Patient Testimonial
Dr. Lersten was incredible—always positive, warm, and genuinely supportive. Her kindness and encouragement made a difficult time feel a little easier, and I always felt like I was in good hands. If you’re navigating the challenges of starting a famil, I highly recommend Dr. Lersten.

Dr. Gannon made me feel truly cared for—she was very thorough, kind, and knowledgeable, which really put me at ease. I went in feeling nervous, but left feeling completely comfortable and confident in her care. The entire team, including the staff, made me feel like a priority.

Shady Grove Fertility provides exceptional care and support under the expertise, knowledge and professionalism of Dr. Patounakis. He is incredibly successful at his work as well as thorough, compassionate and patient. I highly recommend Dr. Patounakis and the entire team at Shady Grove Fertility.

Dr. Kim and team are the best of the best. We switched clinics and have had a great experince. He truly listens to your concerns, never does the same thing twice, and is very involved in your journey. I would refer anyone to go to there in a heartbeat!

I had a wonderful experience with IVF at Shady Grove. The staff were incredibly friendly and supportive throughout the entire process. I am especially grateful for Dr. Sally Vitez, whose positivity and expertise made a significant difference. I couldn’t be more thankful for her and the entire team!

Dr. Kim is an amazing doctor and person. Since our first encounter with him, we just knew we were in the right hands. He is so very detailed, thorough, and kind hearted. He makes you feel comfortable from the moment you meet him.

Biography

Susan Strellec, MBA, MPAS, PA-C, is a board-certified Physician Assistant through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. She completed her graduate studies at Chatham University, where she also graduated Summa Cum Laude with her bachelor’s in biochemistry.   

She started her career in women’s health at an OB/GYN practice in Northern Virginia, where she later joined Shady Grove Fertility in 2017. 

Susan received the 2022 Outstanding PA in Women’s Health Award from the Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is also a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Association of Reproductive Managers. Her interests include preconception counseling and fertility preservation. She enjoys teaching and was previously a guest lecturer at the George Washington University PA Program for several years, covering topics including ovarian disorders, infertility, and obstetrics. 

At SGF her responsibilities include counseling patients on various fertility treatments, performing monitoring and baseline ultrasounds, completing intrauterine inseminations (IUI), endometrial biopsies, mock embryo transfers, and more.  

Susan currently cares for patients as a Physician Assistant at SGF’s Wexford, Pennsylvania, location. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling. 

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 
  • Master of Business Administration, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio 
  • New patient consultations for infertility and elective egg freezing 
  • Perform ultrasounds including baseline, monitoring, and obstetrical    
  • Perform intrauterine inseminations (IUI)   
  • Perform hysterosalpingograms (HSGs)   
  • Perform saline sonograms/mock embryo transfers (SIS/MET)   
  • Perform urgent care evaluations for pain and/or bleeding   
  • Perform gynecological procedures such as endometrial biopsies    
  • Perform physical exams    
  • Review lab results and assist in clinical decision making for patients   
  • 2022 Outstanding PA in Women’s Health Award, Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology 
  • American Society for Reproductive Medicine 
  • Association of Physician Associates in OBGYN 
  • American Academy of Physician Assistants 
  • The Association of Reproductive Managers 
  • Basu, D., Lettan, R., Damodaran, K., Strellec, S., Reyes-Mugica, M., & Rebbaa, A. (2014). Identification, mechanism of action, and antitumor activity of a small molecule inhibitor of hippo, TGF-β, and Wnt signaling pathways. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 13(6), 1457-1467. 

Q&A

I’ve always wanted to work in OB/GYN even before becoming a PA. I started my career working at a private OB/GYN practice and managed patients that were either struggling to conceive or had undergone fertility treatment in the past. I found reproductive endocrinology to be incredibly fascinating, and I was fortunate enough to be able to join Shady Grove Fertility and learn from the best. Being able to help patients through such a difficult and vulnerable journey is immensely rewarding.

I love spending time with my family. I also enjoy reading, cooking, traveling.

I was a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange student with the American Field Service. I lived in Schönberg, Germany with my host family for one year and graduated from Realschule before returning to the states for college.