Our Team

U-M Internal Medicine Residency Program Team

Program Director

Dr. Del Valle
John Del Valle, MD
Program Director, Senior Associate Chair, Graduate Medical Education

John Del Valle, MD, AGAF, FACP
Senior Associate Chair, Graduate Medical Education
Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program

Dr. John Del Valle received his BS in chemistry from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico in 1976 and his MD from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine in 1980. He went on to do internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia from 1980-1983. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Michigan in 1986, where he subsequently became an instructor. John became Professor of Medicine in 1998. He has been Senior Associate Chair of Medicine for Graduate Medical Education and Residency Program Director since 2000. 

Professional Interests: My clinical practice is in both outpatient and inpatient gastroenterology. In the outpatient setting, I see cases in general gastroenterology with a focus on patients with inflammatory bowel disease, peptic acid disorders, as well as rare tumors of the neuroendocrine variety. I perform endoscopy on a regular basis in our Medical Procedures Unit. I round on the inpatient lumenal service which focuses on delivering care to patients with advanced inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic biliary disease, and general gastrointestinal disorders.

My academic activities have varied over the years. Initially, my scholarly contributions were in the field of basic science gastrointestinal biology. Over the last decade my interests have been in the areas of medical education, patient safety, and quality improvement. I have had multiple administrative roles over the years at an institutional and national level. These have extended from serving on a host of institutional committees that have helped shape the many conversations on campus surrounding patient care, education. and research. In addition, I have served on multiple committees within our national organization, the American Gastroenterological Association. Most recently, I served as interim chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, chair of the Dean’s committee to review the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, and Special Section Editor for the Mentoring, Education and Training section for the journal Gastroenterology.

Personal Interests: I am passionate about spending time with family and friends. We have four children and three grandchildren who are in the immediate area. When not spending time with friends and family I enjoy hiking, photography, traveling, and playing golf (albeit poorly).

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: Having grown up in New York City (the Bronx) and having lived in Puerto Rico for 12 years gives me a rather unique perspective on practicing and living in Ann Arbor. Originally, I anticipated spending a total of three years here for training. It was obvious to me from the start that the University offered many benefits, not only to practice and to learn medicine, but to develop long term friendships and collaborations. I believe the greatest strengths of our institution have to do with the people. It is truly a pleasure and an honor to work with such an outstanding group of staff members, students, trainees, and faculty members. The breadth of our institution and the collaboration and collegiality within it bars none. In addition, the location of our medical campus within the broader scope of a wonderful, top ranked university with both undergraduate and graduate offerings is a major strength. Finally, Ann Arbor has been extraordinarily welcoming to my family and I. It has a wonderful blend of social cultural offerings in a setting that is extraordinarily pleasant, desirable, and easy to live in.

Program Leadership

U-M Internal Medicine Residency Program Leadership Team

Kristin Collier, MD
Kristin Collier, MD

Kristin Collier, MD
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Chief Medical Resident, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 2005
Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2004
University of Michigan Medical School, 2001

Professional Interests: My clinical practice is an outpatient practice where I take care of adult patients in a community setting. I provide a variety of clinical services, such as preventative health maintenance visits, chronic disease management visits, and urgent/acute care visits. My clinical interests involve the primary care of women, and preventative care along the lifespan. My academic interests focus on the teaching of students and residents, especially in the domains of clinical and interpersonal skills and the delivery of high-value, evidence-based care.

Personal Interests: I enjoy spending time with my husband and four sons, crafting, and baking homemade bread and desserts for family and friends.

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: I enjoy practicing at the University of Michigan for several reasons. First and foremost is the collegial atmosphere that abounds here. I am continually inspired by the creative, intelligent colleagues that surround me, and also how personable and friendly they are. I am so grateful to have the wide range of world-class medical resources that exist here at the University at my fingertips to take care of my patients in the ways that they need. I am continually motivated by the environment of academic rigor and the emphasis on lifelong learning that surrounds me.

