Gynecologic Oncology Nurses & Staff
Learn more about the CU Gyneocologic Oncology Staff and Nurses below.
Matthew Bishop, Division Administrative Director
Matthew Bishop recently joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as the Division Administrative Director for the Divisions of Gynecologic Oncology and Urogynecology. He's worked as a finance professional for the University since 2014, and as a Finance Manager for the last 5 years focusing most recently on auxiliary enterprises and contract management for clinical pharmacists. He helped implement financial strategies for the newly created Center for Prescriptive Drug Abuse and Prevention, as well as guiding business plans for the Investigational Drug Services Pharmacy. He received his B.S. in Business Management in 2012 and got his start with the University through the Department of Neurology. He’s excited to be a part of a team that takes such pride in working within their respective specialties and is proud to work with an extremely dedicated administrative team.
He's a native to Colorado but had his fair share of traveling after joining the Marine Corps back in 2000. He's a diehard Broncos fan (clearly a personality fault at this point), enjoys almost any outdoor activity, and now spends a good portion of his free time in training for Ironman triathlons and endurance events.
Freda Ireigbe, MHA, Program Manager for the Ovarian Cancer Innovations Group
Freda Ireigbe, MHA, is a dedicated professional who brings a wealth of experience in management consulting, implementation efforts, and project oversight to her role as the Ovarian Cancer Innovation Group Program Manager. With a background rooted in healthcare administration and policy, Freda has refined her abilities in stakeholder engagement, leadership, DE&I initiatives, and navigating intricate projects, which aligns with her commitment to driving innovation and nurturing inclusive environments. Her unwavering dedication to equity, innovation, and inclusivity will ensure the success and prosperity of the OCIG program.
The program manager is set to be the driving force behind several aspects of the Ovarian Cancer Innovations Group, including guidance for research and philanthropy. The global vision of the Ovarian Cancer Research center is excellence in Screening and Prevention of Ovarian Cancer, to include; identifying high risk populations through genetic screening and testing and identifying novel markers and analytes to determine women who will develop ovarian cancers. Excellence in surgical and medical management of Ovarian Cancer, including developing and enhancing novel surgical interventions for advanced ovarian cancer (HIPEC, IORT etc.), and developing the next generation of immune therapies for the adjuvant treatment of ovarian cancers. The end result of this effort is to establish a first-in-class and first-in-kind center devoted to treatment of ovarian cancer that will evolve into a quaternary national and international referral center in the Western United States.
Julie McCasland, Patient Affairs Coordinator I
Julie McCasland has worked in the healthcare industry for 31 years, gaining experience in administrative support in Specialty and Family Practice care. With the hands on experience Julie has achieved knowledge in all front office duties from scheduling, clinic, HIM, triage to surgery scheduling. She finds it rewarding to be able to perform these duties and assist other team members on their tasks if needed. As a seasoned administrative assistant she is passionate about helping navigate patients in the healthcare system for the most positive experience as possible in their time on need. As a new team member of the gynecologic oncology department she can empathize with patients due to her loss of a family member to cancer and another family member whom is now a 10 year cancer survivor!
Outside of the office Julie enjoys the simple things in life like spending time with her family and two dogs. One of her favorite things to do is watch her son snowboard. He is on the Copper Mountain “Choppers” snowboarding team for four years now.
Mariaelena "Lena" Maes, Patient Affairs Coordinator I
Mariaelena "Lena" Maes has been married for 19 years and has 4 children – Matthew, Dominika, Arianna, and Abram. She is originally from a small mountain village, Placitas, New Mexico and has lived in Colorado for almost 9 years. She enjoys reading, camping, live music, family games or outings and gardening. Lena enjoys working the CU Gynecologic Oncology physicians and patients – and is a great addition to our busy team!
Michelle Castro Arredondo, MS, Research Services Entry Professional
Michelle is a recent graduate of the University of Florida where she earned her B.S. and M.S. in Health Education and Behavior. She recently joined the Division of Gynecologic Oncology as a Research Services Entry Professional. She works closely with Dr. Walsh and primarily works on developing a comprehensive gynecologic cancer registry to determine genetic testing rates in patients and how we can improve those rates to improve treatment courses.
Michelle was born in Colombia but grew up in Central Florida. She recently moved to Colorado for work and has been enjoying getting to know her new state and adjusting to the cold and snowy winters. In her free time, Michelle enjoys gardening, yoga, and attending concerts.
Ashleigh Alston, BSN, RN, CMSRN
Ashleigh has been a nurse for almost 10 years and at UCHealth for 5. She came to Denver from Charleston, SC as a travel nurse and decided to stay after meeting her husband. She has experience in oncology, orthopedics, and trauma. Although she loves the excitement involved with trauma, she has always been drawn to oncology because of the patients. Ashleigh enjoys the connection that she gets to make while being a part of their team and giving them support when their world has been rocked by a cancer diagnosis.
One of her favorite parts of working with oncology patients is watching them reach a milestone or goal. She thinks that working in oncology gives her more perspective on life and makes her grateful for everything she has.
Ashleigh is a South Carolina native and has lived in Denver for over 6 years. She is married and has 2 small boys that keep her busy and on her toes. Although she is a beach girl at heart, she loves going to the mountains, swimming, and anything outdoors with her family and friends.
