Michael Pallaci, DO - Medical Director

Dr. Pallaci is a 1998 graduate of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at NEOMED, as well as an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at OUHCOM.  He trained at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia, SC.  After nine years of private practice in Columbus, OH, he became a Residency Program Director in 2010 and is currently a Core Faculty member for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Summa Health.  He has taught on various EM topics at multiple regional and national venues, and has appeared on EMRAP as well as other educational podcasts. He is a passionate sports fan and a proud member of Bills Mafia.  He and his wife, Denise, live in Westerville, OH with their three children enjoying all their free time together. 

Caleb Harrell, MD. - Assistant Medical Director

Dr. Harrell is a graduate of the Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Tennessee and a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at the University of Florida. Dr. Harrell joined Summa in 2020 as core faculty for the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Clinical Instructor of Internal Medicine at NEOMED. Dr. Harrell serves as clinical faculty in the Department of Critical Care Medicine. His interests include post-arrest care, critical care ultrasonography and all things cardiothoracic ICU. Dr. Harrell believes medical simulation is a critical tool for quality improvement and accelerating knowledge translation in medical education.

Bethany Johnston, MD. - Assistant Medical Director

Dr. Johnston is a 2017 Graduate of UT Southwestern Medical School and completed her Emergency Medicine Residency and EMS Fellowship training at the University of Florida in Gainesville before joining the EM clinical faculty at Summa. She currently is assistant EMS medical director for prehospital medicine and assistant medical director to the Sim Lab. Dr. Johnston enjoys medical education through case-based learning. Her simulation cases have been featured in the semifinals of both the ACEP and SAEM national SimWars competitions. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two huskies.

 

Megan Cesta, MD. - Assistant Medical Director

Dr. Cesta completed her undergraduate education at The University of Akron. She attended medical school at Wright State University and returned to Summa for her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. During her residency, Dr. Cesta participated as the simulation chief, where she realized the importance of simulation in medicine. She continued her surgical training at the University of Louisville and completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. A fun fact about Dr. Megan Cesta was a co-surgeon who holds the world record of removing the most oversized uterus laparoscopically. Once again, she returned to Akron and has developed a Pelvic Health program. She has continued her love for simulation here at Summa. She has taught numerous surgical dissection courses and continues to bring these courses to Summa. In addition, she enjoys boating and hiking with her husband and Goldendoodle.

Katie Francis, MD - Assistant Medical Director

Dr. Francis graduated from the University of Nevada School of Medicine with Alpha Omega Alpha Honors. She completed her General Surgery residency and Surgical Critical Care fellowship at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at NEOMED. Dr. Francis' interests include trauma surgery, general surgery, robotic surgery, critical care ultrasound and surgical critical care. She has a passion for medical education and simulation. She is excited to join the sim team at Summa. Prior to medicine, Dr. Franics was an avid Alpine skier and former ski racer. She participated in the World University Games in Torino, Italy and was nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year in 2010. Outside work, she devotes her time to her husband, Australian Cattle dog (Sadie), Bernese Mountain dog (Loki), and her two sons, Mason and David. 

Alma Benner, RRT, CHSE

Alma Benner, RRT, CHSE, is currently the Simulation Manager of the Virtual Care Simulation Lab. She completed her Respiratory Care Degree at Stark State College of Technology in 2007 and worked nine years clinically before transferring to the Simulation Lab. Her areas of interest include Respiratory Competencies, curriculum design, and creating interactive simulation experiences. In addition, she enjoys running, hiking, camping, gardening, and attending her children’s sporting activities in her spare time.

Christan Rhamy, RDCS, BSBA

Christan Rhamy, RDCS, BSBA, is the newest member of the Simulation Team. She came to Summa in 2013 as a Cardiac Sonographer, where she worked for eight years in Non-Invasive Cardiology. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a major in Sales Management. Christan can often be found at the baseball field or swimming pool, cheering on her two children. She also enjoys traveling with her family of four and their dog Rizzo.

Michael Schmidt, RRT, CHSOS

Michael Schmidt has been a member of the SimLab Team since 2017. His career as a Registered Respiratory Therapist began in 1997, which brought him to Summa in 2006, working further with Med-Surg floors, ICU, and ER, plus mentoring as a Respiratory Therapist Clinical Instructor at the University of Akron.  Michael currently holds an Associates in Respiratory Care and Electronic Engineering Technology from the University of Akron. He also has an Associates of Avionics Technologies from his 27-years of service in the Air National Guard.  These qualifications contribute significantly as a Simulation Technology Specialist, including his recently obtained Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist certification from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. A fun fact about Michael is that he enjoyed working on C-130H aircraft while in the Air National Guard.

Beth Long, C-TAGME

Beth joined the simulation team in July 2021 as Administrative Coordinator for the Lab.  With over 20 years of experience in graduate medical education administration, she’s particularly interested in helping educators and learners achieve their goals through medical simulation.  Beth began working as a File Clerk at Akron City Hospital in 1984 and has been a part of the administrative backdrop at Summa ever since.  When not working, Beth enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and their dog and the occasional adventure to the beaches of Southern California.