Marita Kametas

Marita Kametas, DNP, MPH, MSN, APN, COCN is an IBD and Ostomy Specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as Advanced Practice Provider Program Director for the UChicago IBD Center, Director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and Manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.
Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women’s leadership, health equity, and food insecurity—key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
As the Founding Director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn’s and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.
She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025) and the American Gastroenterology Association Beacon of Hope: Gender and Health Equity Award in 2026.

Kimberly Orleck is a graduate of the Emory Physician Assistant program and has been a PA in GI for the last 16+ years at Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates. She is the Vice President of APPs for United Digestive, where she leads a team of 130+ NP/PAs. She is also on the Board of Trustees for GHAPP and oversees the Education Committee of GHAPP. Additionally, Kim is a committee member for the ACG APP education committee and practice management committee. She precepts PA students from Emory and Mercer University and she holds a part time faculty position at the Emory PA program. She sees and treats all types of GI conditions but has a true passion for IBD.

Marita Kametas, DNP, MPH, MSN, APN, COCN is an IBD and Ostomy Specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as Advanced Practice Provider Program Director for the UChicago IBD Center, Director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and Manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.
Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women’s leadership, health equity, and food insecurity—key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
As the Founding Director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn’s and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.
She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025) and the American Gastroenterology Association Beacon of Hope: Gender and Health Equity Award in 2026.

Marita Kametas, DNP, MPH, MSN, APN, COCN is an IBD and Ostomy Specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as Advanced Practice Provider Program Director for the UChicago IBD Center, Director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and Manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.
Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women’s leadership, health equity, and food insecurity—key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
As the Founding Director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn’s and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.
She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025) and the American Gastroenterology Association Beacon of Hope: Gender and Health Equity Award in 2026.

Teddy Solomon is a nurse practitioner at the F. Widjaja Inflammatory Bowel Disease Institute at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, he gained extensive experience as a floor nurse on a GI and post-surgical unit and as a certified wound, ostomy, and continence nurse. In addition to his clinical duties, Teddy is committed to healthcare education and advocacy. He frequently presents at panels and training sessions on topics such as inflammatory bowel disease, managing healthcare costs and ostomy education. In addition to his professional commitments, Teddy has been involved with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, reflecting his dedication to making a broader impact in the lives of IBD patients. In his current role at Cedars Sinai, Teddy utilizes his diverse background as an IBD Nurse Practitioner to enhance patient care.

Dr. Shadi Hamdeh is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He earned his medical degree from Damascus University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He subsequently completed fellowship training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He pursued additional advanced fellowship training in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Dr. Hamdeh’s clinical and academic interests focus on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, particularly the development, evaluation, and clinical application of emerging therapies. He also has a strong academic interest in drug-induced gastrointestinal toxicity and has authored comprehensive review articles on drug-induced colitis and enteritis that have been widely cited and serve as important references in the field.

Dr. Hamdeh currently serves on the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) FDA-Related Matters Committee and is a member of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Committee of the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO). He also contributes to the academic community as a peer reviewer for multiple high-impact journals in gastroenterology.

Marita Kametas, DNP, MPH, MSN, APN, COCN is an IBD and Ostomy Specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as Advanced Practice Provider Program Director for the UChicago IBD Center, Director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and Manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.
Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women’s leadership, health equity, and food insecurity—key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
As the Founding Director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn’s and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.
She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025) and the American Gastroenterology Association Beacon of Hope: Gender and Health Equity Award in 2026.

Marita Kametas, DNP, MPH, MSN, APN, COCN is an IBD and Ostomy Specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as Advanced Practice Provider Program Director for the UChicago IBD Center, Director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and Manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.
Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women’s leadership, health equity, and food insecurity—key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
As the Founding Director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn’s and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.
She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025) and the American Gastroenterology Association Beacon of Hope: Gender and Health Equity Award in 2026.

Kimberly Orleck is a graduate of the Emory Physician Assistant program and has been a PA in GI for the last 16+ years at Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates. She is the Vice President of APPs for United Digestive, where she leads a team of 130+ NP/PAs. She is also on the Board of Trustees for GHAPP and oversees the Education Committee of GHAPP. Additionally, Kim is a committee member for the ACG APP education committee and practice management committee. She precepts PA students from Emory and Mercer University and she holds a part time faculty position at the Emory PA program. She sees and treats all types of GI conditions but has a true passion for IBD.

Marita Kametas, DNP, MPH, MSN, APN, COCN is an IBD and Ostomy Specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as Advanced Practice Provider Program Director for the UChicago IBD Center, Director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and Manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.
Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women’s leadership, health equity, and food insecurity—key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
As the Founding Director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn’s and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.
She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025) and the American Gastroenterology Association Beacon of Hope: Gender and Health Equity Award in 2026.

Dr. Shadi Hamdeh is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He earned his medical degree from Damascus University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He subsequently completed fellowship training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He pursued additional advanced fellowship training in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Dr. Hamdeh’s clinical and academic interests focus on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, particularly the development, evaluation, and clinical application of emerging therapies. He also has a strong academic interest in drug-induced gastrointestinal toxicity and has authored comprehensive review articles on drug-induced colitis and enteritis that have been widely cited and serve as important references in the field.

Dr. Hamdeh currently serves on the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) FDA-Related Matters Committee and is a member of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Committee of the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO). He also contributes to the academic community as a peer reviewer for multiple high-impact journals in gastroenterology.

Marita Kametas, DNP, MPH, MSN, APN, COCN is an IBD and Ostomy Specialist at UChicago Medicine, where she provides expert care to adults living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A nationally recognized leader in advanced practice provider (APP) education and program development, she serves as Advanced Practice Provider Program Director for the UChicago IBD Center, Director of the IBD APP Fellowship Program, and Manager of Gastroenterology APP Services at the University of Chicago.
Marita is deeply committed to advancing health and gender equity through clinical care, education, and systems-level innovation. She has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on women’s leadership, health equity, and food insecurity—key drivers of disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
As the Founding Director of ChatAPP: IBD Case Series by APPs for APPs, Marita has created a globally accessible, interactive case-based learning platform that democratizes high-quality IBD education for APPs across the globe. Through this initiative and her national mentorship work with the Crohn’s and Colitis APP community, she is expanding access to specialized knowledge and empowering clinicians to deliver more equitable, patient-centered care.
She has been recognized with numerous honors, including Distinguished APP at the University of Chicago (2023, 2024), the National APP Week Rising Star Award (2024), Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 (2025), and Outstanding APP Innovator at the University of Chicago (2025) and the American Gastroenterology Association Beacon of Hope: Gender and Health Equity Award in 2026.