Today, Cooper joins our colleagues across the country in celebrating National Women Physicians Day, which is the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849.
Women represent nearly half of all medical school graduates and assistant professors at academic institutions. Here at Cooper, 44% of our physicians are women. Women in Medicine (WIM) at Cooper, an inclusive group of providers and educators at Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, reached out across our organization to recognize some of Cooper’s exceptional women physicians. This list has been compiled alphabetically, and includes group nominations as well as comments made by our physicians’ peers. This year, WIM has also spotlighted four remarkable physicians: Carolyn Bekes, MD; Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, MD, PhD; Annette Reboli, MD, and Andrea M. Russo, MD.
Do you have a female physician at Cooper who has made an impact on you as a patient, colleague, or mentor? We’d love to know! Share your comments with us below or email socialmedia@cooperhealth.edu.
Women in Medicine Leadership Board
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| Robin Perry, MD, MSEd |
Kimberly Rozengarten, DO, MPH, FACOI |
Kate Ginty, MD | Lisa Reid, MD |
Jennifer Abraczinskas, MD
Jennifer Abraczinskas, MD, is a Family Medicine and Primary Care Physician with Cooper University Health Care, as well as an AllCare Health Alliance Board Member. She is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and is board certified in Family Medicine.
Talia K Ben-Jacob, MD, MSc
Talia K Ben-Jacob, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Division Chief of Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology at Cooper University Hospital is recognized for her efforts to advance women in the field of critical care medicine. Dr. Ben-Jacobs along with Antoinette Spevetz, MD, FCCM, FACP, MMEL, co-created and currently co-chair the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Women in Critical Care Knowledge and Education Group (KEG). This is a group that is specifically interested in promoting initiatives that support, enhance, and encourage retention of the participation of women in the field of critical care medicine and SCCM. The KEG seeks to empower female members from all sections and professions within the Society of Critical Care Medicine through networking, education, advocacy and mentoring. It also works to promote women and increase their involvement within organized medicine and critical care as a whole. The KEG was founded two years ago and now has over 350 members. Endeavors of the SCCM Women in Critical Care KEG include: creation of a mentorship data base, creation of a speakers database of capable women speakers for SCCM Members to access when looking for speakers for Critical Care Congress, scientific meetings & grand rounds, development of educational programs and lectures for Critical Care Congress highlighting contributions of women to the field of critical care medicine and multiple networking events. In addition the KEG sponsored a Fundamentals of Critical Care Support (FCCS) Session for Anesthesiologists in Nigeria. The KEG is committed to Diversity and Inclusion and addressed the concerns of its membership with regard to sexual harassment and micro aggressions in the field of CCM.
Women in Critical Care Knowledge and Education Group
“Dr. Spevetz and I co-created and currently co-chair the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Women in Critical Care Knowledge and Education Group (KEG). This is a group that is specifically interested in promoting initiatives that support, enhance, and encourage retention of the participation of women in the field of critical care medicine and SCCM. We seek to empower female members from all sections and professions within the Society through networking, education, advocacy and mentoring. We also work to promote women and increase their involvement within organized medicine and critical care as a whole while simultaneously advancing the mission of SCCM. Our KEG was founded two years ago and now has over 350 members. Our endeavors include: creating a mentorship data base, social networking events, developing educational programs and lectures for Critical Care Congress highlighting contributions of women to the field of critical care medicine. We have also addressed the concerns of our membership with regard to sexual harassment in the field of CCM. We also created a speakers database of capable women speakers for SCCM Members to access when looking for speakers for Critical Care Congress and their own hospital’s grand rounds. In addition we sponsored a Fundamentals of Critical Care Support Session for Anesthesiologists in Nigeria.” -Dr. Ben-Jacob
Brigitte M Baumann, MD, MSCE
Brigitte M Baumann, MD, MSCE, been a leader at Cooper for many years, and was the initial Division Head of Clinical Research, and brought the Department of Emergency Medicine significant national presence. She has been active in SAEM, editing, and has an extensive resume publishing on diverse important areas in EM. She has mentored our residents in EBM, interpreting literature and assisting residents, students and faculty through their research projects. She transitioned her responsibilities seamlessly to Dr. Christopher Jones.
