COMPASS Guides

Alexander Abramowicz, MD 

Current Clinical Practice: Hospital Medicine - University of Colorado Hospital
Professional Interests: Clinically, my main focus is the care of oncology patients admitted to the hospital. This a diverse array of patients that pose many unique challenges. I particularly appreciate the opportunity to care for patients with complex medical, social, psychological needs which the oncology population certainly captures. I am regularly pushed to my medical knowledge limit which keeps me invigorated and excited to work. Beyond my clinical focus, I am interested in education of both medical students and residents. The COMPASS program is one of several medical school programs I am involved in, I particularly enjoy working directly and closely with students over a year or more.
Personal Interests: Travel, live music, planting trees and other gardening, a variety of outdoor activities and simply relaxing spending time with my family.
I like working with students because: Students bring an energy and excitement that is contagious and invigorating. Beyond teaching medical knowledge, professionalism and other tenets of medical education I try to keep a positive outlook in the medical profession; it is a hard journey to become a physician and helping students remain optimistic is so important.

Jennifer Barker, MD 

Current Clinical Practice:  Pediatric Endocrinology with a particular interest in the care of youth with differences of sex development and Turner syndrome
Professional Interests:  Medical Education, Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program Director, Medical Student Education
Personal Interests:  I love to be outside on a walk with my dogs, in the mountains hiking or skiing, and being around trees.  I love to cook a good meal and read a book.  I like to listen to podcasts, do the wordle and drink a cup of coffee.  I like a nice dinner out and time with family and friends. 
“I like working with students because…” 
I like working with students because they always ask just the right question and are the future of health care!

Tim Bernard, MD

Current Clinical Practice I am a child neurologist, with specialized expertise in pediatric stroke at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center at the University of Colorado.
 Professional Interests I spend most of my clinical time seeing children who have had a stroke.  I am very involved with the childhood stroke community, serving as Vice-Chair of the International Pediatric Stroke Study for the past 5 years.
Personal Interests Golf, road biking (I ride the Courage Classic every year), skiing, and my book club.  I am obsessed with trying to make perfect ribs in my smoker.
I like working with students because I have been able to do a lot of rewarding and different things in my career.  As I reflect on what has been most fun, it has been mentoring and advising medical students.  My decision to apply for the COMPASS Guide position was driven by my passion for medical student mentoring. Medical training is a lifelong journey for all of us, and I find that being part of the transformation of students into doctors is a very exciting part of the trek. Some of the proudest moments in my career have involved medical students, including: one of my research mentees crushing their first poster presentation, one of my medical student mentees applying to and eventually joining our Child Neurology Residency, and seeing a medical student on rounds speak up to provide a crucial piece of history that helped heal a patient. 

Adria Boucharel, MD  

Current clinical practice I am a pediatric anesthesiologist and clinician educator
Professional Interests I spend about half of my time in the operating room providing anesthesia to children and the other half teaching students, residents, fellows, and faculty- and developing medical education curricula.  
Personal Interests Being outdoors and active, learning new things, and spending time with my family are what I value most.
I like working with students because I appreciate the opportunity to teach and learn alongside students.

Anjali Dhurandhar, MD, FACP 

Current Clinical Practice Internal Medicine, Chronic Pain, VAMC
Professional Interests holistic care for chronic pain, physician and student wellbeing, personal and professional development, medical humanities/ reflective writing
Personal Interests I enjoy making things and creative activities such as painting, drawing, playing music, and gardening. I enjoy improv and feel it is a great way to approach life.
I like working with students because I enjoy learning about them, observing their development over the years, and helping them to reach their goals, personally and professionally. I find that working with students is a fulfilling learning and growth experience for me because I constantly discover new ideas and must adapt to each of them.

