INTEGRATED PELVIC HEALTH PROGRAM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nursing Team
Carol Emi Bretschneider, MD, joined the faculty of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS)/ Urogynecology. Dr. Bretschneider is passionate about pelvic health. She believes that the most important part of the physician-patient relationship is communication and education. Her practice is centered on a collaborative approach to care with the goal of creating individualized plans to meet the unique concerns of each and every one of her patients.
Dr. Kimberly Kenton is board-certified in OB/GYN and Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery. She is a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Urology and serves as division chief of Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. As the Medical Director of the Women's Integrated Pelvic Health Program, Dr. Kenton leads the fully integrated program which provides world class clinical and surgical care while offering patients access to breakthrough clinical research. Dr. Kenton earned international recognition for treatment and research of women with complex pelvic floor disorders and minimally invasive surgical techniques with laparoscopy and robotics.
Her clinical interests include treatment of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, complex urinary and rectal fistulas, mesh complications, and congenital anomalies. Her research focuses on clinical effectiveness trials and patient centered outcomes for pelvic floor disorder treatments. With over 250 peer-reviewed publications, a Master of Science in clinical research and biostatistical analysis, and 20 years of continuous NIH, industry and private funding, Dr. Kenton has been the primary investigator on numerous National Institutes of Health-funded studies that have led to advances in surgical treatment and outcomes for women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
She is a leader in urogynecology and surgical education and has served in leadership roles in most national organizations dedicated to women's health care. She is on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology and has served on ACGME Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Review Committee; ABOG/ABU Division of FPMRS and Board Exam Committees for Obstetrics & Gynecology and FPMRS certification; AUGS Education Counsel Chair; International Urogynecologic Society Education Committee; ACOG FPMRS Prolog Committee Chair and CREOG Exam Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nursing Team
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Lisa Bednar is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her bachelor of science in nursing from Illinois State University in 2005 and her master of science in nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2019. Lisa feels that women are often unaware of their treatment options regarding pelvic floor dysfunction. She enjoys educating patients and developing an individualized non-surgical treatment plan that can greatly improve their quality of life. In her free time, Lisa enjoys spending time with her husband and their four boys. Lisa has been fortunate to have been employed as a registered nurse by Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital since 2008 before transitioning to an APRN role with Northwestern Medicine Women's Integrated Pelvic Health Program.
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Lisa Wehbe is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her bachelor of science in nursing from Grand Canyon University in 2003 and her master of science in nursing from Lewis University in 2018. Lisa's prior work history includes extensive experience in Labor and Delivery, operative procedures in obstetrics and gynecology, vascular surgery, and interventional radiology. She has obtained specialty certification in obstetrics, and patient's undergoing all phases of surgical care. Lisa is devoted to taking time with each patient to determine their goals and provide individualized compassionate care for successful outcomes.
Lisa is a member of the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) and American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Dr. Margaret Mueller joined the faculty of the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery/Urogynecology as an Assistant Professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Urology after completing her Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Northwestern University. She completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at University of Chicago. She is board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery.
Dr. Mueller's clinical interests include treatment of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, complex urinary and rectal fistulas, and mesh complications. She has worked with expert pediatric surgeons to develop a nationally recognized program, the Collaborative Advanced Reconstructive Evaluation (CARE) Clinic, to care for young women with complex congenital anomalies. Increasing numbers of women who underwent complex surgery for cloacal and bladder exstrophy are transitioning to adulthood with unique urologic, obstetric, and gynecologic needs. Dr. Mueller is on staff at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital as well as Northwestern Medicine.
She is actively involved in Women's Health Research and has received several national grants to study complex pelvic floor disorders. Most of her research interests focus on surgical outcomes. She is currently the principal investigator in a national, multicenter innovative research network studying the effect of the urinary microbiome on sacral neuromodulation in women with urinary incontinence.
She is also studying outcomes of sacral neuromodulation on fecal and urinary incontinence. She is enthusiastic about surgical education and is currently a member of the Robotic Education Curriculum Committee as well as the MS 4 Clerkship Director.
Job Titles:
- Counselor
- Health Nurse Practitioner
Maureen Sheetz is a board-certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and ASSECT-certified Sexuality Counselor. She has worked in the Northwestern Medicine Women's Integrated Pelvic Health program with the Urogynecology practice since 2010. Maureen received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Marquette University and her Master of Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She obtained a Certificate in Sexuality Counseling from the University of Michigan Sexual Health Program.
Maureen's expertise includes management of non-surgical options to address women's pelvic floor disorders including urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pre-operative and post-operative care, recurrent urinary tract infections and pain with intercourse.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nursing Team
Dr. Sarah Collins is board-certified in Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynecology and is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Dr. Collins completed an accredited Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at Hartford Hospital after completing her residency training at the Cleveland Clinic. She has an active surgical practice and is involved in clinical and translational research.
She has received four competitive research grants to support her projects. Dr. Collins's work has been presented at multiple national conferences. Her clinical interests include pelvic organ prolapse, robotic surgery, complex vaginal surgery, genital tract fistulas, and urinary and fecal incontinence. She is particularly interested in the impact of physical activity and fitness on pelvic floor symptoms.
Job Titles:
- CHIEF of RECONSTRUCTION and NEUROUROLOGY / PROFESSOR
- Director of the Multidisciplinary Adult Spina Bifida Clinic at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
Dr. Kielb is a board-certified urologist with a subspecialty certification in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (urogynecology). She is a professor of urology and the residency program director in the Department of Urology at Feinberg School of Medicine.
She is a recognized expert in voiding dysfunction and incontinence, having performed sacral neuromodulation and botulinum toxin injections for urinary leakage procedures since 2004. She also performs minimally invasive procedures for stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, including robotic surgery as well as native-tissue and mesh slings.
Dr. Kielb is the urologic director of the multidisciplinary adult spina bifida clinic at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, treating both men and women with neurogenic bladder. She is a founding member of the American Urological Association Working Group on Congenitalism and has published extensively on the needs and outcomes of this patient population. She manages adults with many other congenital genitourinary conditions, including cloacal exstrophy, sacral agenesis, urogenital sinus conditions, vaginal agenesis/atresia, and disorders of sexual differentiation.
Dr. Kielb also specializes in the treatment of urinary symptoms related to spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and other neurologic conditions, which affect urination. She has extensive surgical experience in complex reconstructive procedures, including bladder augmentation, mitrofanoff/monti procedures (catheterizable channels), ureteral reconstruction for ureteral strictures or injury including robotic ureteral reimplant, boari flap, psoas hitch, and ileal ureter construction for extensive ureteral strictures from radiation therapy. She also treats genitourinary fistulas, including vesicovaginal (between bladder and vagina), ureterovaginal (between the ureter and vagina), and enterovesical (between bowel and bladder).