

Rita Vinod Knause, MD Chief Medical Officer
Education: St. George’s University of Medicine Carnegie Mellon University Residency: Christiana Care Health System Internship: Jersey City Medical Center |
Licensure/Certification: ABOOG-American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Professional Memberships: NYSALM Specialty: Obstetrics and Gynecology |
Languages Spoken: English |
Dhanmatie Baldeo-Dat (Savi), APN
Education: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Rutgers-State University of New Jersey Licensure/Certification: Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner |
Specialty: Family Practice |
Languages Spoken: English and some Spanish |
Padma Chava, MD
Education: JKC College Gunter Medical College Residency: Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center |
Licenses/Certifications: American Board of Internal Medicine Specialty: Internal Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |
Maria Dei Tos, APN
Education: Fairleigh Dickinson University Wilkes University Temple University |
Licensure/Certifications: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |

Fenix Nieves, APN

Henry C. Gaspard, MD
Education: State University of Haiti Licensure/Certifications: Board Eligible, BLS, ACLS |
Specialty: Internal Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English and French |
Ana Gonzalez, APN

Rekha Hamal, MD
Education: Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research NRS Medical College Internship: South Nassau Community Hospital |
Residency: University of Maryland Professional Memberships: Nepal Medical Council Licensure/Certifications: American Board of Family Medicine Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English, Nepali, Hindi, and some Spanish Special Interests: Women’s Health |

Amritpal Kaur, APN
Education: Felician University |
Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |

Naomi Kihwaga, APN
Education: Rutgers the State University New Jersey City University Hudson County Community College |
Professional Memberships: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |

Heather Lukusa, APN

Monika Niemiec, APN
Education: William Paterson University Rutgers University Bergen Community College |
Licensure/Certifications: American Association of Nurse Practitioners Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English Special Interests: Animal lover, enjoy nature and travel in my spare time. |

Amy Y. Park, APN
Education: Georgetown University Loyola University |
Professional Memberships: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |

Ami Patel, MD
Education: American University of the Caribbean Medical School University of Illinois |
Residency: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Licensure/Certifications: American Board of Internal Medicine Specialty: Internal Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Gujarati-Hindi |

Leonor Ramos, MD
Education: University of the City of Manila University of Santo Tomas |
Residency: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Licensure/Certifications: American Board of Family Medicine |
Specialty: Family Medicine Languages Spoken: English, Spanish and Tagalog |

Rey Fernando Ramos, MD
Education: University of the City of Manila University of the Philippines |
Residency: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Board Certified: American Board of Family Medicine |
Specialty: Family Medicine Languages Spoken: English, Spanish and Tagalog Special Interests: Playing Tennis and guitar playing |

Rosita Rodriguez, APN
Education: University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey William Paterson University University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey William Paterson University |
Licensure/Certifications: American Association of Nurse Practitioners American Nurses Credentialing Center American Nurses Credentialing Center National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators American Nurses Credentialing Center |
Professional Affiliations: National Associate of Hispanic Nurses Specialty: Family Medicine Languages Spoken: English and Spanish |
Doris Santiago, MSN, R.N.NP-BC
Education: Saint Peters College Felician College, Passaic County Community College |
Licensure/Certification: American Nurses Credentialing Center Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |
Halina Zaborniak, APN
Education: University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Lehman College (CUNY) |
Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |

Mazie Trusty, APN
Education: University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Lehman College (CUNY) |
Specialty: Family Medicine |
Languages Spoken: English |

Maryelena Vargas-PhD, FNP-BD, RN, IBCLC
Education Fairleigh Dickinson University Columbia University School of Nursing Farleigh Dickinson University Bergen County Community College |
Licensure/Certifications: Internationally Board Certified Professional Memberships: American Board of ANCC Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English/Spanish |

Frank Santos-MD Director of Behavioral Health
Dr. Santos has been a member of the North Hudson Team since 2001. He is responsible for building the team as it is today. Born in Weehawken and raised in West New York, he returned to serve his community, which was in severe need of the services this department offers. He completed his residency in adult and child psychiatry at Metropolitan Hospital in New York City and subsequently worked for nine years as a staff psychiatrist at Saint Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, New York. He is currently affiliated with Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center and serves as Section Chief of Psychiatry, which bridges services for the community. Dr. Santos is also an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry for Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he was awarded Preceptor of the Year in 2008. At that time he was the Director of Clinical Clerkship for Touro College at Palisades Medical Center and NHCAC. He also heads Edgewater Psychiatry in Edgewater, New Jersey.