Molly Eaton, MD 

Current clinical practice I am clinically only doing a few ID consult week at UCH.  I am no longer working in the outpatient setting (semi-retired 🙂).
Professional interests I was an HIV doctor for more than 30 years and watched AIDS change from a death sentence to a treatable and preventable infection.  I also had a special interest in syphilis.  I originally went into ID because I loved travel medicine, and after moving to Denver in 2017, I was able to return to travel medicine.
Personal interests I have always loved the outdoors, and the best part of being semiretired is being able to go hiking and skiing during the week, when it's not quite as crowded.  Of course I take my 2 year old golden retriever Nayak on the hikes (though he has to stay home when I ski).  I love working out at the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center.
I like working with students because there is such a give and take - they give me the gifts of maintaining excitement in learning and the sense of staying young, and I hope I give the benefits of years of taking care of patients.

Kelly Ferraro, MD

Dr. Kelly Ferraro is a prior US Air Force Internist and Academic Hospitalist. She returned to fellowship in 2018 and now practices Palliative Medicine at Denver Health, where she is passionate about the delivery of advanced symptom management and communication in serious illness, particularly in societally vulnerable populations. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and cycling in the Grand Valley with her husband, two young sons, and two big dogs. She loves working with medical students because it’s a chance to show students all the ways that they can help patients and society, and because it pushes her to always keep learning!

Hannah Friedman, MD

Current Clinical Practice Special Care Clinic (primary care clinic for children with medical complexity), Pediatric Hospitalist
Professional Interests Care of children with medical complexity, care of children with osteogenesis imperfecta, health care transition from pediatric to adult healthcare systems for patients with medical complexity, medical education related to care of patients with medical complexity
Personal Interests Running, baking (cookies and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are my favorite), listening to audiobooks, Broadway musicals (Wicked is my all-time favorite), spending time with my husband and our 2 kitties (Rory- named after Gilmore Girls and Tobias- named after Arrested Development), spending time with my family and friends .
I like working with students because Medical students bring so much passion and joy to medicine. It is an honor to walk with them on their journey of becoming the doctor they want to be. I am so grateful to the mutual learning and growth that happens when working with medical students.

John Frerichs, MD, FACS  

Current Clinical Practice Retired General Surgeon.  Currently working as a COMPASS Guide at Anschutz and teaching Human Physiology at UCCS.
Professional Interests Student development, adult learning, hepatobiliary cancers
Personal Interests Hiking, skiing, snowboarding, camping, jeeping...just about anything outdoors.  Spending time with my family doing all the outdoor activities.
I like working with students because they always have great questions that will help me learn about people, patients, and the world at large.

Megan Gause, DO 

Current Clinical Practice Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency program as their faculty geriatrician and family medicine physician
My professional interests are in the areas of dementia, frailty, polypharmacy, and having the honor of taking care of all family members' primary care needs
My personal interests include my husband and child, biking, running, and being outside
I like working with students because they bring such an open and inquisitive attitude to everything they do. We both always teach each other!

Eli Grillo, MD 

Current Clinical Practice UC Health Lone Tree - Primary Care - Yosemite
Professional Interests Nutrition, preventive medicine
Personal Interests carpentry, photography, volleyball, anything outdoors. 
I like working with students because it gives me the opportunity to teach more than just the science of medicine, but also a balanced, healthy approach to life in general. 

Kelly Ground, MD 

What I do at work I work clinically as a Palliative Care physician in the inpatient setting. Our team is consulted on patients with serious illnesses in order to learn what is most important to them and help align the medical care with their values and goals. I work with a multi-disciplinary team and together we help improve quality of life, support patients and their families through next steps in their care, and also provide dignity, symptom management and guidance at the end of life. Additionally, I spend time teaching learners at all stages how to effectively communicate with patients and their families, especially in emotional or difficult situations, and how to align the medical care with what most makes sense based on a patient's values and priorities.
Hobbies/ Interests/Obsessions As a Colorado native, I love to spend time outdoors snowboarding, hiking and since becoming a mom, exploring all the local parks and playgrounds as well. I enjoy playing soccer (and also coaching my sons soccer team), reading fantasy books and am an avid Broncos football fan. I am definitely Type A and actually love cleaning, organizing and doing DIY projects around the house. My husband and I recently bought an amazing coffee/espresso machine (we have a lot of kids...) so you could say we are pretty obsessed with delicious coffee too!
What excites you about being a COMPASS Guide As an alumna of CU School of Medicine, I remember what an exciting but also overwhelming experience medical school was for me. I hope to be the mentor/guide/coach that I wished I had when I was struggling to figure out how to become a doctor, what kind of doctor I wanted to be and also figuring out who I was and what was most important to me. I can't wait to get to know my students and guide them through this amazing time in their lives. It is a privilege to be part of their journey at CU!

