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10% off for May 31, 2026! Perpetual memberships are the lifeblood of the Alumni Association. We invite you to join your fellow alumni in becoming a perpetual member or upgrading your perpetual membership this month.
LATEST POST
A Relationship of Trust: Loma Linda Physicians and the San Manuel Nation
A Relationship of Trust: Loma Linda Physicians and the San Manuel Nation By Whitny Braun de Lobatón, PhD, JD, MPH The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the
Transforming Loss: A Family’s Journey to Redefine Compassionate Care
Transforming Loss: A Family’s Journey to Redefine Compassionate Care By Grace W. Oei ’04, MA In many ways the story of Monica and Jon Cline
Anchored by Faith: A Story of Family, Service, and Spiritual Growth
Anchored by Faith: A Story of Family, Service, and Spiritual Growth By Grace W. Oei ’04 Saying goodbye to Michael Mercado ’04 on his first
Japan Lifetime Experience Trip: October 24–November 5, 2025
Japan Lifetime Experience Trip October 24–November 5, 2025 By Sondra Shields ’89 Thirty travelers, LLUSM alumni and friends, attempted to capture the essence of Japan
Gatherings Connect: Alumni Gatherings Held Across the Country
Gatherings Connect: Alumni Gatherings Held Across the Country Barbara Chase McKinney ’88 The crisp white tablecloths flap gently in the breeze; home-grown roses anchor the
Pathways for Purpose
Hope Is Always Present By Grace W. Oei ’04 Leroy A. Reese ’72 has long recognized what is now an accepted fact: individuals from Black
Hope is Always Present
Hope Is Always Present By Ja’Neil Humphrey ’25 Ja’neil G. Humphrey ’25 painted and wrote these two pieces for the annual Conference on Medicine and
Answering the Call: To Serve In Guam
Answering the Call: To Serve in Guam By Vanessa L. Miller ’96 “God continues to call physicians, midwives, and other health professionals to serve in
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Andrene Campbell ’10
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Andrene Campbell ’10 Family & Sports Medicine Orlando, FLORIDA WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEDICAL SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite medical school memory is the
Life After Medicine: Retirement with Purpose
Life After Medicine: Retirement with Purpose By Loran Hauck ’76-A Loran Hauck ’76-A, pictured center in a plaid shirt, and his wife, Loretta (in front
UPCOMING EventS
Alumni Gathering – Takoma Park, MD NEW DATE
DC, Maryland, Virginia | Saturday, April 18 | 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Alumni Gathering – Boise, ID
Saturday, September 12 | 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Adriatic Sea Cruise
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 - Tue, October 6, 2026.
95th Annual Postgraduate Convention
March 4 – 8, 2027 | Registration to open January 2027
Zeno L. Charles-Marcel ’80-AFF is director of health ministries for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (2025–2030).
Under Charles-Marcel’s leadership, the Church’s health and healthcare ministries are advanced, and institutions are strengthened around the world.
A lifestyle medicine specialist, Charles-Marcel co-founded the first academic Lifestyle Medicine Fellowship in the U.S. He is a former medical director of Lifestyle Center of America.
After completing his internal medicine residency at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Charles-Marcel chose a path of service and leadership.
He has provided care in mission and medical relief sites in India, the Middle East, and Latin America, and held leadership roles in U.S. government systems, mission hospitals, lifestyle centers, and academic programs.
In addition to Loma Linda University (LLU), he studied at McGill University, Howard University College of Medicine, and University of Arizona, with a focus on leadership and health diplomacy. During his career, he has served as adjunct faculty at multiple universities and is a former dean of health sciences at Montemorelos University.
He is a member of the LLUH Board of Trustees and is an adjunct associate professor at LLU School of Medicine.
#llusmaa
World Health Day 2026
This year’s World Health Day, observed April 7, encompasses elements that impact health which are separate from but are connected to patient care. Here Donna Willis ’77-A, shares her thoughts about this year’s theme, “Together for health. Stand with science.” Willis shares her thoughts from France, where she resides.
“Having participated in academia and clinical practice in the United States and now living in France, I have seen how health systems reflect the degree to which a society trusts and applies science. In France, that trust is visible not only in coordinated, evidence-based care, but in how patients are included in it. Through national platforms such as Mon espace santé and the Dossier Médical Partagé, individuals can access their medical history, laboratory results, and clinical notes, while the Carte Vitale keeps care continuous across settings. Science is organized into systems that both clinicians and patients can see and use.
