Audrey Smith, RPA-C
Physician Assistant

Audrey graduated Summa Cum Laude from D'Youville College in 1999 with a B.S. in Physician Assisting. She has been actively practicing as a PA since that time and has worked in Internal Medicine with special interest in Women's Health and Pain Management. Audrey has worked with Dr. Joseph Caruana since January 2004 and also works part time in a local Internal Medicine practice.

Audrey has precepted several PA and Medical students and is a PA mentor. She lectures for the D'Youville College PA Program and was recently nominated for Outstanding Physician Assistant in 2004 by her peers.

Audrey’s broad professional experiences and exceptional patient skills make a great contribution to the Synergy Bariatrics. Her role is key in post-surgical patient follow-up and lifestyle coaching.

Audrey maintains her National Certification with the NCCPA in both Medicine and Surgery. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Obesity Action Coalition, New York State Society of PAs, Virginia Academy of Pas, and an associate member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Audrey is currently the President of the Western New York Physician Assistant Association as well.

Karen A. Stawiasz, MS, RN, NP, OCN
Bariatric Coordinator at Sisters of Charity Hospital

Karen’s esteemed career and Post Masters level of education has been augmented by her exceptional contribution to the Bariatric Surgical Program and high quality care for our patients. In fact, her achievements for over 25 years of outstanding service at Sisters Hospital has been merited by several awards, including “Graduate Nurse of Distinction Award” and the “Distinguished Nursing Alumni Award”.

Karen is an associate member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and is affiliated with many other professional medical societies including the Western New York Nurse Practitioners Association. She is actively involved with the local community and volunteers with Camp Fresh Horizons and the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.


Lisa Naylon, RN
Bariatric Nurse

Lisa earned an Associate Degree in Nursing with honors from Erie Community College in 1992. She has been employed at Sisters of Charity Hospital for 22 years and has been working closely with gastric bypass patients there since the inception of the Synergy Bariatrics program in 2000. Recently, her professional responsibilities have been extended to pre-operative patient management at the surgical practice where she assists with new patient office consultations.

Lisa is a native of Buffalo, New York and enjoys volunteering as the Camp Nurse at the Episcopal Diocese’s Sleep Away Camp. Lisa offers a unique perspective to Synergy Bariatrics Professional Team as a former gastric bypass patient of Dr. Joseph Caruana in September 2004.

Julia Kabakov, CP, CPT
Program Director

Julia has assumed many roles in the health profession since earning her bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine at Canisius College. She has several years of schooling and experience working in the Orthotic and Prosthetic field and went on to earn her certification in Prosthetics.

Julia is a strong advocate of patient education and is a member of the Bariatric Surgery Performance Improvement Committee at Sisters of Charity Hospital. She has coordinated a number of special projects for Synergy Bariatrics and has developed weight management programs for adults and adolescents at Synergy Health & Fitness Associates as well.

Julia’s writing has been featured in WLS Lifestyle’s Magazine and she has also co-authored and contributed to several research articles published by Dr. Joseph Caruana. She has attended several continuing education seminars and workshops about physical fitness and obesity including the Annual Scientific Meetings sponsored by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery. Julia is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.