Janna Hardland, MD 

Current clinical practice I practice Geriatric Medicine primarily at the UCHealth Seniors Clinic, but also on the Acute Care of the Elder (ACE) hospital service, and at Aviva at Fitzsimons subacute rehabilitation center
Professional Interests Clinically, my passion is caring for complex older adult patients, which allows me to focus on quality of life, improving function, and making sure care provided aligns with what matters most to each patient. My other professional focus is on medical education - I am the program director for the Geriatric Medicine fellowship program, and I teach fellows, residents, and medical students to take great care of older adults no matter what field of medicine they are pursuing. 
Personal Interests My husband, our two dogs, and I just moved to Evergreen CO, and we are enjoying all things mountain living! I love to cook, though my husband is a former chef, so he has me beat in both quality and efficiency... I also love to garden, we ski a lot in the winter, and I'm a big Oklahoma football fan. 
I like working with students because there is really nothing more fulfilling than being a small part of the process of a student becoming a doctor over four short years. It's such a privilege to help students identify their interests and what matters most in both personal and professional life, and to help them find their path to a fulfilling career in medicine.

Jessica Jack, MD

Current Clinical Practice  Pediatrics at Denver Health Montbello Family health Center
Professional Interests Quality Improvement, specifically around medical dental integration to improve HPV vaccine delivery
Personal Interests Cycling, cross country skiing, board games, sewing, and eating good food
“I like working with students because…” I love being a lifelong learner myself, and I like to help students grow and develop their professional identity.

David Keller, MD

Current clinical practice:  I’m a primary care pediatrician, practicing at the Child Health Clinic in Aurora, where we provide comprehensive integrated care to a diverse and high-risk group of children and families.  I try to learn from every family that I see.
Professional interests:  I spend the rest of my time working to improve health systems for children and youth, focusing on integrated health care, access to mental health services and value based payments.  I work with folks on campus and in the community on this, trying to build good public policy that helps kids without unintended consequences.
Personal interests:  These days, I mostly talk about or visit our grandkids- we’ve got one on each coast.  Outside of that, I bike a fair bit (bike to campus most days), hike less than I’d like, read (historical and science fiction) and sing in a couple of choirs. 
I like working with students because: I love watching development, in children (my patients) and doctors (my students).  You are starting a journey that I began a while ago, and I always found it helpful to have someone nearby who had walked the path before.   I hope you do as well.

Chris King, MD 

Current Clinical Practice Hospital Medicine - University of Colorado Hospital
Professional Interests I take care of adults that are hospitalized with acute illness. I am core faculty for our medical oncology service, caring for patients hospitalized with cancer. I am Assistant Director of our Medicine Procedure Service which provides bedside procedures (lumbar puncture, paracentesis, thoracentesis, central lines) to patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting. When I am not clinical my work is dedicated to improving medical education, particularly for students but also for all learners in the area of healthcare value, trying to help all of us get the right care to the right patient at the right time.
Personal interest I try to be very active, and am an avid road cyclist and golfer. I also play music (though that is harder with a family and work) and enjoy playing guitar and am trying to learn piano... Slowly. My wife and I have two young boys that keep us quite busy whenever we're not at work.
I love working with students because their energy and curiosity gets me excited about the next generation of physicians. I feel honored to help our students learn and grow so they can take over leading our profession and improving the care our patients get every day.

Julie Knoeckel, MD 

Current Clinical Practice Hospitalist (Internal Medicine) at Denver Health 
Professional Interests Improving care transitions for people experiencing homelessness, Health equity education, Clinical quality improvement
Personal Interests enjoying all aspects of being a Mom to young kids (Lucy-4, Milo-1), hiking, camping, paddleboarding, skiing (generally being outside), traveling, and spending time with friends
I like working with students because… it helps me to become a better doctor while simultaneously helping others to become better doctors- multitasking for the win! In all seriousness, the most gratifying experiences I have had so far in medicine have been being a part of the growth and development that takes place during training.