“That same approach extends beyond the clinic. Public investment in rural access through Maisons de santé pluriprofessionnelles is addressing medical deserts with team-based care. Veterinary and environmental surveillance, coordinated through agencies such as ANSES, links animal, human, and ecosystem health. Agricultural and climate initiatives under France Relance are aligning food systems with long-term public health. This is what it looks like when science is translated into structure. The question is whether we are willing to build and sustain systems that make that translation visible and reliable for all.”
#llusmaa #worldhealthday
Since 2004, the Iner Sheld-Ritchie Presidential Award has been given to honor individuals who have shown commitment to the vision and mission of the Alumni Association. Who was Iner Sheld-Ritchie ’15, and what was his connection to the Alumni Association?
In 1920, when 18 physicians had completed their medical training at CME, he urged: “With the present number of graduates, we feel that we have now come to the time when we can organize into a successful alumni association. Not after a worldly order, nor for a selfish purpose, but a definite, high and holy cause, even that of our Master.”
The alumni were in agreement and the Association was formalized in 1923 and was incorporated in 1932.
In 1920, he began teaching anatomy at CME. He then practiced medicine in Calexico, establishing the city’s first hospital.
He went on to complete extensive medical missionary work in Mexico. He also helped establish an Adventist hospital in the late 1940s that became part of Montemorelos University’s Medical School in 1974. He was a founder of Liga, which provided health care in Mexico.
Sheld-Ritchie was born Oct. 6, 1885, in Sweden and moved with his family to California when he was a toddler. His mother died three years later, and he and his two brothers were placed in an orphanage after their father remarried.
The boys became farm hands in Chino, sleeping in a barn. At 17 he began working on a ranch near Corona, completing elementary and high school at home.
Connections made when he began purchasing beekeeping supplies from William and Lula Ritchie led to life changes for him. He adopted the couples’ Adventist faith and accepted their invitation to take their last name (he was in his early 20s then, too old to be adopted). He later married their adopted daughter, Inelda.
In 1920, he was convinced that the medical alumni would grow to thousands who would help prepare the world for Christ’s return. It is fitting that Sheld-Ritchie, who lived a life of service and confidently urged our earliest alumni to move forward to form the Alumni Association, is remembered with the award created in his name.
#llusmaa
Loma Linda University School of Medicine has a long history of its students serving in the military. Four students from the class of 2026 will enter active service in the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force immediately after the graduation ceremony. These are their stories.
#llusmaa #lomalinda #llumed
Happy Doctor’s Day! Whether practicing in a major city, a small town, or serving in a mission clinic, we thank you for your dedication to your patients.
Thank you for reflecting the mission of Loma Linda University, “to make man whole,” to the lives you touch each day.
#llusmaa
Anees Razzouk ’82 is Loma Linda University’s 2026 Alumnus of the Year. The award was presented to Razzouk during the February 28, 2026,Loma Linda University Health Homecoming Sabbath School.
He was honored for his many years of distinguished service to LLU and for his dedication to providing outstanding care to his patients while mentoring, leading, and inspiring those around him. He was also recognized for being instrumental in providing state-of-the-art cardiothoracic surgical interventions while always leading with a deep faith in God and a strong belief in the power of prayer, living and modeling the values that promote Loma Linda’s mission to continue the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
Razzouk said that being a student at Loma Linda University as a member of the class of 1982 was one of the biggest honors of his life. Now a member of the School of Medicine faculty, he is grateful to his many mentors during his medical and residency training at Loma Linda University Health.
Just prior to receiving the award, the Morris family, a patient’s family, shared their interaction with Dr. Razzouk. The family decided against abortion when their son, Bryson, was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome before birth, and they expressed their gratitude to Dr. Razzouk, the surgeon who gave him his new heart. About a year later, Bryson’s father, Aaron, needed heart surgery, and Dr. Razzouk was his only choice, because he had offered hope and healing to his son when no one else could.
#llusmaa
Andrew C. Chang ’90 is the division chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at Loma Linda University (LLU) and executive vice chair of medicine at the School of Medicine.
He previously served as chief of gastroenterology and as chief of staff at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and co-founded the Sierra Endoscopy Center in Grass Valley, California, where he practiced for over 20 years. In 2023, he returned to LLU to lead the division of gastroenterology and hepatology.
