Page 25 - WesternU View Summer 2019

Groundbreaking ceremony for the Health Education Center, Dec. 8, 2007: (l-r) Elizabeth Hoppe, OD, MPH, DrPH, Founding Dean, College of
Optometry, Philip Pumerantz, PhD, LHD (Hon.), Founding President, WesternU, Benjamin L. Cohen, DO, Provost, Chief Operating Officer, James
Koelbl, DDS, MS, MJ, Founding Dean College of Dental Medicine, Lester Jones, DPM, MSEd, Associate Dean, College of Podiatric Medicine, and Clinton
Adams, DO, MPA, Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific; Inaugural White Coat Ceremony on August 8, 2009; First day of
orientation for CPM’s inaugural class, August 4, 2009.

National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners, and “That formed the fundamental basis for those first two
president of the American Board of Podiatric, years,” Jones said. “The only thing we needed to do after
Orthopedics, and Primary Podiatric Medicine that point was to gain access to other areas, and that’s
(ABPOPPM). why Dr. Harkless spent a considerable amount of time at
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center as well as Riverside
“More important, he had been a full-time academician at a
County Medical Center. We were able to network and
college of podiatric medicine, teaching at the student and
work quite well with COMP in accessing some training
resident levels,” Harkless said. “We were a great team
programs at Chino Valley Medical Center. Combining
because he brought the skill sets and knowledge that I did
that with our newly established Patient Care Center, we
not have. My background was in an academic health
had the entire infrastructure we needed for our clinical
science center medical school where I was division chief of
education program.”
podiatry and residency program director. Dr. Jones
understood the nuances in the development, administration CPM’s first class started in August 2009 and graduated in
and governance of a college of podiatric medicine.” May 2013. Those first graduates went on to be successful
podiatric medical and surgical residents in three-year
Jones brought with him the infrastructure for clinical
programs, and some went on to further distinguish
training, having developed a residency training program
themselves in advanced fellowship training, Jones said. He
for the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System that
is particularly pleased that CPM has brought back two
was integrated within the UCLA system of clinics and
members of the inaugural class as faculty members.
hospitals.
College of Podiatric Medicine’s first Honors Day, April 2010: (l-r) Dr. Jones, Adrienne Estes, Adam Bekler, Darren Leavitt, Sonia Mvuemba, Joshua
Hunt, Michael Stastny (all DPM Class of 2013), and Dr. Harkless, Founding Dean, College of Podiatric Medicine; Dr. Jones administering the Podiatric
Physician’s Oath at the inaugural College of Podiatric Medicine Commencement Ceremony, May 2013.

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