Juan Lessing, MD 

Current Clinical Practice: I am a clinician-educator who works as a hospitalist at the University of Colorado Hospital, Anschutz Medical Campus. My specialty is effective compassionate care of hospitalized adults within the field of Internal Medicine. Hospitalists are experts in helping patients and families navigate complex hospital systems and illness experiences.
Professional Interests: My professional interests center primarily around teaching clinical reasoning, the art of how (rather than what) to think when caring for patients. People often think about clinical reasoning as getting the right diagnosis—it is this but also much more. I view clinical reasoning as everything that helps us provide exceptional care at every step, from first symptom, to diagnosis, to treatment at every steps. For example, if you listen attentively and caringly, patients often tell us their story and details that lets us serve them. And if you observe carefully, you see and hear things that otherwise might go missed. I view teaching clinical reasoning as the skills that allow us to provide not only great care for this patient, but also for all future ones. From this interest in clinical reasoning comes my passion for teaching and mentorship. I love medicine and view my goal as lighting the passions—whatever they may be--in all learners and unleashing their curiosity.
Personal Interests: My wife Lauren and I recently had our daughter, so most of my current interests revolve around spending time with family, delighting in her milestones (as I write this, she today just seemed to have learned her hands are her own), and keeping this little one alive. Outside of this, I love being outdoor, fly fishing (or more accurately fly casting since I often don't catch much), woodworking, trying out restaurants (especially hole-in-the-walls) and travel to explore this vast world and the learning about its amazing people, different cultures, language, customs, and foods.
I like working with students because: there is absolutely nothing better than working with learners! Students question everything and require us to ponder deeply and reconsider assumptions. Teaching someone how to do so something so they can think through and solve problems themselves, and then seeing them pass on these skills to others, is why I am in academic medicine. It is the absolute best job in the world!

Katarzyna Mastalerz, MD

Current Clinical Practice: 14 years of experience in adult hospital medicine and leadership at several academic institutions in Denver, currently practicing at University of Colorado Hospital
Professional Interests Interprofessional collaborative practice and education, medical education, bedside rounding, professional identity formation, quality improvement in inpatient settings, psychological safety, wellness
Personal interests beekeeping, biking, skiing, running, hiking, adventuring with husband, playing ukulele, reading, cooking, gardening, fly fishing
I like working with students because I like to support/empower people to be their best and I love all the different personalities and life stories. Students are the best!

Katherine “Katie” Morrison, MD 

Current Clinical Practice: Inpatient Palliative Care Anschutz Medical Center
Professional Interests: Wellbeing in Health Care, On-line Distance learning in education, Nature and Forest Therapy.
Personal Interests: Being outside always, hanging out with my dog and husband, reading mystery novels, making pickles, gardening, hiking, travel, food
I like working with students because: They each are unique and interesting with much to share with the world and I want to support them to do this.

What I do at work Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Global Health. I am a pediatrician in the Children's Hospital of Colorado Pediatric Emergency Rooms and Urgent Cares around the greater Denver area (Network of Care). A quarter of my time is spent as the Director of the pediatric residency Global Health Pathway and as Associate Director of the medical student Global Health Track.
Personal Interests I love traveling the globe (53 countries to date), experiencing new cultures and new foods. My family and I also love participating in all the Colorado outdoor activities.
What excites you about being a COMPASS Guide I enjoy having longitudinal relationships with mentees where we have the opportunity to work through changes in directions, new interests and the inevitable unforeseen challenges that help define how a career in medicine fits into one's larger life goals.
I like working with students because I love helping others discover their strengths, passions and uncover the path medicine is meant to play in their professional journey. For so long, many aspired to be a doctor, but in time you learn that medicine is just one part of your identity.

