Chadi Hajar
MD, PGY-2
Dr. Hajar grew up in Lebanon, where he received his Medical Degree and completed three years of surgical pathology residency at the Lebanese University, before moving to the U.S. He then joined the research program at the University of Colorado Hospital and Veterans Affair Medical Center. He is now completing an MBA in Health Administration at the University of Colorado, Denver. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, playing table tennis, traveling and hiking.
Ibrahim Hajjali
MD, PGY-2
Dr. Ibrahim Hajjali was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He earned his Bachelor’s in molecular biology from the University of California, San Diego while pursuing several academic research projects. Ultimately, he decided to pursue a medical career and moved to Ireland where he graduated from University College Dublin School of Medicine. He returned to Los Angeles to earn his Master’s in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine before joining the pathology residents at Penrose-St. Francis. Ibrahim loves spending time with his wife, exploring the outdoors, cooking good food, enjoying good company, and messing around with electronics and technology.
Jarod Murdoch
DO, PGY-3
Jarod Murdoch originally grew up in Orleans, Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney where he received a BS in Pre-medicine. He then moved to Colorado to attend Rocky Vista University College of Medicine before choosing to pursue a career in pathology. His hobbies include spending time with his wife, hiking, camping, snowboarding, and being an avid sports fan.
Laura Oscar
MD, PGY-3
Dr. Oscar is from the beautiful island of St. Lucia. For undergraduate school, she attended Seton Hill University majoring in biology and Indiana School of Medicine for her medical degree. Her interests include volunteering at various organization, reading Christian historical romance novels, finding and sampling the best cuisine and cupcakes, and being with family. As a young child growing up in the Caribbean, Dr. Oscar often wondered what path she would choose in life and here she is – a resident pathologist at Penrose Hospital endeavoring to excel in one of the most exciting fields in medicine.
Zane Staubach
MD, PGY-4
Dr. Staubach grew up in Kentucky and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Zane worked in the clinical lab before being exposed to the amazing field of pathology. He attended medical school at the University of Kentucky and is an avid Wildcat fan to this day. In his free time Zane enjoys riding up and down the mountains of Colorado on his bike and on their tandem bike with his wife.
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Faculty
Leslie Torgerson
Dr. L. Torgerson attended the University of Texas HSC – Houston in 1991 for her medical school. Her residency was through the Army at Tripler Army Medical Center in 1996. She is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. She joined Penrose-St. Francis group in 2003. She is a member of the Colorado and El Paso County Medical Society. She is also on the Clinical Faculty at University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is the Residency Director for the Penrose-St. Francis Pathology Residency Program.
Sigurd Torgerson
Dr. S. Torgerson attended medical school at the University of Iowa in 1993. He did is residency through the Army at Tripler Army Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center in 2002. He did his fellowship in dermatopathology at the University of Texas HSC, Galveston in 2003. He is a board certified dermatopathologist in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology as of 2003. Dr. S. Torgerson joined the Penrose-St. Francis group in 2003. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. His current position within the hospital is that of Laboratory Medical Director and Director of Cytology.
David Newton
Dr. Newton attended medical school at Loma-Linda University in 1999. He did his residency at the University of Utah in 2004. His fellowship was for hematopathology at the University of Utah in 2005. He is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology as a hematopathologist as of 2005. He joined Penrose-St. Francis in 2005. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. He currently is the Director of Anatomic Pathology and Director of Autopsy here with Penrose-St. Francis.
Barrett Lawshe
Dr. Lawshe attended medical school at the University of New Mexico in 1981. He did is residency at Penrose-St. Francis in 1985. Dr. Lawshe is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology as of 1986. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. He is a staff pathologist here with our group at Penrose-St. Francis.
Ryan Okal
Dr. Okal attended Marshall University in West Virginia for his medical school in 2012. He did his residency at West Virginia University in 2017. His fellowship was at West Virginia University in 2017. He is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology as a hematopathologist in 2017. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. He joined Penrose-St. Francis in 2017. His current position here is as Medical Director of Hematology and Coagulation. He is also the Medical Director of Keefe Memorial Hospital.
Erin Merboth
Dr. Merboth attended the University of Nebraska Collge of Medicine for her medical school in 2008. She did her residency here at Penrose-St. Francis in 2012. She did her fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University in hematopathology. She is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology as a hematopathologist in 2012. She is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. She joined Penrose-St. Francis in 2013. Dr. Merboth is the Director of Flow Cytometry and Cytogenetics. She also serves on the Centura Flow Cytometry and Cytogenetics Best Practice Team, Centura Anatomic Pathology Medical Best Practice Team, Centura Network Cancer Committee, Penrose-St. Francis Breast Care Center Leadership Team, Penrose-St. Francis Physician Advisory Board, and Penrose-St. Francis Credentials Committee.