Tara N Cassidy-Smith, MD, FAAEM
When Tara Cassidy-Smith, MD, FAAEM is not providing outstanding, patient-centered clinical care in the ED, she serves as the Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program. Her support for the residents’ education is outstanding but her advocacy for the residents’ wellness as people is truly inspiring. She is always accessible to her 39 residents and has supported them in countless ways during the pandemic. Tara led the residency interview team as they pivoted seamlessly to on-line interviews. The applicants felt Cooper and the EM Residency program was represented with the upmost professionalism and the overall feedback on the experience was outstanding.
Elizabeth A Cerceo, MD, FACP, FHM
Elizabeth Cerceo, MD, FHM, FACP, is a hospitalist, an associate professor of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and a teaching fellow of their Academy of Master Educators. She graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with a double major of Biology and Psychology and a double minor in French and Music. Elizabeth completed her medical degree at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where she was selected for the Angelo P. Angelides Award for Academic Excellence in Medicine and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and then completed her residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a board-certified general internist in the Department of Hospital Medicine and is a fellow in the American College of Physicians and the Society of Hospital Medicine where she is on the national Education Committee and leads an online faculty development resource, Clinical Quick Talks.
She serves as an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency where she develops novel curricula including a comprehensive research curriculum for over 60 residents. She spearheads Wellness initiatives for Graduate Medical Education and runs the Art of Medicine series for the internal medicine residents as well as Medicine Grand Rounds, Subspecialty Rounds, Hospitalist Grand Rounds, Wellness in Medicine and is course director for the Medical Humanities at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. As a clinical hospitalist, she is also involved with education from the medical student level to faculty development. Her research interests focus on medical education, medical humanities, and the effects of gun violence. Dr. Cerceo is an editor for Cooper Rowan Medical Journal and is a reviewer for several journals, including Critical Care Medicine and the Journal of Hospital Medicine where she has been named a top reviewer. She also is a reviewer for MKSAP, SHM question banks, and for various annual meetings. She lives in Cherry Hill with her husband, Sebastien Rachoin, 6 children (her youngest is 2 months old), and 4 cats and plays classical piano.
“Dr. Cerceo is a practicing hospitalist, an Associate Program Director in the Internal Medicine Residency Program and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at CMSRU. In addition to her impressive clinical and academic responsibilities and achievements, Dr. Cerceo is Co-Chair of the Physician Engagement Committee. Throughout the pandemic, I have been incredibly impressed with all of the hard work this committee has done both advocating for and educating providers at Cooper. They’ve listened to concerns, followed up on questions and have been tireless problem solvers on behalf of Cooper’s physicians. Her attention to provider wellness initiatives both before and during the pandemic also deserves special recognition. Notably, this past fall, Dr. Cerceo and her physician husband, Dr. Sebastien Rachoin, welcomed their 6th child into their family.”
Tina Edmonston, MD
“I would like to nominate two of my co-workers: Dr. Tina Edmonston and Dr. Monica Ianosi-Irimie. Both of them have been INSTRUMENTAL in bringing COVID testing on board at Cooper, making us the first hospital in the entire region to have in-house testing for COVID at the beginning of the pandemic. They validated, tested, and implemented a streamlined testing platform under the most stressful situation. They also brought in testing for COVID antibodies, both anti-capside and anti-spike. They have worked tirelessly during the last year, while tending to all other laboratory-related responsibilities. To say that their efforts have had an enormous impact on patient care at Cooper is an understatement and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of recognition than them.”
Monica Ianosi-Irimie, MD, PhD
Tina Edmonston, MD, is a pathologist and Section Director of Molecular Pathology at Cooper University Health Care. She is also a Professor of Pathology with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and is board certified in medical genetics and pathology.
Monica Ianosi-Irimie, MD, PhD, is a pathologist and Director of the Laboratory at Cooper University Health Care. She is also Assistant Professor of Pathology with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and is board certified in clinical pathology.
Alka R Farmer, MD
Alka R. Farmer, MD, is the Medical Director of Hospital Medicine at Cooper University Health Care. She also serves as Medical Director of the Physician Advisor Program and Director of the Hospital Medicine Rotation for Residents at Inspira Health Network. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and is board certified in internal medicine.
