APP Preceptorship Faculty Directors

  Michele Rubin BSN, APRN-CNS, Chair

Michele Rubin is an Advanced Practice Nurse certified as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Gastroenterology Nursing. She has 45 years of experience in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at the University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) ranging from positions in nursing leadership, IBD research, to IBD Clinical Nurse Specialist in Colorectal surgery. She is also the Associate Director of the IBD Center. Michele works closely with the UCM multidisciplinary IBD patient management team with the IBD surgeons and gastroenterologists in managing the care of IBD patients and families.

She works in colorectal surgery with IBD patients and initiated the J-Pouch clinic to ensure patients adapt successfully and get ongoing surveillance. Michele is a known leader and lecturer on IBD across the country for various organizations.  She has authored and co-authored numerous articles and participates in research focusing on IBD. She is a professional member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and is a past honoree of the National Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Uniting Care & Cure Award.

She participates on the National Crohn’s and Colitis Nurse and Advanced Practice Provider Committee and is Director of the APP Preceptorship program focused on IBD specialty training for new APPs. Michele was also a past Midwest Regional and National GEM (Giving Excellence Meaning) Awardee for “Excellence in Community Care” by Nurse.com.

Bridget Howard, NP 

Bridget Ann Howard, Nurse Practitioner, is board certified as a Nurse Practitioner from the American College of Nurse Credentialing Center.  Currently at Mayo Clinic Arizona, where she has been employed since January 2012, she participates in the inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal neoplasia clinic, as well as past assignments to the pancreas and general gastroenterology and esophageal clinics. 

Bridget’s interest is in clinical and education aspects of practice.  She is an APP member of ACG, faculty member of GHAPP, and serves on the Education Committee of GHAPP. 

Bridget’s gastroenterology and hepatology career dates back to 1999, where she worked for a community gastroenterology practice. She graduated from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.   

Currently, Bridget is a Clinical Instructor for Mayo Clinic, as well as actively mentoring nurse practitioner students from local universities during her career.  Bridget has developed and implemented help preventative tracking tools, and currently has initiated and is leader in Mayo Clinic’s patient IBD health maintenance group education class. 

Bridget has been a member of Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and local Crohn’s and colitis medical boards both in Kansas City and Phoenix areas.  She has also participated in the Nursing Research Subcommittee at Mayo Clinic and has an interest in nurse practitioner education, especially in the area of inflammatory bowel disease.  She received the Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine NP award in 2022.  

  Maureen Kelly, APRN, NP, Workgroup Member 

Maureen’s training and background as a nurse practitioner are in the areas of pediatric primary care and pediatric gastroenterology. She is an Associate Professor of Nursing at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing and nurse practitioner at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC.

Maureen’s primary area of interest in GI is pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly health maintenance, self-management, transition to adult care, and care coordination efforts. She has extensive clinical experience caring for pediatric patients with IBD, and is responsible for annual health maintenance visits for UNC’s adolescent patients. Within this clinic, Maureen assesses and delivers preventive services including immunizations. Maureen has held leadership roles locally and nationally within the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation over the past 12 years.

Mary Kate Preite, APRN, NP, Workgroup Member

Mary Kate Preite received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and later obtained her masters degree from Georgetown University. She began her career as a nurse practitioner in the gastroenterology department at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She then came to Massachusetts General Hospital and began working in the division of gastroenterology.

Mary Kate’s clinical focus is in the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. She is also interested in caring for patients with microscopic colitis, celiac disease and general gastrointestinal issues. She is involved in trials investigating the effect of diet on inflammatory bowel disease. Mary Kate has served as a preceptor for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Advanced Practice Provider Preceptorship for several years and has spoken on healthcare maintenance in IBD at the Boston IBD Conference.

Susie Lee, RN, DNP, FNP-C

Susie Lee is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who has worked at Cedars Sinai IBD center since 1998. She is a specialist in IBD with an extensive knowledge base and collaborates with IBD specialists, medical trainees and multidisciplinary team to coordinate well-rounded care for patients with IBD.

Ms. Lee is a strong and passionate patient advocate, and her expertise and experience make her a great resource for patients, nurses, and physicians. She also is a partner, resources and adviser for the MIRIAD Biobank team, regularly providing input on ways to optimize the research experience for the patients who volunteer to participate.

Ms. Lee received her associate degree in nursing from Langara College in Vancouver, Canada. She earned a BSN and MSN at California State University Dominguez Hills, specializing as a family nurse practitioner. She then received a Doctoral degree in Nursing Practice at Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2017. She is married with two grown-up children and in her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and trying new recipes.

Rebecca D. Lutheran, DNP, CRNP 

Rebecca Lutheran is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Ms. Lutheran earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Duquesne University and later obtained her master’s and doctoral degree in nursing practice (DNP) from Robert Morris University.

Rebecca is a new preceptor for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Advanced Practice Provider Preceptorship. She is currently working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. Rebecca’s clinical focus is the care and management of IBD patients, with interests in self-management, transitions to adult care, and care coordination.  

Ms. Lutheran is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and Gastroenterology & Hepatology Advanced Practice Providers Association (GHAPP).  She is involved in Clinical Trials at her institution and has served as a leader on many internal projects.