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A Legacy of Care and Commitment

This post serves to celebrate two extraordinary members of our clinical team — Julie Osterhaus ARNP and Amy Sheehan RN — and to thank them for their decades of dedicated service to our division. Over the years, each has exemplified excellence in practice, pairing deep clinical knowledge with genuine compassion and unwavering professionalism. Their care has made a lasting difference for patients and families, and their steady presence has strengthened our team in countless ways. With sincere gratitude, we thank you both for your remarkable service, your compassion, and the standards of excellence you continue to set. We wish you both the best in your next endeavors!

Julie (center) and Amy (3rd from right) at an April 2026 Division celebration of Julie’s retirement, along with the entire pediatric diabetes nursing team.
Julie on her last day at outreach clinic.
Diabetes nursing team from a few years ago. Amy is on the far right.
Faculty, fellows, and diabetes nurses from last year. Amy is furthest back.
Picture from 1990s, nurses for the pediatric oncology floor. Amy is second from right front row. Amy is not the only nurse who subsequently joined the Endocrine Division. Nurse Julie (2nd row, far left), Nurse Sue (next to Julie), and Nurse Rose (back row, second from left).
The pediatric endocrine division in 2013. Amy is second from left, back row; Julie is second from right, back row.

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Patient Choice Award Recipients – 2025

We are pleased to report that 5 of the pediatric endocrinology providers in our division have received Patient Choice Awards. These awards are given out by UI Health Care to recognize physicians for consistently providing patients with an excellent healthcare experience with ratings in the top 10% nationally. The recipient physicians were:

Dr. Pesce honored for 5 years of Patient Choice Awards. Here she is joined by her husband who also received a Patient Choice award.
  • Vanessa Curtis, MD
  • Katie Larson Ode, MD
  • Liuska Pesce, MD
  • Akhila Ramakrishna, MD
  • Julie Osterhaus, ARNP

Dr. Pesce was furthermore recognized for having received the award for 5 consecutive years.

The Choice Award was earned by only 276 outpatient providers across the entire institution. The Award recognizes those who scored in the top 10% nationally in response to patient surveys asking whether the physician showed concern for patient questions or worries, gave explanations about problem or condition, made efforts to include the patient in care decisions, discussed proposed treatments (options, risks, benefits, etc), and whether they would be likely to recommend the care provider to others. Our division is fortunate to have these Award winning physicians on our team. We thank each of them for their wonderful work.

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Patient Choice Award Recipients

We are pleased to report that 6 of the pediatric endocrinology providers in our division have received Patient Choice Awards. These awards are given out by UI Health Care to recognize physicians for consistently providing patients with an excellent healthcare experience. The recipient physicians were:

  • Lauren Kanner
  • Katie Larson Ode
  • Julie Osterhaus
  • Liuska Pesce
  • Catherina Pinnaro
  • Mike Tansey

The Award was given to only 174 providers across the entire institution. The Award recognizes those who scored in the top 10% nationally in response to patient surveys asking whether the physician showed concern for patient questions or worries, gave explanations about problem or condition, made efforts to include the patient in care decisions, discussed proposed treatments (options, risks, benefits, etc), and whether they would be likely to recommend the care provider to others. Our division is fortunate to have these Award winning physicians on our team. We thank each of them for their wonderful work. Find more about the awards at this link.