“Dr. Farmer’s background includes decades of excellent experience overseeing patient services and programs while spearheading staff recruitment, revenue generation, and service line expansion. Additionally, she excels at propelling health care initiatives and policies while driving optimal facility efficiency and productivity. She has contributed tremendously to our patient care and quality improvement, developed and implemented multiple successful clinical and administrative procedures and programs, and innovated Hospital Medicine by expanding our expertise to Detoxication Medicine. Under her leadership, our division opened the Bridgeton Detox Unit, the only state-of-art detox unit in South Jersey, in which she has served as the clinical director. She developed all clinical protocols and procedures for the Detox Unit.
Dr. Farmer has been an outstanding mentor for the junior hospitalists. She has been coaching and training staff on patient care skills; reinvigorating the medical team by encouraging feedback, openly discussing areas of concern, and brainstorming solutions to achieve a higher quality of work-life balance and a boost in staff morale. With this success and her dedication to continual improvement, Dr. Farmer is well deserved recognition for National Women Physicians Day.”
Nicole M Fox, MD, MPH, FACS
Nicole Fox, MD, MPH, FACS, CPE is the Associate Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) of Cooper University Hospital and an Associate Professor of Medicine. She is also the Medical Director of Pediatric Trauma and the Medical Director of the Clinical Documentation Improvement Program. A graduate of UMDNJ- New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, she received her medical degree as well as her MPH. She completed residency and a year as Chief Medical Resident in in surgery at Christiana Care, Newark, DE and then a surgical critical care fellowship at Cooper University Hospital. Dr. Fox is board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care. She has authored or co-authored 24 publications and given numerous presentations. In 2016, she received the Outstanding Physician Award from Cooper University Hospital. She was also the recipient of an Excellence in Provider Engagement award in 2017 from ACDIS. Dr. Fox was named a South Jersey Top Doc for Kids 2017 and 2018 in SJ Magazine and was listed as one of South Jersey’s Top Female Doctors (2017, 2018, SJ Magazine).
Dr. Fox is the proud parent of 4 children, Isabella who is 12 and her siblings Ava, Gianna and Samuel who are triplets and just turned 6! They live on a farm with their two dogs (Shea and Mercy) and two horses (Phoenix and Romeo). Their favorite things to do together are ride horses, swim, and host family and friends at the farm (when not in the midst of a global pandemic…).
“In addition to the outstanding care she provides to trauma patients and the amazing work she has demonstrated in her leadership roles at Cooper (which include pediatric trauma medical director, medical director of CDI, and associate CMO), Dr. Fox has recently accepted a three-year term as Secretary for EAST (Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma), which is the second largest trauma organization in the United States”.
Catherine T. Ginty, MD
Kate Ginty, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and the current Medical Director of the Cooper Emergency Department. In addition to her clinical and administrative roles in the ED, Dr. Ginty is also the Medical Director of the Process Improvement Office and lectures on process and quality improvement to both students and residents. Additionally, she is on the advisory board of Women in Medicine at Cooper. Dr. Ginty has been with Cooper since beginning residency in 2011, is the proud mother of 5.5 year old Will and 3 year old Harriet and can’t imagine working for a better organization or department!
As the ED medical director, Kate has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills during 2020. Her upbeat personality, thorough communication skills, approachability and collaborative style has been instrumental in helping the entire ED department manage the COVID pandemic. She has supported nurses, techs, security, residents, physician colleagues, administrative staff etc. though this difficult year. Kate has taken a lead role in the development of the Diversity Anti-Racism Initiative for the ED. Additionally, she is a leader in the Women in Medicine group at Cooper and is the key physician contributor for CMSRU’s Process Improvement education.
“I was hoping to recognize Kate Ginty for all she has done for our ED in the last year plus (she’s wonderful all the time—but even more so in the setting of navigating us through a global pandemic!). She has been constantly communicating with everyone in the department in what was/is (especially early on) a constantly changing environment, always making sure we are up to date with most recent recommendations, new workflows/pathways/processes both ED based and hospital wide. I know she has spent much of the last 10 months dedicated to this, even sacrificing her personal time and putting in extra hours and late nights. I just wanted to recognize her contribution to our department, and the institution. I know it is no easy task, especially with two toddlers at home!”
