UW Health

Dr. Christine Sharkey's journey into medicine was shaped by a desire to help people feel heard. In high school, she began working at a local children's hospital. "My desire to pursue this career was sparked by my interaction with young patients. Being able to listen to someone who wasn't feeling well, made me happy, and in those moments, I learned to listen.” As a rheumatologist, Dr. Sharkey's patient care approach is deeply rooted in building strong relationships and compassionate listening. She focuses on treating complex autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, helping patients navigate their chronic conditions. Dr. Sharkey was awarded a 2024 Physician Excellence Award as a Rising Star in Clinical Education that recognized her outstanding contributions as an influential educator, trusted mentor and positive force for change in medical education.

For 15 years, Dr. Josh Ross has helped lead and advance remarkable care for kids. When he first arrived, we did not have a dedicated pediatric emergency department at American Family Children’s Hospital. Through his vision and leadership, it’s grown into an 11-bed unit that is part of our Level I Pediatric Trauma Center providing specialized, 24/7 care for critically ill and injured children. Many kids in our community have grown up alongside this expanding space, like Delia, who first met Dr. Ross as a toddler when she was photographed for a marketing campaign. Dr. Ross is a champion for collaboration and innovation. He’s expanded our ability to serve children across Wisconsin and the region, including advancing our transport capabilities and telehealth consultations to bring UW Health Kids physician expertise to rural areas. Today, as chief medical officer for UW Health Kids and American Family Children's Hospital, Dr. Ross focuses on the broader landscape of pediatric care across our health system. He says, “We’ve built a strong foundation, and I’m confident we can continue to innovate and provide the best care possible for our children and families."

Certified nurse midwife Denise Fryzelka says it’s important it is to listen to her patient’s individual needs and to work together to provide tailored, culturally relevant care, while supporting their autonomy with decision making throughout the process. The focus of her doctoral work is centered on research related to gestational diabetes, a growing health concern in pregnancy. She hopes to improve access to education and care that is tailored to the patients’ cultural, emotional and social needs. She says that focusing on treating gestational diabetes can impact risk of diabetes later in life. In her spare time, Denise loves being in nature and is currently training for a spiritual trekking journey in Nepal with two adventurous friends.

Advanced training as a Palliative Care Fellow at UW Health allows Dr. Kristal Hudson to integrate her American Indian identity and western medicine in a deeply meaningful way. Early into her Internal Medicine residency while training in the intensive care unit, Dr. Hudson recognized that patients needed and wanted care beyond medical intervention. “We often get stuck in medicine asking, what else can we do to fix the problem? Palliative medicine centers around family and looks holistically at a person’s wellbeing which often includes cultural practices and allows me to see things from a bigger lens,” she shares. “I am part of the Diné tribe (Navajo Nation) and identify as traditional in my practice and how I represent myself, so how I practice medicine has never been about looking at one thing–the brain, the heart, the lungs. Palliative medicine allows me to ask patients, what will help give you a good quality of life and overall good health?” With palliative care, a specialized medical team helps patients of all ages cope with serious illnesses when focusing on treatment starts to feel too burdensome. The team provides symptom management, emotional and family support, and coordinates transition to hospice care when the end of life is near. Dr. Hudson describes herself as walking in two worlds—her Native American heritage and western society but feels the two approaches to medicine complement one another. “Both are trying to heal and to create a better life for people,” she says. “In western medicine, we can do so much with technology and evidence-based medicine, but healing often comes back to the spirit and the person as a whole and traditional medicine helps with that.” Making new friends through the Native American Center for Health Professions and celebrating Native American Heritage Month each November provides Dr. Hudson with an important connection to her heritage. “It’s a time for self-reflection of how far I’ve come, how far my family has come and what we have done in our Native community and history to move forward. It’s also a beautiful acknowledgement and way to say, ‘Look at us, these beautiful people who have made it into this world and are thriving.’”

Morgen Makela is a certified nursing assistant at East Madison Hospital who enjoys mentoring new team members and continually providing innovative ways to improve patient care. A colleague of Morgen’s shared this about her: “Morgen sets a high standard for nursing assistants on our unit. She not only cares for her patients, but she also makes their family members feel comfortable and heard. Her energy permeates the room, and I have heard numerous patients comment that her care has made a difference in their stay. Morgen mentors new employees, striving to bring out the best in whoever she is training. She is viewed as an innovator. She identifies issues, suggests solutions and advocates for quality improvement efforts that, ultimately, lead to better care and better outcomes for patients.” Morgen received a 2024 Nurse Excellence Award for support staff because of her exceptional contributions to patient- and family-centered care, and the support she provides other care team members.

"It's so important to take the time to meet each patient where they are, to try and help take as much fear and uncertainty out of what is happening to them," says physician assistant Jennifer Jarrett. "This approach also gives patients confidence in what we are doing and why we are doing things." Jennifer works in inpatient cardiology at University Hospital, where we are expanding our advanced practice provider teams to provide even better continuity of patient care with exponentially growing patient demand. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Jennifer spends time renovating her 1860s farmhouse and a reportedly, haunted barn.

The Great Apple Crunch is an event celebrated across the Great Lakes region, which includes Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Great Apple Crunch celebrates local agriculture by crunching into a fresh apple. We distribute apples and seasonal, apple-themed recipes at University Hospital and East Madison Hospital, inviting participants to enjoy a tasty apple snack and celebrate local produce and farmers. This year we distributed over 350 apples! The best part was getting to promote healthy eating while spending time with our amazing team. 🍏🍎 #GreatAppleCrunch

Working in the UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center’s Breast Imaging Center for 27 years, Becki Clark is well versed in the symptoms of breast cancer and the importance of routine mammograms. That experience took a personal focus earlier this year, when her annual screening led to a very early-stage diagnosis of breast cancer. https://uw.health/3NwLJJt

Nichole Warner, lost her life unexpectedly in December of 2022. In her 13 years of nursing at UW Health, she made an incredible and lasting impact on patients and her clinic teammates. One of her closest friends and colleagues had this to say about Nichole: “Nichole was an amazing leader. Her competence drew respect. In emergencies, people instinctively turned to her because they just knew that she knew what to do. She was brilliant, and used her brilliance to educate patients, families and team members, and to take phenomenal care of patients. Nichole was a crusader for excellence in patient-centered care. In the infectious disease clinic, we have a greater than average number of patients who are vulnerable, including those from groups that have historically been underserved. Nichole always went the extra mile to advocate for and lift the voices of these patients, always with the utmost compassion and understanding. Nichole was a skillful teacher and phenomenal mentor who trained many nurses. Nicole had entered school to become a nurse practitioner and of course, she excelled at her course work. With her phenomenal skill set she could have done anything.” In honor and memory of her exceptional contributions to patient care and the difference she made in so many lives, Nichole posthumously received a 2024 Nurse Excellence Award.

This week, we celebrated the opening of UW Health Eastpark Medical Center. This 475,000-square-foot, 7-story building is the largest medical facility to be completed in the United States in 2024. It will be home to more than 600 staff upon opening. Learn more about this remarkable new facility: https://uw.health/4dPOoZo