Academy of Excellence in Teaching and Learning Inaugural Induction Ceremony

Mission This academy of Excellence in Teaching and Learning will advance and support the education mission through innovation, collaboration, scholarship and faculty will be recognized for excellence in education by inducting them into the academy and learning from their contributions and collaborations.

Todd Crocco, M.D., is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Since his arrival at VWU nearly eight years ago. Dr. Crocco has received the Department of Emergency Medicine's Outstanding Faculty Award several times as well as the department's Teaching Award. His academic career has been devoted to studying the role of pre-hospital emergency care systems in the treatment of stroke victims. Dr. Crocco has conducted several studies examining the feasibility of neuroprotective agent administration; improving community awareness of the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of stroke, as well as studying the knowledge base of emergency medical service providers regarding stroke care. His research is currently funded by the VWU Foundation to develop novel approaches to improve layperson awareness of the signs and symptoms of stroke as well as build a stroke registry for the state of West Virginia. An active educator. Dr Crocco has maintained a full teaching load within the Department of Emergency Medicine s residency program. He is frequently invited to speak about pre-hosoita! care and stroke care at the regional, state, and national levels. He is an active participant in the institution's outreach program where he travels to various regions of the state to increase awareness about acute stroke management Dr. Crocco is a member of the American Heart Association's Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee and the American Stroke Association's Emergency Neurovascular Care Committee.

Hollynn Larrabee. M.D., is assistant professor and residency program director for the Department of Emergency Medicine. In her role as residency program director. Dr. Larrabee has implemented several curriculum changes, including the use of role-playing and small group oral examination modules. In addition, she has created a new educational rubric for residents and standardized observation tools for direct bedside observation. Dr. Larrabee is actively involved in daily resident education and frequently provides both large group and small group education to residents and medical students. She is part of the Teaching Scholars Program. In addition to resident education. Dr. Larrabee provides continuing education to flight nurses and paramedics in her role as medical director for HealthNet I & VI Air Medical Services She has also volunteered for the American Academy of Emergency Medicine as an oral boards examiner. Dr. Larrabee is the lead faculty member for an online emergency medicine course offered through VWU on obstetrics and gynecologic emergencies. This course offers web-based narrated lectures, podcasts, vignettes, and examinations. She has also contributed to online modules in neurologic emergencies, ENT emergencies, and traumatic injuries.

Debra Paulson. M.D., is associate professor of emergency medicine. Upon joining the staff in 1991. Dr. Paulson was the educational director for the Center for Rural Emergency Medicine. During that time, the residency in emergency medicine began. The focus of Dr. Paulson's work tscame the teaching of residents, clinically and didactically, in addition to participating and authoring outreach programs offered through what would tecome the Shirley Kimble Training Center. Programs offered included :ne emergency nurse partnership program, advanced cardiac life support. and pediatric advanced life support. Participants in the program included nurses, physicians, mid-level healthcare providers, respiratory therapists. paramedics, and medical assistants across the state of West Virginia and the western panhandle of Maryland. In 1994, Dr. Paulson attended the Emergency Medicine Teaching Fellowship offered through the American College of Emergency Physicians. This course helped to refine bedside teaching and didactic teaching. In 2002. she received the Resident Award for Outstanding Mentor. In 2004, Dr. Paulson received the Resident Award for Outstanding Teaching Attending and, in 2006, she received the Dean's Award for Clinical Excellence.