It was during medical school that Chang discovered his passion for gastroenterology and mission service. After medical school, Chang completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in gastroenterology at LLU Health before beginning his practice in Grass Valley. His passion for missions led him to participate in or lead multiple global mission trips. This desire for service is what brought him back to Loma Linda.
Chang served on the Alumni Association board of directors from 2016 to 2019. He served as an ALUMNI JOURNAL associate editor from 2021 to 2023, and was issue editor for the spring, 2023 issue of the ALUMNI JOURNAL. He has supported the Alumni Association Paying It Forward Scholarship program and is class representative for the class of 1990.
He is led by his mission: serving God and humanity through medicine.
#llusmaa
The class of 2026 has matched! On Friday, our medical students and thousands of others across the nation learned where they will continue their training. Our students matched to residencies at dozens of institutions across the United States as they continue to make man whole and practice the teaching and healing ministry.
#llusmaa #llumed #lomalinda
Today we welcome spring, though it feels more like summer at 99 degrees!
The Centennial Complex, featured in this photo, was completed 16 years, 2 months, and 2 days ago, on Oct. 28, 2009. The facility’s classrooms, amphitheaters, and simulation labs have been a part of Loma Linda’s educational experience ever since.
#LLUSMAA
Ted Hamilton ’73-A has been named the new president of the Alumni Association, officially taking the reins during the 94th Annual Postgraduate Convention. A longtime leader in medical education, and healthcare administration, Hamilton brings to his new role decades of experience and a passion for strengthening connections among alumni, students, and the broader medical community.
After graduating from the School of Medicine, Hamilton completed his family practice training at AdventHealth before opening a solo medical practice in rural North Carolina. During his five years practicing in the Appalachian mountains, he delivered more than 500 babies while providing essential care to an underserved community. He completed his MBA degree in 1987.
He then entered medical education as director of the family practice residency at Florida Hospital, sparking his interest in physician leadership. During his career, he accepted numerous administrative roles including senior medical officer for Florida Hospital and medical director for HMO Georgia. His leadership roles within AdventHealth include chief mission integration officer and senior vice president of mission and ministry, helping guide strategy while cultivating mission-focused healthcare leadership. In 2014, he was recognized as an Honored Alumnus by the Alumni Association.
Today, Hamilton served as past chair of the executive committee for the Coalition for Physician Well-Being, and continues to support physician wellbeing as senior advisor for physician wellbeing and engagement at AdventHealth.
As Alumni Association president, he looks forward to advancing the Association`s mission, including building meaningful connections and supporting future generations of LLU physicians.
In October of 2025, several School of Medicine students set out to complete Ironman California. We are proud of them for finishing the race and still making it to clinic the next day.
#llusmaa #llumed #lomalinda #ironman
Congratulations to our 2026 honored alumni. We are proud of the many ways they have continued the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
#llusmaa #llumed #lomalinda #ministry
This Women’s History Month we remember Laurel A. Weibel ’47, whose career reshaped what was possible in medicine.
In 1947, Weibel was one of five women in her graduating class of 90 medical students. She held a leadership role as the class secretary. In the U.S. at that time, some medical schools didn’t accept women, and women surgeons were rare.
Weibel went on to become the first woman to complete a general surgery residency at Los Angeles County General Hospital, one of the busiest and most respected training hospitals in the country. In the 1940s, the surgery program she entered was known for its high surgical volume, and for the complex trauma cases that were treated.
In the late 1940s, fewer than 5% of U.S. surgeons were women. Many hospitals discouraged or denied women entry into surgical residencies, citing outdated beliefs about physical stamina, emotional “suitability,” or the idea that women didn’t belong in the operating room.
Not only was Weibel’s success historic, but her path also opened doors for generations of women who would follow her into surgery, leadership, and academic medicine.
#LLUSMAA #WomensHistoryMonth #womeninmedicine #SurgeryHistory
The 2026 Annual Postgraduate Convention at Loma Linda University was filled with opportunities to connect with fellow alumni, earn CME, worship together, and attend the Gala. We are grateful to all the alumni who returned to campus and we are already looking forward to APC 2027.
#llusmaa #llumed #lomalindauniversity
Sunday night’s APC Gala was a highlight of the weekend, featuring student stories and special music from the graduating class of ’26; presentations; and awards, including honored alumni awards presented to Wayne Stephen Dysinger ’86, Walter D. Johnson ’83, Sigve K. Tonstad ’79-A, Richard D. Catalano ’76-B, Kenji Yamagata ’76-B, Julie Ann Abbott ’76-A, and Nancy J. Anderson ’76-A. The Alum of the Year Award was presented to Glen Van Arsdell ’86.
