College of Podiatric Medicine Senior Associate Dean Set To Retire
Following nearly 32 years supporting the College of Podiatric Medicine (CPM), as well as the entirety of the podiatric community, Vincent Hetherington, DPM, has announced his retirement, 
effective September 30, 2020. Hetherington received his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine in 1977, and a Master of Science in Podiatric Surgery in 1981, both from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (formerly the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine). The vast experience and global accolades that followed throughout his career are what makes Hetherington one of the most influential podiatrists of our time.
Inside our walls, Hetherington will leave a legacy that forever changed the face of this institution. His tenure at CPM began in 1989 as a Professor and Chairman in the Department of Surgery, shortly after the Dean of Academic Affairs, and ultimately, Senior Associate Dean when the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine was acquired by Kent State University in 2012, a transition in which Hetherington was a driving force. He has served as residency director for the KSUCPM University Hospital Residency Program, and has been the leader through decades of the college’s accreditation programming. His “students first” service over three decades has led to amazing progress, change and passion for thousands of CPM graduates.
The Brooklyn, New York native’s impact reaches far beyond the CPM campus in Independence, Ohio, however. Hetherington is a recipient of a Senior International Fellowship at the National Institute of Health’s Fogarty International Center, has received international invitations in Austria, China and Korea, and has served on the International Federation of Podiatrists, the International Academy of Podiatric Medical Educators, and the World Congress of Podiatry. Most recently, in 2014, Dr. Hetherington was inducted as a Fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow.
To leave the profession even stronger, Dr. Hetherington has served on many national and international committees, led various research initiatives, has edited and contributed chapters to three textbooks and played a key role in the writing and editing of over 80 other publications. He also has played a key role in developing opportunities for students and colleagues to earn international experience through the Foot & Ankle Renaissance CME program, as well as student rotations, both in Italy.
The institution will be forever grateful for the contributions of Hetherington. Please join CPM in congratulating him on his transition into retirement. The coming years will be well-deserved time to spend with his wife Jo, their daughter Nancy and his grandchildren. Hetherington is hoping to continue his work at CPM in Emeritus Status through student mentorship, guest lectures, research and furthering CPM international programming. Hetherington’s full CV and career can be found at www.kent.edu/cpm.
--Madalynne Stanic
Leaving a Legacy for Geauga County Healthcare
“Dee Dee was the ultimate caregiver throughout her life,” recalls her husband, Bill Miller. “She spent her entire life helping others with medical issues and a myriad of life concerns.” Her service to others is one of the reasons Bill and his family, following Dee Dee’s passing in January 2020, wanted to start a scholarship at Kent State University Geauga for future nurses.
Dee Dee and Bill Miller (pictured left) met in college and married soon after. Bill received a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and an executive MBA from Kent State University. Dee Dee earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Kent State University in 1985. “Dee Dee loved her Nursing School experience. She loved her professors, her clinicals, and made some lifelong nursing friends,” Bill shared. The Millers’ educational experiences at Kent State carried with them throughout their lives. Bill lived on-and off-campus and took several English and history courses at the Geauga Campus in Burton.
“We started the scholarship to honor Dee," said Bill. "When she was 12-years-old, her mother died of breast cancer, and Dee helped raise her younger brother; and four weeks before Dee died, she was doing cancer research for a friend who had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.”
Dee Dee’s caring attitude is what made her successful as a nurse at University Hospitals (UH). Even after raising her three boys, she returned to UH Geauga Medical Center to serve on its board and ultimately became the chairperson.
Recently, as a tribute to Dee Dee for her dedication to UH Geauga, the Dee Dee Miller Fund for Hospice & Palliative Care was started. This fund will help UH Geauga deliver attentive, compassionate care to those going through one of life’s most difficult situations. With the support of her UH Seidman Cancer Center team, Dee Dee survived and thrived for five years after her initial diagnosis with metastatic breast cancer.
“Kent State Geauga and University Hospitals are great partners,” said Angela Spalsbury, Ph.D., Dean and Chief Administrative Officer of Kent State Geauga. “Our Bachelor of Science in nursing program in Burton places students at UH Geauga for their clinicals, and UH Geauga recently supported our campus’s efforts to purchase a SIM Man 3G to enhance our students’ learning. We are thrilled that the Miller family has decided to create the endowed scholarship at our campus. The scholarship will be awarded to a student enrolled at the Geauga Campus with a 3.5 GPA, who is employed at UH Geauga, or has a family member currently employed there.”
The goal of the scholarship is to support a student with $2,000 - $3,000 toward their education costs. This amount is typically the “gap” juniors and seniors will experience when their financial aid and Pell Grants run out.
