2026 Alumna of the Year

For Kelly Roethe Hodges, MD, DSHA has been core to her community since childhood. Her mother Diane Hinnenkamp Roethe graduated from Divine Savior in 1965, her daughters Grace and Maddie graduated in 2026, and her youngest daughter Nora is already making plans to attend DSHA when the time comes.

“So much is different, but the core is the same,” said Kelly. “The community hasn’t changed – the TSC is committed and wants the girls to succeed.”

Kelly felt that commitment from her teachers and coaches while she was at DSHA. As a student, she enjoyed social studies classes, like AP European History with Social Studies Faculty Chris Kirsch Weiss, DS ’70, and AP US History with Social Studies Faculty Mary Mross†. The class that stood out most to Kelly, though, was anatomy with Retired Science Faculty Marilyn Kleis Casper, DS ’64.

“I was already interested in the subject, but she made it real with hands-on activities,” said Kelly. “She was a great teacher who related the topics learned in class to the real world of health care.”

According to Kelly, classes like this really confirmed her interest in medicine – a passion of hers alongside sports. Kelly was a member of the soccer and basketball teams for all four years; she ran cross country during her senior year. As a student-athlete, Kelly took home the WISAA soccer state championship in 1993 and the WISAA basketball state championship in 1996.

After graduating from DSHA, Kelly headed to Marquette University to earn her bachelor’s in biology and to play Division 1 soccer.

“I was very busy, but felt very prepared coming out of DSHA,” she said of balancing her schedule as a student-athlete.

Kelly then earned her MD at the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed a pediatric residency at Yale University. There, she was inspired to pursue her specialty of helping children who have experienced abuse or trauma.

Reflecting on pursuing medicine and pediatrics, Kelly said, “Being educated in Catholic institutions like DSHA and Marquette, I learned that service is important, using my gifts and talents to help others is important.”

Now, as the Chief Medical Officer at Chorus Community Health Plans, a Medicaid insurance organization affiliated with Children’s Wisconsin that ensures children have access to healthcare, Kelly continues as a servant leader.

“My job is to ask how can we holistically make kids healthier,” she explained. “Physical health, behavioral health, social and emotional health, it is all critical for children to thrive.”  This work, she said, fills her cup and complements her clinical role as a pediatrician at the Milwaukee Child Advocacy Center, a Children’s Wisconsin clinic that serves children in foster care or who have been exposed to maltreatment, a clinic Kelly has practiced at for the past 17 years

Outside of clinic hours, Kelly spends time being active with her husband, five children, and puppy. As a family of sports fans, they were thrilled to see her daughter Grace and the DSHA soccer team take home the state championship this past June.

“It was so wonderful to watch from the other side,” said Kelly.