Derek Seaquist
Dr. Seaquist attended the Uniformed Services of Health Sciences for his medical school in 2002. He did his residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in 2007. His fellowship was for GI pathology at the University of Arizona in 2014. Dr. Seaquist is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. Dr. Seaquist joined Penrose-St. Francis in 2017. He is currently the Medical irector of Microbiology and he is also the Assistant Program Director for the Pathology Residency Program here at Penrose Hospital.
Douglas Franquemont
Dr. Franquemont attended the University of Colorado and graduated in 1987. He did his residency at the University of Virginia in 1992. Dr. Franquemont is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. Dr. Franquemont joined us here at Penrose-St. Francis in 1994. He is currently the Director of Clinical Chemistry and the Director of Clinical Lab in Castle Rock.
Daniel C. Mayes
Dr. Mayes attended the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and University of California, Berkely. He did his residency at the University of Virginia Health System for Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. He did his fellowship at the University of Virginia Health System for dermatopathology and completed that in 2006. Dr. Mayes is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. Dr. Mayes joined us here at Penrose-St. Francis in 1991 to 2005 and 2008 to present. He is currently the Director of Blood Bank.
Jerome B. Myers
Dr. Myers attended Boston University School of Medicine from 1983 to 1990 and graduated as a PhD. He did his residency at Tripler Army Medical Center from 1991 to 1995. He did his fellowship from 1995 to 1996 at Beth Israel Hospital & Harvard Medical School for hematopathology. Dr. Myers is board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. He is a member of both the Colorado Medical Society and El Paso County Medical Society. Dr. Myers joined us here at Penrose-St. Francis in 2006. He is a member of the Americal Society of Hematopatholgy and United States and Canadian Academy of Pathologists, and the International Academy of Pathologists/ American Society of Hematopathologists. Over the years of practice he has had numerous publications, presentations, and abstracts. Currentyly, Dr. Myers is the Chief of Medical Staff here at Penrose-St. Francis.
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Past Residents
- Tania Gorchynsky, Hematopathology (Oregon Health and Science University)
- Justin Blake Rodman, Gastrointestinal Pathology (The Robert E. Petras Fellowship in GI Pathology, Cleveland, OH)
- Kieran Sultan, Gynecologic Pathology (Mt. Sinai, New York, NY)
- Kelly Mrachek Neuropathology (University of Virginia)
- Beth Settembre, Hematopathology (Indiana University)
- Steve Jovonovich, Cytopathology (Indiana University)
- Nathan Thompson, Hematopathology (University of New Mexico)
- Drake Poeschl, Dermatopathology (St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO)
- Ben Wetzel, Hematopathology (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM)
- Erin Merboth, Hematopathology (Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR)
- Jen Wheeler-Buenger, Transfusion Medicine (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM)
- Miran Rhee, Surgical Pathology (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN), Pediatric Pathology (University of Colorado, Denver, CO)
- Jacob Sramek, Hematopathology (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM)
- Joseph White Forensics (Denver Medical Examiner's Office, Denver, CO)
- Pamela Lyle, Molecular (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN), Surgical Pathology (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN)
- Leon Kelly, Forensics (University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX)
- Tess Karre, Microbiology (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN)
- Issac Grindeland, Gastrointestinal Pathology (Ameripath, Petras, Cleveland, OH)
- Sara Henry, Hematopathology (Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR)
- Virginia Burdine, Hematopathology (University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI)
- Tom Steidler, Private Practice (Colorado Springs, CO)
- Jennifer Stratton, Private Practice (El Paso, TX)
- Sara Nash, Gastrointestinal Pathology (Ameripath, Petras, Cleveland, OH)
- Christopher Montague, Surgical Pathology (Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York, NY)
- Ronald Harris, Dermatopathology (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA)
- Ronald Slaughter, Surgical Pathology/Cytology (University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA)
- Denise Francois, Private Practice (San Antonio, TX)
- Terry Bruner, Private Practice (Wichita, KS)
- Kirk Peterson, Private Practice (Twin Falls, ID)
- Alex Cudkowicz, Private Practice (Cortez, CO)
- Marlene Maseburg, Private Practice (Denver, CO)
- Melanie Markarian, Private Practice (Spokane, WA)
- Leo Hardy, Private Practice (Price, UT)
- Sheva Khalafbeighi, Dermatopathology (Penn State, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA)
James Atkinson Gastrointestinal Pathology (Ameripath, Cleveland, OH)