 

Kevin Flaherty, MD, MS, FCCP
Kevin Flaherty, MD, MS, FCCP

Kevin Flaherty, MD, MS, FCCP
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Master of Science, Biostatistics and Clinical Study Design, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 2001
Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2000
Chief Medical Resident, Indiana University, 1997
Internal Medicine Residency Program, Indiana University, 1996
Indiana University School of Medicine, 1993

Professional Interests: My clinical and academic interests focus around the care and study of patients with interstitial lung diseases. I am the director of the University of Michigan Interstitial Lung Disease Program and the steering committee chair for the national Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s Care Center Network and Patient Registry. My research is clinically based with a primary focus on determining the best design, outcome measures, and conducting clinical trials of novel therapies for patients with interstitial lung diseases. I am also vice-chair of the University of Michigan’s Institutional Review Board. I enjoy mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows in clinical research.

Personal Interests: I enjoy spending time with my family (wife and seven children) who continually teach and amaze me. I like various forms of exercise including cross country skiing, swimming, biking, and running (I completed two ironman triathlons and numerous marathons and hope to continue as long as my joints will allow). I would like to play guitar better and do a small part in supporting the Michigan economy via its micro-brew industry.

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: The overall collaborative work environment that carries through the missions of providing excellent patient care, advancing science through research, and training physicians and scientists.

 

Sarah Hartley, MD
Sarah Hartley, MD

Sarah Hartley, MD
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Chief Medical Resident, Detroit Medical Center-Wayne State University, 2008
Internal Medicine Residency Program, Detroit Medical Center-Wayne State University, 2007
Wayne State University School of Medicine, 2004

Professional Interests: My clinical practice is primarily inpatient as a hospitalist in the Department of Internal Medicine. In addition, I volunteer at the student run free clinic, a local resource for patients without insurance. My academic interests include treatment and evaluation of hospitalized patients with urinary tract infection and development of clinical reasoning skill in learners.

Personal Interests: Outside of the hospital, I enjoy spending time outdoors and traveling. 

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: The team and collaboration it provides. The goal is to provide every patient with the best care possible, learning together and appreciating the input from all individuals including the patient, their family, nursing, trainees, and other faculty members.

 

Nathan Houchens, MD
Nathan Houchens, MD

Nathan Houchens, MD
Assistant Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Director, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Learning Program
Chief Medical Resident, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 2011
Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2010
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, 2007

Professional Interests: As a member of the Division of Hospital Medicine, my clinical practice centers around the care of hospitalized medicine patients at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System. I serve as director of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Program for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and this role allows me to facilitate the fundamentals of safe, effective patient care within complex healthcare systems and explore new ways of teaching and learning these concepts. My academic interests revolve around interpersonal relationships and communication in healthcare settings. I strive to emphasize the immense role communication plays in patient and provider satisfaction, professionalism, humanism, clinical reasoning, and medical education at multiple learning levels. As a National Correspondent of the Journal of Hospital Medicine, I am delighted to be able to share the thought processes of outstanding clinicians who face challenging patient situations through scholarly writing. 

Personal Interests: I can often be found exploring Ann Arbor, Detroit, and the surrounding communities - traveling wherever I can to experience new cultures and cuisines, sitting on the third base line at a Tigers game, enjoying live music, reading a comic book, playing the guitar, or attempting (and failing) to regain the glory days of my high school cross country and track career.

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: I was honored to serve as a Chief Medical Resident here which solidified in me the desire to teach in whatever ways possible. There is no greater joy I take in my work than when I can teach and learn alongside talented and motivated house officers and medical students. These individuals, and the mentors I have been privileged to know at Michigan, have inspired me to continue my journey of lifelong learning and to provide superb care to those in need.

 

Kate Levy, MD
Kate Levy, MD

Kate Levy, MD
Assistant Program Director, Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 2018
Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2017
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2013

Professional Interests: I am a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Hospitalist. I love the variability of my clinical roles particularly the ability to work with learners and interface with the various subspecialists on a day to day. It’s never boring! In additional to my clinical roles, I also participate in various GME initiatives at the IM and Peds residency level and across the institution. I also have various roles in patient safety and quality improvement in the realm of education, committees and project work.

Personal Interests: Outside of the hospital, I enjoy anything outside even in Michigan weathers. On any given day, you can find me running through the various neighborhoods and parks, biking on the many dirt roads surrounding Ann Arbor, xc skiing or swinging clubs on the local golf courses or walking my dog, Callaway, all over town. When I’m not on the go, you’ll find me hanging in my backyard tending to my vegetable and flower gardens or cooking up something in the kitchen. 

