WesternU Honors Oregon Osteopathic Legacy with Annual Lectureship

The workshop was directed by Dr. Todd Capistrant, a specialist in family and osteopathic medicine, who guided attendees through the Fascial Distortion Model. By teaching participants to interpret patient pain gestures and specific physical indicators, the training focused on immediate, hands-on treatment techniques. Capistrant emphasized that integrating these tools helps patients maintain physical activity, which he identifies as a vital factor in long-term disease prevention and systemic health.

Beyond clinical instruction, the event served as a tribute to Allen Page Howells, a foundational figure who practiced in the Willamette Valley for over five decades. His daughter, Jocelyn Howells, shared memories of her father’s commitment to house calls and rural patient care, highlighting a career defined by service. The programming also recognized Mary Howells, a trailblazing psychiatrist and the first to practice osteopathic medicine alongside her brother in Oregon.

During the inaugural "Shoulders of Giants" dinner, the institution honored contemporary contributors to the field. Micah Thorp, DO, received the A.P. Howells Leadership Legacy award, while Maggie Doe, DO, was honored with the Mary Howells Vanguard award. Additionally, student Alissa Reed was presented with the newly established John Stiger, DO, Student Champion of Osteopathic Medicine Award. Site Dean Heather Phipps noted that the lectureship underscores the necessity of combining scientific rigor with the compassionate, patient-centered traditions established by early Oregon practitioners.