars and Products

Jo Ellen primarily practices in the areas of employment and health law. As the current chair of the firm’s Employment Law and Labor Relations Department, she brings 30 years of practical experience to business planning, discipline, and termination issues for employers.  Her work includes representation of employers before various administrative agencies including the EEOC, ICRC, OCR, DOL, and OSHA.

She frequently provides her clients with on-site training for all levels of employees and is a highly sought-after presenter on labor and health law issues. Jo Ellen is AV® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized by Chambers USA, Great Plains Super Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America^© for her work.  Jo Ellen was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar in March 2018.

Adrian Woolley, DO Related Seminars and Products

Adrian L. Woolley, DO is a 1995 graduate of Des Moines University. She completed a traditional rotating Internship at Des Moines General Osteopathic Hospital and completed a Family Practice Residency there as well. She is currently boarded in Family Practice, Neuromuscular Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, has a certificate of Recognition of Proficiency in Osteopathy in the Cranial Field, and has learned Acupuncture. She is currently in her 21st year of working at the University where she sees patients and trains medical students in the OMM Department.

Dr. Woolley discloses that she has no relevant financial relationships with any organization producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients relative to the content of this presentation.

Tim Holcomb, DPM Related Seminars and Products

Timothy Holcomb, DPM is an Iowa native, born and raised in Altoona, IA and graduate of Southeast Polk High School. From there, he graduated Cum Laude from Luther College followed by his medical education at Des Moines University graduating 2^nd in his class.  He completed his three-year residency in Foot and Ankle Surgery in the Des Moines area.  From that point he began practicing in the Des Moines Area for his first two years of practice, transitioning to a rural practice at Greene County Hospital and serving the surrounding community for the past 6 years.  He is excited to have returned home to care for the community that helped raise him with his current location at Foot and Ankle of Greater Des Moines P.C. in Altoona. 

He is a past Co-Director of the Central Iowa Podiatry residency program and currently serves on the Iowa Podiatric Medical Society Board.  He is Board Certified with the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and is a Fellow in the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.  Outside of his medical practice he enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 daughters, triathlon training, playing guitar, and woodworking.

Andrea Hoyt, PharmD, JD, MPA Related Seminars and Products

Andrea Hoyt is the Compliance Program Manager with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Medical Cannabidiol. She is a proud three-time Drake University alum, with degrees in pharmacy, law, and public administration. While in school, she focused on how compliance interfaces with healthcare, and how that interface impacts patients on both individual and systemic levels. In her current role, she manages compliance on both the patient registration side and the dispensary/manufacturer side for the state's medical cannabis program. Andrea is licensed as both an attorney and a pharmacist in Iowa, and still practices as an inpatient/outpatient pharmacist for a local hospital on the weekends. When she isn't working, Andrea can probably be found snuggled up with her golden retriever Dug. 

Jean Paul, DO Related Seminars and Products

Jean Paul, DO is a graduate of DMU from the Class of 1997. She is currently a Family Practitioner in Ankeny as well as preceptor for the MercyOne Residency Program. Dr. Paul is also the current President of Iowa Army of Pink. 

Jacqueline Stoken, DO, FAAPMR, FAOCPMR, DABHM, CIME, CLCP Related Seminars and Products

Jacqueline Stoken graduated from Des Moines University.  She did a 1-year internal medicine internship at Des Moines General Hospital.  She completed a PM&R residency at the University of Minnesota in 1994.  Holistic medicine has been her passion.  She is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Holistic Medicine and Independent Medical Evaluations.  She is Adjunct Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation at Des Moines University.  She regularly lectures for the Des Moines Mercy Family Practice residency program.  She is in private practice in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Kevin de Regnier, DO Related Seminars and Products

Dr. de Regnier is a graduate of Des Moines University -College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery.  He completed his rotating internship and family medicine residency at Des Moines General Hospital.  He is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians and is a distinguished fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.

Dr. de Regnier owns and practices at Madison County Medical Associates in Winterset and is an Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine at Des Moines University.  

Dr. de Regnier is Past President of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.  He is also the Past President of the Iowa Chapter ACOFP and IOMA.  He serves on numerous national, state and local committees. 

Dr. de Regnier has no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program or presentation.

Brian Quinn, DO Related Seminars and Products

Brian Quinn, DO, CMD, HMDC works in Ottumwa, Iowa at MercyOne in geriatrics and hospice and palliative care. He is board certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care. His practice encompasses medical directorship of 3 nursing homes, Hospice of Wapello and Davis Counties, and he is the Medical Examiner for Wapello and Jefferson Counties. Palliative care consults are provided at the Ottumwa Regional Health Center.

Dr. Quinn studied at Des Moines University – Osteopathic Medical Center and graduated in 2003. He trained at Mercy General Health Partners in Muskegon, Michigan and has been working in Ottumwa (his hometown) since 2008. He enjoys playing bass in the Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra (in non-pandemic times) and making artisan bread at home during the pandemic with his 4 children.

