In Kenya on the plains of the Masai Mara National Park
Traveling in Italy
Cooking with Nathan and Henry
Traveling in Italy
lowship at the Mayo Clinic. It was understood then that with her
fellowship complete, the UofL Department of Surgery then wanted
her to come back as faculty.
Throughout the year of fellowship, Nathan was often traveling
between Louisville and Minnesota as he was trying to start the local
business, Quills Coffee. It now has five locations: Baxter Avenue, St.
Matthews and Main Street in Louisville as well as locations in New
Albany and Indianapolis. It has quickly become a Louisville staple.
While it was a hectic time, the Quillos were enjoying their newborn
son and taking the next steps in both their careers.
Returning to Louisville in 2010, Dr. Quillo began teaching sur-
gery residents and medical students at UofL while also operating at
Norton and Jewish Hospitals. “I really like the people I work with,
and that makes my job so much easier,” she said. “The patients are so
appreciative. We’re all trying to treat them like family. Going through
a surgery is stressful for the patients. My goal is to educate them
about every step and try to make them as comfortable as possible
throughout the process”
When she isn’t operating, travel is a big part of Dr. Quillo’s life.
In recent years, the family has visited France and Italy. However,
not all travel is for vacation purposes. In September, Dr. Quillo
and a group of Louisville physicians visited Migori County, Kenya
as part of a medical mission trip with KenyaRelief.org. Begun by
nurse anesthetists 17 years ago, the Christian organization brings
in teams every two weeks to offer mental, physical and spiritual aid.
Dr. Quillo’s trip began with a long plane ride to the city of Nai-
robi, followed by a 10-hour van ride to the clinic the group would
be operating in. “We screened patients for a whole day, then had
three days of surgery. We operated on 77 patients in those three
days. We got to go on safari afterwards, which was really cool. I’m
hoping to go back again in 2019.”
“Some mission trips, you go in, operate and leave,” Dr. Quillo
explained. “If patients have complications, there’s no one to help
them. Kenyarelief.org offers a lot of long-term care, as there are
missionaries and nurses who live there year-round. Patients can
come back if there are complications.”
Dr. Quillo has also volunteered for medical service in her own
backyard, joining the Surgery on Sunday Louisville program more
than a year ago to help uninsured thyroid and parathyroid patients.
“I don’t want to just help people abroad. People here need it too.”
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