Dr. Mai El-Khoury, Ph. D
Ms. El-Khoury clinical psychologist joined our staff in November of 2018. Dr. El-Khoury earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the George Washington University in Washington D.C. As part of her doctoral training, she completed her internship at New York University- Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan, New York. Upon graduation, she completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, within the East Orange Veterans Administration of New Jersey. In addition to the above, Dr. El-Khoury has worked in private practice and university mental health. Her clinical interests include adult anxiety, coping with transitions, trauma and recovery, grief, cross-cultural dimensions of resilience, and women’s mental health. Dr. El-Khoury integrates various modalities to work collaboratively with clients. She speaks English and Arabic.

Germaine A. Griswold-PhD
Dr. Griswold who is also fluent in French, joined our staff in March of 2008. Dr. Griswold completed her graduate training at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology in the Bronx and finished a one year internship at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange. Prior to joining our team, she worked for a number of years at Bellevue Hospital Center, with a variety of chronically physically and mentally ill patients. Her special interests include adult depression and anxiety, and attention deficit disorders in children. A dedicated multifaceted contributor to the quality of care, as well as, her compassion towards the lives of the mentally ill, makes us fortunate to have such a professional as part of the team.

Daniel R. Sanchez-MD
Dr. Sanchez, a native of Cuba and fluent in Spanish, has been a member of the team since February 2008. Dr. Sanchez completed his residency in psychiatry at Cabrini Hospital and completed child psychiatry at Metropolitan Hospital in NYC. Prior to joining our department, Dr. Sanchez worked at Fordham Tremont Community Health Center in Bronx, New York for 17 years. This experience helped to prepare him for better serving this community. His combination of years of experience, enthusiastic personality, and strong roots in this community, make him a significant figure in the progress, growth and quality of this department. Dr. Sanchez also runs a successful private practice in the community.

Janet Lavandeira, DMD, Dental Director
Education: Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Rutgers University |
Specialty: General Dentistry Professional Memberships: Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Infection Control |

Pablo Acuna, DDS
Education: New York University |
Specialty: General Dentistry |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish |

Michael Ayoub, DDS
Education: Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Universality of Ottawa |
Specialty: Orthodontics |
Languages Spoken: English |

Robert G. Eramian, DDS
Education: Fairleigh Dickinson University Georgetown University School of Dentistry University of Rochester |
Specialty: Prosthodontics |
Languages Spoken: English |
Gisela Lopez-Pursiainen, DMD
Education: University of Medicine and Dentistry New York University |
Specialty: General Dentistry Professional Memberships: American Dental Association |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Diabetes, Psychology, Oral Medicine and Surgery |
Deborah Nina, DDS
Education: New York University |
Specialty: General Dentistry Professional Memberships: American Dental Implant |
Languages Spoken: Spanish |
Mercedes Rabeiro-Wert, DDS
Education: New York University College of Dentistry Universidad Central Del Este |
Affiliation: American Dental Association Specialty: General Dentistry |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Serving the Community |
Chaya Siskind, DMD
Abraham Wenger, DMD
Education: University of Pennsylvania School or Dental Medicine |
Specialty: General Dentistry Affiliations: Member of ADA American Dental Association |
Languages Spoken: English |
Rodolfo Wert, DDS
Education: New York University College of Dentistry New York, NY Doctor of Dental SurgeryUniversidad Central Del Este Dominican Republic General Dentistry |
Specialty: General Dentistry |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish |
Jasneet Kaur

