about us
our staff
Julia Getzelman, M.D.
Julia Getzelman, M.D. was an undergraduate at Stanford University where she graduated with Distinction and Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her medical degree from Yale University and completed her residency at Children’s Hospital Oakland. Thereafter, she worked in the neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric clinic at Highland Hospital in Oakland. Most recently, she practiced at Saint Luke’s Health Care Center in San Francisco where she provided whole kid care to over 1200 patients. She is board certified in pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Getzelman embraces the many components that contribute to health and illness: nutrition, physical activity, emotional/psychological stresses, and the environment, among others. She has a special interest in how nutrition and intestinal health contribute to overall wellness. To that end, she has completed the core curriculum of the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM), located in Gig Harbor, Washington. In addition, she believes each child’s biochemical individuality offers distinct pathways to health promotion and disease management. It is Dr. Getzelman’s privilege to discover your child’s uniqueness and to tailor her medical care accordingly.
Dr. Getzelman grew up in California and was the oldest of five children.
She loves the outdoors and is fascinated by nature. She recently decided to
rediscover the piano and began taking lessons after a 25 year hiatus. She
adores music and has a passion for romance languages. She is fluent in Spanish
and Italian and lives in the Mission District with her husband, Jonathan.
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Colleen Panina, M.D.
After graduating from Stanford University, Colleen Panina, M.D. taught high school geometry at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco. Dr. Panina earned her medical degree at St. Louis University and graduated cum laude. She went on to complete her internship and residency at Children’s Hospital Oakland, where she was named Outstanding Intern. While at Children’s Hospital Oakland she also completed a two year fellowship in infectious disease. Most recently, she has been a member of the pediatric hospitalist service at California Pacific Medical Center. She is board certified and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Panina is a native San Franciscan. She is married and is the mother
of three children. In her spare time she likes to coach high school women’s
basketball.
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Janis Mandac-Dy, R.N., M.S.N., C.P.N.P.
Janis was awarded her Master of Science in Advanced Practice Pediatric Nursing from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) after completion of her RN and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry. She graduated with multiple honors including the Isabel McIsaac Scholarship in 2004, given yearly to the top Master’s in Nursing student at UCSF, and the Patricia Smith Christensen Scholarship, awarded biennially to one graduate nursing student in the areas of maternal or child health nursing. Most recently, Janis worked in the pediatric clinic at St. Luke’s as both a nurse practitioner and clinic manager. Before beginning her nursing studies, she was involved in basic science research at the Lung Biology Center at UCSF and co-authored many publications related to lung injury.
Janis grew up on a farm in Stockton, California. She now lives in San Francisco
with her husband and son. Janis is fluent in Spanish.
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Mary Janowitz, R.N., I.B.C.L.C.
Mary received her B.A in sociology from Barnard College in 1970 and A.D. in nursing from the City College of San Francisco in 1983. She has worked in every area of maternal child nursing (post-partum, special care nursery, and labor and delivery). Mary became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2000 after her work as a home visiting nurse to mothers and babies led her to the realization that most of the problems mothers were having with their newborns at home revolved around feeding issues. She has been the principal Lactation Consultant at St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco since 2000 and has significant expertise in the early neonatal period, with multiples, and premature infants. Mary provides education for families and nurses at St. Luke’s.
Mary and her husband raised their two children (now grown) in Noe Valley,
and she routinely walked to Star Bakery (the former long-time occupant of
our office space) to buy cookies for her family. She breastfed both her kids
at a time when there were, at best, scant lactation support services. Mary’s
greatest wish is to help families achieve their desired breastfeeding goals.
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Leah Vachani, C. N.E., C. N.C.
After being awarded a B.S. in biology from the University of Wisconsin, Leah earned her Nutrition Educator and Nutrition Consultant certification from Bauman College in Berkeley, California. Since graduating from Bauman College, Leah has provided individualized nutrition counseling at the innovative Elephant Pharmacy in Walnut Creek. She is registered with the National Association for Nutrition Professionals.
Leah offers nutrition planning and advice to help with a variety of conditions and diagnoses, but her areas of specialization are preconception, prenatal, and postnatal nutrition in addition to children’s health. She believes in a holistic approach to wellness through diet, lifestyle, and mental awareness. Leah loves to help her clients discover new ways to make eating healthy easier.
Leah grew up in Minnesota and now lives in Walnut Creek with her husband
and her dog, Chaya. She enjoys hiking, rock climbing, snowboarding, and yoga.
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