Class notes: 2000s
Matthew Winkleman, MD '02 was featured in the Spring 2024 edition of Life & Style in Southern Illinois "I am constantly amazed and inspired at his [Dr. Winkleman's] willingness to go the extra mile for patients. It is not an exaggeration to say he is a rare physician." Read the rest of the article pictured left.
Mettisa McLeod, MD '02 took a new position as Chief, Ambulatory Care at VA St. Louis Health Care System. Congratulations, Dr. McLeod!!
Megan Neely, MD '06 has been selected as the new Chief of Primary Care Service for the Marion VA Healthcare System. Read more here.
Kimberly Nordstrom, MD ’01, emergency psychiatrist and chief medical officer of Rocky Mountain Health Plans, recently discussed trends and statistics in a Boulder Town Hall as related to youth mental health, also offering recommendations on how parents can start and sustain discussions with their children about their mental health. Read about this here.
Dr. Nordstrom also continues as Medical Director of Signal Behavioral Health and an emergency psychiatrist at the University of Colorado Hospital. Dr. Nordstrom has spoken on various behavioral emergency topics nationally and internationally.
Jeremiah Anders and Joe Baima, MDs ’02, had a serendipitous meetup in Rome! Small world! (pictured left)
Jimmy Ruiz, MD ’04, has been promoted to Professor of Medicine; currently Section Chief of Salisbury VAMC; Assistant Director of Clinical Research at the NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Melinda Lukens, MD ’05, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, has been practicing at Northwestern Obstetrics & Gynecology Consultants in Chicago since 2009. She is also on the medical staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Specialty: OB/GYN w/ special interest in minimally invasive surgery and weight loss medicine
Her Why: To optimize women’s overall health through coaching, nutritional and exercise counseling and planning as well as utilizing appropriate medications when necessary.
Fun Facts: When not working, Dr. Lukens enjoys spending time with her family, watching her kids play sports, and staying active.
Get to know more about Dr. Lukens here.
Elizabeth Stewart, MD ’07, Congratulations to Beth Stewart, MD, Associate Member in Oncology, for being named the 2023 St. Jude "Outstanding Physician"! Nominated by her peers, Dr. Stewart has been recognized for embodying key characteristics of a good physician such as executing high-level scholarship and demonstrating compassion, communication skills, collaboration, ability to work in a team, integrity, creative thinking, and having high personal ethics.
Jeffrey Tubbs, MD ’08, “is inpatient section chief for spinal cord injury and disorders, Richmond, Virginia VA Medical Center, and assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.”
Nathan Jones, MD ’09, “NASA intends to send a crewed mission to Mars in the decades ahead, but one team is already living on the Red Planet while staying put on Earth. CHAPEA1 is an analogue mission, a 378-day simulation of what it could be like when astronauts are actually on Mars.” Find out more about the mission, of which Dr. Jones is part.
Whitney Luke, MD ’09, "We welcomed our son, Cade Luke Cropper, on July 28, 2023.” Dr. Luke currently serves as Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Tabitha Wells, MD '09, opened a private practice, Be Well Health, in Springfield, IL. Dr. Wells started her Direct Primary Care practice to take back control of how she practices medicine while enhancing patient access and prioritizing the patient-physician relationship. Patients can expect her to take as much time as needed to understand their health needs and ensure they feel seen and heard on every visit.
Learn more about her new practice here! (pictured left)
These class notes are updated with the latest content from 2023 through April 2024.