GettyImages-145652391-hero

Medical College of Wisconsin Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Team

Faculty

Casey M. Calkins, MD, FACS, FAAP

View Casey M. Calkins, MD, FACS, FAAP Profile

I was born and grew up in southern California. I matriculated in medical school here in Milwaukee in 1992 where I met my wife Barbara, who was a medical student in my class. We went through the couple’s match and landed in Denver, Colorado – I a general surgery resident and she a resident in Pediatrics. We had two boys while completing our residencies – Chris and Corey, who have now since gone on to college. We have lived in Brookfield ( a western suburb of Milwaukee) since finishing my fellowship, and I have served on the faculty at The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin since that time, and Barb is a pediatrician in the community. We enjoy everything outdoors – hiking, skiing, boating, and travel. I especially enjoy fly fishing and have a home in Montana, where our family frequently vacations. I also have a longstanding interest in music, thoroughbred horse racing and am a former competitive racquetball and soccer player. Our only child at home is our beloved Greater Swiss Mountain Dog – Piper.

Casey Calkins, MD

Brian T. Craig, MD

View Brian T. Craig, MD Profile

Born and raised in western New York, I grew up skiing and ice skating in the winter and playing golf and baseball in the summer. My wife Liz and I met while we were in medical school together in Pittsburgh. As avid music fans, living in Nashville, Tennessee for residency offered us so many incredible music experiences. Here in Wisconsin we are re-discovering our love of snow, and I am embracing the amazing golf in the area. Our one-year old daughter Meredith likes to spend her time picking up every leaf she can find and petting the neighbors’ dogs.

Brian Craig, MD

John C. Densmore, MD

View John C. Densmore, MD Profile

I was born to an army lawyer and a concert flutist in the deep south. We moved all over including to Tehran, Iran just prior to the Iranian revolution. Eventually my family found our way back to Alabama and subsequently Pensacola, FL where I completed middle and high school years. Traveling the world and making new friends with every move taught me the importance of family, gave me a great appreciation for our freedoms, and gave me a much bigger view of the world. I wound up in a small liberal arts college in MN, which is a story unto itself, majored in chemistry due to a crush on my professor, and spent a postgrad year at Mayo Clinic studying laser induced fluorescence of Barrett’s esophagus. I survived on a bike that year—cycling the Douglas trail 30 miles most days after work. I started a PhD in bioinorganic chemistry using ultrasound to crosslink hemoglobin into extremely cooperative microspheres. The rats we studied turned white when we exchanged transfused them, but were none the wiser. I elected to cut short my nine-year path and finish my medical degree in Peoria where I met my pediatrician wife, Emily, and we couples matched to MCW. I have had the privilege of training and practicing in Milwaukee. We have two boys, Will and Henry, and I spend a lot of dad time attending rowing regattas and cross country events. As a family, we like to hike 14ers in Colorado, ski, snowboard, waterski, and camp in the beautiful north woods. Lately I have been into endurance cycling—time in the saddle helps me focus and recenter.

John Densmore, MD

Katy Flynn-O’Brien, MD, MPH

View Katy Flynn-O'Brien, MD, MPH Profile

I was born and raised in NM, which comes with a love of red and green chile (i.e., “Christmas”), all you can eat chips and salsa, and sopapillas with honey. I was also spoiled with the best sunsets in the entire world. I went to college “back east”, and then took a hiatus from school and focused on marathon training/racing for a year, and then moved to and lived in rural Ecuador for a year. In Ecuador, I acquired a taste for high-altitude mountaineering. Logically, I then did my general surgery training in Seattle where I could summit Mt. Rainer and Mt. Backer on the weekends. I met my husband over brunch at a diner in Seattle. We married 2 years later during my junior fellow year here in Milwaukee. We love Milwaukee, and are especially fond of the hipster coffee, food, and cocktail scene. We have an amazing daughter, Olive, who is a year-old December 2021. She is the coolest.

Katherine Flynn-O'Brien, MD, MPH

David Gourlay, MD

View David Gourlay, MD Profile

I was born and raised in the San Francisco, Bay Area. I went to college at UC Santa Barbara. I came to Milwaukee for medical school at MCW and then out to Seattle for general surgery residency at the University of Washington. I met my wife Christine in Seattle. We moved to Milwaukee for fellowship at Children’s Wisconsin and have remained here ever since. Christine and I have three kids: Conner (18), Miles (14) and Olivia (12). We live in Mequon which is a suburb north of downtown Milwaukee. Playing tennis is a requirement for our family. Both Christine and I grew up playing and now our kids play year-round too. I am now the worst in my family! We all like to ski (Alpine) during the winter. We ski at one of the private ski hills around Milwaukee and I enjoy skiing out West and in Vermont. I am trying to learn guitar but realizing I am not good at teaching myself. I try to exercise daily: running, biking and strength training. My wife and kids spend most summers in Vermont where she grew-up and most of my vacation time during the summer is spent there. My parents & sister’s family still live in the SF Bay Area and we spend time there too. I have been in the US Army Reserves since 1997 and have deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo throughout my career.