Donna Hutton-Cassie, MD Director of Pediatrics
Education: Howard University College of Medicine Seton Hall University Residency: University of Medicine and Dentistry |
Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Professional Memberships: American Academy of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Reading, Personal Fitness, Travel |
Humberto Conde, MD
Education: Institute de Cienicas Medicos Camilo Cienfuergos |
Residency: Lincoln Medical Center Provincial General Hospital |
Specialty: Pediatrics Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Dancing Salsa |
Liset Estanislao, DO
Education: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Montclair State University Residency: Newark Beth Israel Medical Center |
Certifications: Board Certified in General Pediatrics -AOA Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish |
David Fayngersh, MD
Education: Kishinev State Medial Institute-USSR Residency: Flushing Hospital Medical Center |
Internship: Jersey City Medical Center Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish and Russian Special Interests: Dancing and Reading |
Ilene C. Laufer, MD
Education: University of Medicine and Dentistry Leigh University Residency: Children’s National Medical Center |
Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Marathon Runner |
Jose Maldonado, MD
Position: Chairman of Pediatrics Education: New York Medical College University Autonomous of Juarez St. Peters University |
Residency: St. Vincent’s Medical Center Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Professional Membership: American Academy of Pediatrics |
Specialty: Pediatrics Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Traveling, Biking, Racquetball, and Movies |
Sadie Mirabal, MD
Education: The State University of NJ Residency: New York Presbyterian Hospital |
Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English |
Helen Nunez, MD Pediatrics
Education: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Seton Hall University (Magna Cum Laude) Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics |
Professional Memberships: American Academy of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English/Spanish Special Interests: Traveling, Fitness, Art and Music Skiing |
Dineshkumar Patel, MD
Education: BJ Medical College Residency: Kings County Hospital |
Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English |
Jayminkumar Patel, MD
Education: Nalanda Medical College Residency: St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital |
Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Hindi, Gujarati Special Interests: Emergency Care, Teaching Staff, Reading and Cruising |
Maria Ruiz De Lara, MD
Elvira Sazon, MD
Education: University of the Philippines Colegio de San Juan De Letran |
Residency: St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish Special Interests: Playing Violin and Running |
Daxa Surti, MD
Education: M.S. University Baroda Shah Medical College, Residency: Jersey City Medical Center |
Licensure/Certification: American Board of Pediatrics Professional Memberships: American Academy of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English, Gujarati, Hindi, Spanish |
Beatriz C. Tejeiro, APNP
Education: Columbia University School of Nursing Columbia University School of Nursing |
Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English/ Spanish |
Radhika Vijayan-MD
Education: St. John’s Medical College Residency: New York Medical College |
Professional Memberships: American Board of Pediatrics Specialty: Pediatrics |
Languages Spoken: English |
Juanita Baca Barreto, CNM
Education: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos |
Licensure/Certifications: Advance Fetal Monitor Specialty: Obstetrics and Gynecology |
Languages Spoke: English/Spanish |
Bruce K. Bennett, MD
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University University of Pennsylvania Internship: New York University Medical Center Residency: Pennsylvania Hospital |
Licensure/Certification: American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Professional Memberships: New York County Medical Society Specialty: Obstetrics and Gynecology |
Languages Spoken: English Special Interests: High Risk OB/Premenopausal Medicine |
Manuel Borja, MD
Education: University of Santo Tomas University Internship: Coney Island Hospital |
Residency: Lincoln Hospital St. Michael’s Medical Center Hospital Specialty: Obstetrics and Gynecology |
Languages Spoken: English, Picipind, Spanish |
Patricia Boyce, APN
Education: Frontier Nursing University Frontier Nursing University Frontier Nursing University Manhattan College |
Licensure/Certifications: Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Specialty: Women’s Health |
Languages Spoke: English/Spanish (intermediate level)/ Russian(basic) |
Aurora Dalisay, APN