“Dr. Ginty is such a positive team member to work with every day. Her relentless passion for Emergency Medicine is infectious. As an experienced ED RN, I have found her to be a pleasure to work with, professionally and personally. The Cooper ED is fortunate to have her on our team!”
Rachelle A Greenman, MD, FACEP
Rachelle A Greenman, MD, FACEP, is an Emergency Medicine Physician with Cooper. She is residency trained in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine, board certified in EM and IM, and came to Cooper shortly after finishing her EM residency and having my first of four children. This will be her 29th year at Cooper.
“When I was a young attending at Cooper, I had four little children and both my husband and I were working full time in demanding medical careers with erratic hours. The Cooper Department of Emergency Medicine has always been an amazingly supportive environment for all, but especially for women and those with young families. As our residency grew it became apparent that the experiences of the female faculty, negotiating life’s many different demands, was invaluable and worth sharing with our residents and also each other. In response we started a Women in EM group. This has been an incredible success and a phenomenal opportunity to share experiences and advice. Our first event, years ago, simply offered the residents the opportunity to ask some of us who “had been there done that” questions and share fears and concerns. Since that first event we have had many different speakers on a variety of topics. It is so important for our young doctors to know that they are not navigating this alone and that there are role models and others to lean on and to see that you can “have it all”-a satisfying career, happy home life, fulfilling relationships etc. (Our group was so successful that the men started a Men in Medicine group as well)
I started to get involved in the New Jersey chapter of my professional society, ACEP, The American College of Emergency Physicians a little over a decade ago. Often, when I would attend meetings, I was the only woman physician in a room of 20 or 30 men. Clearly, this had to change because it wasn’t an accurate representation of the world, medicine or emergency medicine. I actively invited other women EM physicians to attend meetings as well as encouraged them to run for board of director positions. In an effort to diversify the members of our BOD we organized several events geared toward attracting women, younger and more diverse members. As a result, the BOD now includes more than half women and in addition many more people from many different backgrounds.
It has always been a priority of mine to encourage and bring along the future generations of women physicians. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for women to help each other succeed. I have participated in multiple panel discussions regarding balancing family and work and other issues. It is my strong belief that women must support other women. Over my last 30+ years as a professional working mother I have seen medicine and the world change significantly. Men help out much more at home and take paternity leave, something that was unheard of 20 or even 10 years ago. Certainly, the work environment has become more hospitable to working parents. As men take on a more active role in the household and understand and experience firsthand the stresses of juggling all the different demands of running a household, raising children, and advancing and succeeding at work things will change even more. Many of the issues that were seen as unique to women are now becoming increasingly relevant to men as well as they become more active participants in running the household and raising the children.”
“I am a Cooper EM Residency graduate and have known Shelley since I started at Cooper in 2006. She has been a great influence in my professional career and also encouraged me to get involved in NJ-ACEP and I currently serve on the board. She has been a trailblazer for female physicians and has been a great support and mentor. She has constantly encouraged me to speak up and given me advice on how to be noticed and heard. She is passionate about our specialty and the difference that we, as women can make. She understands the many different roles that women have to play and is always there to provide a listening ear. I am lucky to have her in my life as a mentor and friend.”
“Fourteen years ago, I walked into my first professional society meeting and immediately noticed that there was only one woman in the room. She motioned for me to sit next to her and took me under her wing. Immediately I felt her warmth, acceptance and promotion. She has been instrumental in growing the network of women in the organization and integrating the group. Today we are a diverse, multi-cultural group of professionals who are good friends and support one another. Shelley is the glue that bonds people together. She finds opportunities for people to succeed. She has a generosity of spirit and serves as an inspiration for young women professionals.”
