Advanced Practice Clinicians

Kathleen Dermady is a NYS licensed midwife with over 20 years experience as a midwife and nurse-practitioner in Central New York. She was educated in midwifery at the Frontier School of Midwifery and Nursing, received her Masters of Science in Nursing at Syracuse University.

Kathleen is interested in the care of women with medically complicated pregnancies. She has a particular interest in improving the outcomes for women with diabetes and those at risk for preterm labor. Her midwifery practice places strong emphasis on the empowerment and education of women.

Kathleen is the American College of Nurse Midwives chapter chairperson for many years. She was a founding board member for the New York State Association of Licensed Midwives. She was appointed to the New York State Board of Midwifery in 2009 for a five year term, representing the professional and legal basis for midwives licensed in NYS.

Kathleen is professionally involved with the Perinatal Safety Initiative with Crouse Hospital and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is an active member of the Upstate University's Advanced Practice Clinician Association legislative committee.

Paula is the Nurse Practitioner for Dr. Badawy and University OB/GYN Associates. She is the IVF Coordinator and assists infertile couples who are undergoing ART (assisted reproductive technologies). She provides education, counseling, support, and planning, including coordination and scheduling of tests, procedures and cycle scheduling for both the IUI and IVF couples. Paula assists with egg retrievals and embryo transfers.

Paula holds a Masters Degree in Nursing from Stony Brook University and a Bachelors Degree in Nursing from Syracuse University. Paula is a Certified Nurse Practitioner in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Certified Nurse Mid-wife.

Paula has several years of experience as a Labor and Delivery nurse at Crouse Hospital, and as a high risk obstetrical nurse at the Regional Perinatal Center, Syracuse, New York. Paula joined our team at University OB/GYN Associates in November 2001, and sees Obstetric, Gynecology and Reproductive, Endocrine, and Infertility patients.

Paula is an adjunct faculty member at St. Joseph's School of Nursing, and serves as a preceptor instructor for Nurse Practitioner students from Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University. She teaches in the POM program at Upstate Medical University, instructing second year medical students on pelvic exams and breast exams.

Ms. Gellert has been a Nurse Practitioner at the Regional Perinatal Center since 1997. She came to the Perinatal Center with several years of experience in Obstetrics. She waspreviouslyemployed at Community General Hospital as an Assistant Nurse Manager in the postpartum unit. Ms. Gellert also has experience in the care of newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit and regular newborn nursery. She received her RN from Crouse-Irving Hospital School of Nursing in 1979, and graduated fromthe Nurse Practitioner Program atCommunity General Hospital in 1997, where her clinical emphasis was in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Ms. Gellert graduated from SUNY IT at Utica- Rome in 2000 with a Bachelors of Nursing degree. She graduated from SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2006 with a Masters degree in Nursing, and is also a member of Omicron Alpha Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Ms. Gellert has an interest in antepartum and postpartum care of teens with socioeconomic and medical issues.

Mary Hartman joined the Upstate team in 2004, with over 15 years experience as a midwife in hospital, birth center and home birth settings over the years.

Mary sees OB and some GYN patients at the Womens Health Service at UHCC, as well as covers Crouse Hospital Labor and Delivery for most UHCC patients and some Perinatal Center Patients as well.

Mary attended St Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing, and LeMoyne College of Syracuse, for Nursing, and most recently, SUNY Brooklyn for her Midwifery Certification.

Her clinical interests include Perinatal Bereavement,Post Partum Depression, Refugee/Immigrant Health, Teen Pregnancy, and Centering Pregnancy

Jennifer has been a Nurse Practitioner since 2004. She came to the Regional Perinatal Center in 2011 after seven years in a private OB/GYN practice. Jennifer received her RN from St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing in 2000, and began working at Crouse Hospital on the Antepartum/Postparum unit. She continued her education and graduated from Syracuse University with her Bachlelor's of Nursing in 2001, and her Master's of Science and Family Nurse Practitioner degree in 2004. She received her Post-Master's Certificate in Advanced Practice Colposcopy from Drexel University in 2009. Jennifer is board certified by the ANCC in Family Practice and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society of Nursing.

Mrs. Pitts has been a Nurse Practioner since 1991. She came to Women’s Health Services in 1999 after several years in private practice. She received her BSN from Alfred University and her Master’s Degree in Women’s Health from the University of Pennsylvania. Mrs Pitts is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau. International Honor Society of Nursing, Omicron chapter. Mrs. Pitts received the William Painter Award for Nursing Excellence while employed at Women’s Health Services. She is interested in helping her patients toward their reproductive health goals as well as improving their overall health.

Marge graduated from nursing 1962 in Connecticut; moved many times and came to Syracuse NY in 1971. Went to the Nurse Practitioner program at Community General Hospital in 1975 and was certified as a Adult Health NP. Worked many years with Dr Robert Phillips and for 7 years with Hematology Oncology Associates. Has been with the OB/GYN department since 1996. 

Ms. Heather Shannon is a MS, CNM, WHNP, OB/GYNNP, C-EFM with ten years of practice experience as a Midwife and a strong interest in the field of Women's Health issues. She joined a private physician-owned full-scope practice, in which she provided services of primary care, full range of maternity and gynecological care, infertility and family planning, vaginitis, sexual dysfunction and endocrine disorders. She has worked with the indigent population in providing pregnancy testing to those in need. She served as a Commissioner's Designee to review maternal mortalities in NYS through the Safe Motherhood Initiative. Ms. Shannon is a Perinatal Quality/Educational Specialist for the CNY Regional Perinatal Program. She is a valuable resource to the QI process and her knowledge of standards to improve perinatal outcomes by bridging the communication/education between the QI and RPC teams. Ms. Shannon is instrumental in promoting Perinatal Safety at each affiliate hospital and actively participates in the development of Perinatal Safety programs at Crouse Hospital. Her QI activities have been recognized by ACOG and she sits on the District II Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committee. She is nationally certified in Fetal Monitoring and provides EFM training to clinical staff at affiliates. Her qualifications and experiences offer a further dimension to the Maternal/Fetal Medicine Team of the Regional Perinatal Center Program in its QI/Educational mission. Ms. Shannon is the Co-Director of the MIRACLE Continuity Elective, which is an unique18-month elective offered to first year medical students, who are paired with families experiencing a pregnancy and follow them through the pregnancy, birth and up to the baby's first birthday. Please see http://www.upstate.edu/cmatch/ for further information. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Upstate Medical University College of Nursing.

Ms. Shannon's academic background includes an Associates Degree from St. Joseph's College of Nursing, where she received her RN license. She graduated from Nazareth College with a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing and from University of Rochester with a Masters in Midwifery. Currently, Ms. Shannon is enrolled in the joint CNY Masters in Public Health program at Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University.

Rosemarie Surowiec is a Physician Assistant at University OB/Gyn Associates. She is the Project Manager for the Ryan Family Planning Grant. She is the newest addition to our department.

Rosemarie is a native New Yorker. She grew up downstate and then attended SUNY Buffalo where she received her B.S. in Biology. She then attended graduate school at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. There she received her Masters of Medical Sciences (MMSc) and her Physician Assistant degree. She worked in inner-city Atlanta for 10 years in OB/Gyn. After moving to Rochester, NY and now to Syracuse she finds herself "back to work" after taking some time off for family.