David Gourlay, MD

Dave Lal, MD

View Dave Lal, MD Profile

I was born in Chicago to immigrant parents. My mother, a nurse, escaped from Czechoslovakia and my father came from India and completed his general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery training in Chicago. I was constantly exposed to medicine as a child and developed an early interest in following my father’s footsteps. I went to residency with the intention of becoming a CT surgeon, but in my 3rd year of residency rotated on pediatric surgery. I was enthralled with the breadth of surgery and enjoyed caring for kids. I realized quickly that pediatric surgery was my calling. I subsequently completed fellowships in pediatric surgical oncology (MSKCC) and advanced adult minimally invasive surgery (University of Washington). It was at the University of Washington, that I met my wife Alysandra, who was a general surgery resident. We moved to Wisconsin, and I completed my pediatric surgery fellowship at MCW. After fellowship, I joined the faculty at MCW and have remained here since. Alysandra is a private practice general surgeon, and we have two boys (Layton aged 13 and Aidan aged 14 years). We enjoy all types of activities including in the summer-paddle boarding, wake surfing, hiking, and biking. In the winter we enjoy downhill skiing, cross country skiing and snow shoeing. We are avid travelers, so when we have free time, we usually explore different parts of the world. My older son, Aidan joins me for Crossfit most mornings prior to school/work. My younger son, Layton, enjoys acting and has participated in two professional productions at First Stage Theater in Milwaukee. Lastly, we have a 100 lbs. Bernedoodle, Athena, that loves the Wisconsin climate. She is just as comfortable swimming from our boat in the hot summer to rolling in the winter snow.

Dave Lal, MD, MPH

Jose Salazar Osuna, MD

View Jose Salazar Osuna, MD Profile

I was born and raised in Mexico. Couples matched with my wife who is a Pediatric ICU Neurologist and moved to the US for residency. Since then we have moved from Baltimore to Milwaukee and had four kids. I enjoy watching mind-numbing action movies in the theater, most of the time I go by myself since my wife does not like going to the theater and my kids are too young for most movies. We enjoy skiing and take a yearly trip to the Rockies.

Jose Salazar Osuna, MD

Jack Schneider, MD, FACS, FAAP

View Jack Schneider, MD, FACS, FAAP Profile

I was born and raised in Waukesha, WI. I chose to attend University of Notre Dame, where I majored in Biological Sciences. Go Irish! Subsequently, I returned to Milwaukee for medical school here at Medical College of Wisconsin. I met my wife during my last year and matched at the University of Vermont for general surgery residency. We were married during my chief year. We then spent time in Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City and Grand Rapids, Michigan as I completed my specialty training and began my career before coming back to be on the faculty here at MCW.

My wife, Emily, is a University of Wisconsin-Madison alum who has worked in Human Resources for a variety of companies, including Burton Snowboards. She loves spinning and rarely misses a day at the gym. We have two children, Virginia (7) and Peter (4). Gigi loves Girl Scouts, and Peter’s personality fills the room no matter where he goes. We live close to Children’s in Elm Grove. We love taking walks in our neighborhood. On weekends, you can find us enjoying the local parks and lakes, hiking, or skiing – both Nordic and Alpine.

I am an avid golfer, and enjoy getting out to enjoy the game and nature simultaneously. I am sports fan – Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Brewers, Packers, Bucks and PGA. I am former hockey player (goalie), and enjoy following college and NHL as well. I enjoy music – rock, alternative, country, 90s rap – just no Adele! I love going to outdoor concerts in the Summer.

(John) Jack Schneider, MD

Amy Wagner, MD

View Amy Wagner, MD Profile

My true passions are my girls (Stella, age 13, and Camille, age 10) who are wonderful and snuggly (and thankfully don’t yet hate me)! They are delightful, fun, and are constantly teaching me things and help me see the world in a different way. We enjoy traveling together (from Marshfield, Costa Rica, Europe), watching Schitt’s Creek, and vintage clothing shopping.

My other true passion is Bikram yoga. I’m so passionate about it, I bought the Bikram Yoga studio in Milwaukee that was on the verge of closing down. Perhaps by the time you’re reading this, we will be in the black and I’ll no longer be subsidizing Bikram yoga for the greater Milwaukee area!

