Faculty and Leadership

Vaishnavy Bhaskaruni, MD

Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Role within clinic/program:

Program Director

Hometown:

Hyderabad, India. Milwaukee has been my home since 2018, and the suburbs of Chicago, prior to that.

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

We don’t have to do this in India! It's high school to med school!  

Medical School/Graduate School:

SVS Medical College, MacNeal Internal Medicine Residency Program

Residency Program experience:

I started as a new attending in 2015,  and have been in Graduate Medical Education since.

Brief description of path to current position:

My first job out of residency was in Graduate Medical Education as a teaching attending. Nearly a decade later, I aspire to contribute to building a Residency Program, that will leave a lasting legacy in medicine, shaping the future of healthcare, by training exceptional physicians who will profoundly impact the lives of their patients.

Clinical Interests:

Endocrinology, Obesity Medicine

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

I’m a rockhound and have long collected rock crystals and gemstones. I have a degree in Gemology! My guilty pleasure is indulging in luxury handbags. I love cooking, traveling, reading fantasy fiction and all things beach/ocean and nature!  My happiest role in life is being mum to my two children and wife to my best friend and husband.

Motivating Quote:

I don't have a quote but there are a few things I live my life by. 
I live by the “Minimalization of regret” rule - when at a crossroads or facing a conundrum, I take the path that I believe will lead to the least regret in the future. 
I take to heart the principle of “Primum non nocere”, which is “ First, do no harm”. Both medically, and otherwise.
Lastly, and importantly, to me, family is everything. 

 

Nicole DeCredico, MD

Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Program Director, Transitional Year Residency.
Role within clinic/program:

Associate Program Director 

Hometown:

Seaville, NJ

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

University of Virginia - Charlottesville, VA 

Medical School/Graduate School:

Rutgers University - Newark, NJ 

Residency Program experience:

Northwestern University - Chicago, IL 

Brief description of path to current position:

I have worked at St Joseph Hospital for the last five years as a teaching attending. I am the current Associate Program Director for the Transitional Year Residency. I am now assuming the role of Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency. I love being involved in the education of medical students and residents, guiding them in their clinical and professional journeys. 

Clinical Interests:

I enjoy the breadth of Hospital Medicine and the opportunity to work across various subspecialties.

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

I love spending time with my two young children as well as traveling/exploring new places.

Motivating Quote:

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy” - A fortune cookie I once opened

Jonathan Zlabek, MD, MBA, FSVM, FACP

Associate Program Director, and Chief Medical Officer, CSM Milwaukee 
Role within clinic/program:

Associate Program Director and Continuity Clinic Staff Physician

Hometown:

Potosi, WI 

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

Carroll University, Waukesha, WI : Chemistry

Medical School/Graduate School:

University of Wisconsin - Madison for MD 
University of Wisconsin Business Consortium for MBA 

Residency Program experience:

Four years as an Associate Program Director of Gundersen Health System Internal Medicine Residency 23 years teaching residents and students in the hospital and 7 years teaching residents in Continuity Clinic.

Mentored residents through many presentations, posters, and publications.  22 years as Clinical Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Brief description of path to current position:

I have been involved in resident education my entire career and have been given multiple Teacher of the Year awards. After I was APD, I led the selection and implementation of Epic at Gundersen Health System. Then I led Disease Management on the Quality Team, followed by serving as a Medical Vice President, leading about 230 clinicians over many specialties. I was looking for a faith-based health system that had great potential and accepted the CMO position at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s in 2023.

Clinical Interests:

I am double-boarded in Internal Medicine and Vascular Medicine. I love addressing the many uncontrolled risk factors in patients with vascular disease. 

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

I learned to play the drum set in my mid-40s. 

Motivating Quote:

"The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease." 
~William Osler 
"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity."
~Hippocrates

 

Omer Afzal, MD

Department Chair of Medicine and Consultant Nephrologist
Role within clinic/program:

Core faculty 

Hometown:

Brookfield, WI  

Medical School/Graduate School:

AIMC, Lahore, Pakistan 

Residency Program experience:

Clinical faculty with MCW Family Medicine for the last 13 years

Residency Program Experience:

Clinical faculty with MCW Family Medicine for last 12-13 years 
Core Nephrology faculty for Family Medicine Residency Program at CSM Milwaukee 

Brief description of path to current position:

I have been teaching Family Medicine and Transitional Year/Internal Medicine residents at CSM Milwaukee and St. Joseph Hospital Milwaukee for 15 years. I have been voted “Best Teacher” by Family Medicine residents three times.

Clinical Interests:

Chronic Kidney Disease, Acute Kidney Injury, Nephrolithiasis, Obesity

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

Golf, reading, music, travel

Motivating Quote:

"A good physician treats the disease and a great physician treats the patient who has the disease."
William Osler 

Sriram Darisetty, MD, FACP

Chief Academic Officer 
Role within clinic/program:

Chief Academic Officer and Hospitalist Faculty, Columbia St. Mary's Hospital & St. Joseph Hospital 

Hometown:

Hyderabad, India and now Brookfield, Wisconsin!

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

We don’t have to do this in India! It's high school to med school!  

Medical School/Graduate School:

Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India

Residency Program experience:

Internal Medicine Residency, Westlake-Loyola Medicine, Chicago, IL

Brief description of path to current position:

I started as an Academic Hospitalist at Ascension Wisconsin and proceeded to take on the Associate Program Director role of the Transitional Year Program, collaborating with the MCWAH Internal Medicine program and then the Program Director role. I served as the Associate DIO, Ascension Wisconsin before transitioning to serving as the Chief Academic Officer.

Clinical Interests:

Internal Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Critical Care, Medical Education

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

I love sports. Soccer, cricket, tennis, badminton and now pickleball! I am a huge Chelsea Football Club fan, as well as a travel enthusiast, and audio enthusiast.

Motivating Quote:

“The goal of education is not merely to transmit knowledge but to create individuals who can think, innovate, and lead with purpose.”
Abraham Flexner

Dr Arsalan Ahmad

Role within clinic/program:

Associate Program Director, Transitional Year Residency Core Faculty, Internal Medicine Residency

Hometown:

Multan, Pakistan

Medical School/Graduate School:

Nishtar Medical College, Multan, Pakistan

Residency Program experience:

Internal Medicine Residency, Hudson Regional Health, Bayonne NJ

Brief description of path to current position:

As a Physician-Educator, I have always been interested in exploring optimal learning strategies and enhancement of educational structures. During my tenure as the Chief Resident, I spearheaded the development of Out-Patient Internal Medicine curriculum as our program transitioned to an X+Y model. I was also able to implement a structured didactic series emphasizing on case based learning and simulation to fortify resident understanding of key clinical concepts.

Clinical Interests:

Academic Internal Medicine, Precision Medicine & Translational Research

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

Music Aficionado, Bibliophile and Aspiring Long Distance Runner. Have been a Radio Jockey.

Motivating Quote:

"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one." Marcus Aurelius

Dr. Andrew Makowski

Role within clinic/program:

Core faculty, Emergency Medicine

Hometown:

Arlington Heights, IL

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

Valparaiso University. BS in Physics, Chemistry

Medical School/Graduate School:

Med school: Loyola University Chicago

Graduate school: Loyola University Chicago MA Bioethics

Residency Program experience:

Medical College of Wisconsin

Brief description of path to current position:

I have always enjoyed teaching. When I began working at St. Joe's, I would volunteer to take residents and students on all my shifts. I felt that we could create a solid curriculum in Emergency Medicine, so I created the role in which I serve to strive to make that a reality.

Clinical Interests:

Bioethics, Aerospace Medicine

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

Marathon running, travel, astronomy, and learning Italian. Recent fun fact--I spent my 2023 sabbatical living in Rome and exploring Italy and ancient Roman history.

Motivating Quote:

“Marathon running, travel, astronomy, and learning Italian. Recent fun fact--I spent my 2023 sabbatical living in Rome and exploring Italy and ancient Roman history."

Dr William Kivlin, DO

Role within clinic/ program:

Core Faculty

Hometown:

Greendale, WI

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities - B.S. Nutritional Sciences, B.A. Psychology

Medical School/Graduate School:

Des Moines University

Residency Program experience:

Medical College of Wisconsin

Brief description of path to current position:

Really enjoy teaching and creating differential diagnoses. Always knew that I'd enjoy hospitalist medicine.

Clinical Interests:

I love physiology and also really enjoy POCUS.

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

Any form of exercise but definitely enjoy golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, running, hiking, biking, and lifting weights.

Motivating Quote:

"Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution" - Aristotle

James Troken, DO

Role within clinic/program:

Core Faculty; Consultant Cardiologist Columbia St. Mary's Hospital

Hometown:

I grew up in Chicago, but Milwaukee is absolutely my hometown now

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

Dominican University River Forest Illinois: BS

Medical School/Graduate School:

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine: DO

Residency Program experience:

William Beaumont Hospital /Michigan State Statewide Campus System
Internal Medicine; Farmington Hills Campus
Cardiology; Farmington Hills and Royal Oak Campus

Clinical Interests:

Preventative Cardiology especially as it pertains to lipid management
Congestive heart failure and ambulatory HF monitoring
Pericardial diseases

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

Rowing, cycling and hiking
Woodworking
Grilling/smoking meats
Painting miniatures

Motivating Quote:

“Aut viam inveniam aut faciam”
I will either find a way or make one - Hannibal 218 BCE

 

Brett Twente, MD, FACP

Role within clinic/program:

Core Faculty, Primary Care Physician

Hometown:

New Berlin, WI

Undergraduate Education (location and degree):

University of Wisconsin - Madison 

Medical School/Graduate School:

University of Wisconsin - Madison 

Residency Program experience:

Staff physician at Abbott Northwestern IM Residency Program, Minneapolis 
Led IM rotation for Columbia St Mary’s, Podiatry Residency
Geriatric rotation staff physician for CSM FM residency program

Brief description of path to current position:

17 years as a clinic physician for CSM. Teaching residents as well as NP and PA students throughout.

Clinical Interests:

Geriatrics, hypertension, diabetes, and behavioral health 

Personal Interests/Fun fact:

Running, reading, live music
I have seen Radiohead live 7 times

Motivating Quote:

"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatsoever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ for me. It is a sort of splendid torch, which I have got hold of for the moment; and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
George Bernard Shaw