What I Enjoy about Practicing at the University of Michigan: So many things, but to name one, I love the collaboration I get to see on a day to day basis whether it is on the wards, working on improving the safety of care we deliver or developing new ways to educate the next generation of medical providers. 

 

Michael Lukela, MD

Michael Lukela, MD
Director, Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program
Chief Medical Resident, Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 2003
Combined Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2002
Harvard Medical School, 1998

Professional Interests: My clinical practice is primarily inpatient as a hospitalist in the Department of Internal Medicine. In addition, I volunteer at the HOPE clinic, a local resource for adult and pediatric patients without insurance. My primary academic focus has been in medical education where I am extensively involved in both Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) as the Director of the Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, member of the Admissions Executive Committee, and Director of the M2 Clinical Comprehensive Assessment. I have interest in educational assessment and curricular innovation and design. My academic and research interests are in DEI, well-being, and educational assessment. As a clinician educator, I work to inspire and empower students and residents to become the next generation of physician leaders to care for the needs of children and adults across our communities.

Personal Interests: Outside of the hospital, I coach competitive soccer (formerly Olympic Development Program and local club; currently local high school), compete in marathons and distance triathlons, and love spending time with my wife (a primary care physician and Vice Chief for Clinical Strategy in the Division of General Medicine), sons, and doggies (Duke & Ruthie).

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: The people. My faculty colleagues and our residents are truly exceptional individuals. In addition to providing outstanding care for our patients, everyone is warm, friendly, easy-going, and compassionate. It is simply a wonderful community to be part of.

 

Rebecca Northway, MD
Rebecca Northway, MD

Rebecca Northway, MD
Assistant Program Director, Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program
Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, Providence Hospital Athletic Medicine, 2010
Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2009
Michigan State College of Human Medicine, 2005

Learn more about Dr. Rebecca Northway.

 

Rachel Perlman, MD

Rachel Perlman, MD
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Nephrology Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2003
Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2000
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 1997

Professional Interests: My clinical practice is primarily in Nephrology. My clinical interests include peritoneal dialysis, home hemo dialysis and in-center dialysis--and educating patients to choose the dialysis modality that best meets their needs. I also volunteer with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan because I share the organization's mission of promoting kidney health and reducing disease burden through patient education. I am also involved with undergraduate medical education, and enjoy teaching early medical students clinical skills in physical exam, history taking and clinical reasoning.

Personal Interests: Outside of the hospital, I enjoy trying to keep up with my sons (they run faster than me!), spending time with my family, and our German Shepherd puppy who is also quite fast.

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: I came to the University of Michigan for my own training and never left. I enjoy working with outstanding faculty colleagues and nephrology fellows, a terrific group of residents, and wonderful medical students. I appreciate and am proud to be part of the commitment to patients embodied by the University of Michigan.

 

Sara Platte, MD
Sara Platte, MD

Sara Platte, MD
Assistant Program Director, Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program
Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, University of Chicago, 2007
University of Michigan Medical School, 2003

Learn more about Dr. Sarah Platte.

 

Virginia Sheffield, MD
Virginia Sheffield, MD

Virginia Sheffield, MD
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Chief Medical Resident, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 2021
Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2020
University of Michigan Medical School, 2017

Professional Interests: I'm passionate about creating equitable spaces in academic medicine particularly at the GME level and bedside and clinical training education for residents and medical students on the wards. I'm currently involved with the Macy grant where we are addressing patient-initiated harassment and a pilot project to supply hands free pumps for lactating trainees. I also work at the medical school level to decrease bias in narrative assessment.

Personal Interests: Outside of work, I enjoy running (slowly), hiking, exploring local breweries, spending time with family, camping, and rec & ed (kickball, volleyball).

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: I enjoy meeting people from all over with diverse interests and passions, learning from the unique experiences of our students and residents, the total collaborative environment where people are passionate about what they do, and getting to know and caring for my patients.


Thomas H. Sisson, MD

Thomas H. Sisson, MD
Director, Physician Scientist Training Program
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, University of Michigan, 1998
Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Michigan, 1995
University of Michigan Medical School, 1992

Professional Interests:  My clinical practice occurs in both outpatient and inpatient pulmonary and critical care. In the outpatient setting, I care for patients who have general pulmonary problems with a focus on individuals with cystic fibrosis and other causes of diffuse bronchiectasis. As part of my inpatient responsibilities, I round in the medicine intensive care unit and I oversee bronchoscopies on a recurrent basis in our Medical Procedures Unit. 