Group Nomination: Urban Health Institute
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| Jennifer Abraczinskas, MD | Iris Hagans, MD | Alexandra Lane, MD | Jenny Melli, MD |
“Given that the vast majority of physicians with whom I work are women, it is difficult to narrow the field. To do so, I thought it best to nominate for recognition the physicians with whom I work most frequently and most closely, Drs. Alexandra Lane, Jennifer Abraczinskas, Iris Hagans, and Jenny Melli. These are the attendings with whom I work most closely at the Cooper Advanced Care Center under the Urban Health Institute umbrella. The individuals for whom they care are often among the most medically complex, often times because they are among the most socially complex. Regardless of complexity, each of these physicians show an unparalleled dedication to patient care. Every patient is given their due time and attention, and approached not simply as an aggregate of their symptoms, but as an entire person. These physicians know each of their patients’ life stories, and conceptualize and plan care around this. They go above and beyond for each of their patients, and are well known for planning interventions and overall care at the individual and group levels for not just the biological needs, but the psychological and social needs of the population for whom they care.
Apart from their dedication to their patients, each also have exemplified what it is to be a teacher. Their clinical guidance and professional mentorship is truly inspiring and freely given to all at every level of training from medical school through residency and across professions, taking time to help integrate other fields into their clinic. Most notably, each have contributed uniquely to my own trainees in Behavioral Medicine, and I have also witnessed their dedication to other professions including, but not limited to, the pharmacist training program embedded within their clinic.
Personally, I cannot fully capture the importance of each of their influences on my own professional trajectory. I arrived at UHI as a post-doctoral fellow. What each has modeled for me in terms of the dedication to clinical work and teaching described above, as well as overall professionalism, has been instrumental in my transition to early career psychologist over the last several years.”
Iris A Hagans, MD
Iris Hagans, MD is a primary care physician in an interprofessional practice at the Urban Health Institute at Cooper University Healthcare and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Her practice, educational, and research interests focus on trauma-informed care, care of the underserved, interprofessional education, and advanced communication techniques. She is a preceptor in the Cooper Rowan Clinic, a student-run free clinic and a facilitator in the pre-clinical Foundations of Medical Practice course. She serves as the chair of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Racism in Medicine, Racial Inequalities in Medicine and Trauma Informed Care at CMSRU. She is a passionate environmentalist and gardener focusing on urban food production, permaculture and creating native wildlife habitats.
Rachel Haroz, MD
Rachel Haroz, MD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Division Head of Toxicology and Addiction Medicine. She is board certified in emergency medicine, medical toxicology, and addiction medicine, obtaining her BA in biology from Brandeis University, her MD from Tufts University and completed a residency in emergency medicine and fellowship in medical toxicology. She has spent the last 17 years working in inner city emergency departments, mostly in the Camden area where opioid intoxication, abuse and dependency are rampant. She helped build and now staffs the Outreach Clinic at the Urban Health Institute at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, an addiction medicine specialty clinic dedicated to treating patients with substance use disorders and helped build an integrated clinic for patients with HIV and substance use disorders. In 2016 she helped create and implement an initiative to prescribe buprenorphine from the Emergency Department and bridge patients to treatment to various community partners. In 2019 she helped launch an innovative program aimed at initiating buprenorphine via paramedics in the field. She is also heavily involved in education of residents, medical students, and pharmacists and organizes education forums focused on topics related to opioid dependency and treatment.
Dr. Haroz is a leader in MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment) for patients in the field and bridging them to outpatient therapy, as well as ED patients. She works as an outpatient addiction physician, and teaches Toxicology and Addiction to EM residents, CMSRU students and Addiction Fellows. She has been a national leader in this field and very innovative.
Franziska F. Jovin, MD, MMM
Franziska F. Jovin, MD, MMM, assumed the role of Vice President of Medical Affairs at Cooper University Health Care in July 2019. Dr. Jovin obtained her medical degree from the Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf Germany in 1994. She successfully completed an internal medicine residency program and chief medical resident year at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia in 2000. Dr. Jovin furthered her education with a masters in medical management from the Heinz College at the Carnegie Mellon University in 2015 and a certificate in healthcare delivery improvement from the Intermountain Advanced Training Program in 2017.
After graduating from her residency, Dr. Jovin worked for three years as a Primary Care Physician in Pittsburgh and in 2003 joined the Hospitalist program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Presbyterian Hospital. Over the years she has held numerous administrative and clinical positions: Vice President for Medical Affairs, Vice Chair for Patient Safety and Quality Department of Medicine, Director of Hospital Medicine Program, Medical Director Clinical Inpatient Services, Medical Director Preoperative Evaluation Center and President of the UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Medical Staff. Dr. Jovin has served on the UPMC System Quality Board, The UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital Board and the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Acute Care Nursing Program Board.