A highlight of APC/Homecoming are the class reunions. Classes loved reconnecting and making new memories together.
@llumedschool
We are excited to share the Story Corner, a new podcast sharing alumni`s meaningful moments from their medical journey.
We would love to hear your story.
Tap the link in our bio to hear the podcast and learn how to share your story.
Sunday morning of APC began with the Inside the Alumni Association meeting, which provided a look at how the Association is building community and strengthening student success. Paul Chung ’91 was introduced as the new president of the Holding Fund. Specialty symposiums included orthopaedic surgery, surgery, and plastic surgery, and engaging plenary sessions. Student researchers answered questions from alumni and explored information shared by vendors.
@llumedschool
#APC2026 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
2026 APC/Homecoming attendees enjoyed a wonderful Homecoming/Medical Auxiliary vespers and Homecoming Church Services, followed by a haystack lunch. At the Alumni in Missions Symposium (AIMS) M. Belen Lohr ’01, Jason L. Lohr ’01, Shirley J. Hon ’76-B, and Kenneth W. Hart ’69, received AIMS Awards. Steven W. Hildebrand ’80-A, AIMS Council chair, led the program that also highlighted an update about church-sponsored mission projects and volunteer medical mission opportunities.
@llumedschool
#APC2026 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
The day began with Dr. Richard Hart’s standing room only State of the Institution Address, followed by the Bioethics Symposium featuring Dr. Warren Kinghorn Provonsha Leacturship. Alumni enjoyed learning and reconnecting. #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud @llumedschool
The 94th Annual Postgraduate Convention (APC)/Homecoming is off to a great start. The first day included the Cardiology Symposium and Interprofessional Education. The evening was capped off by the all-schools Booth Bash, an engaging event for alumni and students alike. Alumni enjoyed the day of reconnecting and learning. It’s not too late to register and earn CME credit both in person and online. To learn more, visit llusmaa.org/apc. Link in bio.
@llumedschool
#APC2026 #lluhomecoming #LLUSMProud
Explore the Alumni Association’s new merchandise store, featuring custom embroidered shirts, sweatshirts, accessories, and more.
Each piece is designed to reflect the pride and tradition of our alumni community while offering high-quality materials and craftsmanship.
To view the complete collection, please visit the link in our bio.
From Delaware to Loma Linda, the journey to medicine has deep meaning for second-year medical student Allyne “Zack” Kebaso (’28).
A graduate of Delaware State University, a historically black college or university (HBCU), Kebaso began medical school in August 2024 at just 19 years old. He is currently the youngest student in his class.
His decision to pursue medicine was shaped by a defining moment: visiting his father in the hospital after a devastating car accident. Watching his dad fight to recover, first unable to move or lift his head, then steadily returning to the person he knew, ignited a calling to make that same life-changing difference for others.
Kebaso hopes to become a surgical oncologist, drawn to the profound impact a surgeon can make in just a few hours. Long-term, he would like to return to academic medicine, giving back to students the way his professors now pour into him.
Graduating high school at 16 and college at 19, Kebaso takes pride not only in academic achievement but in setting an example for his younger siblings.
“I think that it is vital to remember those who have carved the path that I now walk,” he said. “I can only imagine the trials and tribulations Ruby Bridges endured breaking the segregation barrier in school. She, along with so many others, has broken down so many barriers that have allowed me to be where I am today. I look up to Dr. Ben Carson -Aff in my medical career, especially after reading his autobiography. Reading about the struggles he endured and overcame to become the first neurosurgeon to separate conjoined twins inspired me to aspire for even greater heights.”
Outside of classes, he enjoys time on the basketball court, the soccer field, or trying a new local restaurant.
Kebaso said that he is grateful for the Alumni Association’s support, from post-exam treats to the gift of his white coat and financial assistance for mission trips. He said this support reminds him he’s part of a community that invests in its future alumni.
#llusmaa
APC Featured Speaker Spotlight
Please join us in welcoming Timothy J. Pursley ’94 back to campus as one of this year’s featured speakers.
Dr. Pursley represents the lasting impact of our physician alumni who continue to lead, serve, and shape the future of medicine. We are honored to have him return to share his insights and experience!
