Alumni News

Michael J. Erhard, MD, MBA

Mihir Shah, MD

Gerald L. Andriole, MD, FACS

2021 JEFFERSON UROLOGY ASSOCIATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Michael J. Erhard, MD, MBA Executive Vice President and Physician in Chief, Florida Operations Nemours: Children’s Health System The Department of Urology was pleased to present the 2021 Jefferson Urology Alumni Achievement Award to Michael J. Erhard, MD, MBA. Dr. Erhard was appointed Physician in Chief for Nemours in Florida in 2017. His medical leadership role includes responsibilities for Nemours physician practices throughout northeast, northwest and central Florida, as well as Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando and hospitalists and neonatologists serving affiliated hospitals from Central Florida to Florida’s panhandle. Dr. Erhard's 25 years of service and physician leadership with Nemours spans the campuses both in the Delaware Valley and Florida.

A native of the Philadelphia area, Dr. Erhard received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, (Sidney Kimmel Medical College), where he began his journey with Nemours as part of his urology training. After completing his Surgery and Residency in Urology (1995) at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, he completed a Pediatric Urology Fellowship at the University of Florida, a joint program with Nemours in Jacksonville. Dr. Erhard is board certified by the American Board of Urology (ABU) and holds a subspecialty certificate from the ABU in pediatric urology. Dr. Erhard specializes in spina bifida, urologic reconstruction and minimally invasive surgery. He was one of the first in the country to adopt the use of robotics in pediatric urology, and was a pioneer in both robotics, and ureteroscopic treatment of stones in children. Dr. Erhard was also the founding lead surgeon for the Foundation for Children, a non-profit Florida based organization which focused on correcting congenital anomalies in orphaned children of the Crimean Peninsula, and also helped train local physicians. He led the surgical teams missions beginning in 2007 and ending in 2014 with the annexation by the Russian Federation.

Dr. Sonny Figueroa, Chief of Pediatric Urology, Division of Pediatric Urology Nemours/A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, noted that “having been involved with his training and continuing to work with him in the Nemours Children’s Health System, we are very proud of Mike and what he has accomplished. His Jefferson Urology Alumni Achievement Award is well deserved.”

Previous award winners are Dr. Steve Strup (2019), and Dr. Marty Dresner (2020). There has been one other historic Alumni award given to Dr. Ken Brownstein during the Department of Urology Centennial Celebration in 2004. The Department looks forward to making this Alumni award an annual event.

ALUMNI NEWS BRIEFS

Mihir Shah, MD Mihir is a graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark in 2003 after completing his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Mihir joined Jefferson as a general surgery resident in June of 2013 and

Dr. Erhard participated in a virtual alumni award ceremony on June 18, 2021 during the DM Davis Visiting Professorship with Dr. Pat Shenot is “presenting” Mike with his award. Dr. Gomella is holding a custom cardboard cut-out likeness that is reported to be “the next best thing to being there.”

completed his urology residency at Jefferson in 2018. He then completed a fellowship in minimally invasive urologic surgery at the USC Institute of Urology in Los Angeles, CA. Since July 2020 he has been on the staff at Christiana Hospital where he has become an integral part of Sidney Kimmel Medical College teaching faculty primarily working with family medicine residents rotating with him. We look forward to his work further solidifying our relationship between SKMC Department of Urology and Christiana.

Gerald L. Andriole MD, FACS Gerald L. Andriole MD will be joining Johns Hopkins. Dr. Andriole will be Professor of Urology and Director of the Brady Urological institute in the National Capital Region, Johns Hopkins University starting January 2022. He will be leading Hopkins Urology efforts in the region and will also continue his efforts in prostate cancer research, clinical care and education. Dr. Andriole most recently was the Robert K. Royce Distinguished Professor and Chief of Urologic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He is a world leader in prostate cancer.

