As new director of the Western Region for Yale Urology, Michael Karellas, MD, is enthused about providing excellent urologic care to the community.
“My role within the department and at Greenwich Hospital is to locally expand the urology services,” says Karellas. “That means hiring more urologists and providing additional levels of care in lower Fairfield County, so people don’t have to travel to receive the treatment they need.”
Becoming a urologist was personal for Karellas. One of his uncles had prostate cancer when he was in his third year of medical school, and he saw how urologic treatment became a lifesaver for the family.
“It really solidified that this was the field I wanted to enter,” he said. “In my fourth year, I did my sub-internship and some rotations to finalize my decision. I went on to do my oncology fellowship to specialize even more in cancer care.”
Karellas has been a practicing urologist since 2009, specializing in robotic surgery. He especially appreciates the diversity of options for the patient, which can immediately impact quality of life.
“There are both small and large procedures involved in urology that can be life-changing,” says Karellas. “It has been nice to use my early background as a pharmacist to treat patients medically first. If they transition to surgery, I can perform that as well and make a real difference. That’s rewarding to me.”
We offer more options and access to our patients, the residents expand their training, and Greenwich Hospital becomes an extension of Yale Urology’s center of excellence.
Michael Karellas, MD
Some medium to long-term goals for the Fairfield County/Westchester/New York area include the expansion of clinic space and clinical trials, as well as establishing a Western Region-based fellowship program and/or having Yale Urology residents rotate through Greenwich Hospital as they do at other hospitals in the Yale New Haven Health System.
“It’s a win-win-win, directly in line with our tripartite mission of clinical, educational, and research excellence,” continues Karellas. “We offer more options and access to our patients, the residents expand their training, and Greenwich Hospital becomes an extension of Yale Urology’s center of excellence.”