Kristen Mobley, BSN
Kristen graduated in 2010 with her BSN from Regis University. Her background includes 12 years in Emergency Medicine with time spent in Pediatric Clinical Management. She has been at UCHealth since 2018 in the Emergency Department. She recently found her place in Gynecologic Oncology after a career long love for Women's Heath and needing a change after spending the last few years during COVID in the ED. Kristen is currently supporting Dr. Corr and Dr. Behbakht in clinic.
Kristen is a Colorado native, and currently resides in Lafayette with her 9-year-old daughter, 3 dogs and 2 cats. She enjoys relaxing with a good book, paddle boarding at the reservoir and spending time with family. She is looking forward to renovating her new RV and taking it out on the road this summer.
Maggie Sheehan, BSN, RN, OCN
Maggie Sheehan is a certified oncology nurse and has been working with our gynecologic oncology for 15 years. Previously, she has been an oncology inpatient nurse in her home state of Michigan. She currently is our Gynecologic Oncology Nurse Navigator, and works with our new patients with cancer prior to their first appointment with our team. Maggie is drawn to this specialty and her role, because she is personally committed to answer questions, reduce fears/anxieties and make a woman’s first visit with our team comfortable, and as educational as possible. Her professional goals are to always make the patient comfortable, and leave their first visit feeling confident we will take of their whole self. The human connection, and fully supporting women during their pelvic healthcare and treatment is of utmost importance in her practice, and part of her nursing philosophy. She much appreciates her role that gives her the opportunity to build a bond with the women affected by cancer, whether they be newly diagnosed, or anywhere on their treatment trajectory. After experiencing similar types of surgeries, hospital stays, devastating diagnoses, and hearing difficult medical news, she has a higher level of compassion for her patients because she can relate to what they are going through. This has made her a better nurse and caregiver drawing from her personal experiences.
Maggie says the most fun, rewarding and smile-worthy moments are when she has no time constraints to get to know patients on a personal level. She gets to spend quality time during her initial phone call to welcome them to our practice, and introduce what we can offer, and help arrange anything ahead of time to maximize efficiency and reduce stress/burden on the patient. The best part about her day is the sincere gratitude and hearing the “sign of relief” over the phone or in person, knowing we care, and we are doing our best.
Outside of the practice, Maggie is a mother of an active teen who is involved in lots of activities and sports. She also volunteers at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Park Hill as well as the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance. In her free time Maggie enjoys spending her winter weekends on the slopes, and her summer days outdoors back in Michigan. She loves any type of live music, outdoor physical activity, and attending the many sporting events for her son.
Most people wouldn’t guess that Maggie hasn’t had cable for many years, she likes documentaries on true crime, and loves perfecting her Nonna’s old Italian recipes with her son. She cherishes her close bond with her family through food and gatherings, even though none reside in Colorado. She makes sure her son feels connected with frequent Detroit hometown visits as much as possible. Nothing beats the warm waters of those Michigan summers and sunny Colorado Winters!
Melissa Spicer, RN, BSN
Melissa Spicer is a clinic nurse who has been working in oncology for over five years. She takes pride in caring for our gynecologic patients by helping them to navigate their care and being a point person for patients to turn to for guidance and support. Melissa cherishes the connections she makes with her patients.
Melissa came to nursing as a second career after her own personal experience with her daughter and mother having had cancer diagnoses. Melissa believes that this personal experience with cancer helps her to be a better oncology nurse for her patients, as she has the unique perspective of being on the other side of the cancer diagnosis and care.
Melissa is originally from Eastern Pennsylvania, but has lived in Colorado for most of her life. She has been married for over 25 years and has four children, one boy and three girls. Her house is quite the menagerie, with three dogs, three cats and two ferrets. Melissa loves playing board games, reading, exploring Colorado and spending time with family and friends.
Joan Suzuki Hart, MSW, LSW, OSW-C
Joan is a licensed social worker certified in oncology by the Association of Oncology Social Work. She has been a social worker for over 30 years, specializing in oncology, home health, and in hospice and palliative care for more than 15 years. Joan was one of 62 oncology social workers nationwide who participated in the 2014/15 Association of Oncology Social Work’s Project to Assure Quality Care. She currently holds two UCH President’s Awards. Joan loves working with the dedicated, multi-disciplinary team that provides the best care possible and supports women through their cancer diagnosis and treatment. She finds her work extremely challenging and rewarding and is honored to serve patients daily.
In her spare time Joan enjoys family, cooking, gardening, being outdoors and observing wildlife in natural habitat, which is very centering and revitalizing for her. Her most recent trip took her to the West Coast where she observed in awe the largest confluence of whales near Monterey in over 200 years. Her dream is to visit Africa to see giraffes, elephants and lions in the wild.
Cynthia Rodriguez, PharmD
Cynthia grew up and did her undergraduate training in northwest Wyoming and obtained her PharmD from the University of Montana in 2003. She practiced pharmacy in North Carolina for 11 years before making her way back west to work at the University of Colorado Hospital in 2014. She has been working specifically in oncology pharmacy for the last 13 years. She saw a niche that was continually growing and this supported her love of learning. She has worked in the gynecology oncology clinic since 2019 and finds it a privilege to support women and their families who are undergoing cancer treatment. She is proud to work alongside renowned and dedicated providers, nurses and staff. She volunteers for Ray of Hope, a non-profit agency that provides financial aid to cancer patients in need. Outside of her professional life she enjoys running, camping, hiking, reading, cooking (mostly eating) and spending time with her family. She is blessed with a supportive and loving partner of 8 years, two remarkable children, ages 25 and 16, and two dogs - Lucy and Sarge.