Josina O’Connell, MD 

Current Clinical Practice I practice Family Medicine at Denver Health’s Montbello Clinic
Professional Interests Teach all age levels, underserved care and outreach, community education
Personal Interests Creative writing, Clarinet and playing duets with myself, walking and biking, opera and ballet and hanging out with my family!!!  
I like working with students because it sounds cheesy, but students inspire me in every way: to be a better provider, to be a lifelong learner, to question and research and to grow.

Mike Overbeck, MD  

Current Clinical Practice Emergency Medicine
Professional Interests As an Emergency Physician, I mostly herd cats. In my clinical time, I deliver care to a wide variety of patients from all backgrounds and stations in life, with the widest variety of complaints and diseases. I help patients with heart attacks, fractures, pregnancy complications, infections, trauma, sometimes life altering events. I came to the University of Colorado in 2013 to re-commit myself to medical education and am honored to participate in the education of those that will one day care for me.
Personal Interests I'm interested in hockey and am a goalie on a team where everyone is better than me. I have a role on the medical team for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. I have an interest in food sovereignty and am beginning an effort to grow food on my small suburban plot -  with the goal of redistributing the yield to those without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. We will see how that goes.
I like working with students because this is the role that I envisioned when I was a medical student 20 years ago. My goal is to support students in the pursuit of their dreams. To witness up close the transformation of accomplished learners into young physicians is a privilege; to play some small role in the shaping of those young physicians is the honor of a career. Though the entire trajectory in medicine has its challenges, taking on this role promises to be restorative and sustaining for me personally. Together, we are stronger in the face of any challenge. Plus - how great is this!

Susana Peralta, DO 

Current Clinical Practice Family Medicine. Montbello Family Health Center. Denver Health and Hospital Authority
Professional Interests Clinical interests include chronic disease management, preventative care, gynecologic care, and prenatal care
Personal Interests Hiking, reading, going on roadtrips/traveling, spending time with my husband and family/friends, spoiling our dog 
I like working with students because I like working with students because they are the future of medicine. I find the curiosity of medical students invigorating and I enjoy watching them grow as they progress through their medical career.  I am passionate about teaching as a clinician educator and love passing on knowledge to aid in the success of students. 

Cleveland Piggott, MD, MPH 

Current practice Full scope outpatient family medicine including gender affirming care, suboxone, procedures, & prenatal care.
Professional Interests I also lead diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for the department of family medicine. Lastly, I'm passionate about medical education and spend a lot of my time teaching family medicine residents and our wonderful medical students.
Personal Interest Ballroom Dancing (especially latin dances). I was part of a performance group in college. I love watching live art especially theatre and dance. Marvel Comics, especially Spider-man. I have over 500 comic books. I love visiting National Parks and hiking. Watching sports especially my Georgia Bulldogs. I also love having a good beer or food with friends.
I like working with students because I love our students. They are smart, kind, and passionate about changing the world. Playing a small part in your journey brings me great joy. You all push me to be better, and I look forward to supporting you all through the highs and lows of medical school. I can't wait to help you all become the best physicians you can be.

Anuja Riles, MD 

Haley Ringwood, MD 

Current Clinical Practice Family Medicine at Denver Health Westside Pediatrics clinic
Professional Interests Maternal and child health, family planning, pediatric lifestyle medicine 
Personal Interests Hiking, running, swimming, yoga, reading, hanging out with my husband and 2 kids
I like working with students because they are awesome! Its so fun getting to know their stories, facilitate interesting conversations about important topics, and see them grow into amazing physicians. They give me hope for the future of our profession!

Scott Saunders, MD

Current Clinical Practice: Addiction Medicine and Hospital Medicine

Professional Interests: Addiction Medicine, work in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Personal Interests: Skiing, Gardening, Working out, Bad TV

I like working with students because medical school is such a formative time in a person's personal and professional life. It is such a privilege to be an active participant in a student's growth during those years.