Dr. Andriole received his medical degree in 1978 from Jefferson Medical College (Sidney Kimmel Medical College) after completing its 5-year accelerated medical program in conjunction with Pennsylvania State University. He trained in surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester and completed urology residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Subsequently, he was a fellow in Urologic Oncology at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland under Dr. Marston Linehan.

At Washington University, Dr. Andriole had over 35 years of clinical and academic research contributions in the areas of BPH and prostate cancer screening, prevention and imaging. He has contributed well over 450 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Andriole has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Urologic Oncology Branch of NCI, Distinguished Alumni Award from Jefferson Medical College, the Distinguished Clinician Award from Washington University in St Louis and most recently the Richard Williams, MD Prostate Cancer Research Excellence Award from the American Urological Association Urology Care Foundation. Andrew Pridjian, MD Dr. Pridjian is a 2013 graduate of Sidney Kimmel Medical College and completed his Urology residency at Jefferson in 2019. In the summer of 2020, Dr. Pridjian completed a fellowship in Advanced Robotics and Urologic Oncology at University of Southern California, and started working at Urology Specialists of Atlanta in Sandy Springs, Georgia. In practice, he concentrates on minimally invasive oncology primarily. Dr. Pridjian’s hospital systems include Northside Hospital as well as Emory St. Joseph's hospital. He completed 100 robotic oncology cases during his first year in practice. He was featured in an Instagram posting honoring USC doctors during COVID.

Yew-Lam Chong, MBBS, MRCS, MMed, FAMS A former Endourology Fellow at Jefferson, Dr. Yew-Lam Chong serves as Senior Consultant of the Department of Urology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Concurrently he is the Chairman of the Division of Surgery and holds Adjunct Associate Professorship at the NTU-Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professorship at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. He serves as an International Editorial Member of the Canadian Journal of Urology.

As a member of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital senior management team, his additional responsibilities include the Clinical Director of Emergency Planning, Clinical Director of JOINT (Joint Oncology Innovations Taskforce) and Director of the NHG-JHSI (National Healthcare Group - Johns Hopkins Singapore Institute).

Dr. Chong completed his undergraduate medical training at the National University of Singapore in 1995, obtained Membership at the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in 2001, Masters in Medicine (Surgery) in 2002 and completed a Urology residency training in 2006. From 2007 to 2008, he received fellowship training at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, USA, under the mentorship of Drs. Demetrius Bagley and Leonard Gomella. His fellowship focused on Endourology, Advanced Laparoscopic Urologic Surgery and Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic procedures. Upon returning to Singapore in 2008, he was appointed as faculty and Consultant Urologist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and helped develop a range of new surgical capabilities at the hospital. This included development of the hospital’s inaugural robotic prostatectomy program from December 2008, enhancing the role of flexible ureteroscopy in upper urinary tract diseases, PCNL and other advanced laparoscopic procedures. Outside of work, Yew-Lam is active in the army reserve. He graduated from the premier officer command training course at the Singapore Armed Forces Command and Staff College in 2009, received the National Day Award Commendation Medal (Military) in 2013 and currently holds the rank of Senior LieutenantColonel, was the former Commanding Officer of the 8th Combat Support Hospital from 2012 to 2017, and currently serves as the Senior Formation Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces HQ Army Medical Services. He looks forward to seeing his Jefferson colleagues at upcoming meetings.

JEFFERSON UROLOGY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Our urology alumni, student, residents, fellows and faculty, should let us know if you have any general news announcements to share. If you do, please contact Dr. Paul Chung, Director Jefferson Urology Alumni Association (paul. chung@jefferson.edu). We are committed to keeping connected to our urology alumni across the United States and internationally.

Update your contact and other information by using the following link https://tinyurl.com/ jeffersonurology or by using the QR code below on your cellphone. Alumni may also directly contact our office by phone (215-955-6961) or email Barbara.Devine@jefferson.edu to update their information. Specific questions on the Jefferson Urology Alumni Association can be directed to Dr. Paul Chung or Dr. Leonard Gomella, Chair of the Department of Urology (leonard. gomella@jefferson. edu). Jefferson Urology Alumni Association QR Code for Directory Updates.

