MSU In Motion

PA Student Experience in El Salvador—Making a Difference

Alex Epperly, a physician assistant student at Mountain State University, spent his free time between rotations on a mission trip to El Salvador. Alex worked with the organization Cedeinfa in Soyapango, El Salvador, and lived in a missionary house provided by Cedeinfa. Missionaries from America, Peru, and Germany also resided at the house. While there, the group worked in the clinic and in workshops. Alex also taught English in the school and worked with a child sponsorship program in the different ghettos, as well as conducting a few children's services.

Student Spotlight: Meet Brenna Coffey

Brenna Coffey is a senior physical therapy major from Carlyle, Saskatchewan, Canada. She brings ten years of experience to the Mountain State University volleyball team.

"Brenna is one of the most versatile players I have ever coached," said MSU Head Volleyball Coach Holly Mauldin.  "She works hard at whatever she is doing whether it is on or off the court. She's also a leader of the team, and the girls really look up to her."

Brenna is driven by a love of the game. In preparing for a game, she visualizes the outcome. "My club coach from back home use to have us visualizes a game before we would play, and ever since then I have done that," she said.

Playing volleyball is a family tradition: Both Brenna's sister, Karmen, and brother, Dylan, have played. After college, she plans to move closer to home.

More about Brenna, in her own words:

Favorite food: My mom's mashed potatoes.

Favorite TV show: Friends or The Challenge.

Favorite hobby: Snowboarding and dirt bike riding.

Greatest accomplishments: Making Team Saskatchewan twice, at 16 and 17; earning provincial medalist in high jump during my 11th grade year, and receiving a scholarship for volleyball and making all-conference team for the last three years. 

Favorite thing to do in the Beckley area: Snowboard. I also went whitewater rafting, which was a lot of fun—you sure can't do that in Saskatchewan!

If you could meet one historical figure, who would it be and why? Sidney Crosby (captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins). He is one of my favorite hockey players, and it would be amazing to meet him because he has been so successful at a very young age.
 

Student Spotlight: Meet Katie Davis

Katie Davis is a junior forensic science major from Middleburg, Fla. She brings nine years of experience to the Mountain State University volleyball team.

"Katie always strives to be the best she can be at wherever she is put on the court," said MSU Head Volleyball Coach Holly Mauldin. "She has a passion and love for volleyball that most people wouldn't understand."

The youngest of six, Katie is the only one in her immediate family to play volleyball, though one of her cousins plays for Huntingdon College (Alabama) and many of her cousins played in high school.

To prepare for a game, she listens to upbeat music or watches the other team warm up and imagines scoring against them.

Katie is driven on the court by the thrill of competition and knowing that even if she's had a horrible day she can go into practice and take out her aggression on the ball.

After college, she plans to coach while establishing her career.

More about Katie, in her own words:

Favorite TV show: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the new American Horror Story.

Greatest accomplishment: Making my family proud.

Favorite vacation spot: Camping in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Favorite thing to do in the Beckley area: Sushi at Kimono, coffee afterwards at Starbucks, and top it all off with a trip to the movie theater.

If you could meet one historical figure, who would it be and why? Jesus, because I have lots and lots of questions!

Outside of volleyball, what is your greatest talent? Probably making people laugh.

Increasing accounts of fraud create demand for fraud investigators

"Twenty years ago my division was primarily involved in inspecting claims made on house fires and auto fires," said Goldie Rhodes, special investigations unit team manager for State Farm Insurance, West Virginia. "Today, a large portion of my unit's claims are related to billing fraud in the medical industry."

Rhodes' unit at State Farm Insurance performs the initial investigation of claims to determine if fraud is suspected and if there's a motive for fraud.

Over the years, he has seen many multi-claim investigations involving staged accidents where multiple people cite injuries and file claims. For some, it's a family affair. Rhodes has worked cases where groups of families have filed numerous claims over time to fraudulently recover damage. In investigating these situations, Rhodes and his team rely on databases to track fraud claims through history. They can look for groups of family members trying to file separate claims and can also pull bank and credit card records. The unit uses software predictive modeling to analyze data and determine whether fraud has been committed.

