UROLOGY PARTNERS - Key Persons
Amanda White was well on her way to becoming an elementary-school teacher when she took a part-time job with a pediatrician in Irving. "He told me if he could do it again, he would be a physician assistant," she remembers.
Although White completed her bachelor's degree in education at the University of Dallas and taught for a year, she couldn't forget her mentor's admission. "I investigated physician assistant (PA) programs and went back to school to complete the necessary prerequisites while working at UT Southwestern doing Alzheimer's research," she says.
While completing the PA program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, White quickly discovered she was drawn to urology. "The attending physicians and residents I worked with during my urology rotation just seemed so down to earth," she adds. "They allowed me to do procedures, be involved in surgeries and see as many patients as I wanted. I excelled and participated more than many of the med students."
Fresh out of PA school, White began working alongside Dr. Tracy Cannon-Smith and Dr. Keith Xavier helping women overcome incontinence. She's been with them ever since.
Now eight years into her dream career, she is thankful that her college mentor set her on this path. "Unfortunately, he's no longer with us, but his positive influence is a staple in the way I try to practice medicine," she admits. "I find joy in educating patients. I think patients really appreciate that I take the time to explain a little bit more about anatomy and how the disease process affects their bodies. But my true passion is doing in-office procedures that deliver an immediate result. I just love seeing positive change in my patients."
White has seen first-hand the huge difference treatments such as InterStim and Botox injections-two of the incontinence procedures she performs-can make in a woman's life. "I have a lot of patients who I'm really close with," she says. "When they come to see me, I want them to know they can tell me anything. When they reveal they have a problem wetting themselves or incontinence is making their lives miserable, I find a way to get at the heart of what's really going on and determine what we can do to make life better."
When she's not caring for patients, the die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan loves traveling, running and doing anything outdoors with her husband and stepdaughters.
As a founder of Urology Partners, Dr. Abrahams is a highly experienced specialist in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgery-including the da Vinci® Surgical System. With more than two decades of expertise, he uses his considerable skills to help men and women diagnosed with kidney cancer, kidney stones and kidney obstructions. Throughout it all, he is mindful of the anxiety and emotional stress his patients often face while coping with their diagnosis.
As a founder of Urology Partners, Dr. Vestal is a highly skilled surgeon who specializes in treating kidney, bladder and prostate cancers. While he loves helping patients live cancer-free, he also feels a special calling-treating end-stage prostate cancer patients.
Dr. Xavier is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and completed his general surgery internship and urology residency at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque. He resides in the metroplex with his wife, Margaret, and their two sons, and enjoys sports and travel.
Languages: English, Spanish
Dr. Compton didn't always know he wanted to be a physician. "I didn't have an epiphany or cathartic moment when I was growing up that put the idea in my mind," he admits. "There aren't any physicians in my family, so it wasn't being exposed to medicine as a kid."
Clarity came later for Dr. Compton while he was pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology at Wake Forest University. and decided to combine his love for analytical thinking with something more personal. "I was attracted to the idea of thinking scientifically, but using it in a humane and more personal way to help others," he adds. "Medicine allows me to do both."
In medical school, the idea of a surgical specialty appealed to him. When he did a rotation in urology, all the pieces fit together.
"I like that urology isn't just based on treating disease, but focuses on treating the person as whole," Dr. Compton explains. "A lot of it has to do with actually improving a patient's quality of life. Many times, patients are struggling with deeply personal urologic problems that they don't even tell their spouses or family members about. A urologist is often the first person they talk with about these issues, so it is a tremendous privilege when a patient opens up and entrusts me with their care."
Today, Dr. Compton helps men and women overcome a range of urologic issues-including enlarged prostate, erectile dysfunction, incontinence, bladder and kidney cancer, and kidney stones.
"It's important not to separate the disease from the individual," he says. "I always want my patients to feel comfortable and confident knowing they have a safe place to discuss their health concerns. A good relationship and honest conversation are key to proper diagnosis, treatment and the best possible outcome. It's rewarding when we can develop that bond and I'm able to provide a meaningful benefit to someone."
For more than two decades, Dr. Collini has been helping individuals in North Texas enjoy healthier lives. "When someone comes in with a painful kidney stone obstruction, I can surgically remove the stone and the problem is gone. For a man who has significant difficulty emptying his bladder, prostate surgery not only makes it possible for him to empty his bladder, it significantly improves his daily life-and that's really rewarding."
Dr. Collini is a graduate of the University of Houston and earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He completed his urology residency at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He is a past president of the Texas Urology Society, past Chief of Staff at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of a local hospital.
Michael White, PA-C, was in college when his grandfather was diagnosed with bladder cancer. "He didn't get the help he probably should have and could have received," he recalls. "Seeing that he died without being treated properly made me want to go into medicine. I wanted to help potentially change that-at least for other people."
No one is more surprised than White that his passion for patient care took a five-year detour as a cardiothoracic researcher whose work was published in some of the field's most influential publications-Nature and Circulation among them.
Still, he couldn't shake the lure of one-on-one patient care. While enrolled in UT Southwestern's Physician Assistant program, he fell in love with urology. Fourteen years later, he's grateful that he can actively help men like his grandfather have healthier, happier outcomes.
"I have a real love for men's health-especially oncological urology," he says. "Dramatic advances in robotic surgery and other technology have brought big changes in the quality and quantity of life for men diagnosed with bladder, kidney and prostate cancer."
Of course, technology can't replace the vital trust between patient and care provider. "I tell every single one of my patients that this is a team effort," he notes. "I want them to know I'm there for them. I'm committed to investing the necessary time and my best effort in their care."
White's patient advocacy isn't confined to the clinic. "Before Covid, I'd go into churches-especially those in south Dallas to talk with men about prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction and other urology issues. African-American men have higher incidences of prostate cancer. Reaching people is really where my heart is."
His commitment to community service and patient care have made White a leader among his peers. He has served as national vice president of the Urology Association of Physicians Assistants, and for more than a decade he's also been Boston Scientific's men's health training expert for Advance Practice Providers nationwide.
Now as part of Urology Partners of North Texas, White believes he's found a truly collaborative practice where his skill and passion for personalized patient care can flourish. "The surgeons and physicians desire to serve the communities around them is what attracted me to UPNT. Not only do they have the desire, they have the facilities and technology to serve their patients in the best possible way without the red tape that plagues a lot of other places."
White works closely with Dr. Clif Vestal, Dr. Mitch Abrahams and Dr. Andrew Sun at the Arlington and HEB clinics to treat men with urologic cancers, erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
The Texas native is a graduate of University of North Texas. When he's not caring for patients, White enjoys, working out, hiking, camping and fly fishing with his wife and two children.
When he is not caring for patients, Dr. Thurman is an avid runner and speaks fluent Spanish. He and his wife, an internal medicine physician, reside in Fort Worth.