My academic activities are centered on research and education. I supervise a basic science laboratory that focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis. In the area of medical education, beyond my participation in the medicine residency program, I help supervise the respiratory sequence for the first year medical students. I also am an active participant in the curriculum transformation that is ongoing in our medical school, and I am overseeing the integration of scientific education in the clinical setting.

Personal Interests: In addition to spending time with my family (including 2 daughters), I am passionate about endurance sports including running, cycling, and cross country skiing. As a life-long Ann Arborite, I also cheer hard for University of Michigan sports.

 

Adam Tremblay, MD

Adam Tremblay, MD
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Michigan, 2002
Dartmouth Medical School, 1999

Professional Interests: My clinical practice includes primary care clinic and inpatient general medicine wards at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS). In these venues, I am fortunate to be able to serve our nation's veterans and heroes. I strive to incorporate the principles of the patient centered medical home and a team approach to comprehensively manage all of my patients' medical, social, and family concerns. I have found my clinical practice to be stimulating and extremely personally gratifying. In addition to my clinical work, I am fortunate to be the Director of Primary Care and the Associate Chief of Medicine at the VAAAHS. In these roles I am able to serve as an educator for several resident conferences including inpatient and outpatient morning report, morbidity and mortality conference, intern report and resident continuity clinic. Educating residents and students is my true passion and joy. My research interests blend with my administrative roles as I focus on implementation of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Model of healthcare delivery within an academic VA setting.

Personal Interests: My greatest joy in my personal time is spending time with my family and friends. I have three children and treasure every moment with them, including coaching my son’s youth sports teams. When not spending time with family, I enjoy playing and watching numerous sports as well as playing fantasy football and baseball.

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: I grew up and did all of my formal training in New Hampshire and then moved to Ann Arbor in 1999 to begin residency training. I chose Ann Arbor at that time because I perceived the residency program to be a perfect blend of education and fun. My perceptions were accurate as I received an outstanding education from dedicated faculty and colleagues in a supportive and collegial environment. I developed lifelong friendships during those three years and to this day communicate with my former classmates on a near daily basis. The University of Michigan has been extremely supportive of my personal and academic growth. I cannot say enough positives about the community of Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor offers a magnificent blend of social and cultural opportunities and simply a wonderful environment to raise a family.

 

Sarah Yentz, MD
Sarah Yentz, MD

Sarah Yentz, MD
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Hematology & Oncology Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2018
Internal Medicine Residency Program, Northwestern University, 2015
University of Michigan Medical School, 2011

Professional Interests: I am a medical oncologist providing care to adult patients at the Brighton Center for Specialty Care at U-M, as well as the Ann Arbor VA hospital. I primarily treat genitourinary malignancies and melanoma. I am involved with undergraduate medical education where I teach early medical students clinical skills in physical exam, history taking, and clinical reasoning. I also direct our hematology & oncology fellowship curriculum at the VA.

Personal Interests: Outside of the hospital, I enjoy spending time with my husband, son, daughter, and our dog Rockit, as well as my parents who luckily live nearby. During the summer, we enjoy visiting South Haven to spend time on the beach of Lake Michigan.

What I Enjoy About Practicing at the University of Michigan: I continue to be impressed by the collaboration, skill, and dedication of my colleagues at U-M to provide the best care possible for our patients. I am lucky to work in a great multidisciplinary group to care for cancer patients and turn to my colleagues often to discuss difficult cases. I am honored to get to work with amazing trainees (medical students, residents, and fellows) who keep me on my toes and up-to-date (both clinically and culturally!).

 

Program Staff

U-M Internal Medicine Residency Program Staff
Front Row, L to R: Evonne Weatherford, Nancy Dixson, Jamie Jackson, Amanda Sikorski
Back Row, L to R: Brian Minnich, Jason Burgamy

Lisa Miller, MPA, C-TAGME, Education Manager & Lead Fellowship Coordinator

Professional Interests: As the Education Manager, I function as a liaison between the program director, the Institutional Graduate Medical Education Office and departmental administration. I provide supervision for the program staff and our resident assistants and am a resource for our Fellowship Program Administrators. 