One of the most famous cases Rhodes' team worked on involved four chiropractors: Ronald L. Halstead, William C. Filcheck, Jr., Scott G. Taylor and Robert B. Burns, Jr. The men were found guilty in 2003 of varying crimes including conspiracy to commit mail fraud, health fraud and money laundering.

The case was based on patient billing, manipulation of codes used by health insurance companies to determine reimbursement, basis for treatment and forged medical billing records that made it appear that doctors had signed off on the treatments recommended by chiropractors.

According to Rhodes, over $800,000 was found buried under a fence post on Halstead's farm in Arizona, and the United States of America v. Ronald L. Halstead found that roughly $1.3 million in fraudulent billing was billed to health care providers and insurance companies during the health fraud scheme that occurred in Morgantown, W.Va.

Unfortunately, the insurance industry isn't alone. Internationally, companies are experiencing ongoing issues with employee theft, white-collar crime, management fraud and embezzlement. In 2010 the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners reported that between January 2008 and December 2009, organizations around the world lost an estimated 5 percent of revenue due to fraud.

In response to the demand for fraud investigation, Mountain State University's School of Business and Technology now offers new degree concentrations in forensic accounting and fraud examination, online and at the Beckley campus.

The concentration in forensic accounting and fraud examination is an option available for those pursuing the Bachelor of Science in accounting. The fraud examination concentration is an option for students in the Bachelor of Science in business administration program or the Associate of Science in accounting program. Students pursuing these concentrations are also eligible to work toward the Certified Fraud Examiner credential.

Though forensic accounting and fraud examination are different fields, the practices are related.  A forensic accountant works to detect fraud, while a fraud examiner is consulted if fraud is suspected. Employees working in forensic accounting and fraud examination are often considered financial detectives and are expected to be able to effectively conduct interviews and analyze data to assist prosecuting attorneys. 

MSU's new programs teach students to identify "red flags" of fraud, comply with current regulations and develop and implement effective preventative measures.

"Now is the perfect time to get involved," Rhodes issued praise for MSU's new concentrations in fraud examination and forensic accounting. "Most effective investigations now will hinge on data. We need more experienced people to do data analysis. Many companies are going outside of their organization to hire people that can do in-depth data analysis."

To learn more about the forensic accounting and fraud examination degree concentrations at MSU, call 866-367-6781.

Annual summer basketball camps held at MSU Beckley

Heart, hustle, scabbed knees, sweaty brows, and a plethora of jerseys could be found recently at Coach Dave Barksdale's annual basketball camp. Looking deeper, it was also easy to see pure joy as the MSU staff and players on hand shared their knowledge with young campers. Last week's basketball camp included about 80 children from first to third grade.

The campers went through numerous drills focused on playing defense, proper shooting techniques, ball handling skills, and effective positioning both in post play and rebounding. Campers were also taught different post moves and footwork skills. The importance of defense, hustling for loose balls, and positioning to take charges were primary points of emphasis for Coach Barksdale.

Awards were presented at the conclusion of the camp to honor campers named champions in bank shots and free throws. Various games and contests—such as hot shot, gotcha or knockout, and ladder— were played with champions being named for each category. While the contests are fun for campers, they also teach valuable basketball skills. For example, gotcha or knockout stresses the importance of shooting form, accuracy, and rebounding by rewarding players who can effectively make their ball before the player behind them and avoid being "knocked out."

Mountain State University Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach Bob Bolen praised Coach Barksdale and Coach Artis Maddox for their efforts in putting together the basketball camp. Coach Bolen stated, "We had a great turnout. Coach Barksdale and Coach Maddox did a tremendous job with the camp. The campers really learned fundamentals and had a lot of fun in the process."

Coach Barksdale has been running basketball camps in the Beckley community for a number of years. Other basketball camps are being held throughout the summer for different age groups. A complete list of camp dates can be found here, and basketball camp photos have been posted on the Mountain State University Facebook page. For more information, contact Coach Barksdale at 304.929.1407.

