thomas.tafelski@utoledo.edu

Dr. Tafelski was born in Toledo, Ohio, and attended St. Francis de Sales High School. He completed his undergraduate degree at Loyola University Chicago and earned his doctorate in anatomy from the University of Cincinnati. After teaching anatomy for one year at Chicago Medical School, he attended the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, where he received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in 1981. He completed his residency in family medicine at the former Medical College of Ohio (now The University of Toledo College of Medicine) and has served as full-time faculty since his residency graduation.

Dr. Tafelski’s research interests are in preventive medicine, and resident and student education. He and his wife, Sharon, enjoy all outdoor activities, especially golf and hunting.

Dr. Phelps directed the family medicine residency program from July 2003 through August 2008. He is a native of Chittenango, NY. This small town in Upstate New York was home to Lyman Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. He is a graduate of The University of Toledo with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He attended the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, and completed a rotating internship at Firelands Community Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio. His family medicine residency training was completed through the former Medical College of Ohio (now the University of Toledo College of Medicine)/St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center program.

Dr. Phelps' medical interests include assisting patients with health behavior change, office procedures and electrocardiography. He is married to Kristel, and they have five children. His hobbies include running, basketball and golfing.

catherine.churgay@utoledo.edu

Dr. Churgay grew up in southeastern Michigan and attended the University of Michigan for both undergraduate and medical school.  She was accepted into medical school after graduation from high school, and she completed her undergraduate program in two years.  Dr. Churgay was named Co-Chief Resident while attending the University of Michigan Family Medicine Residency program. 

After completing her family medicine residency, Dr. Churgay joined the faculty of the University of Michigan Family Medicine Residency program and completed the University's Primary Care Faculty Development Fellowship.  Dr. Churgay has made numerous national presentations and written several publications.  In addition, Dr. Churgay designed a curriculum for the management of skin lesions, which was published in Family Medicine in 1995.

Prior to joining the University of Toledo in 2008 as a clinical associate professor, Dr. Churgay maintained a private practice caring for the uninsured. Dr. Churgay's clinical interests include muscoloskeletal conditions, pediatric infectious disease and procedures.

rebecca.mcclarren@utoledo.edu

After 25 years of private practice in northwest Ohio, Dr. Rebecca McClarren is excited to be involved in residency education.  She grew up on a farm near Stryker, Ohio and attended Bowling Green State University where she majored in dietetics.  Dr. McClarren received her medical education at Ohio State University, and completed her family medicine residency at Grant Hospital in Columbus and Flower Hospital in Sylvania.  As a rural physician, she has been especially blessed by the rich friendships found in multi-generational family medical care.

Over the past several years, Dr. McClarren and her husband have travled to Ukraine several times to help provide village health care.  Non-medical fun includes running, baking, playing piano and activities with the couple's three grown children.

Dr. Brennan is a native of Toledo and received her bachelor’s degree with a double major of dietetics and psychology from the University of Dayton in Ohio. She completed her dietetic internship at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio, and received her doctorate in counseling psychology from The Ohio State University in Columbus.  Dr. Brennan is passionate about her opportunity to teach residents and medical students about psychology, how it relates to medicine and how to better communicate with patients.

When Dr. Brennan is not involved in teaching activities, she counsels patients in areas of psychology and nutrition and is involved in many research projects related to wellness and prevention.  She has practiced both dietetics and psychology in various settings, including community mental health centers, student medical centers, hospitals, outpatient clinics, an interdisciplinary pain center and a school-based setting.  Dr. Brennan enjoys most outdoor activities, especially when she's with family and friends.  She and her husband, Joe, have three sons.

Dr. French was appointed professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at The University of Toledo (UT) College of Medicine in November 2006. She earned her medical degree from Austral University Medical School in Valdivia, Chile, and completed her family medicine residency at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Mich. Dr. French is board certified in family medicine.

After completing her residency training, Dr. French joined the residency faculty at Oakwood Hospital and completed a primary care faculty development fellowship at Michigan State University (MSU) in Lansing, Mich. Prior to coming to UT, Dr. French was senior associate chair of the Department of Family Medicine at MSU. She is a fellow in the AAMC-sponsored Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program for the development of women leaders in academic medicine, class of 2007.

Dr. French is nationally recognized for her expertise in women’s health and evidence-based medicine. Her research interests include medical decision-making regarding menopausal hormone use and breast cancer risk assessment in primary care practice. She has published extensively on varied topics related to women’s health and is a member of the editorial boards of Family Medicine and The Journal of Family Practice, both peer-reviewed journals. In 2005, she received the Outstanding Clinician Award from MSU and was also inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.

Dr. Kimmel, a native of Scio, Ohio, is a professor of family medicine and vice chair of the Department of Family Medicine. He also is Vice Chief of Staff at The University of Toledo Medical Center.

Dr. Kimmel received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from The Ohio State University in Columbus. He earned his medical degree at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Subsequently, he completed a family practice residency at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio, and a pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

A reviewer for multiple scientific journals, Dr. Kimmel is a member of the editorial boards of Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, Family Practice Recertification, and Ohio Family Physician. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He also serves as a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Group on Immunization Education. He is a fellow of both the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

He is married to Sharon, who is a school nurse. They are proud of their two grown children, Isaac and Katie. Dr. Kimmel collects die-cast model cars, and he and Sharon both enjoy antiquing.

Mr. Hickey is an associate professor of family medicine and pediatrics, and serves as the associate administrative director of the Center for Clinical Research at the University of Toledo College of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Toledo with a Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor degrees and received a graduate certificate in Medical and Health Science Education from the former Medical College of Ohio (now The University of Toledo College of Medicine.). Mr. Hickey's areas of teaching expertise include interviewing and communication, health economics, and health law. He is board certified in health care management and is licensed as an attorney in Ohio.

Dr. Halasy earned his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. After an internship in pediatrics at Akron Children’s Hospital, he completed his residency in family medicine at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio. He is board certified in family medicine.

Dr. Halasy received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University in Bloomington. He worked in a financial capacity for General Electric and Exxon before attending medical school. Following his residency he was in private practice in rural Ohio and served at indigent clinics in Akron and Mansfield before moving to Toledo.

Dr. Halasy has a special interest in young adult/college health, and he practices at the main campus Student Medical Center, where he serves as medical director.

misa.mi@utoledo.edu

Ms. Mi is the medical librarian at the Mulford Health Science Library, serving as liaison to The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Medicine Center.  She received a Master of Arts in Teaching from Oakland University, Rochester, Mich., and a Master of Library Information Science from Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich. She is currently a Doctor of Philosophy candidate in Instructional Technology, Administrative & Organizational Studies Division, Wayne State University College of Education.  Prior to joining the faculty, Ms. Mi was a medical librarian and senior information resource specialist at the Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit Medical Center.

Ms. Mi is certified as a senior member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals of the Medical Library Association and is an active member of a number of health information professional organizations as well as a recipient of several awards and grants from these organizations.  Her research and teaching interests include medical informatics, cultural competency, health literacy, evidence-based medicine, human performance improvement and evaluation, instructional design, e-learning, adult learning, and needs assessment.  Ms. Mi and her husband have one son who is in college.

Ms. Porter is an instructor of family medicine and has been a member of the department since August 1997. She is a native of central Pennsylvania and received her bachelor’s degree in science from Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA.

Upon receiving her Master of Librarianship in 1979 from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., she moved to Ohio to begin her professional library career and has been in Ohio ever since. She joined the former Medical College of Ohio (now the University of Toledo College of Medicine) as a medical reference librarian in 1992 and is currently the Director of the Raymon H. Mulford Library on The University of Toledo Health Science campus.

Dr. Schaefer was born and raised in Andover, Ohio (population 1,200), a small town tucked away in the northeastern corner of the state. For his education, he crisscrossed northern Ohio, going to The University of Toledo (UT) as an undergraduate, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for his doctorate in neuroscience and behavior, and back to the former Medical College of Ohio (now the University of Toledo College of Medicine) for his medical training. He entered an accelerated residency program in family medicine at MCO and joined the department as a faculty member.

Dr. Schaefer's area of academic interest is depression, especially in young adults. He is married to Kelly, and they have two children, Hope and James. He has a strong interest in natural history, his favorite hobby, for which he occasionally is able to squeeze in a little time (usually with children in tow).

Dr. Shriner is an assistant professor of family medicine and pediatrics. She received both her Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from The University of Toledo. Her background and expertise include curriculum development and evaluation. Dr. Shriner is also a faculty member in the Joint Research Program for Pediatrics and Family Medicine and co-directs the Research in Primary Care Graduate Certificate Program – a faculty development program focused on the development of clinical research skills.

Born and raised in the midwest, Dr. Weiner attended Michigan State University in Lansing, where he received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in 1988. After completing one residency in obstetrical anesthesiology at Hutzel Hospital in Detroit and another in anesthesiology at Botsford General Hospital in Farmington Hills, Mich., Dr. Weiner practiced as a staff anesthesiologist at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and at Mercy and Parkview hospitals in Toledo, Ohio. In 1998, he completed the Family Practice Residency Program at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo and served as the associate director of the program prior to joining the faculty at the former Medical University of Ohio (now the University of Toledo College of Medicine). He is board certified in both family practice and anesthesiology.

Dr. Weiner currently serves as the medical director for the Physician Assistant Program and recently was appointed the clerkship director for undergraduate medical education at the UT College of Medicine. Clinically, Dr. Weiner has a special interest in pain management and actively uses osteopathic manipulation in a family practice setting. He also is involved in research of quality care issues.

Dr. Weldy earned his medical degree at the former Medical College of Ohio (now the University of Toledo College of Medicine), and completed his family medicine residency at MCO and St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo. Dr. Weldy received his doctorate in exercise physiology from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, and completed a family practice fellowship in academic medicine from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM) in Rootstown, Ohio. He is board certified in family medicine with an added qualification in sports medicine.  In addition, Dr. Weldy attended Silliman University in the Phillipines for two years before completing his Bachelor in Arts & Sciences in physical education at Goshen College.  He then taught physical education classes at Woodstock School in northern India for two years, followed by four years of graduate school at Kent State University prior to attendng medical school.

Before returning to Toledo, Dr. Weldy spent 20 years in private practice in the Ohio cities of Hiram, Mantua and Ravenna, and since 1992, was an associate clinical professor at NEOUCOM. He has served as team physician for several high schools and Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. He is currently the team physician for Rogers High School in Toledo and The University of Toledo Women’s Soccer team. Dr. Weldy is a member of many professional societies, including the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. He was cited as one of northeast Ohio’s top doctors in 2006 and 2007.

Dr. Weldy’s clinical interests are sports medicine and exercise physiology. His research interests are in cognition and physical fitness, and coagulation and exercise.  Dr. Weldy is married with three grown children, who left two cats behind.  He and his wife try to stay fit by spending an hour daily in the home fitness room and by water skiing in the summer.  He also enjoys singing with the University of Toledo Community Choir and getting his fingers dirty maintaining and repairing household and garage items.

donna.woodson@utoledo.edu

Dr. Woodson is a professor in the department of Family Medicine and director of the Center for Women's Health at the University of Toledo Medical Center.  A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Woodson moved to Toledo as a charter member of the former Medical College of Ohio (now The University of Toledo College of Medicine).  She is board certified in family medicine and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

For three decades, Dr. Woodson was in private practice in the Toledo area.  She is an active advocate for patients and physicians on a local, state, and national level.  She was the first woman elected as the president of the Academy of Medicine of Toledo and Lucas County in its 150 year history and, as the St. Luke's Chief of Staff, she was the first woman to serve as a hospital chief-of-staff in the Toledo area.  Dr. Woodson is a delegate of the American Medical Association and has chaired national reference committees for the organization as well.

Dr. Woodson is the recipient of many awards, including the 2007 University of Toledo College of Medicine Alumni Community Award, an achievement award from the U.S. Congress, the YWCA Milestones Award in Science, the ATHENA leadership award from the Chamber of Commerce and the Women of Achievement Award from Women in Communications and the Martig Award from St. Luke's Hospital.

Dr. Woodson's clinical interests focus on preventive health care for all ages and her research interests are in women's health and wellness.

Dr. Gokula earned his medical degree at Siddhartha Medical College in India and completed his family medicine residency at Sparrow Hospital/Michigan State University in Lansing. After his residency, Dr. Gokula continued his training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he completed a fellowship in geriatrics. He is board certified in family medicine, geriatrics and hospice, and palliative medicine. He is a Certified Medical Director (CMD) for long-term care.

Before moving to Toledo, Dr. Gokula was the associate hospice director at Heartland Hospice in Bad Axe, Mich., and medical director of the long-term care unit in Harbor Beach, Mich. He has been an invited speaker at several national and regional conferences, and has written multiple publications including several on the inappropriate use of urinary catheters in elderly patients. He currently is developing a geriatrics fellowship at The University of Toledo, which he hopes will be up and running by 2010.

Dr. Gokula's special clinical interests are in polypharmacy, diseases of the elderly and palliative medicine. He has conducted extensive research about the inappropriate use of Foley catheters in hospitals and new models of geriatric care in practice. His wife also is a faculty member in the family medicine department, and they are blessed with two children. He enjoys karaoke Hindi singing in his spare time.