Madison Parker, NP - Beacon Medical Group Pediatrics Main Street

Sherri received her master's degree in nursing and family nurse practitioner studies from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and is a certified family nurse practitioner. Sherri comes to Memorial from the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut, She has been with Beacon Medical Group since her move to the area in 2003.. Away from the office, she enjoys golf, jogging and spending time with her family.

About Leslie Kaniuk An introduction to the healthcare field for Leslie Kaniuk, NP, began with her caring for people as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a long-term care facility. “This is where my passion for healthcare developed. I became vested in the patients’ lives and had a genuine desire for their wellbeing,” she says. Leslie earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Purdue University Northwest, Westville, IN, and her Master of Nursing from Purdue Global University, Lafayette, IN. She has experience as an RN in Immediate Care Units, and also emergency and neurology departments. Leslie’s positions have been in outpatient, inpatient, long-term care, and homeless shelters. Through her experiences, she has learned that patients want to make their own decisions. She uses the knowledge and experience gained about disease process and treatment options to help patients make educated decisions on what to do with their health. “To me an important part of delivering patient care involves the patient’s perception of health,” she says. Her decision to focus on patients with neurological needs came from an awareness gained in her work. “Nursing has taught me that to practice I have to draw from multiple disciplines including psychology, sociology, ethics, science, and medicine,” she says. “This field has patients with complex chronic diseases requiring a practitioner to place the patient at the center and work to achieve their health goals. These patients have needs beyond the pathophysiology of the neurological condition and require their healthcare professional to be part of a collaborative team to meet their needs,” she says. In her own words… Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life? My mentor and collaborating physician. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? My first job was picking blueberries. I remember it was hot. What is your favorite food? Movie? My favorite food group is pasta and my all-time favorite movie is My Girl. What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up? My best subject in school was reading comprehension; my worst subject was math. If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why? If I could sit down with anyone for dinner it would be Jean Watson. She developed the theory of nursing. This was the first thing I had heard that made sense of what I think and feel and about what I wanted to do as a career. In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? Besides medicine I am passionate about connections with people in my life, meaning I like to spend time with people. I have been responsible for hosting multiple events where past and present friend groups get together. What are your hobbies, interests? I love to read or listen to audio books. Other than that, I feel like I have done a poor job of developing interests outside of family and work, so I have been on a mission to learn how to golf. I haven’t started yet but I am determined. Do you have pets? I have one dog, named Daisy. She is an Airedale/Collie mix and she is the “goodest” girl. What is something most people don’t know about you? I am seriously an open book. I do not know that there is anything, except I have one reality TV show that I am obsessed with.

Dr. Natali Balog loves a good mystery. That's the reason her specialty fits her personality so well. While there are certain signs, symptoms and lab results that may lead her to a specific diagnosis, there are more than one hundred rheumatic disorders. She doesn't treat the lab report, either; she treats the patient. "Like any good detective, it's about putting together all the clues, including family history and other ailments, to arrive at a diagnosis. Only then can you determine the appropriate course of treatment," said Dr. Balog, who was born and raised in South Bend. "The detective work makes every day interesting. You have to enjoy your work to go do it every day. That, and I've always known I wanted to be a physician." Rheumatology requires a team approach since most diseases Dr. Balog treats involve the whole body. "My ability to collaborate with other physicians and specialties is very important," she said. "There's no way I can carry out alone what needs to be done for any one patient. Teamwork is essential." Dr. Balog establishes long-lasting relationships with patients because so many rheumatic disorders and diseases are chronic. "Sometimes you don't need my constant supervision, but many patients are regulars," she said. "We get to know about their jobs, hobbies and kids, and about their trials and tribulations. They become more than patients. These relationships make my work very rewarding." Her mom is to thank for teaching her the importance of treating patients like family. "My patients have taught me that we only have one life to live," Dr. Balog said. "Although we feel invincible, as the human body is extraordinarily forgiving, we are still vulnerable, and in some ways, fragile. Treasure life each and every day." IN HER OWN WORDS: Who is the most influential person in your life? My mother was my role model, and really, my entire family has influenced and inspired me. What was your first job growing up? I worked in my mom's optometrist's office pulling and re-shelving charts when I was in grade school. I sang the ABC song an awful lot. What are your hobbies? Music, art, gardening, birds, and generally just being outdoors hiking or biking. What is something most people don't know about you? My undergraduate degree was actually in music as a horn major. I knew I would never get another chance to study something so intently once I was in medicine.