Dr. Quinn has no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program or presentation.

Ben Collins, DO Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Collins completed his DO degree at Des Moines University. He is board certified in Internal Medicine with added qualification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He has practiced in Des Moines since 1993. He currently practices at the VA Medical Center in Des Moines. His interests are in complex care, home-based care, palliative care, and geriatrics

Noreen O'Shea, DO Related Seminars and Products

Noreen O'Shea has 35 years of experience in Family Medicine, with most of those years spent serving with underserved populations in both rural and urban populations. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences (now Des Moines University) in 1984. She completed her Family Medicine residency at Creighton University's St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha, NE in 1987. She has worked at Community Health Centers and Family Medicine clinics in Kentucky, New York, Iowa, and South Dakota. 

She returned to Des Moines University in 2014 where she served as both a clinician and faculty member in the Family Medicine department. She joined the Behavioral Medicine, Medical Humanities, and Bioethics department in the summer of 2017. Her current academic duties include being course co-director for Physician as Professional and course director for Medical Ethics II and the Healer's Art, as well as being section co-director for the Preventative Medicine and Nutrition and Dermatology/Allergy sections of the Clinical Sciences III and IV courses. Her clinical practice is at Primary Health Care, a local federally qualified health center. She recently became the medical director at the Clive Free Clinic in the Des Moines metro area. 

Laura Socwell, MD Related Seminars and Products

Laura Socwell, M.D. is a board-certified pediatrician practicing in pediatric emergency medicine at Blank Children’s Hospital at UnityPoint Health Des Moines. She also serves as an adjunct clinical assistant professor at the University of Iowa in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Socwell completed her undergraduate degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester and while working as an Emergency Medical Technician, found her passion for emergency medicine.  Dr. Socwell received her medical degree and completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of Iowa. During her training, she discovered her passion for teaching and served on the CDC/AAP joint drill on disaster preparedness as the only resident representative. After completing residency, she continued her training in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Akron Children’s Hospital where she focused her research on nitrous oxide use in the emergency department, and following training, returned to her home state of Iowa. Dr. Socwell’s areas of interest lie in disaster preparedness and pediatric pre-hospital medicine.

Chris Wistrom, DO Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Wistrom grew up in Stanton, IA and is a graduate of Stanton High School. He went to college at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO and Medical School at KCOM in Kirksville. Residency in Emergency Medicine at HF Macomb. He has been involved in emergency services since age 16 and has been an ambulance driver, EMT, Paramedic, ED Physician and currently serves as EMS/ED Medical Director for Mercyhealth in Janesville, WI where he lives with his wife and three kids. He enjoys his Iowa roots and spending time outside hunting, fishing, and foraging.

Brian Freeman, DO Related Seminars and Products

Originally from Colorado, Dr. Freeman is currently an attending emergency physician at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine at Spectrum Health Lakeland/Michigan State University, where he participated in the medical educational track. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. His clinical interests include the medical education of students and residents as well as physician well-being.

Outside of the emergency department, Dr. Freeman enjoys spending time with his wife, who is an ER nurse at Creighton, and their golden retriever puppy, Dudley. They are expecting their first child in September. When not reading “What to Expect When Expecting”, he loves to cook and spend time with friends and family.

Valerie Kounkel, DO Related Seminars and Products

Dr. Valerie Kounkel is originally from Fort Dodge. She received her Bachelor's degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, IA. She earned her DO degree from KCOM in Kirksville, MO, and  completed her residency training in Opthalmology at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, OH. She is a fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Opthalmology, and is a partner at Physicians Eye Clinic in West Des Moines, IA and has been practicing there since 2001.

Todd Peterson, DO, FAAOS Related Seminars and Products

Dr Todd Peterson DO FAAOS is double board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Capital Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Clive, Iowa. He graduated from Bethel University in Minnesota for his bechelors degree, Des Moines University for medical school, Michigan State University for residency, and Southern Illinois University for fellowship. He sees patients in Clive and Knoxville Iowa. He does surgery at Mercy, UnityPoint, and Broadlawns hospitals. He is also a founding member of Advanced Surgery Center, an all physician-owned center providing outpatient hip and knee replacements and other orthopedic surgeries at a low cost to patients. He grew up in Des Moines and currently lives in Clive with his wife Melanie and three children.

Paul Hudson, COO, MBA, MHA Related Seminars and Products

Paul Hudson serves as the Chief Operating Officer for STATUS, an organization created by the merger of Iowa-based ACUTE CARE, INC. and Tennessee-based ERx. these organizations have served community and Critical Access Hospitals in ten states for over thirty years. A former flight paramedic, Paul has a Master's degrees in Business Administration and Healthcare Administration,  is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Board member for the Emergency Department Practice Management Association.