Sarah Wachtel, MD

Current Clinical Practice: I am a hospitalist (internal medicine) at Denver Health.
Professional Interests: Care for the underserved, public health-especially health education interventions and epidemiology, improving culturally-competent care for Latinx population, and unique considerations in geriatric health care. Also interested in medical school curriculum design and research.
Personal interests: playing and watching soccer, going for walks with my dog, mountain biking, hiking, and board games
I like working with students because I have always been interested in teaching others and have vivid memories of what did or didn't work for me in my educational path, which motivates me to learn about and tailor educational interventions to maximize students' sense of personal and professional fulfillment. Students are inspiring and I love learning about everyone's unique path into medicine and how that fuels them throughout their career. I learn from students too, so it is definitely a two-way street!

Eileen Wang, MD, MPH

Current Clinical Practice Allergy and Immunology (adults)
Professional Interests Asthma outcomes research with focus on health equity, social determinants of heath, and historically marginalized populations; utilizing real-world evidence and mobile health technology for research; teaching medical students, residents, and allergy/immunology fellows.
Personal Interests Backpacking, hiking, stand up paddle boarding, and skiing. I mountain bike fearfully. I have 2 young kids who are awesome.
“I like working with students because…” it is such an honor to work with these inspiring students who bring such great energy and passion into developing into the next generation of physicians. I love learning and growing together and am humbled to be able to support them in this amazing yet challenging journey.

Kelly White, MD

Current Clinical Practice: General Internal Medicine, Adult Primary Care at Anschutz Internal Medicine
Professional Interests: I am a clinician educator. I am interested in all areas of medical education. 
Personal Interests: I love running, hiking, walking our dog, travelling to new places, spending time with family, reading great books, and learning something new. 
I like working with students because… it inspires me to be the best teacher and physician I can be. Each student is a unique individual with a distinct set of talents they bring to this amazingly complex field, and I love helping students grow, learn, and become confident physicians.

Jennifer Whitfield, MD  

Current Clinical Practice: I am currently an attending physician at the Denver Health Emergency Department and am core faculty for the Denver Residency in Emergency Medicine. I have been at Denver Health for about 13 years, having joined the faculty after completing my residency and global health fellowship at The George Washington University in DC.
Professional Interests: I focused on ethics of global health medical missions and medical education for the beginning of my career, and was fortunate enough to do project work in India,Turkey, Guatemala, Peru, Nepal, and Zambia. In the past 3 years, I have shifted my focus to Social Emergency Medicine, which is a new field of study exploring how social determinants of health uniquely affect emergency patients.
Personal Interests: These mostly involve my 2 kids, Ike (14) and Harper (11). We love to travel and be outdoors as much as possible. I personally enjoy long - distance running and have a love-hate relationship with marathon distances. I also love to bake, read, and play Ultimate Frisbee.
I like working with students because... medical school is such a transformative time for people, and it can be as all - consuming and stressful as it is wonderful and engaging. I love providing perspective and helping students stay grounded as they navigate this time, and to be a bridge between the nuts and bolts education they are getting and the "real world" life of practicing medicine.

Chelsea Wolf, MD 

Current Clinical Practice: I am a psychiatrist and the medical director of the adult inpatient psychiatry unit at Denver Health. There, I care for patients who are acutely psychiatrically ill and require hospitalization. I work closely with psychiatry residents and various learners at all levels of training, but the highlight of my job is being able to work with medical students!
Professional Interests: Medical education, firearm injury prevention, quality improvement and workplace safety, addiction medicine.
Personal Interests: Hiking, cross-country skiing, gardening, weight lifting, reading, cooking, and exploring new restaurants!
I like working with students because: I am continuously in awe of students' commitment to learning, their dedication to social justice, and their devotion to caring for their patients and the underserved. It is truly an honor to watch students grow into amazing physicians.  

Brian Wolfe, MD  

Current Clinical Practice Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado Hospital (Anschutz)
Professional Interests Program Director for the Post-graduate APP inpatient training fellowship, Medical Director for the DAWN Clinic, serving uninsured patients in Aurora.
Personal Interest Reading, outdoor anything and driving my kids to activities
I like working with students because I am always humbled by the passion students bring to advocate for their fellow human beings.  Helping them along their path to clinical excellence is personally fulfilling.