Congratulations & advice for graduates

 
It's commencement season, and chances are that you have or will be attending a graduation ceremony. Whether it's a high school, technical school, or college commencement, they all signal the ending of something and the beginning of something else. Students have devoted significant time and effort to completion of their studies, and now they have achieved their goal. Congratulations are in order. The opportunities are endless.

Mountain State University holds graduation ceremonies at its campuses in Martinsburg, W.Va., Beckley, W.Va., Center Township, Pa., and Orlando, Fla., along with a special celebration for graduates in the Houston, Texas, area. During the Beckley Commencement, Mountain State University President Charles H. Polk referenced the journey students would be continuing, saying "I'm sure that you have all heard the saying that life is a journey. In many respects, this is true. Life is a series of journeys to many different destinations, with often strange and interesting stops. Though we can't always predict whether the journey will be fun and exciting, the approach we take in the outset can help us ensure the outcome is one we desire. If you begin your journey determined that success is your destination, then success is what you will find."

This advice is timeless, and can be very personal as each graduate will define success in a different way. Maybe success is based on one's title, one's income, or one's family – no matter the definition, if we set clear goals and are determined, we can achieve success.

Reflecting on the ceremony, we turned to Facebook and Twitter to ask for additional words of advice for graduates. Responses included:

"Don't wait ‘until the time is right' to chase a big dream. The time will never be right," from CoMoJoe on Twitter.

"Indulge in boundless curiosity, understand complexity and the global economy, embrace change and diversity, and above all, understand and be confident in yourself. If you know and accept yourself, you will have no problem accepting those who are different from you; a necessary skill in today's world," from Kathleen Merrill Jackson on Facebook.

"Most important thing for them to create the successful life to find out what the values they have and align with them," from tkahvecioglu on Twitter.

To the class of 2011, set a goal and work toward it, dream big, believe in yourself, and be true to yourself!

Good luck, and don't forget

 "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go."
Dr. Seuss

Inside the Mountain State University Library

 
Here.  There. Everywhere. The library is more than plaster and shelves; it’s a virtual treasure trove of knowledge at your fingertips.

We pride ourselves on meeting the needs of all students, whether they are in Beckley or in Afghanistan.  Over the past ten years, we have increased our electronic resources in order to serve everyone.  From accounting to zoology, we've got it covered. 

Ebscohost and ProQuest are our two most used resources for articles, but Nursing@Ovid, SIRS, AccessNewspaper Archive, and NewsBank provide articles as well. 

Credo Reference, NetLibrary, Gale Virtual Reference Library, Encyclopedia Britannica, Stat!Ref, R2 Library, and Taylor & Francis contain e-books on all topics. 

Westlaw puts the law within your reach. 

Films on Demand streams educational videos on a variety of subjects.  You can add clips to your presentations (impressive), or just use it to explore topics of personal interest.

RefWorks is an excellent citation builder for your research papers.  Store and organize your articles and references in one convenient location, accessible from anywhere with internet access.

West Virginia and North Carolina residents can also access their respective statewide databases via WV InfoDepot and NC Live.  Check your state library webpage for more information. 

And remember, these resources are NOT free.  Your tuition is paying for these, and we want you to get your money's worth.  Visit www.library.mountainstate.edu today!

We've added a toll-free number so patrons have a direct line to the library, and libraryrequests@mountainstate.edu reaches eight of our eleven staff members.  If you don't hear from us within 48 hours, come check on us!

Earth Day April 22, 2011 – Never more relevant

Earth Day’s Beginnings

 

An estimated 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day, a nationwide event held in 1970 to show the government that something had to be done to save the planet. Toxic waste was being dumped into rivers, clouds of smoke bellowed from factories, and cars had no emission controls. In December of 1970, the Earth Day efforts paid off as Congress and President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency to research and set standards of behavior to save our planet.

Earth Day Today

Earth Day has grown to a global event with participation of over a billion people in 180 nations. Its importance has become even more relevant as focus is being placed on preserving our resources, clean air, clean water, and saving our planet for future generations.

