Dermatology News
Updates from the UNMC Department of Dermatology
| | Dermatology Fellowship Program Updates | | Inaugural Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship Match | | |
In our previous newsletter, we shared the exciting news that the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Department of Dermatology/Children’s Nebraska would be launching Nebraska’s first pediatric dermatology fellowship, with a planned start in 2026. We are pleased to now share an important update: the program has successfully matched its inaugural pediatric dermatology fellow.
Matching our first fellow marks a major milestone for the department and reflects the strength of the program’s faculty, curriculum, and institutional support. We are excited to announce Dr. Megan Walsh will be joining us after completing her Dermatology residency at the University of Missouri. Dr. Walsh will begin her fellowship training in August 2026 and will train under the guidance of UNMC and Children’s Nebraska pediatric dermatologists Dr. Nicole Harter and Dr. Mollie Oudenhoven.
Dr. Nicole Harter serves as fellowship program director and has envisioned development of this training program since launching the pediatric dermatology division in 2021. This fellowship will also help address the national shortage of pediatric dermatology providers. With only 476 board-certified pediatric dermatologists across the U.S.—the majority concentrated along the coasts—this program represents a significant step toward expanding access to specialized pediatric skin care in the Midwest.
The fellowship offers comprehensive training in complex pediatric skin disease, combining high-volume clinical exposure with multidisciplinary collaboration, procedural experience, teaching, and scholarly activity. Fellows will care for children with a wide range of conditions, including rare genetic and immunologic disorders, while developing the skills needed for academic leadership and community engagement.
The inaugural interview season was energizing, and we were delighted to welcome a strong and diverse group of applicants. To promote accessibility and equity, the program offered both in-person and virtual interview options, allowing candidates from across the country to engage meaningfully with faculty and learn more about the fellowship and institution.
We look forward to welcoming Dr. Walsh and to the continued growth of pediatric dermatology education, scholarship, and patient care at UNMC and Children’s Nebraska.
Dr. Nicole Harter (Associate Professor and Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship Program Director)
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Mohs Fellowship Match
In addition to the Pediatric Dermatology Fellow, UNMC Dermatology is excited to announce the Mohs Fellowship Match for 2026. This past summer and fall, our Mohs team hosted multiple shadowing opportunities for interested applicants. We also reviewed numerous applications and hosted interviews later in the fall.
Match day has come, and we are very excited to announce our newest Mohs Fellow: Vignesh Ravi, MD. Dr. Ravi is coming to us from the University of Southern California and will be joining our team in July 2026.
Mohs Fellowship Team
(Department of Dermatology)
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2025 Year End Celebration and Awards
The Dermatology Department celebrated the holiday season in style at the elegant Paxton Ballroom, a venue known for its historic charm and 1920s Art Deco design. The evening was filled with laughter, music, and camaraderie as colleagues gathered to reflect on a successful year and enjoy a night of relaxation. Guests were treated to a beautifully decorated space, delicious food, and a warm, welcoming environment that truly captured the spirit of the holidays.
One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the end-of-year awards, recognizing outstanding contributions and achievements within the department. The awards were given for the following:
Teacher of the Year Award – DR. LUKE WITTE
UNMC Administrative Employee of the Year Award – PAIGE WEIL
Nebraska Medicine Clinic Employee of the Year Award – ALESHA SMITH
ITEACH Award - SUZANNE WEISS
Outstanding Trainee Award - DR. MORGAN ZABEL
Going the Extra Mile Award - TEDDI SETTLES
Mentor of the Year Award - DR. MATTHEW STEPHANY
Dr. Kristie Hayes Dermatology Award - KARLE OLNES
Rookie of the Year Award - RAVEN JONES
VA Dermatology Employee of the Year Award - ANN RATHMAN
Children's Nebraska Pediatric Dermatology Staff Member of the Year Award - SABRINA SANCHEZ
These honors not only celebrated individual excellence but also underscored the collective effort that made the year a success. The ceremony concluded with fun raffle items from local shops, donated by our generous Faculty, APPs and leadership team, and provided a renewed sense of pride and motivation for the year ahead.