Each year on Family Day, medical students invite their families to visit the campus. Together they go to lectures, tour facilities, and attend the Dedication Service where students receive a Bible and commit themselves to serve God and their future patients.
The Alumni Association continued its long-held tradition of hosting a dinner for the alumni whose children are currently in medical school.
We appreciate all the support that families provide students during their medical school journeys.
#llusmaa #llumed #familyday
Spotlight on our APC speaker lineup!
We are proud to welcome Nadia N.I. Laack ’01, MS, as she shares her expertise and insight on the use of AI.
#llusmproud
Nearly 500 alumni first experienced medicine on the Loma Linda campus through the MITHS program, an initiative launched more than 25 years ago by Leroy A. Reese ’72 to open doors in the health sciences.
Recognizing that students from Black or African-American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander communities were, and remain, underrepresented in medicine, Reese founded Minority Introduction to the Health Sciences (MITHS) in 1999. Now known as Mentoring in the Health Sciences, the three-week summer program welcomes high school students to the Loma Linda University campus for hands-on exposure to careers in medicine, dentistry, and other health professions.
Today, many MITHS alumni are thriving as physicians, dentists, and healthcare leaders. As LLU’s oldest pathway program, MITHS has not only launched careers but has also helped shape a more inclusive and supportive campus community.
Through mentorship, opportunity, and steadfast leadership, Reese’s vision has and continues to encourage students to explore the possibilities and meaning that pursuing a career in medicine and in the health sciences can bring.
Young Alumni Gathering, Loma Linda! A sincere thank you to April ’06 and Thad ’06 Wilson for graciously hosting.
What a beautiful way to spend the Sabbath afternoon, reconnecting and reminiscing.
Loran Hauck ’76-A, an executive coach at AdventHealth Leadership Institute, works with physicians and healthcare leaders, emphasizing emotional intelligence, trust, and effective communication. His coaching reflects a core belief shaped early in his training: every physician is a leader, whether in the exam room, hospital ward, or boardroom.
In the months leading up to his 50th anniversary as a graduate of the School of Medicine, Hauck has spent countless hours with a planning team and with the Alumni Association to create a memorable homecoming for members of his class.
After completing his internal medicine residency at Loma Linda, Hauck spent ten years in private practice. He then focused on education during his eight years as a member of the faculty at Loma Linda. His career later expanded into healthcare leadership, where he served 17 years as a corporate chief medical officer with AdventHealth, guiding clinical strategy and supporting physicians across complex healthcare systems.
In 2017, Hauck retired from executive leadership while continuing to contribute to medicine’s broader mission through executive coaching. He is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a graduate of the School of Medicine this year.
His story shows that a medical degree is not only preparation for practice, it also encourages lifelong leadership, influencing colleagues, trainees, and leaders alike.
#llusmaa
Spotlight on our APC speaker lineup!
We’re honored to feature Marc Braman, ’95, MPH, whose vision and expertise in the field of lifestyle medicine will bring powerful perspective to this year’s plenary session.
#llusmproud
The importance of connections extends beyond medicine to one’s own family.
Andrene Campbell ’10 shared the meaning and importance of family connections and prayer in her journey in life and ultimately, in medicine. Her grandmother “was the strong, praying matriarch of the family. Her prayers directly influenced the successes of her family members,” Campbell said.
Andrene Campbell practices psychiatry. Her words have a powerful message: “There is no problem too great that cannot be resolved ultimately, even if solving the problem takes some time.” Campbell provides herself with grace by not overwhelming herself with multiple issues at once.
Campbell’s favorite medical school memory: the weekend retreat with her classmates. She won the talent show with her vocal performance. She remembers the weekend as beautiful, filled with fun, laughter, and camaraderie. “It was a blessing to reflect on our path as future doctors and the importance of our own spirituality,” she recalled.
#llusmaa
Alumni from 26 classes will meet for reunions and socials during the 94th Annual Postgraduate Convention, February 26 to March 2. This year, the Alumni Association is honoring two 50th anniversary classes: 1976-A and 1976-B, and the 25th anniversary class of 2001.
We want to thank the class representatives and leadership teams for working together to plan and create memorable meetups. Some class representatives have connected their classes for nearly 70 years!
In the photo, the class of 1975 paused for a group photo at their 50th anniversary class reunion in 2025.
#llusmaa
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