HERSHEY, Pa. — To recognize the achievements of faculty, staff and students at Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine, the following list of appointments and awards of public interest has been compiled for July 1 through Sept. 30. Photos may be available upon request.

APPOINTMENTS

• Stephens named associate dean. The College of Medicine has named Dr. Mark Stephens, professor of family and community medicine, as the associate dean for medical education for the University Park Curriculum following a national search. He had served in an interim role since July 1, 2021. Stephens joined the College of Medicine’s University Park regional campus as a clinician, scholar and educator in 2016.
• Brooks is vice president of Health System Operation Command Centers. Heather Brooks has been appointed to the position of vice president for Health System Operation Command Centers – Patient Logistics. The role is responsible for the health system transfer center and patient flow platform under the Penn State Health Clinical Platform Network, which analyzes clinical data to improve patient care. Brooks will work on aligning best practices and processes across the health system, including interfacility patient transfers and capacity management.
• Armstrong elected president. Dr. April Armstrong, chair of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at the College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center, has been elected president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery for a one-year team. Her term began this month. Nominations to the ABOS board of directors come from the American Orthopaedic Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Medical Association. Armstrong is the second woman to serve as president of the ABOS.

AWARDS

• Leong receives prestigious award. The American Academy of Family Physicians has selected Dr. Shou Ling Leong, professor of family and community medicine at the College of Medicine, as the recipient of its 2022 Thomas W. Johnson Award for Career Contributions to Family Medicine Education. Leong was chosen for this recognition — one of AAFP’s highest honors — out of the organization’s nearly 130,000 members across the country.  The award recognizes outstanding contributions to family medicine education, including undergraduate, graduate and continuing education.
• College of Medicine receives record funding. Researchers at the College of Medicine obtained more than $142 million in total research awards last fiscal year (July 2021 through June 2022), securing the college’s position as the top-funded college at Penn State for the second consecutive year. This includes nearly $78 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health, a new all-time record. More information about ongoing research projects is available here.
• Lactation Support Program honored. The Pennsylvania Breastfeeding Coalition recently recognized Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center for establishing its Lactation Support Program. Hampden Medical Center’s program supports breastfeeding/chest-feeding and an environment of wellness for staff and students as they transition back to work or studies after giving birth. The facility hosts five mothers' lounges that provide breastfeeding people, including visitors, a private space.
• Medical group earns Readers’ Choice awards. Two Lancaster-based Penn State Health Medical Group locations were honored with Reader’s Choice Awards by LNP/LancasterOnline. Penn State Health Lime Spring Outpatient Center and Penn State Health Medical Group — Kissel Hill were among the top three in the Medical/Family Practice category.