In her role at Cooper, Dr. Jovin serves as the Co-Pillar Champion of Quality. She also provides administrative oversight to the Center for Hospital-Based Services as well as supports throughput and population health strategies.
J. Hope Kilgannon, MD, FAAEM
J. Hope Kilgannon, MD, FAAEM, is an Emergency Medicine physician at Cooper, an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and is board certified in Emergency Medicine. She has worked with Dr. Trzeciak and Roberts as an investigator in multiple fields, but primarily resuscitation and post cardiac arrest care and neurological recovery. Her widely quoted article regarding oxygen therapy post cardiac arrest changed the use of oxygen world-wide.
Alexandra Lane, MD
Alexandra Lane, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at CMSRU and Assistant Program Director of Internal Medicine. She is a practicing internist. Dr. Lane is the Deputy Medical Director of the Urban Health Institute. She graduated from Jefferson Medical College and completed her residency at Temple University Hospital. She has a certificate in trauma-informed care from Bryn Mawr College and has received many teaching awards.
She is involved in several committees including the Physician Engagement Committee and is faculty advisor for the Social Justice in Medicine Student Group.
Maria Lania-Howarth, MD, FACAAI, FAAAI
Maria Lania-Howarth, MD, FACAAI, FAAAI, is Head of the Division of Allergy/Immunology at Cooper University Health Care. At Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, she is Co-Director of ENT/Allergy Curriculum, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine. She is board certified in Allergy and Immunology.
“There is nothing she will not do for her patients and for Cooper Allergy and Immunology. I have never seen anyone work harder. It has been an extremely emotional year for many reasons. I very much admire her grit and determination. I have been working side by side with Maria for over 10 years now. The three of us get to the office at 7:30am every day and walk a mile to get ready for our day. We are extremely busy, we generally work through lunch every day as the mornings often run right into the afternoons. But we laugh, we smile and we are grateful that we get to come back and do it again the next day. Dr. Lania is a pleasure to work for.”
“Dr. Lania continues to read literature in her field. She is up to date on new testing and ideas. She diagnosed a patient with Alpha Gal (alpha galactose allergy – the “lone star tick bite”, that leads to a horrific allergy to beef, pork, – really any 4 legged animals) a few years ago. Many had never heard of this allergy. Dr. Lania had. Now this year, this allergy is all over the media. Patients are coming to see her because they know she is familiar with this diagnosis. She continues to be aware of progress made in food allergies and literature that will assist our patients.”
“She does her best each and every day. She has empathy for every patient, she will come in in the morning and she will have been thinking about a patient all night and have another possible thought for them. A lot of our patients are suffering, either with allergies or immunologic disorders that decrease their quality of life. Dr. Lania has such empathy for them and wants to offer them the best possible solutions.”
Jenny Melli, MD
Jenny Melli, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU). She graduated from Villanova University and went on to receive her MD from UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson, Camden. She completed medical internship and residency in Primary Care Internal Medicine at Brown University, where she developed a special interest in women’s health, providing primary care services for women in the state prison.
Dr. Melli is involved in clinical teaching on the medical student and residency level. She is the Program Director for the Primary Care Track and Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, and directs the outpatient continuity care experience for the residency program. She precepts trainees in their outpatient clinic and maintains her own practice at that site. Dr. Melli also serves as the Deputy Clerkship Director for the Adult Primary Care clerkship at CMSRU. She has special interests in trainee health, mental health in primary care, and care of the underserved.
Aubri M Milano, DO
Aubri M Milano, DO, is the medical director of the pediatric hospitalist team and that is one of many hats she wears. Having trained here, she is totally invested in making Cooper the best place to care for children. She is a champion of several inpatient projects, mentor to many residents, and an excellent educator. She is a wonderful doctor— personable and with excellent clinical acumen. There isn’t anything Aubri wouldn’t do for the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper.
