Before becoming a health and transplant Coach, Dr. Penkower had thirty years of experience
working at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Medical Center as a psychiatric social worker, counselor, and epidemiologist. After obtaining her MSW at Pitt, she started her career as a social worker on a psychiatric consultation service in the general medical hospital. There, she evaluated and offered treatment and support to patients with serious medical problems. She developed a keen interest in the psycho-social aspects of medical illnesses, and had extensive experience with patients, couples and families. She lectured to nurses, social workers, physicians and community groups.
In her early years at the School of Medicine, Dr. Penkower developed and operated a counseling program for medical students, a position she held for nearly twenty-five years. This program was one of the first in the country to offer psychological care to medical trainees, benefiting not only the soon to be physicians but the patients that they eventually treated.
Dr. Penkower’s many interests and curious nature led her to the field of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. After she obtained her Ph.D., she joined the faculty at the medical school. She operated her clinical program, was a member of the teaching faculty, and focused her research in the area of kidney transplantation, as well as in HIV/AIDS.
After Dr. Penkower’s move to California, she reflected on her values and passions as she determined her professional future. She explored the field of Coaching and found it to be a powerful tool in helping people achieve their goals. She received certification from the College of Executive Coaching, an International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited coach training program, and realized that coaching could have enormous value for transplant patients and families. With her outstanding reputation as a clinician, teacher and researcher, and being a transplant patient herself, she believes that people facing organ transplantation can greatly benefit from her skilled and dedicated coaching.