With the recent environmental disasters, the Gulf oil spill and the nuclear disaster in Japan, it is clear that there is more work to be done. We will learn from these disasters. Corporations have joined the effort, evolving from offenders to leaders in our fight for sustainability. Never before have so many people been involved, and that kind of effort will certainly produce results.

Earth Day's Future

The most successful corporations are those that have embraced sustainability as a way of doing business. They go beyond the requirements of the EPA, making aggressive goals for themselves, and also put pressure on their suppliers to create products from renewable sources and with minimal emissions. Many corporations now have sustainability departments striving to clean up every aspect of their business, from production to packaging to transportation.

MSU's Participation

One of the most important ways that Mountain State University does its part is by offering a bachelor's degree in environmental sustainability for people who are interested in preserving our planet as their life work. This career field is wide open with a very positive outlook for employment.

There are countless ways to celebrate Earth Day. As our knowledge of the planet has grown, so have the ways to protect it. How will you celebrate Earth Day?

Health care and robots

In an earlier post on this blog, we wrote about robotic surgery and its potential for lowered costs and improved healing times in many surgical cases. Now stories are beginning to appear in the media about a related development, the robotic scrub nurse.

Designed to increase efficiencies and reduce errors in the operating room, the robotic scrub nurse will understand hand gestures and voice commands, and be able to hand proper instrumentation  to the surgeon. The resulting efficiencies are important, especially when operating rooms can cost upwards of $1,000 per surgical hour.

The operating room of the future will not only utilize robotic surgery and robotic scrub nurses but will also have monitors in place to display real-time  images from radiology, MRI, CT and PET imagery data. These monitors are designed to reduce the amount of personnel entering and leaving the room during a procedure.

Robots will also be useful throughout the hospital. They will deliver samples, blood products and general supplies to the lab and bring medications to the nurses' stations—limiting the number of critical medication errors. In food service the robots can deliver meals to patient rooms and return dirty trays back to the kitchen. Robots can also retrieve soiled linens, biohazard waste and trash.

In the past, health care has sometimes lagged behind other industries in the adoption of new technology as strong government regulation made it a complicated process. Today the issues of shrinking reimbursement and limited resources are driving the need for health care institutions to find ways to reduce cost and increase efficiencies. Robots might just be part of the answer to these financial concerns.

Autism symposium sponsored by Mountain State University's School of Graduate Studies

Katie Tharp, adjunct faculty member for MSU's psychology program and licensed psychologist, kicked off the first session of a three-part symposium on autism on February 25. The symposium is being presented on behalf of MSU's graduate psychology program due to the increasing number of children diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorders. The event was well attended by parents and grandparents of autistic children, along with educators and interested individuals within the community.

Tharp provided an enlightening introduction to autism, a severe disorder that demands critical attention. Autism affects young children through their social interaction, language, and behavior and places devastating effects on their families both emotionally and financially. Through Tharp's lecture, a good learning environment was created allowing the audience to explore autism to the benefit of those attending.

Tharp pointed out that "autism is a disease that does not discriminate by race." Symptoms of autism are usually visible in children before the age of three. Such symptoms associated with the autism spectrum disorders involve impairments in social interaction, communication, and/or repetitive restricted behaviors or interests.

Tharp also pointed out that autistic individuals tend to focus on parts of the whole. For example, an autistic child may see part of a facial expression as opposed to the whole. They may focus on a person's eye and miss their smile resulting in a blank emotional expression by the autistic individual.

There were questions from the audience that resulted in a free exchange of information about the disorder.

Anyone with an interest in autism is encouraged to attend the second session of the symposium, scheduled for March 25. This second session will focus on the detection, diagnosis and symptoms of autism and will be led by Christy Bishop. As program specialist for MSU's School of Nursing, Bishop holds a Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in organizational leadership and advocacy from Mountain State University. She has served as president for both the West Virginia and Southern West Virginia chapters of the Autism Society. Bishop has extensive experience with autism as one of her children was diagnosed with the disorder.