Amy Wagner, MD

Inpatient Team

Sara Avery, PA-C

I was born in Wauwatosa, WI and moved to Appleton, WI when I was a year old, which is where I grew up. After college, I moved out to Delaware for PA school for 2 years before returning to Wisconsin. I started out my PA career in Beloit, WI before moving to the Milwaukee area in 2018 and started working at Children’s Wisconsin. Both of my siblings live in the Milwaukee area and I am blessed to spend a lot of my free time with my adorable niece and nephew. I enjoy camping with my family during the summer. I love to travel and hope to continue visiting places on my bucket list. I recently bought a house in Franklin, WI and am fully embracing all the joys of homeownership.
Sara Avery, MPAS, PA-C

Suzy Becker, PA

I grew up in Brookfield, Wisconsin. I attended UW-Madison for both my undergraduate and Physician Assistant degrees. One of my clinical rotations in PA school was with the General Surgery team at Children’s Wisconsin. I loved it and knew that this is where I wanted to be! I started my career as a PA in the Emergency department at Children’s. While working in the ED, I ran into my now husband (Ryan) who was a firefighter/paramedic for the city of Wauwatosa. Ryan and I grew up in the same city but did not know each other well. We now have a son (Frank) and a Burnese Mountain dog (Boomer). I enjoy hiking, road biking, downhill and cross country skiing, live music, traveling and spending time at our families’ lake homes. We are fortunate to have both of our families very close by.
Susan Becker, MPAS, PA-C

Kristin Braun

I was born and raised in Wisconsin. I’m married to an amazing nurse, who continued his nursing career in the operating room. We have two kids who are in grade school (Abbi and Luke). We are big into sports and I currently coach my kids’ basketball teams. We enjoy boating, surfing, wakeboarding and water skiing. I currently swim every morning and swam competitively at University Wisconsin Milwaukee in my undergraduate years.

Terry Derks, PA-C, DFAAPA

I enjoy being outdoors and traveling with my family. My wife Kim is an experienced neonatal intensive care unit nurse. My two adult children are Hillary and Benjamin. With my free time I enjoy bicycling, skiing, fishing and bow hunting.
Terry Derks, BMS-PA, PA-C

Lori A. Duesing, MSN, CPNP-AC

Overall attitude: Life is Good! Enjoy spending time with my three adult boys, two successful computer engineers and the youngest in education who is contemplating returning to school for psychology. We enjoy barbeques, and my oldest smokes some of the best ribs and brisket. Three years ago, the four of us planned a two week vacation in Athens and Santorini – fantastic memories of culture, history, architecture, people and food – highly recommended!

I so enjoy the northern and southern units of the kettles and moraines (Kettle Moraine State Parks) – both on foot and by bike. I bike the quiet paths of paved abandoned railroads which the majority are lined with trees and you can capture occasional views of parks and baseball diamonds along the way. Fun fact, previously as a serious runner, I finished first female in the Glacial Drumlin 50 mile ultramarathon.  I enjoy all things outdoors, including enjoy yard work, leaf blowing, mulching, even shoveling the snow – I know odd, but true. My 12-year-old rescue (black lab/border collie mix) likely is the reason for that enjoyment, as she loves to run and play Frisbee.

Lori Duesing, NP

Danielle Leranth, PA-C, MPAS

I was born in Milwaukee, WI and raised in a surrounding suburb. I chose Marquette University for undergraduate and PA studies. During my final semester of PA school, I met my husband and we married after I began my career at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. We have two daughters, Emily and Nora. We spend much of our time attending our daughters’ extra-curricular activities, basketball and soccer. I greatly enjoy cycling and am on my road bike daily if the weather is tolerable.
Danielle Leranth, MPAS, PA-C

Ruth Povlich, PA-C

I grew up in the Chicagoland area and moved up to Milwaukee for grad school. I expected to be here for 2 years, but I fell in love with Milwaukee and now have been here for over a decade! I originally studied engineering and decided to make a career change after grad school. I came to work in research with the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Wisconsin. Once heading off to PA school, I had a strong feeling I would be making my way back to our wonderful Peds Surgery group as soon as I could. My husband, Matt, is a cardiology Nurse Practitioner who grew up in the Milwaukee area. We are both into endurance sports – running, cycling, xc skiing. We love to go on adventurous vacations. He even proposed to me on top of a mountain at over 13,000 feet. We are pretty obsessed with our dog, George, and take him hiking on all the great trails that Southeastern WI has to offer. While I refuse to become a Packer fan, I am so happy to have made Wisconsin my home.
Ruth Swedler, PA

Carly Windt, PA-C, MPAS

I was born and raised in the Milwaukee area. Milwaukee is my true home and I cannot envision myself living or raising a family elsewhere. I attended Marquette University for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. My husband and I met during PA school and currently live in Mequon, Wisconsin. We welcomed a daughter in February of 2021 and are discovering all the joys and challenges of parenthood. Our second “child” is a golden doodle named Willow. I am a devoted fan of almost all Wisconsin sports including the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks (2021 NBA Champs!), Marquette University athletics and the Milwaukee Brewers. I enjoy running (through all Wisconsin seasons) and all outdoor activities in the summer. I am excited to start traveling again once the pandemic calms down.
Carly Windt, MPAS, PA-C

Outpatient Clinic Team

Diana Choren, PA

I live in Shorewood, am married and have a 12-year-old son.  We have two cats but I like to be clear that I am a dog person!  I love to cook, travel, eat good food and read.
Diana Choren, MPAS, PA-C