Ashley Lewiecki, NP - Beacon Bone & Joint Specialists Navarre

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.

About Michele Knuth It was after working in another field that Michele Knuth, FNP, decided on a career in medicine when she was 24 years old. “The work was unfulfilling and lacked true growth opportunities,” she says. Michele earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, Utah, and her Master of Science - Family Nurse Practitioner degree at Purdue Global University. She sees nurse practitioners as bringing heart and experience to their role, something she says is needed for excellent, patient-centered care. “I love the wide variety of cases and care that IR [interventional radiology] provides, everything from stroke to cancer care and everything in between. I cannot think of an area of the body or a specialty in the hospital that IR does not impact,” Michele says. Through her years of experience, Michele says she has realized the importance of slowing down and connecting with patients. When this happens, the overall experience is greatly improved. “I want people to know they are not another number, they are an individual, a human being, and If I have the ability (and I am the best option), I am going to provide them with the best care I possibly can,” Michele says, adding, “People first, patients second… not just another procedure, appointment or medical record number.” In her own words… Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life? A series of people were there at the right time to guide me in different seasons of my life. My grandmothers have always been very special to me, and family friends who encouraged me to pursue health care when I didn’t have the confidence for it on my own. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? My first job was working as a family assistant. I was part nanny/part grocery shopper/part party planner/part chauffeur. It was very eye opening for me as I was exposed to a lifestyle very different from my own. What is your favorite food? Movie? Favorite foods: I really love Mexican food…guacamole, tacos, pork carnitas, etc. Favorite movie: All the old 007 films, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina…anything with Audrey Hepburn. What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up? I loved government, psychology and history, and enjoyed German and Spanish and learning about other cultures. I hated geometry but loved algebra. If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why? I would love to sit down with Amelia Earhart and find out what actually happened to her. In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? I am passionate about empowering women, helping them realize their goals and of course, my family. I am happily married with three daughters. What are your hobbies, interests? I love listening to health-centered and personal development podcasts. I also really love traveling and spending time with my family. Do you have pets? We have two dogs, a cat and a couple dozen chickens. What is something most people don’t know about you? I absolutely love to travel, if nursing didn’t work out my back up plan was to be a nomad.

About Stephanie Fischer For Stephanie Fischer, becoming a Nurse Practitioner was something she always anticipated. “I knew since I was a child that I always wanted to help people,” she says. Stephanie chose the field of cardiology, because she had a fascination with the heart. In fact, ever since earning her undergraduate degree from IU South Bend, she has worked in the area of cardiology at Memorial Hospital of South Bend. She knew Beacon was the place she wanted to work since she felt being at the largest hospital in the area would give her the most experience. Her roles with Beacon have been in the Cardiac Comprehensive Care Units, Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Laboratory, and the Patient Educator Cardiac Comprehensive Cardiac Care Units. She has worked as a Relief Charge Nurse in Beacon’s Cardiac Comprehensive Care Unit, and as a Patient Associate Educator for Cardiac Comprehensive Care Units. As a nurse practitioner, Stephanie enjoys helping people on their journey to be the best holistic being possible. Her experience has taught her to listen to her patients. “After all, they are experts of themselves and can lead you to the truth behind their ailment,” she says. Stephanie hopes her patients come to understand the compassion she has as a medical professional and know that she will advocate for them. In her own words… Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life? My dad. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it? I worked at a grocery store as a bagger. The thing I remember the most is getting paper cuts on my hands from the bags. Man, those hurt! What is your favorite food? Movie? My favorite food is rack of lamb. My favorite movie is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up? My best was science and my worst was math. If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why? My grandfather. He passed away when I was getting my undergraduate. I miss him. In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? Do you have any pets? Boating is a hobby I am passionate about. I have two dogs, Daisy and Stella. What is something most people don’t know about you? I am a horrible sucker for bad reality television.