Domi Eldridge (Office Associate)
| | | 2025 Dermatology Fall Retreats | | The Faculty, Clinic Staff, Residents, and Administrative Staff each attended a Fall Retreat in late September/ Early October. It was a great opportunity for everyone to step away from the office and learn and connect in a relaxed setting. Each retreat focused on team building through engaging activities that strengthen collaboration and communication across the team. Whether it's group challenges, shared meals, or simply enjoying time together, the retreats fostered a sense of camaraderie and renewal. It was a time for fun, reflection, and building stronger relationships that carry back into the workplace. | | Halloween with UNMC Dermatology | | Halloween, in the Dermatology Department, is kind of a big deal! This year, the Dermatology Department got into the Halloween spirit with a fun and festive “Games” theme costume day! Faculty and Staff dressed up as classic board games, video game characters, and playful game pieces, bringing creativity and laughter to the clinics and administrative offices. The themed celebration added a cheerful twist to the workday and brought everyone together for some lighthearted fun. It was a great way to boost morale and showcase team spirit! | |
Dermatology Volunteers Screen Nearly 150 Individuals
Across Omaha
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We had a busy fall with three community service events, where we provided dermatology screenings to nearly 150 individuals across Omaha. Our team participated in two One Stop Cancer Shops with Nebraska Medicine—one at Mount Calvary Methodist Church and another at the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition. We also took part in the OneWorld BiNational Health Fair at Metro Community College.
It was wonderful to be out in the community offering free dermatology screenings. We are incredibly grateful to our physicians, residents, medical students, and staff who volunteered their time to make these events run smoothly. Their dedication ensures we continue to meet community needs and expand access to care.
Karle Olnes (Department Administrator)
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It is hard to believe we are already at the beginning of 2026; this past year truly flew by! It was packed with hands-on cosmetic sessions, energizing didactics, well-deserved awards, and plenty of research adventures. There is so much to celebrate and be proud of among our residents.
Our superstar third-year dermatology residents, Dr. Thieman, Dr. Grinnell, and I [Dr. Clark] successfully completed all four Dermatology Core Examinations this past year. Administered by the American Board of Dermatology, these four examinations, Medicine, Dermatopathology, Surgery, and Pediatrics, must be passed prior to taking the final Applied Examination for board certification. We are officially one step closer to becoming board-certified dermatologists, and we could not be prouder of this impressive milestone!
Awards, research accomplishments, and new leadership appointments made this past year especially exciting. Dr. Thieman and Dr. Fernandez (UNMC Dermatology Class of 2025) had their abstract accepted for the WDS Forum. While Dr. Sharma earned the top poster award at NDS and contributed a book chapter to the latest edition of Taylor and Kelly’s Dermatology for Skin of Color. Dr. Grinnell was appointed as a resident member of the AAD Member Communications Committee, where she will serve through 2027. I received the ASDS Preceptorship award, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in hair transplantation, and appeared on the news alongside Dr. Barrett to highlight our work in the Skin of Color Clinic. We cannot forget Dr. Zabel, who was named Trainee of the Year for her exceptional depth of dermatologic knowledge, dedication to outstanding patient care, clinical skill, compassion, and unwavering commitment to our residency program.
We also want to give a huge shout-out to our amazing first-year residents, Dr. Donohoue, Dr. Yim, Dr. Ravipati, and Dr. Poondru who have officially survived and thrived in their first six months of dermatology training! Their enthusiasm, dedication, and rapid growth have been a joy to watch.
Beyond clinics and studying, we have continued to give back and mentor future physicians. Dr. Sharma, Dr. Grinnell, Dr. Kayishunge, and I helped lead a suturing workshop for first-year medical students, which was a tremendous success. Dr. Grinnell and I visited North High School to share the wonders of dermatology with aspiring physicians. Dr. Grinnell and I also teamed up to help teach a dermatopathology workshop, making histology slides feel just a little less intimidating for first-year UNMC medical students.
