36th annual Regional Scholarship Day

The 36th annual Northeast Ohio Medical University Regional Scholarship Day was held Wednesday, May 14. Nearly 200 faculty members and residents gathered in the NEW Center for the event, sponsored by the Departments of Family and Community Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Pharmacy Practice, Surgery and Office of the Vice President for Research.

The day was a vibrant showcase of scholarly work, featuring research, quality improvement initiatives, innovative curricular projects and insightful case reports. Residents presented oral and poster presentations across primary and specialty care tracks – all expertly evaluated by more than 30 judges from NEOMED and our affiliated community.

Congratulations to all the residents who shared their impressive work! First, second and third place awards were given in both oral and poster categories within each track, recognizing residents’ dedication and contributions.

This annual Scholarship Day truly embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation at NEOMED. It's a vital opportunity to share scholarly experiences, connect with colleagues and spark new ideas that will shape the future of scholarship and, most importantly, enhance patient care.

Congratulations to the following residents for their scholarly presentations:

ORAL PRESENTATIONS - PRIMARY CARE

People’s Choice Award Winners:  

• Martina Stojanovska, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital
• Nicole Buturla, D.O., Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital
• Astha Guliani, M.D., Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital
• Natalie Waldorf, D.O., Family Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital

ORAL PRESENTATIONS - SPECIALTY CARE

People’s Choice Award Winners:  

• Varsha Konyala, M.D., Internal Medicine, Canton Medical Education Foundation
• Danny Alti, M.D., Internal Medicine, Canton Medical Education Foundation
• Enayat Shanidfar, M.D., Internal Medicine, Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital

POSTERS - PRIMARY CARE

First Place

Farah Awad, M.D., Family Medicine, Aultman Hospital

Restructuring the Medication Reconciliation Process to Minimize Errors on Hospital Discharge

Stacy Malik Samardali, M.B.B.S., Internal Medicine, Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital

Outcomes and Impact of Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in Hospitalized Patients with Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP): Insights from a Nationwide Database

Second Place

Nino Kovaljesko, M.D., Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital

Hiccups Unhinged: A Case of Relentless Reflex

Razan Fannoun, Pharm.D., Pharmacy, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital

Determinants of Antiarrhythmic Agent Selection in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure

Third Place

Cooper Johnson, M.D., Family Medicine, Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital

Prevalence and Treatments of Asthma in Mahoning and Columbiana Counties

John Elgersma, M.D., and Garvin Jian, M.D., Family Medicine, Aultman Hospital

Increasing CGM Prescriptions

POSTERS - SPECIALTY CARE

First Place

Mian Abdullah Farooq, M.D., Internal Medicine, Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital

Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Crystals By-standers or Culprit

Second Place

Rasik Neupane, M.D., Internal Medicine, Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital

Rare Adverse Event: Ocrelizumab-Induced Organizing Pneumonia in a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis—A Case Analysis

Third Place         

Hui Ting Ruan, M.D., Internal Medicine, Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital

A Brain on Fire: A Case of Autoimmune Encephalitis

Kirti Arora, M.D., Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital

Beyond Swollen Nodes: A Case of Metastatic Melanoma Presenting as a Diagnostic Quandary

ORAL PRESENTATIONS - SURGERY

People’s Choice for Surgery 8:30-9:45 a.m. 

Maria LaMontagne, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital. Co-authors: Timothy Guthrie, M.D.; Martina Stojanovska, M.D.; Michael Makowski, M.D.

Intra-articular Scapula Fracture Fixation in the Outpatient Setting:A Case Series

 People’s Choice for Surgery 10:15-11:15 a.m.

Danny Schirtzinger, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital, Co-authors: Jared Hinton, BS; Brian Kemp, MS, OTR/L; Yirka Vacca Kelly, PA-C; Nicholas Satariano, M.D.

Vascularized Free Fibula for Distal Radius Reconstruction and Wrist Arthrodesis with Dual Plate Construct 

POSTERS - SURGERY

First Place

Steffi Sharma, M.D., Plastic Surgery, Summa Health Akron City Hospital. Co-authors: Dean Spyres, MS; Christina Scarr, M.D.; Anuja Sarode, Ph.D.; Moheb Said, M.D.

Autologous Dermo-parenchymal Sling Technique for Sustained Outcomes in Breast Reduction: A Case Series 

Second Place

Makenna Salsbury, M.D., General Surgery, Summa Health Akron City Hospital. Co-author: Christopher Huffman, M.D.

The Role of Methylene Blue in Traumatic Shock

Third Place (Tied)

Kaitlyn Patacca, M.D., M.B.A., General Surgery, Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. Co-author: Allison Mancuso, M.D.

The Traumatic Ventral Hernia

William B. Bowers, M.D., Surgery, Western Reserve Health Education. Co-author: Alyson L Morgan, M.D.

Severe Noroviral Gastroenteritis Leading to Small Bowel Ischemia in an Elderly Patient: A Rare Case Report

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updated May 29, 2025