Meghan Lynn Morley, MD
Meghan Morley, MD, is a 4th year Orthopaedic Surgery resident at Cooper University Hospital with a passion for improving education. Her mission is to create opportunities for students to actively engage in both content and procedural learning during their medical school years so that they can begin residency with the knowledge and skills to provide high quality care to patients earlier in their training. In pursuit of this goal, she developed a content-based course for third year medical students in preparation for their fourth-year sub-intern rotations. The course has grown from a one-day event with students from five Philadelphia area schools to a five-week online course with students from ten schools across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The feedback from both student participants and faculty proctors has been very positive; she is working to establish this course as an annual event to be continued even after she graduates. Dr. Morley is part of a team awarded a $150,000 grant to develop a virtual reality surgical simulator focused on teaching learners about surgical anatomy. The aim of the project is to leverage a virtual reality platform to allow for high volume, low risk practice for learners so that they can be more prepared to participate in surgery on patients while maximizing patient safety.
Outside of work, Dr. Morley loves taking on new challenges and pushing her limits. She is in the process of improving her kiteboarding skills and has been working over the past few years on snowboarding, trampoline skills, and gymnastics.
“Dr. Morley has single-handedly developed, coordinated, and hosted a course for MSIII students CITY wide who are interested in orthopaedics to prepare them for their Sub-I rotations. First did this in person two years ago and coordinated multiple faculty members to dedicate a Saturday and had about 30 med students attend. She then under crazy circumstances converted this to a virtual course last year over 5 weeks and coordinated multiple faculty members to host weekly hour long small groups which was no small endeavor. The medical students have all stated this is one of the best programs they have attended.”
Raquel Nahra, MD
Raquel Nahra, MD, is an Infectious Diseases Specialist, Hospital Epidemiologist, and Critical Care Intensivist at Cooper. She is Assistant Professor of Medicine with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease.
“Dr. Nahra has been a knowledgeable and reassuring voice for all of Cooper throughout the pandemic. She takes the time to talk with people one on one and answer questions great and small. When I received my second vaccine earlier this year, she was in the observation center – I believe because one of her employees was there getting the vaccine who was nervous about it. I had to stay there for 30 minutes due to an allergy, and had a question. She took the time to talk with me and distract me as I was waiting out my time.”
Sandra J Nairn, DO, FAAP
Sandy Nairn, DO, FAAP, is Head of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Cooper. She is Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Professor of Pediatrics with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She has been a tireless leader and advocate for children at Cooper for decades. She stabilized the division, and provides state of the art PEM care in our geographically separate Pediatric ED. She teaches Pediatric and EM residents, visiting residents and CMSRU students acute Pediatric care. She has served on important CMSRU committees, and is a role model for students interested in pediatrics.
Group Nomination: Emergency Medicine
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| Brig Baumann MD | Tara Cassidy-Smith, MD | Kate Ginty, MD | Rachel Haroz, MD | Rachelle A Greenman, MD, FACEP |
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| Hope Kilgannon MD | Sandy Nairn, DO | Alexis Pelletier-Bui, MD | Jillian Smith, MD | Stephanie Smith, MD | Brenna Wynne, MD |
Alexis E Pelletier-Bui, MD
Alexis E Pelletier-Bui, MD, serves as the Assistant Program Director for the EM residency program. She is instrumental in running an outstanding residency program and is a wonderful mentor for young physicians and students. Alexis took the lead role in increasing the social media outreach for the EM residency program this past year and the feedback during interview season was outstanding. Her ability to educate applicants about Cooper and keep alumni informed of our new initiatives and successes is awesome. Alexis has been active on a national level by presenting multiple sessions at CORD about mentoring students and seeking advice on the match. Additionally, Alexis has four peer reviewed publications this past year. She is a tireless, inspiring leader to everyone.
Robin L Perry, MD, MSEd, FACOG
Robin L Perry, MD, MSEd, FACOG, is the Chairman and Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, at Cooper. She is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Maternal and Fetal Medicine.
Lisa Reid, MD
Lisa Reid, MD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Cooper University Healthcare where she is practices Endocrine Surgery. In addition to being the only surgeon at Cooper that specialized in Endocrine, Dr. Reid is heavily involved in training the next generation of doctors. She serves as the Clerkship Director for the M3 core surgical clerkship, as well as the M4 surgical sub-internship. Dr. