UMN Medical Center Faculty

Bio

Patricia "Pita" Adam, MD, MSPH, is the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health's vice chair for clinical affairs. She teaches in the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency and is also one of the founding family medicine team members on the Minnesota Primary Care Transformation Collaborative. As vice chair, Dr. Adam's goal is to improve the care delivered to patients and the experience of providers and staff as they serve patients. This includes an intentional focus on minoritized patients and their quality outcomes. She oversees the core family medicine residency clinics and is a member of the Primary Care Executive Team within our Primary Care Service Line. In that role, she oversees family medicine obstetrics care, is a champion for equitable care, and facilitates engagement in the Primary Care Service Line's Practice Based Research Network. Dr. Adam has published many evidence-based answers to point of care questions, a model for optimal communication teaching, team-based care, intrathecal narcotics for obstetric pain management, saline nasal spray for colds and sinusitis and most recently Clinic as Curriculum, a model with advanced scheduling options to improve provider-patient continuity and provider wellness.

Research Summary

Improving and understanding primary care systems in academic clinics, including interprofessional team care, teaching residents patient-communication skills, and how to transform the care in teaching clinics. Leading a multi-year implementation of Clinic as Curriculum across the core Twin Cities family medicine programs with the goal of advancing pro-clinic scheduling options to improve provider-patient continuity and provider wellness. Incorporating community health workers in a primary care clinic to improve the care of patients from marginalized communities. 

Clinical Summary

Ambulatory care; team care and interprofessional care; women's health

Bio

Dr. Brady received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Biological/Health Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed her clinical psychology internship at the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Juvenile Research, and a 2-year postdoctoral research fellowship in Health Psychology at the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to joining the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH), Dr. Brady conducted research and taught courses within the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. In the DFMCH, Dr. Brady divides her time between conducting research and providing behavioral health care at M Health Fairview Smiley’s Clinic.

Research Summary

Dr. Brady has developed transdisciplinary and community-engaged programs of research. Dr. Brady’s transdisciplinary research has primarily focused on the prevention of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). She is Multiple Principle Investigator (MPI) for CARDIA-PLUS: A Life Course Investigation of Biopsychosocial Pathways to Bladder Health and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, which is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). She is also a Co-Investigator for the NIDDK-funded Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium. Dr. Brady’s community-engaged program of research has focused on the well-being of adolescents and diverse communities, including a focus on how assets of individuals and their families, peers, schools, and communities can promote health protective behaviors. This includes research on mental health and emotional well-being, sexual health, prevention of violence and substance abuse, identification of social and structural determinants of health, and promotion of health equity. Dr. Brady’s research has utilized community partnerships and coalitions to reach diverse communities. Sources of funding include the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), United States Department of Education, and Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Teaching Summary

Dr. Brady has taught courses in community health promotion, adolescent health, and the application of conceptual frameworks and theory to the development of prevention interventions and research. In addition, Dr. Brady mentors early career scientists, both individually and as part of workshops, in the conceptual aspects of planning a program of research.

Bio

Dana Brandenburg, PsyD, LP is faculty in the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency. She completed a fellowship in primary care and behavioral science education through Michigan State University. Her scholarly interests include the integration of mental health services into primary care, behavioral science education within residency education, interprofessional education and health behavior change. Dr. Brandenburg is the training director for the Primary Care Behavioral Health Fellowship program. Additionally, she serves as a health care professional representative on the state Health Care Home Advisory Committee with the Minnesota Department of Health.

Research Summary

Smoking cessation, health behavior change, primary care psychology

Bio

Caitlin Canton, DO, is an assistant professor for the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency. The ability to provide community-focused care at Smiley's to a diverse patient population combined with the resources of a University program is what drew her to this position. Some of her professional interests include inpatient medicine, climate health and environmental justice, and community medicine with an emphasis on health literacy.

Clinical Summary

Women's health and reproductive care; LGBT+ primary care and gender-affirming care; Climate health curriculum; Inpatient medicine; Osteopathic manipulative treatment

Bio

Nicole Chaisson, MD, MPH, is faculty at the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency. She is also one of the family medicine team members on the Minnesota Primary Care Transformation Collaborative. She completed fellowship training in adolescent medicine and has strong interests in adolescent health and wellness and reproductive health. Dr. Chaisson earned her MPH in maternal and child health from the University of Minnesota.

Clinical Summary

Family planning and prenatal care, women’s health, adolescent health and wellness, cross-cultural health care, community-oriented care

Bio

Dr. Kriti Choudhary is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. As a Primary Care Physician, she is passionate about caring for her diverse patient population. She is an advocate for eliminating healthcare disparities and biases with the goal to promote health of underserved and marginalized patient populations and is committed to providing comprehensive care to gender nondiverse patients. Dr. Choudhary has a special interest in developing community health curriculum at the University of Minnesota Medical Center Residency Program. 

Research Summary

Community health, eliminating health care disparities, empowering patients through improving patient education, gender-affirming care, climate justice. 

Bio

Kristin Eide, DO joined the faculty at Smiley's in 2017. She is the current medical director of MHealth Fairview - Smiley's clinic. Dr. Eide practices full spectrum family medicine including obstetrics. Her clinical interests include women's health, inpatient medicine and osteopathic medicine. 

Clinical Summary

Women's Health, Obstetrics, Osteopathic Manual Treatment (OMT), Suboxone Therapy for Opioid Dependence, Medication-Assisted Therapy, Chronic Disease Management

Bio

Javad Keyhani, MD, is faculty in the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency. He's also involved in the Rural Physician Associate Program. Previously, he practiced family medicine in Montevideo, Minnesota, for about 10 years, and was also a preceptor at University of Minnesota Physicians Broadway Family Medicine Clinic.

Teaching Summary

Faculty, Rural Physician Associate Program and Metro Physician Associate Program

Service Summary

Several times per year Dr. Keyhani talks to middle school and high school student about a variety of topics including life in medicine and the pathway to get there, healthy lifestyle and current topics such as COVID. He has worked to engage our Somali Muslim Community through setting up a Wellness talk. 

Clinical Summary

Hospital Medicine, Substance Use Disorder, Evidence Based Medicine, Rural Emergency Medicine, Office Based Procedures, Wellness, Integrative Medicine

Certifications

ACLS, PALS, BLS, ATLS, CALS with Benchmark

Bio

As a faculty member and medical director of the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency at Smiley's Clinic, Carrie Link, MD, participates in clinical education, research, and primary care for all ages and all genders. She most strongly values a patient-first approach. Her medical interests include improving healthcare access, bedside teaching, gender care, and whole family care, in the context of one's family and community.

Bio

Jennifer Oberstar, MD, FAAFP, CAQ SM, is an assistant professor in the University of Minnesota Sports Medicine program. Seeing patients at MHealth Fairview Sports Medicine Clinic (CSC) and being the sports medicine liaison at M Health Fairview Clinic - Smiley's allows clinical time for developing patient relationships. Dr. Oberstar is a sports medicine educational lead and clinical instructor for medical students and residents. Among her other leadership roles she is coordinating the program and functioning as an advisor for Exercise Is Medicine On Campus (EIM-OC). Dr. Oberstar covers community events such as high school game coverage, the Twin Cities Marathon, City of Lakes Loppet and Minnesota High School League state tournaments in multiple sports. She is currently a co-medical director for the USA Cup soccer tournament in Blaine, Minnesota. Her research interests focus on Exercise Is Medicine in the community and on medical device development for training ultrasound guided injections. Physicians from other medical disciplines have collaborated with her to publish in scholarly journals.

Bio

James Pacala, MD, MS, is professor and head of the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Dr. Pacala has performed research and published extensively on models of care delivery to geriatric populations and innovative teaching methods. He is a past president of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and is co-author of the AGS practice handbook, Geriatrics At Your Fingertips. Pacala currently chairs the UCare Board of Directors. In 2013, he was appointed to the 2013-14 Health and Aging Policy Fellowship. He is also PI for the Minnesota Northstar Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.

Clinical Summary

Geriatrics, medical student education, and health services research.

Bio

Kara Pacala, MD, joined the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency faculty in 2004. She brings a background in social work to her clinical practice and teaching and is consistently ranked in the top 10 percent of University of Minnesota Physicians for patient satisfaction.

Clinical Summary

Urban community health, refugee and immigrant health, women’s health, and reproductive rights.

Bio

Dr. Pereira is dedicated to the goal of improving pharmacy practice and medical practice by implementing concepts of pharmaceutical care into patient care. He believes pharmacy practice can serve to improve the health and wellbeing of patients and further improve the health of a community. Dr. Pereira's current practice is located at Smiley's Clinic in Minneapolis. Smiley's Clinic is a family medicine clinic that is part of the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program.

Research Summary

Dr. Pereira's research and scholarship interests are focused on patient care, continuous quality improvement and public/community health. Current projects includes curriculum design to improving interprofessional education through assessment and exploring ways the medication experience may be identified for the benefit of patient care. Research projects: Ambulatory Care APPE Co-op research in the use of a pre and post ambulatory care examination; ambulatory Care APPE Co-op research in the measure of patient encounters and student performed patient education skills to measure competency for students while on APPEs; and post hospital follow-up appointments in a primary care center and the impact pharmacist intervention can have to improve overall care.

Teaching Summary

Dr. Pereira enjoys training pharmacy students and residents at Smiley's Clinic. Smiley's is an established five-week APPE for PharmD candidates. The pharmacy resident completes year one of the two-year Leadership Residency at Smiley's Clinic. In both cases, learners work with a care team to provide care within the medical home model. Pharmacy learners work directly with patients to apply pharmaceutical care skills with the goal to optimize drug therapy and health outcomes. The educational mission is to understand how to apply evidence-based medicine to patients with limited resources as well as complicated medical histories.

Bio

Timothy Ramer, MD, serves as Program Director of UMN Medical Center Family Medicine Program and has since 2018. He has been at M Health Fairview Clinic - Smiley's since 1990, first as resident, then faculty, then Medical Director, and now Program Director. Dr. Ramer is passionate about family medicine and training the next generation of family medicine physicians. He loves the diversity the specialty offers and the ability to change the focus as the needs of the population changes.

Clinical Summary

Specialties: POCUS and mindfulness

Bio

Chelsea Thibodeau, DO, serves as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Thibodeau was drawn to this program by the incredible group of faculty, residents, and staff committed to excellent, compassionate care for all patients and families. Some of her clinical interests include reproductive health, obstetrics, osteopathic medicine, patient-centered communication, behavioral health in primary care, and health equity.

Clinical Summary

Reproductive health, obstetrics, osteopathic medicine, patient-centered communication, behavioral health in primary care, health equity

Bio

Dr. Traxler is a core faculty member for the Smiley's Family Medicine Residency. Through the residency, he is involved in outpatient, inpatient, and obstetrical care for patients. His medical interests revolve around maternal care, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. His academic focuses are on improving procedural and simulation teaching in medicine.

Research Summary

Dr. Traxler's prior research has focused on procedural and simulation teaching, including a grant to create simulation models incorporating 3D printing to improve fidelity and feasibility. His other projects have revolved around curriculum development in residency.

Teaching Summary

Dr. Traxler enjoys teaching in all the different environments that medical education offers. He works with residents in the clinic, inpatient, and obstetrics settings, providing education in full spectrum family medicine care. During large group lectures, he works to incorporate cases, questions, and small group activities to improve participation and retention.

Service Summary

Throughout his medical training, Dr. Traxler volunteered at community clinics such as the Guadalupe clinic in Wichita and the Free Medical Clinic in Iowa City.  As a new Minnesota resident, he is looking forward to finding opportunities to serve the community here in the Twin Cities.

Clinical Summary

Dr. Traxler tries to embody the 'cradle to grave' mentality that makes family medicine both unique and rewarding. Through clinic, he provides prenatal, pediatric, and adult medicine in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Certifications

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics/ ALSO
Advanced Trauma Life Support
Basic Life Support
Neonatal Resuscitation Program
Pediatric Advanced Life Support