Education: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Christ Hospital School of Nursing |
Licensure/Certification: National Certification Corporation (NCC) Specialty: Women’s Health |
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish and Tagalog Special Interests: Teen Pregnancy Prevention |
Eneida De Pina, APN
Education: University of Medicine and Dentistry University of Medicine and Dentistry College of Saint Elizabeth Licensure/Certification: National Certification Corporation (NCC) |
Professional Memberships: American College of Nurse Midwives Specialty: Women’s Health |
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, and Portuguese |
Amy Fisherman, CNM
Education:
Columbia University
New York, NY
Master of Science Degree in Midwifery
Columbia University
New York, NY
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, NY
Bachelor Degree in Management Information Systems “Maga Cum Laude”
Licensure/Certification:
American Midwifery Certification Board
Specialty:
Women’s Health
Languages Spoken:
English and Spanish
Gokce Incekara, MSN-APN
Education:
Rutgers School of Nursing
Newark, NJ
Dual Masters Nurse Midwifery and APN
Bloomfield College
Bloomfield, NJ
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Bergen Community College
Paramus, NJ
Biology-AA
Licensure/Certification:
National Certification Corporation (NCC)
Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner
Specialty:
Women’s Health
Languages Spoken:
English
Michaela Marc-WHNP-BC
Education:
Rutgers University-Biomedical and Health Sciences
New Brunswick, NJ
Master of Science-Nursing
Rutgers-The State of University
Newark, NJ
Bachelor of Science-Nursing
Licensure/Certification:
Nexaplon Insertion and Removal
National Certification Corporation-WH
Specialty:
Women’s Health
Languages Spoken:
English
Mark Marino, MD
Education:
St. George’s University School of Medicine
Grenada, West Indies
Doctor of Medicine
Jersey City Medical Center
Jersey City, NJ
PGY I, II, and III
Residency:
Jersey City Medical Center
Jersey City, NJ
Obstetrics and Gynecology
St. Luke’s Hospital Medical Center
Bethlehem, PA
Chief Resident
Licensure/Certification:
American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Memberships:
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Specialty:
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Languages Spoken:
English and Italian-Spanish Comprehension
Special Interests:
GYN and Peri-menopausal disorders
Griselle Rivera-APN
Education:
UMDNJ University of Medicine and Dentistry
Newark, NJ
Masters in Nursing
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Philadelphia, PA
Advance Practice Nurse
Bloomfield College of Nursing
Bloomfield, NJ
BSN-RN
Licensure/Certification:
Specialty:
Women’s Health
Languages Spoken:
English and Spanish
Linda Stephan-CNM
Education:
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
Masters in Nursing
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
Bachelor of Nursing (Summa cum laude)
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
Associate Science of Nursing (Summa cum laude)
Licensure/Certifications:
American College of Nurse Midwives
American Society for Clinical Pathology
American Red Cross
Neonatal Resuscitation Certification
Professional Memberships:
American College of Nurse Midwives
Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
Specialty:
Women’s Health
Languages Spoken:
English
Cecilia Trujillo-Carvalho, MD
Education:
Ross University School of Medicine
Dominica
Doctor of Medicine
Rutgers University
Newark, NJ
Bachelor of Biology
Residency:
Beth Israel Medical Center
Newark, NJ
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Specialty:
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Languages Spoken:
English. Spanish
Interests:
Travel, Photography, Exercise
Cristin Wehbe-Saloukhan-MD
Education:
Jose Maria Vargas School of Medicine
Caracas, Venezuela
Doctor of Medicine
Internship:
Palacios Maternity Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela
Residency:
Jersey City Medical Center-OB/GYN Residency Program
Professional Membership:
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Specialty:
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Languages Spoken:
English, Spanish and Arabic
Karym Zahka, MD
Education:
Damascus University School of Medicine
Damascus, Syria
Doctor of Medicine
Internship:
St. Elizabeth Health Center
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Residency:
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Lincoln Medical Center
Bronx, NY
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Lincoln Medical Center
Chief Resident
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Professional Membership:
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Specialty:
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Languages Spoken:
English, Arabic, French
Special Interests:
High Risk Obstetrics