UW Alumni Perform First Robot-Assisted Bronchoscopy in Wyoming

Alumni of two separate disciplines within the University of Wyoming’s College of Health Sciences teamed up as health care professionals with Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) to perform a revolutionary robotic-assisted surgical procedure advancing the early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer.

Kyle Mikel, a graduate of the 2020 cohort of the Master of Science in Health Services Administration (MSHSA) Program in the UW School of Pharmacy, and Dr. Rage Geringer, a 2018 graduate of the Wyoming WWAMI Medical Education Program, recently completed the bronchoscopy using robotic surgical technology. It was the first such procedure in Wyoming and the Front Range medical community, including Nebraska.

The robot, part of the Galaxy System at CRMC, is a specialized tool that allows doctors to detect lung cancer early. It is the product of Noah Medical, a company based in Silicon Valley, Calif.

“Bringing the Galaxy System to our community allows us to find and biopsy lung nodules earlier and more precisely, which means a better outcome for our patients,” says Geringer, a critical care and pulmonology physician at the Cheyenne Regional Medical Group. “I’m honored to help lead this advancement in care right here at home.”

After graduating with a degree in business administration from the MSHSA Program, Mikel went on to pursue his Master of Health Services Administration, with a focus on institutional leadership. During that same time, he worked with orthopedic and plastic surgeons, helping schedule patients for operating room blocks and surgeries.

“I knew I wanted to pursue some type of medical background, so I was an EMT for four years in Colorado at a Level 1 trauma center,” Mikel says. “I gained a good majority of my clinical experience there and knew I was leaning toward a career in medical robotics with advancements in artificial intelligence.”

Mikel says Geringer asked him if he would be interested in helping him bring Cheyenne a robot to help him perform robotic-assisted bronchoscopies, leading to the contact with Noah Medical. Mikel is a clinical territory associate, meaning he is on site for all of the procedures and helps the staff guide and function the robot.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., and early, accurate diagnosis is essential. Medical procedures, such as the use of the Galaxy System’s Tool-in-Lesion (TiLT+) Technology, allow physicians to navigate and biopsy lung nodules with unparalleled precision while reducing infection risk through a single-use bronchoscope.

“Our MSHSA graduates continue to work in leadership roles, such as the one Kyle Mikel has, to change the health care landscape,” says Elliott Sogol, director of postgraduate education for the UW program. “We are continually in awe of our graduates and the work that they are accomplishing.”

“Dr. Geringer and I have known each other ever since we were young,” Mikel adds. “Whether it was on the basketball court, the operating room or just life in general, we’ve always had each other’s backs, and I think that’s pretty cool. It embodies what Wyoming is all about.”

Patrick Hardigan, dean of UW’s College of Health Sciences, says students graduating with degrees in the health sciences will likely cross paths in their professions while treating patients, and the success of those approaches will improve outcomes for people in Wyoming and beyond.

“Using the state-of-the-art Galaxy System by Noah Medical, their groundbreaking work advances early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer in the region,” Hardigan says. “This achievement reflects the power of interdisciplinary teamwork and the leadership potential of our graduates to drive innovation and improve health care outcomes across Wyoming and beyond. As dean, I am deeply proud of Rage and Kyle -- not only for their clinical and technical accomplishments, but also for the way they represent the spirit of Wyoming: collaborative, forward-thinking and dedicated to serving their communities.”

About UW’s College of Health Sciences

The College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.

With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and frontier populations.