RICARDO GONZALEZ, MD

On March 23, 2021, our former and esteemed colleague and friend, Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez, died after a long battle with metastatic prostate cancer, at the age of 77 years. Dr. Gonzalez joined the faculty at the Nemours/Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children and the Department of Urology at Thomas Jefferson University in 2002. Prior to his arrival in the Philadelphia area, he had been Professor and Chief of Pediatric Urology at the University of Miami, and before that appointment he was Chief of Pediatric Urology at the Michigan’s Children’s Hospital in Detroit, where he worked with our former colleague Dr. Julia Barthold.

When the opportunity to add a faculty member was made possible, Dr. Barthold contacted Dr. Gonzalez, who came to Wilmington initially as a visiting professor in 2001, and then joined the faculty in 2002. At duPont, he quickly started a Fellowship in Pediatric Urology, and during his tenure, 7 fellows completed the two-year clinical fellowship. Along with the Fellowship, he also established a pediatric laparoscopic surgical program, a skill he learned, and mastered, after his 60th birthday. Like all challenges in his life, he approached laparoscopy with curiosity, passion, intensity and superlative skill. Upon his retirement from duPont in 2008, he moved to Salzburg and then Hannover Germany with his wife Dr. Barbara Ludwikowski, where he continued to operate and teach until his untimely death. His contributions to pediatric urology have been significant and durable, and he influenced legions of pediatric urologists and pediatric surgeons in North and South America and throughout Europe.

As noted in the Memorial in the Journal of Pediatric Urology, Dr. Gonzales “was a man of extraordinary talent who spoke 5 languages and during his diverse life taught urology in 3 of them,” and, upon his death, “Pediatric Urology lost one of it’s most talented and imaginative surgeons and educators.”

Along with his wife, he edited the “Handbook of Urologic Diseases in Children,” which is a featured book on page 24 of this Year in Review.

Thanks to Dr. Sonny Figueroa for his contribution.

Dr. Ralph Veenema, Jefferson Medical College (Sidney Kimmel Medical College), Class of 1945.

RALPH JAMES VEENEMA, MD

Ralph James Veenema, MD, former Chief of Urologic Oncology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, passed away Friday, Dec. 14, 2018, in, Cromwell, Connecticut. He was 97. Born Dec. 13, 1921, in Prospect Park, New Jersey, he received a bachelor's degree from Calvin College in Michigan where met and married his wife, Henriette (Henis) E. Van der Molen on Sept. 19, 1944.

In 1945, Dr. Veenema received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel Medical College) and served his internship at Paterson General Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. In 1946, he was commissioned a Captain in the United States Army Medical Corps and served his country at Army hospitals in Alexandria, Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi. After receiving his honorable discharge from the military in 1948, he joined the staff at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City initially as a pathology resident but in 1949 he switched to Uology and after his training he served on the faculty of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center Squier Urological Clinic from 1953 – 1987. At the time of his retirement in 1987, he was urology surgical attending at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and was professor emeritus of urology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He was a member of the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons and President of the New York Section of the AUA form 1970-1971 and published 104 papers including how to perform a perineal prostate cup biopsy in 1962.

He and his wife retired to their farm in Deposit, NY from their home of 35 years in Glen Rock, New Jersey. ShiRaLoKen Farm was well known for its high quality Angus breeding stock. In 1997, Ralph and Henis retired from farming and moved fulltime to Cooperstown, NY. In May 2006, Ralph suffered the loss of his beloved wife, Henis. Dr. Veenema is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Shirley Ann and Jim Sheldon of Boston, Massachusetts and Lois Ruth and Bill Byrne of Traverse City, Michigan; two sons and daughters-in-law, Ralph J. Veenema Jr. and Janet of Rocky Hill, Connecticut and Kenneth R. Veenema, MD, and Tener of Baltimore, Maryland in addition to 13 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.