“We are firm believers in helping people attain their educational goals," said Bill. "We don’t believe families and individuals should have to suffer debt to receive an education. Our goal in establishing the Dee Dee Miller Nursing Scholarship is to provide the medical world with more nurses like Dee.”
If you would like more information on the scholarship, please contact Molly Smith at msmit68@kent.edu or at 440.834.3761. For more information on the Dee Dee Miller Fund at UH Geauga, please contact Emilie Gottsegen at 440-285-6595.
--Molly Smith
Save The Date! Open Enrollment begins Mon., Oct. 19, and runs through Fri., Nov. 6, 2020.
The Open Enrollment Employee Benefits and Wellness Kickoff Forum will be held via Zoom on Wed., Oct. 14, from 9 – 11 a.m. To connect simply go to www.kent.edu/zoomopenenrollment. During the session, we will cover:
- Strategic initiatives related to healthcare and wellness
- Important medical plan updates for 2021 and optimizing your choices
- Tools for decision-making
- Need-to-know information as it relates to flexible spending accounts for healthcare and childcare
- How Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are paired with High Deductible Healthcare Plans (HDHPs) to allow you to maximize healthcare dollars today and prepare for the future
- Learn more about the enhanced supplemental life insurance benefits available to you and your family through Securian
- Employee Wellness Rewards and offerings
Presenters for this session will be Jack Witt, Vice President for Human Resources and Kim Hauge, Interim Director for University Benefits and Director of Employee Wellness. This session will also be videotaped so employees who are unable to attend the live Zoom can view the recorded edition from our University Benefits webpage beginning the week of Oct. 19. The video will be available throughout the Open Enrollment period.
There will be time allotted during our live presentation to submit questions to the presenters. A follow-up post card reminder will be sent to all full-time, benefits-eligible employees reminding them of the Open Enrollment Kick Off meeting, as well as the Open Enrollment election period. In the interim, mark your calendars and save Oct. 14, 9 – 11 a.m., for your Zoom Open Enrollment Kickoff presentation.
For your planning purposes, please note the Open Enrollment period will begin Mon., Oct. 19 and will end at 4:59 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 6, 2020. All changes are effective Jan. 1, 2021.
Faculty and staff with questions regarding benefit choices for 2021 may contact the University Benefits Office at 330-672-3107, or benefits@kent.edu. For questions related to employee wellness programming or rewards, call 330-672-0392, or wellness@kent.edu.
Employee Wellness Speaker Series – Part Two, Successful Teleworking: How to Remain Productive and Connected as An Office of One
Tues., Oct. 6, 2020, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
For many of us, we have found ourselves thrust into the teleworking environment and may continue to do so at some level indefinitely. While there are many benefits of teleworking, a remote office isn't always the best fit for everybody or for all situations. This doesn't mean, however, that one can't remain productive and continue to feel connected while teleworking, even if you have become an "office of one."
In this training, learn how to be successful with and get the most out of teleworking. Find out what changes you may need to make to be as productive as possible while avoiding the sense of isolation that can come by working remotely.
*Additional time has been allotted for the audience to interact and ask questions of the speaker during this interactive Zoom presentation.
Register at the Employee Wellness Speaker Series web page.
Tier 2 Deadline for 2020 Wellness Your Way Rewards is October 15
Don't Leave $200 on the Table!
As part of Kent State's employee wellness rewards program, all full-time, benefits-eligible employees may earn up to $300 annually by participating in healthy lifestyle activities. More than 1,200 faculty and staff took advantage of earning the first $100 through completing their Tier 1 activities by August 31, 2020. Those working toward Tier 2 still have until October 15, 2020 to rack up 350 Tier 2 points and qualify for the $200 reward. How you earn your points is up to you, and we provide a variety of opportunities to ensure your success, including high point values for practicing good preventive care, such as your annual eye exam, dental exam(s), and age appropriate screenings.
Click here for an overview of points eligible offerings this fall, as well as self-paced activities you can complete on your own time from any location, including complimentary health coaching, IMPACT and Be Well website scavenger hunts, IMPACT's financial checkup and online courses, and more! You can find the full menu of eligible activities and check your progress toward Tier 2 within your personalized Be Well portal at portal.bewelldata.com. Once logged in, select "My Wellness" then "Wellness Reward Program".
For your 2020 Tier 2 reward, confirmation of completed activities must be received by Be Well no later than October 30, 2020. For questions regarding points or accessing your portal, you may contact Be Well directly at 1-888-935-7378.
Downtown Restaurants Open for Lunch
No less than 18 restaurants in downtown Kent are open for lunch to faculty, staff and students. A variety of cuisines are available at eateries like Belleria Pizza, Kent Cheesemonger, Taco Tonto's, Twisted Meltz and many others. Bon Appétit!