I think graduate medical education is a fascinating field due to the continual advancements and challenges. I really enjoy being able to help foster career development in my team members. I get to be a part of their journey to the careers they dream of having; and that is such a gift. 

Personal Interests: I am just starting to embrace the idea I get to have these again. My oldest just graduated High School and my youngest is a Junior in Hight School this year and I am starting to have time for myself.  I enjoy reading and walking around the lake near our house.  I am researching new hobbies, so if you have any fun suggestions send them my way.  

What I Enjoy About Living In Our Community:  Whether you are looking to do something as a family, on a date-night, or just out with friends there are endless options all within easy reach; there is such a variety of options from concerts to rock climbing that no matter your personal preferences, or budget, you can always find something to do.


Jason Burgamy, Assistant GME Program Administrator 

Professional Interests: I started working with Michigan Medicine back in 2013 with the Department of Psychiatry. There I worked as a Patient Services Assistant and Intermediate, as well as a Clinical/Clerical Assistant with psychiatry research.  I loved working with Child Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, and helping with Adult Psychiatry.  I made the change over to an Administration Assistant for Internal Medicine back in September 2019, just prior to the pandemic. I am responsible for evaluations, schedules, monthly call schedules, paging website, meal money and meal money requests, parking, and assisting with the department's annual research symposium.   

Personal Interests: I have way too many interests far and wide ranging from nerdy to cool. I love board games, from D&D to Chess, from Risk to Warhammer, from Catan to Terraforming Mars. If it isn’t board gaming, its virtual gaming with video games such as Final Fantasy series, Starcraft/Command & Conquer. Just because I play video games doesn’t mean I’m not active. I love kicking a soccer ball around and playing indoor/outdoor whenever I can. I grew up in the Hip Hop and BBoy (breakdance) community but slowly moved out of that and took up dancing salsa and bachata. I still get my acrobatic and creative fix through Capoeira, a Brazilian Martial Arts that’s very physically demanding. Above all, my life revolves around music. Without music, the world would have no rhythm, heart, nor soul. 

What I Enjoy About Living in Our Community:  I love this city, so much so that my wife and I bought a house here in 2021. I may not have graduated from the University of Michigan, but I always knew I would find a way to be a part of the culture and team. I love taking my dog for walks downtown especially during Art Fair, practicing capoeira in the diag, and dancing on the streets during Top of the Park. Dance Revolution and CDO Capoeira Ann Arbor are the two main communities I found families in. I’ve made some lasting friendships and have friends all over the nation because of Ann Arbor.   


Venice Ficut, GME Program Administrator Intermediate

Professional Interests: In February 2022, I have joined the Internal Medicine Residency Program as a GME Program Administrator, I have been learning a lot with my new role and our department. My department role involves, resident holiday pay and substitutions, mileage request, MKSAP and lab coat orders; concur reimbursements; research funds, USMLE Step 3, etc. Also, Loan Forgiveness Forms and many more as I am learning and getting more trained by my awesome team and leadership. I do have my MBA in Healthcare Leadership from Cleary University— I do want to explore and grow with Internal Medicine and see how I can help, learn, and grow professionally.

Personal Interests:  I am currently about to be a first-time mom; my personal interest would be my future son right now and learning about “motherhood”. Besides that, I do love to spend time with family and friends. My husband and I enjoy traveling, camping, outdoor fun, road trips, food trips and visiting family at our home countries (Philippines and Romania).

What I Enjoy About Living in Our Community: Ann Arbor is such a great and diverse community, that is why I like working for Michigan Medicine. I did move to Howell, Michigan— north of Ann Arbor as my family is growing. As much as I enjoy the busy-ness of the college town, I do like my peace and quiet in Howell (and it is still a short drive to busy towns, with great people and restaurants, art fairs, music etc.)


Jamie Jackson, Medicine Pediatrics GME Program Administrator

Professional Interests:  In 2015, I joined the Internal Medicine Residency Program and for four years, I was the Program Administrative Assistant and main support for Dr. Del Valle. As I gained more knowledge and experience, I discovered a passion for Graduate Medical Education and was given the opportunity to join the Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program in 2019. As the MedPeds GME Program Administrator, my tasks involve anything and everything MedPeds related and I also assist as a second support for Dr. Del Valle. I love working with our residents, program leadership, and faculty - we truly are a “MedPeds Family”! 

