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Ricshonda “Nickie” Milburn has been a registered nurse for 15 plus years. Her focus in the last 6 years has been as a Women's Healthcare Nurse Practitioner for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Texas Medical Branch. She has also worked as a part-time adjunct clinical instructor for the UTMB School of Nursing.

Nickie is passionate about nursing as a profession and a strong patient advocate, always working to improve patient care and outcomes. She is also supports a healthy work environment while promoting and supporting advanced education for her team.

Nickie was born and raised here on the island, she attended Galveston public schools and graduated from Ball High School in 1995. She went to college at SHSU for two years, then to Galveston College, where she received an Associate's Degree in Pre-Physician Studies in 2001 and an Associate's Degree in Nursing in 2003. She then began working as a Registered Nurse in Labor and Delivery. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing in 2011 from University of Texas at Arlington and her Master's Degree in Women's Healthcare from University of Cincinnati in 2014. She recently received a Doctor of Nursing of Practice degree from Grand Canyon University in February 2020. Nickie is currently pursuing a certification if Registered Nurse First Assist with NIFA with an expected completion of August 2020.

In addition to her professional work and educational endeavors, Nickie enjoys spending time with her family as a wife and mother of four children. She loves attending their sporting events and traveling as much as possible.

Dr. Elisha J. Jackson is an Assistant Professor fellowship trained in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (also known as Urogynecology). Dr. Jackson completed residency at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center (El Paso) and then completed fellowship at University of South Florida (Tampa). She is skilled in both conservative and surgical management of pelvic organ prolapse, urinary/fecal incontinence, overactive bladder, and painful bladder syndrome. Her research work includes studies that investigate patient satisfaction, perioperative care, quality improvement, and telemedicine.

As a subspecialist, Dr. Jackson aims to educate and to provide individualized care for women with pelvic floor disorders. She has a special interest in building awareness of pelvic floor dysfunction amongst women and their medical providers.

Dr. Jackson is a proud wife and mother of three children. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, theater, and being a “basketball mom.”

Gokhan Kilic, M.D is the Director of the Minimally Invasive Gynecology and Research in the Department of Obstetrics in Gynecology and is the holder of the endowed Faculty Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology Honoring Alvin L. LeBlanc, MD, Harry M. Little, Jr, MD and L Charles Powell, MD. Dr. Kilic was trained in minimally invasive surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital under the supervision of the pioneers in this field. He has worked at prestigious hospitals including Georgetown University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Parkland Hospital; he transferred from MD Anderson Cancer Center to UTMB to join a vibrant team offering women minimally invasive gynecology and services related to pelvic health and urogynecology.

He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and certified in Fundamental Laparoscopic Surgery by the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Kilic is a well-respected member of the Fellows of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American College of Surgeons. He was one of the earliest recognized robotic gynecologic surgeons in the Houston area. Dr. Kilic is also pioneer of single-incision robotic hysterectomy.

As a subspecialist in urogynecology, Dr. Killic has a special interest in helping patients address urine incontinence (leakage) and pelvic prolapse. He is also active in student, resident, and physician training in all aspects of minimally invasive surgery. He has numerous publications and ongoing projects in the field featuring laboratory, non-human studies, and clinical research.

Dr. Gabriela Halder is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Halder obtained her bachelor’s degree and Master of Public Health from the University of Miami. She then completed residency at the University of South Florida and fellowship at the University of Texas Austin.

Dr. Halder specializes in female pelvic floor disorders including conservative and surgical approaches to pelvic organ prolapse, urinary/fecal incontinence, overactive bladder, urethral masses, voiding dysfunction/neurogenic bladder, mesh complications, and painful bladder syndrome. She is skilled in minimally invasive procedures and robotic-assisted surgery.

Dr. Halder’s primary research interests surround patient reported outcomes, perioperative education, and health economics. She has published several articles, book chapters, and presented her work at numerous national meetings. She is an active member of several national and international organizations including the American Urogynecologic Society and the International Urogynecological Association.

During her spare time, Dr. Halder enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the greater Houston area.

Kristi Arceneaux is a Nurse Practitioner in the Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. She is board certified by the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) and is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing.

Ms. Arceneaux earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2012 at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. She continued her education at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2013 by taking the Periop 101 course administered by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) to advance her skills and training in the operating room. In 2018, Ms. Arceneaux went on to complete her Master of Science in Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) at Texas Women's University in Houston, TX, where she was the recipient of two scholarships.

Ms. Arceneaux has over eight years of nursing experience in the operating room and oncology. Along with academic excellence, she has worked and trained at various locations in the Houston area.

Bilal Farhan, MD is the assistant clinical professor and the medical director of Female Urology, Voiding Dysfunction and Pelvic Reconstruction Program at UTMB Health.

Dr. Farhan received his medical degree with Honors from Al-Qadisiya University College of Medicine in Iraq. He completed his urologic residency training at the King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) in Jordan where he specialized in endourology as well as open surgeries. Most recently, Dr. Farhan completed his fellowship in Female Urology, Voiding Dysfunction and Pelvic Reconstruction at the University of California, Irvine, where he acquired extensive training and experience treating urology conditions using advanced surgical approaches including endoscopic techniques, robotic surgery, and neuromodulations. Dr. Farhan specializes in treatment of female and male urinary incontinence, vaginal and uterine prolapse, overactive bladder, voiding dysfunction, mesh complications, vesico-vaginal fistulas, urethral diverticula, bladder stones, and other urological conditions. For men, he is an expert in surgical therapies for BPH, including GreenLight laser vaporization of the prostate, enucleation, TURP, and others. He currently holds a Center of Excellence Certification for GreenLight laser vaporization of the prostate.

Dr. Farhan is actively engaged in translational and clinical research with a special interest in overactive bladder and improving outcomes for prolapse and incontinence surgery. He received several recognitions for his numerous publications contributing to advances in the field of male and female urology.

Dr. Farhan is an active member of American Urological Association (AUA), Society of Urodynamics and Female Urology (SUFU), and International Continence Society (ICS). Dr. Farhan is an avid tennis player and always promotes active and healthy living.

Dr. Jerome L Yaklic is Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTMB. Dr. Yaklic is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. He received his medical degree from the Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and remained in Detroit completing his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency in the Wayne State/Detroit Medical Center/Hutzel Hospital program.

Since completing his residency, Dr. Yaklic has practiced in a variety of environments. He has practiced in small rural hospitals, large urban, academic medical centers, and military facilities. Before coming to UTMB he served as Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and as its Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs.

Dr. Yaklic has been active in medical education for the majority of his career and is published on a variety of Ob/Gyn subjects. He has served as principal site investigator on several FDA drug and device trials. He has broad clinical interests with an emphasis on urinary urge and stress incontinence, fecal incontinence, vulvar and bladder pain, pelvic organ prolapse, endometriosis, minimally invasive and vaginal surgery.