The University of Michigan Department of Urology 3875 Taubman Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, SPC 5330, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5330

Academic Office: (734) 232-4943 FAX: (734) 936-8037 www.urology.med.umich.edu http://matulathoughts.org/

What's New October 9, 2015

Physician's Assistants: Diane Collin, Lashon Day, Liz Marsh, Stanley Mukundi, Mary Nowlin, Krisinda Palazzolo, and Cynthia Stroup

Urology Department Faculty and Staff

6 Items, 23 Minutes

This week is National Physician Assistants’ week, celebrating PAs and the contributions they make to health care. Fittingly, this week we hear from some of our own PAs, as they share stories about their personal and professional lives. This group does a tremendous amount of good, both for the department and for the community. They recently took part in their annual day of giving back, as they supported the Huron Valley Habitat for Humanity, helping to construct a home and raise money for a great cause.

We couldn’t make do without these incredibly important people, so if you see a PA today (or anytime in the future), thank them for what they do! And now, let’s hear from our PAs.

-Eric Anderson, Marketing and Communications Specialist

1. Diane Collin

In my teens, after spending a significant amount of time with family members at Beaumont Hospital, I decided Medicine was my forte. I spent a lot of time trying to decide on my specific tract and eventually graduated with a Bachelorette of Science in Cardiovascular Technology in my early 20’s. I worked for many years performing mobile echocardiograms. (Yes, my equipment was in my car and I drove to various sites to perform the study). I also had Halter scanning equipment in my basement. So each evening I scanned tapes while riding an exercise bike. (Kill two birds with one stone!)

Marley After working with a less fortunate individual, l decided I really wanted to be involved in providing a higher level of quality care. I investigated the PA profession. In the meantime, I enjoyed teaching the Medical Sonography Physics Review Exam at Lawrence Tech and moved into management at a Diagnostic Medical facility. I was very busy with both jobs but unfulfilled. Wow! I missed patient care. So, I accepted a position with an Italian ultrasound company as an Application Specialist for

cardiac ultrasound equipment. My US territory included the central US and East coast, though I frequently covered the West coast as well. I traveled Monday through Friday and had clothing at dry cleaners throughout the US! I worked the European Medical Congress in Amsterdam and Italy and LOVED IT! Of course, daily travel always sounds more exciting than it really is. I still missed daily patient care and held the dream of being a PA.

Glacier National Park, Montana In May 1992, I delivered the love of my life, Erin, and realized that travel was out of the question. I went back to work part-time in a Cardiac Stress lab. After much number crunching, in 1994, I applied to U of D Mercy PA School and was accepted. (Yes!) I continued to work for various clinics performing echocardiograms and attended classes. My third year, I stopped working to attend clinicals in all of the core areas and graduated in 1997.

My girls, Erin and Erin Upon graduation, I worked Family and Sports Medicine for several years and joined the Michigan family in 2002 in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Cancer. I covered the clinic, OR, and inpatient floor. I joined Urology in February 2007 performing FUDS for NPR in Livonia. I soon scheduled an independent clinic to help improve Urology access and shifted to General Urology with three independent clinics and one shared clinic with Dr. Wei. I also enjoy the Women’s clinic with Dr. Pelletier- Cameron. Every day, I am thankful for my education and choosing such a fulfilling profession. I have honestly not had one day where I am unhappy to go to work. I am please at the end of the day if I feel I really changed the course of a patient’s treatment or medical experience. I like to think I treat my patients the way I want my family treated.

Todd and Marlowe On a personal note, I am married to a great man, Todd Lockhart (9 years). My daughter, Erin is now 23 and working in Stem Cell research at U of M. I have a grand dog named Jake (many of you have seen him on day care video cam!). My step daughter, Erin has a Public Relations company in Sonoma, Ca and blessed us with a granddaughter in May. My special boy, Marley, is 3 and keeps me very active. I have been a volunteer at Huron Valley Humane Society since 1999 and have been a foster mom for Last Day Dog Rescue having had many adventures! I have a community garden with Tammy Knuth (best friend/nurse ever!) and recently completed a Master Gardening course. I just finished teaching a Junior Mater Gardening course at Mathai which was a very rewarding. Todd and I regularly volunteer at St. Christine’s Soup Kitchen. For several years, I performed sports physicals at Belleville North Middle School and donate the proceeds to purchase equipment for kids who can’t afford “pay to play”. For fun, Todd and I hiked Glacier National Park, Montana in June and enjoyed a family vacation in Alaska in September!

Glacier Bay, Alaska

At the end of the day, are you having fun and do you feel good?

2. Lashon Day

My journey to becoming a physician assistant took a meandering road. I went to Central Michigan University for my undergraduate degree with intentions of a pre-med path. After my first 2 years, my interests turned towards teaching. I pursued my teaching degree with a focus on biology and chemistry. I enjoyed my student teaching experience, however certain aspects of teaching were not a good fit for me. I used my undergraduate environmental research experience to secure a position in research at the Cancer Center at University of Michigan. I began

working with Dr. Ken Pienta in his lab doing prostate cancer research. It was in his lab that I met and truly discovered my calling, being a PA in an oncology setting. I shadowed with many PA’s and set my sights on Wayne State’s PA school. I graduated in 2008 and then returned to UMHS to the Pre-op Clinic. When this clinic opened, it was a new venture for the Department of Surgery. I am proud to say that I was there in its infancy and helped the clinic grow to a very busy practice. I transferred to the Team 3 urologic oncology in the March of 2015 to pursue my oncology interest from years ago. I am proud to be a member of this team whom offers medical excellence, support, and encouragement, to all patients. From the very beginning the nurses, MA's, and admin staff have made me feel very welcome. I am proud to be a member of this team supporting the practices of Todd Morgan and Cheryl Lee. My home life is busy with my husband and best friend of 11 (married) years, Paul. Prior to having our children we were big vacationers. The Dominican Republic is a favorite. We have been there 8 times, and always love it.

Paul and I deep sea fishing in the Dominican Republic

Grand Teton National Park After we had our boys, Ethan Michael (age 3), and Greyson Richard (age 1), we have been residing a bit closer to home. Ethan started preschool this September and amazes me almost daily with the things he says on the way home from school.

Greyson Richard (age 1) Ethan Michael (age 3) We moved to Brighton from Livonia, 2 years go and love the area and all it has to offer. I love spending quality time with family and friends. I enjoy cooking and reading when I have free time on the weekends. We are training the boys to bleed maize and blue.

Our final family member is a fur baby named, Brodie (age 9). He is a Yorkie-Poo with senior attitude.

Our Yorkie-Poo Brodie

3. Liz Marsh and Mary Nowlin

Liz Marsh and Mary Nowlin are our PA's on the floor in the University Hospital and this is a picture Dr. Bloom took of them when they began in the Department of Urology in 2013.

4. Stanley Mukundi

My name is Stanley Mukundi and I am one of the Physician Assistant (PA) working in the outpatient Ambulatory Setting at Taubman Center and Brighton Health Center. I was born and raised in Kenya-East Africa. After finishing high school, I relocated to Houston, Texas, where I attended the University of Houston and obtained my bachelor’s degree. My affinity for the warm climates took me to Arizona where I attended Midwestern University for PA school. While in Arizona, I picked up a great love for the outdoors hiking, camping, and of course running, speaking of which, I will be participating in my first international half marathon in a couple of weeks-Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon

I moved to Michigan 4 years ago to take up my first job here in the Urology Department-working in general Urology. My motivation to become a PA stems from a deep desire to help others and improve the human condition, and the support, mentorship and encouragement from the physicians, staff and my PA colleagues, has allowed me to grow personally and professionally. Outside of the University practice, I volunteer monthly at the Hope Clinic which provides free health care services and this affords me the opportunity to give back to my community.

5. Krisinda Palazzolo

I’d like to thank the Department of Urology for “What’s New?” – Just one way in which the stories and work of the talented individuals of the University of Michigan Urology community are acknowledged. I am honored to be part of this team and thankful for the opportunity to contribute to this edition, which celebrates the Physician Assistant (PA) profession. I personally dig the “PA-C” after my last name, and as most of my colleagues know, there are two Palazzolo PA-C’s that hail from Michigan! I certainly didn’t start out with the PA profession in mind. At age 5, I wanted to be Wonder Woman. Sometimes I look at my calendar for the week and think I have achieved that goal! We all need superheroes, right? My undergraduate studies began at a small liberal arts school in pursuit of a PhD in molecular biology. Since the age of 15, I had been exposed to many research labs and had done almost everything a laboratory assistant did back then: I made media for

Drosophila, prepared countless liters of solvents and solutions, ran western blots and southern blots, performed FISH assays for innumerable cytogenetic studies. I had no inkling that I would practice medicine until one day…. I was spending my summer in the lab of Scott Dulchavsky, a nationally recognized trauma surgeon. He came in one morning after knowing me a mere two months and asked, “What are you planning to do with your life?” I articulated my basic Wonder Woman plan, to which he shook his head and proclaimed “That’s not you kiddo, you need to work with patients.” An interesting and frantic thought pattern unfolded for me, but the long and short of it is, that moment literally changed my life. Reflecting back, I owe him quite a debt of gratitude: I would never have found my passion professionally or personally – I met my husband Bill in PA school! I shifted gears, shadowed every profession and trade to grace the hallways of hospitals, health centers, and surgical centers and discovered the PA profession, one deeply rooted in partnership and collaboration – and in the late 90’s, growing at an astonishing rate. Schools were popping up everywhere, and entry rights were steep. A PA student candidate needs to successfully fulfill a laundry list of rigorous undergraduate courses and a large number of direct patient care hours. At this point, I entered upon the most adrenaline-soaked period of my training: life as a paramedic. I spent two years on the road and in the ER in some of the most dynamic settings in southeast Michigan with my partner, a 25-year veteran named Sam Fowler.