Personal Interests:  I have a love for volleyball and hockey! In 2019, I “retired” from coaching volleyball after 10 years and hope to one day get involved again. Naturally, my favorite places to be on a weekend evening consist of Cliff Keen and Yost Ice Arena. I highly recommend a trip to both – the athletic atmosphere is truly unique at Michigan. I also have a love for vacationing around the Great Lakes – especially in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan which has so many “hidden gems” and there is a lot to explore. My office décor is a testament to the beauty of Michigan!

What I Enjoy About Living in Our Community:  Although I currently don’t live around Ann Arbor, I grew up 10 minutes from this fun-filled city and continue to enjoy all it has to offer. Ann Arbor truly is unique and offers activities to suit many interests - enjoy a day on the Huron River or walk down Main Street to shop and dine, just to name a few options.


Brian Minnich, Database Administrator

Professional Interests: I am the program database administrator. Any place there's data collection in the program you'll probably find me somewhere. For instance, I work with evaluations and other data to create reports for the program directors to track resident progress through residency. I am also involved with overseeing schedules, such as continuity clinic schedules.

Personal Interests: I am the resident nerd. If you stand around the office long enough you'll probably learn something about rockets, plate tectonics, history, or whatever random topic I've been reading about lately (bronze/iron age Scandinavian history, at the moment). My wife and I have three children. I enjoy strategy games, reading, and world building. When we can, we love to get out hiking, camping, biking, and canoeing, preferably up north.

What I Enjoy About Living in Our Community: Ann Arbor is a very open, multi-cultural community. I enjoy all of the people that I meet and all of the good food that can be found. There are a lot of good little hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants. I'm not so much a city person, but Ann Arbor has a lot of green space and parks, which is really nice. More generally, Michigan is a beautiful state. There are all sorts of beautiful places around the great lakes. Some highlights are Sleeping Bear Dunes, Pictured Rocks, and Copper Harbor. I strongly recommend taking some time to explore.


Stephanie Pennington, GME Program Administrator

Professional Interests:  Working as a Program Administrator I have found interests in learning and excelling with the orientation and recruitment process. Each year always brings new and exciting changes that keep us on our toes. I am excited to continue learning and bringing innovating processes to Internal Medicine in hopes to make each year 1% better than last.

Personal Interests: You can usually find me either at the soccer fields, running or playing with my dog Storm. Over the last couple of years I have also found a new interest in cooking! I still have a lot of learning to do, but it has been fun creating new recipes and figuring out what flavors mix well with others! I also enjoy reading and traveling. My husband and I have been planning trips for around the world. In 2021 we were able to escape to Ireland and it was one of the best trips to date!

What I Enjoy About Living in Our Community: I grew up here in Ann Arbor! Every year I still look forward to top of park, the art fair, the ice sculpture contests, and so much more. I love the fact that you can be downtown with all the restaurants, shops, and activities one minute and then the next be in Nicholas Arboretum surrounded by nature. There are also so many different restaurants to choose from, it makes going out with friends or a significant other fun and exciting!


Evonne Weatherford, Administrative Assistant

Professional Interests: I’m the administrative assistant for the residency program and support our Dr. John Del Valle, our Internal Medicine Residency Program Director. I also serve as the liaison for eight of our assistant program directors and schedule resident and committee meetings, prepare files, and organize events such as the house officer retreats along with several other tasks.

Personal Interests: My husband and I love to go camping. We go every chance we get and have camped all over our beautiful state of Michigan. Sunsets off Lake Michigan are the best! We have two semi-grown children. My daughter is a college student and my son moved out of state after he graduated. Watching Michigan football with family and friends is also one of my favorite things to do, GO BLUE!

What I Enjoy About Living In Our Community: I’ve lived in Ann Arbor for over 20 years and I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d want to be! The diversity in this city, as well as the people, are a huge asset to living here. Ann Arbor is a perfect place to raise a family with a great school system and awesome neighborhoods all over the city. The downtown area offers a wide variety of unique shops, delicious restaurants, and is close to the University of Michigan campus where you can walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery. There’s definitely a little something for everyone!

Chief Medical Residents

View Our Residents page.

Residents

View Our Residents page.