Life outside the hospital has been equally joyful. Dr. Donohoue welcomed a beautiful baby boy, while Dr. Ravipati celebrated the wedding of her dreams surrounded by family and friends. We have enjoyed celebrating our many “derm babies” birthdays and spending quality time together at Kipp. Our fall resident retreat was another highlight, complete with pastries, hibachi, and pickleball, because balance is everything (or at least we like to think so).
As we close out this busy, fulfilling, and heart-warming year, we are incredibly grateful for this community and for one another. It is hard to believe that residency interviews for the next class of UNMC residents are just around the corner, and we cannot wait to see what the year ahead has in store.
Here’s to another exciting year in dermatology!
Kayla Clark, MD
PGY-4 Dermatology Resident Physician
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William W. Bruce MD Distinguished Chair, UNMC Department of Dermatology
Associate Professor, UNMC Department of Dermatology
Associate Program Director
Director of Tropical and Infectious Disease Dermatology, Nebraska Medicine
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As the Department of Dermatology wrapped up another incredible year, we are full of excitement for what is on the horizon in 2026! Our department continued to expand access to expert dermatologic care for even more Nebraskans, while thoughtfully growing new educational offerings for the next generation and pushing innovative research forward in 2025. Despite a period of uncertainty during a national chair search earlier this year, I could not be more proud of this team and how the resolve in our shared mission has never been stronger. This group continuously raises the bar for what we can achieve next.
Just a few highlights from 2025:
- Dr. Georgeanne Cornell joined faculty as our second Dermatologist-Dermatopathologist
- Dr. Hannah Porter started as the first ACGME-approved Mohs Micrographic Surgery & Dermatologic Oncology Fellow in the state of Nebraska
- ACGME-approval for the first Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship in the state of Nebraska
- Dr. Hirner launched a new high-risk melanoma clinic in the Buffett Cancer Center side by side with our team of medical and surgical oncologists
- We had our very first graduate of the American Board of Dermatology-approved UNMC Physician Scientist (Research) Track (Dr. Jennifer Fernandez)
- We continue to achieve double-digit increases in visit volumes and access to care at both our Nebraska Medicine and Children’s Nebraska sites while achieving recognition for top patient satisfaction scores
- We grew to 14 specialty and multi-disciplinary care clinics (national average for an academic dermatology department is 3.94) establishing UNMC Derm as the hub for specialized dermatologic care in the region
- The Department worked hard to give back to the community, including hundreds of skin cancer screenings, women’s shelter initiatives, and even handing out sunscreen to over 400 fans during the NCAA College World Series
- Grew dermatologic clinical trials in skin cancer and inflammatory skin disease available within the state
- Mentored 5 students through the Medical Student Summer Research Program
- Dr. Oudenhoven was approved for the very first Dermatology Enhanced Medical Education Track (EMET) - a longitudinal curriculum developed for UNMC Medical Students
- Expanded our dermatology residency complement to 11 physicians in training on the path to become dermatologists
It was truly another incredible year here at UNMC Department of Dermatology- all thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our faculty, staff, and trainees. We have accomplished so much already together, which only fuels us to look to an even brighter future ahead. We will continue to work to close the extreme gap of dermatologic care for our state while pushing dermatologic education and research forward to cascade our impact into the future. We welcome you to join us in these efforts in whatever way you can!
Gratefully yours,
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Erin Dahms,
NU Foundation
| | Ways to Support our Department |
Developing new clinical programs, innovative education strategies and cutting-edge research protocols depend on support from our philanthropic partners. UNMC alumni, grateful patients, and community partners have expressed an interest in learning more about our program, our opportunities to enhance the impact we have at UNMC and across Nebraska, and our vision to become a national leader in treatment, physician training, and outreach. If you would like to learn more about private gifts and partnerships in these or other areas, or about volunteering for our programs, we welcome the chance to share them with you. We are grateful for every gift, as well as each person who would like to be a part of the team serving our dermatologic community.
We have immediate needs in the following areas:
- Research Pilot Start-up Fund
- Education Funding -- Resident Education Fund, Medical Student Research Scholarships, Endowed Research Fellowship
- Patient Care and Clinical Support
- Endowed Faculty Sponsorship
For more information please contact:
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UNMC Department of Dermatology
985645 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5645
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