I made Sam anxious if I was driving, and I made him equally nervous if I was in the back of the rig with a patient twice my size and a plethora of illicit treats on board. I was 22, so invincible – yup, still Wonder Woman – and I take full responsibility for causing my mother’s anxiety disorder. A lot of hard work, a growing passion for patient care, and a stroke of luck, and I was accepted to Wayne State’s PA Program in 1998. I met my future husband, Bill, at orientation, and we graduated in May of 2000. I walked through the doors of the University of Michigan Cancer Center on June 5, 2000. Bill and I got hitched two years later had a couple of kiddos, and in 2004, Bill joined me at U of M, where we have truly reaped the rewards of working for an amazingly diverse institution, one where opportunities abound. I embarked on a career in oncology and have been privileged to experience medical, radiation, and surgical aspects of care. I spent my first five years caring for patients with primary bone and soft tissue malignancies. I transitioned to Radiation Oncology and traveled through all the different primary disease groups, collaborating with faculty both here at Main campus and at our regional site in Jackson, MI. I joined the Department of Urology in 2012, collaborating with Dr. David Miller and the Uro-Oncology Division. Interestingly, I think Dr. Miller set out to be a superhero too and with his hard work and dedication, one distinguished example in his leadership with MUSIC, he has achieved great success. The Department of Urology has been a fantastic place to make my clinical home, and I have learned from every individual I have encountered. I have also spent five years as a manager, advocating and working with all the PAs within the Cancer Program and seeing the group grow from 28 to over 50. Most

recently, I joined Human Resources as a Director, continuing my clinical role which brings a new perspective to a department that supports UMHS as a whole. There is a wealth of expertise within HR, however the PA presence is new and I hope to make a lasting impact in how we support the people behind the block “M”. PAs are instinctually collaborative: our profession is built on the foundation of the MD-PA partnership, and this core concept is present in all of the multidisciplinary work that we do with our faculty and nursing colleagues, medical assistants, social workers, pharmacists and all the members of our team. I am proud of the PA profession, our place in the community, and the function we perform for our patients – and equally importantly for our healthcare teams. Our world is a rapidly changing place, and we need the talents of many different species if we are going to evolve!

“This is the Golden Lasso. Besides being made from an indestructible material, it also carries with it the power to compel people to tell the truth. Use it well, and with compassion.” –WW

1980 was a good year

Labor Day weekend 2015

Bill and I, Manuel (our 15 year old exchange student from Madrid) Cecelia (10) Will (11)

6. Cynthia Stroup

I have been involved in medicine for 26 years. I started out as a medical assistant in an outpatient Medical Oncology private practice. I worked there as I completed my undergrad degree in Microbiology at The University of Michigan – Dearborn. My initial goal was to attend medical school, but after taking the MCAT twice and applying to schools without success, I had to make a decision. A nurse I worked with at the time mentioned Physician Assistant. I had never heard of it before. After looking into what a Physician Assistant does and what it would take to become one, I knew it was the right answer for me. I attended The University of Detroit Mercy and graduated in August 2002 with my Masters in Physician Assistant Studies. I was then able to take my time to find the right first job. I

accepted a role at The University of Michigan Hospital and Health Systems in the Department of Radiation Oncology in February 2003 and worked there until I took the opportunity to switch to Urology in April 2007. I work for the NPR division. I think that Urology has the best group of physicians, fellows, residents, medical assistants, nurses, and support staff! I bleed Maize and Blue and have been a football season ticket holder since about 1995. I rarely miss a home game and try to travel to at least 1 away game each year. I went to the 1998 Rose Bowl when we beat Washington State for a share in the National Title!

At Rutgers 2014 I love to travel and my husband, Tom, and I have recently started expanding our trips to include Europe. We went to Italy in 2013 and went to England, Wales, and Scotland this past July.

Hadrian’s Wall on the border of England and Scotland We have been married 14 years although I claim it is 24 years! We dated 10 years before getting married! We live in Northville and instead of children, I have a Corvette. I have 1 younger sister who allows me to spoil her 3 children – Alex 11, Eric 7, and Lilly 5.

Lilly and Eric