Meet your 2021-2022 ARAS Executive Committee Team
Dorothy Dickinson
2021-2022 President Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery TriStar Centennial Medical Center Nashville, Tennessee 615.342.3964 Email Dorothy |
Dorothy Dickinson started her career in Medical Education in 2011 as the clerkship coordinator in the Department of Surgery at the University of South Alabama. She then became the residency program coordinator for the General Surgery Residency and Critical Care Fellowship program. Before joining the University, she was a Senior Researcher with the Proctor and Gamble Company in Bethel, Connecticut, for eight years.
February 2021, Dorothy recently joined the HCA Healthcare TriStar Division as a Sr. Program Administrator over two newly accredited residency programs in the Nashville market. Her leadership and knowledge will be invaluable to HCA in participating in submitting the new General Surgery residency application in the summer of 2022. She and her husband, Shun, have three grown children and seven adorable grandchildren. They spend a lot of time doing evangelistic work with their church. She enjoys traveling, home remodeling, and reading. |
Brianne L. Nickel, MA, C-TAGME
2021-2022 President-Elect and SAGES Liaison Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana 317.274.4976 Email Brianne |
Brianne Leigh Nickel has been involved in Graduate Medical Education since 2008, starting out as a Data Quality Coordinator and assisting the Family Medicine Residency program at University of Louisville. In 2010, she transitioned to a full time residency coordinator role at University of Louisville in the Department of Neurosurgery. Upon completion of her Master's Degree in Higher Education, she moved back to her home state of Indiana, where she has worked with the Department of Surgery as the General Surgery Residency Coordinator since 2012. In addition to her program coordinator role at Indiana University, she is also the Director of Surgical Education Administration, overseeing all program coordinator and education administrative staff members within the Department of Surgery. Now that her nephews live in Indianapolis, Brianne spends a lot of her time with them, helping out with the school PTO, and watching them play sports!
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Kate Kmiec, MHA, C-TAGME
Executive Secretary Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, Tennessee 615.343.6642 Email Kate |
Kate is a Detroit native currently living in Nashville. After graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2016 with her Masters in Healthcare Administration, Kate began working in the metro-Detroit area in Graduate Medical Education transitioning osteopathic residency programs to ACGME accreditation. She then decided to make the move to Nashville in 2018 to work with the Surgery Residency Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her passion projects within residency program management are professional development at the training program manager level and incorporating process improvement strategies into her workflow. Outside of work, Kate enjoys biking, checking out the newest restaurant in Nashville, and making the occasional trip back home to Michigan to visit friends, family, and spend time up at the family cabin on the lake.
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Sarah Kidd-Romero, C-TAGME
Mentor & Mentee & Darlene Norton's Sponsorship Chair and ACS Liaison Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery University of Maryland Baltimore, Maryland 410.328.5878 Email Sarah |
Sarah has been a coordinator for the General Surgery Residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center since 2011. Before this role in the Department of Surgery, she was the clerkship coordinator for two years. She graduated from Towson University with a bachelor degree in Psychology & Biology. Sarah is born and raised in Baltimore and is a dedicated fan of the Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles. The other loves in her life are her husband (of 5 years) and her two rescue dogs, Peanut and Hazel. Sarah and her husband welcomed their first child, Aiden, in 2019. Together, the three of them spend their free time hiking, kayaking, and traveling to the national parks!
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Julie Ladwig, C-TAGME
Membership & Certificates Chair, and SCORE Liaison Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, Arizona 602.521.5982 Email Julie |
Julie Ladwig has been a residency program coordinator since 2006. She started her career in Medical Education as the coordinator for the Pathology Program at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, started the General Surgery program, in 2006. In 2015 she became the Program Manager for University of Arizona College – Phoenix General Surgery Residency Program at Banner University Medical Center. Julie also oversees the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Surgical Clerkship and Oral and Maxillofacial Residency program. Julie is one of the few who was born, raised and still lives in Arizona. Most of Arizona’s residents are transplants from across the country that traveled from far away for Arizona’s famous sunshine. She and husband, Eric, enjoy their blended family of 3 sons, 1 daughter and 1 fur daughter. Julie enjoys gardening, participating in local 5ks, camping/hiking, collecting brewery coasters and spending time with her family. |
Hemali Shah, C-TAGME, PACE
Social Media & Website Co-Chair Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, Illinois 312.996.6765 Email Hemali |
Hemali Shah has been the residency coordinator at the University of Illinois at Chicago since 2014, being promoted in 2018 to Administrative Director of Graduate Medical Education for the Department of Surgery. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign with a bachelor of science degree in Kinesiology. She is born and raised in Chicago and a die hard Bears, Bulls and Cubs fan. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, cooking, and spending too much time shopping.
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Kylene Smartis
Professional Development, Sunshine & Social Event Chair Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery Northeast Georgia Health System Gainsville, Georgia 951.202.6339 Email Kylene |
Kylene Smartis is the Program Coordinator of the Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) General Surgery Residency program since May 2017 and an employee of NGMC since March of 2014. NGMC General Surgery Residency received initial accreditation in 2018 and had their first residents in July 2019. She has a BA in Business Administration, a MA in Education, a MA in Educational Technology and has plans to pursue her TAGME certification this year. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering and transporting animals for the local shelter. At home, she fosters dogs and cats as well as owning her own gang of animals.
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Laura Huth
Publications & Website Co-Chair Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery Penn Medicine: University of Pennsylvania Health System Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 267.331.0953 Email Laura |
Laura Huth, Director, Surgery Education Administration, Penn Medicine. Laura is a 2006 graduate of West Chester University. After graduating Laura spent a year teaching elementary school English in Paris, France and then came home to work in Social Services in Bucks County, Pa. She joined the Department of Surgery in 2010, and specifically the Division of Surgery Education in 2011. During her career at Penn Medicine, Laura has had the opportunity to be involved in multiple facets of Surgical Education. She held the position of Undergraduate Medical Education & Continuing Medical Education Coordinator (2011 – 2013), General Surgery Residency Coordinator (2013 – 2017), and Director of the Division of Surgery Education (2017 – present). In her current role, Laura also works with the Center for Surgical Health, an organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for vulnerable individuals with surgical diseases.
Outside of work, Laura spends her time volunteering for various organizations dedicated to child development and education. Laura is the Events Chairperson for the Friends of HA Brown, a group that supports the HA Brown Public Elementary School in Philadelphia and she also serves as the Parent Ambassador for her child’s daycare/preschool. In her free time, Laura enjoys exploring Philadelphia with her husband Chris, their two children, Grant (5), Kennedy (4) and their pit bull, Mayo. |
Lisa Olson
Immediate Past President Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin 414.955.1833 Email Lisa |
Lisa Olson has been the Program Manager of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s General Surgery Residency program since December of 2013 and an employee of MCW since October of 2007. She began as a Program Coordinator for the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program and more recently was in the position of Program Manager for Community Pediatrics, working with second-year Pediatric Residents. Lisa has a BS in English and Communication and is currently pursuing her MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Management. Lisa is also involved with GME at a local level, serving as the Program Coordinator representative to the Housestaff Health and Welfare Committee at her institution. She and her husband, Ben, have two sons, Jay & Zach and her first granddaughter, Josephine. Lisa enjoys the Green Bay Packers, training for various community runs, and spending time with her family and friends.
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