Eleven University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) faculty received promotions this academic year. Faculty in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are employed within six distinct career tracks including clinical health sciences (CHS) and clinician teacher (CT).
Nicole Bonk, MD – Associate Professor (CHS)
Bonk is a hospitalist and an academic leader with national recognition for her excellence in clinical care, health system leadership, and education. She has held multiple leadership roles within UW Health, including medical director of inpatient services and vice chief for clinical operations in the Division of Hospital Medicine. She currently serves as chief medical officer for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Orion Initiative, advancing innovative solutions to rural health disparities. Clinically, she is a key architect of UW Health’s Home‑Based Hospital Care program, improving outcomes through high‑quality, patient‑centered care. Bonk leads from a relationship-centered foundation, teaches with passion and clarity, and practices with compassion, rigor, and innovation.
Jess Dalby, MD – Professor (CHS)
Dalby is a recognized leader and expert in sexual and reproductive health and a skilled family physician. As medical consultant for sexual and reproductive health with the City of Milwaukee Health Department, she led clinician education and new referral protocols during Wisconsin’s syphilis surge and expanded sexually transmitted infection clinic testing to include hepatitis C. She leads the DFMCH women’s health curriculum, where she collaborates with the department of obstetrics and gynecology to develop opportunities for residents to learn about outpatient gynecology. Dalby is also the director for the DFMCH Academic Fellowship where she mentors fellows in their academic interests and coordinates the Medical Educators Basecamp series.
Kristi Hallisy, PT, DSc – Professor (CHS)
Hallisy is an exceptional educator and mentor whose leadership in core musculoskeletal courses consistently integrates current evidence and supports strong student outcomes. As director of mentoring for the UW Health and Meriter Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program, she has been a mentor to orthopedic physical therapy residents since 2020 and strengthened mentor development and assessment practices. She leads community-engaged scholarship through Tai Chi Prime, advancing evidence-based falls prevention in underserved communities and expanding the program’s reach through funded projects, publications, and national presentations.
Bethany Howlett, MD, MHS – Associate Professor (CHS)
Howlett is a dynamic educator and full-spectrum family physician. Her work has advanced community-engaged medical education and equitable maternity care. As the department block lead for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Chronic and Preventive Care (CPC) block, she launched innovative curricula that engages students with community organizations and developed assessments for community engagement skills. Dissemination of this approach led to expanded core clinical competencies that include community and population health skills. As the DFMCH OB and Newborn Care leader, she provides leadership at the interface of clinical practice, education, and systems improvement. Her work has influenced medical education across disciplines, enhanced the quality of maternal and newborn care, and inspired learners to engage in medicine.
Anne Kolan, MD – Clinical Associate Professor
Kolan is a physician-scholar who combines skill, compassion, and integrity to elevate the mission of our department and institution. She continually shows the highest standards of family medicine through her patient-centered, integrative, and evidence-based approach to care, seamlessly integrating traditional medical care with the principles of integrative health. Along with her excellence as a clinician, Kolan is also a dedicated teacher and mentor, contributing to medical student and resident education and to advancing integrative health education.
Jen Lochner, MD – Professor (CHS)
Lochner is a highly respected educator and clinical leader, responsible for overseeing the residency teaching clinics that care for more than 45,000 patients as a DFMCH service chief. She has contributed to multiple projects that advance the DFMCH education mission to support our residents, fellows, and student learners. She is nationally recognized for her contributions to education and scholarship through longstanding work with the American Board of Family Medicine in developments for curricula and evaluation, and as an associate editor for the journal Family Medicine published by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.
Ildi Martonffy, MD – Professor (CHS)
Martonffy is an educator and a clinician of high regard. She has provided visionary leadership through her service as the previous DFMCH residency program director and in her current role as the department’s vice chair for education. Martonffy’s innovations as vice chair have created new channels through which the next generation of clinicians can enter family medicine and be supported throughout their time in residency and fellowships. She has continued her clinical focus on whole-person care for underserved populations in the broader Madison area. Her work exemplifies the integration of teaching excellence, clinical care, and leadership that defines academic family medicine.
Katie McCreary, MD – Clinical Associate Professor
McCreary is widely recognized for her service of gender‑affirming care, providing essential patient‑centered services for a diverse and vulnerable population. She serves as site lead at the UW Health Fitchburg Clinic, where she facilitates clinical communication and operations by fostering a collaborative culture focused on high‑quality, patient-centered care. Her work includes leading quality improvement initiatives focused on population health, patient access, and preventive care, strengthening outcomes for patients and clinical teams alike.
Sam Sharp, MD – Clinical Associate Professor
Sharp is a family physician highly regarded for excellence in clinical care that blends evidence‑based family medicine with integrative health practices. She serves as site lead at the Yahara Integrative Family Medicine Clinic, where she provides full‑spectrum care. Sharp’s innovative work in lifestyle interventions and smoking cessation, along with her commitment to teaching and mentorship, has earned her a deep sense of trust from patients, learners, and colleagues alike.
Mary Thompson, MD – Clinical Professor
Thompson is a family physician who exemplifies dedication to patients, colleagues, and the broader mission of family medicine. She is known for building trust with patients and providing excellent service for patients across the lifespan, leading to a career centered on caring for multiple generations of families. She serves as site lead at the Odana Clinic, providing steady, collaborative leadership and advancing quality improvement efforts. Thompson also serves as the DFMCH clinician teacher track promotions liaison, a role that allows her to assist fellow CT track faculty in their promotions.
Robyn Titel, MD – Clinical Associate Professor
Titel embodies the core values of clinical excellence, collaborative leadership, and robust commitment to education. Seeing patients across the lifespan and in various settings, Titel consistently provides compassionate, evidence-based, and efficient care. As site lead at the DeForest-Windsor clinic, she has proven to be an approachable, organized, and thoughtful leader that incorporates multiple perspectives when addressing challenges and offering solutions based on practicality and equity. She lends her expertise teaching students through various stages in their training as well as speaking in primary and secondary school settings, working to inspire the future generation of health care professionals.
Published: May 2026