Resident Assistants

Resident Assistants
Front Row, L to R: Hope Pennanen, Deanna Wadley
Back Row, L to R: L. Deon Williams, Erica Ashe, Cindi Schrader

Deanna Wadley, Clinical Manager

Professional Interests: Interests include continuing to learn Michigan Medicine’s operations and identifying how our teams may best connect our patients with timely care within all of Michigan Medicine areas. Learning how to best meet our resident assistant and internal medicine teams needs by providing a supportive environment with materials, assistance, and information. Continuing to utilize Michigan Medicine educational leadership opportunities.

Personal Interests: I enjoy spending time with family and friends. As a hobby, I enjoy reading and refinishing/recycling antique furniture. I also enjoy gardening when Michigan weather allows. My family and I support Therapaws of Michigan - we have a therapy dog, Legend, who previously made hospital visits, but now does Zoom visits. Finally, I enjoy traveling within Michigan and to other states.

What I enjoy about living in our community: I enjoy our community very much. We have raised two children within the area and have found Ann Arbor to have an abundance of learning opportunities such as museums, entertaining events, sporting events, festivals, and plenty of nature activities within the many local parks.


Erica Ashe, Resident Assistant

Professional Interests: To provide superior department support, up to and including obtaining medical records, radiology studies, cardiac, and echo images. I actively work with bridging the gap between medical staff, nursing, and outpatient clinics. I assist with facilitating outpatient appointments within Michigan Medicine clinics and non-Michigan Medicine medical offices. I specialize with scheduling for chemotherapy, hematology, and oncology appointments within our health system or outside clinics within the state of Michigan. I’m here to help with whatever the needs of the team are.

Personal Interests: I perform with Out-Loud Chorus nationally. I love all things Sci-Fi. I’m an avid reader/book collector. My accomplishments include speaking to congress in Washington, DC regarding health care disparities within the People of Color Trans community and providing in-services discussions within Michigan Medicine units such as the adult inpatient units, UH PACU, etc. covering topics such as “How to properly care to patients who identify as Transgender”.

What I enjoy about living in our community: The main thing I love about Ann Arbor is the many opportunities to perform; there is musical theater and opportunities to sing at different restaurants and venues all throughout the city. 


Hope Pennanen, Resident Assistant

Professional Interests: I have been with the University of Michigan for about seven years now. I am the resident assistant for the General Medicine teams Francis, Dock, and Hewlett. My main focus is assisting and supporting the residents and interns on a daily basis with anything they might need.

Personal interests: I love to spend time with my family and friends. We enjoy traveling and exploring new places with our daughter. I love to create something new whether it be through gardening, cooking, crafting, or baking.  

What I enjoy about living in our community: I live about 20 minutes outside of Ann Arbor. I love coming into the area for the all the great parks, restaurants, and festivals. It really is such a fun city to explore and I’m always finding something new to enjoy.


Cindi Schrader, Resident Assistant

Professional Interests: I have been with the University for 13 years. I started in the position of a resident assistant in April 2018. My main focus is assisting and supporting the residents and interns on a daily basis and building a great working relationship with them. I currently work with the two Gastroenterology inpatient teams and two inpatient General Medicine (Sturgis) (Newburgh) services.

Personal interests: Spending time with my family and friends. I am a huge college football fan - GO BLUE! I am hoping to start doing some more traveling with my fiancé now, as my 3 little boys who are actually men now don’t need me so much anymore. I enjoy Zumba and Cardio Drumming.

What I enjoy about living in our community: I currently live in Pinckney with my fiancé and my Greyhound Fin. We have a lot of nice parks and where we do a lot of walking and hiking. (Our Greyhound is quite the socialite.)


L. Deon Williams, Resident Assistant

Professional Interest: My role is to support the cardiology team in any way possible for the smooth transition of care and continuum of care. I also assist in other areas as well when needed. Some of these task do include light training when necessary and special projects.

Personal Interest: I am a minister at my local church – and in the process of launching a new ministry. I also attend Slidell seminary school where I am working on my Masters of Divinity degree. I love spending time with my family, working out, traveling, cooking, visiting new restaurants, and reading. In addition, I love to research - it generally intrigues me.

What I enjoy about living in our community: I have been in the Ann Arbor/ Ypsilanti area for more than half of my life. I appreciate the diversity it has to offer and the opportunity to be cultured in knowledge, food etc.

 

Contact Us -  [email protected]    (734) 936-4385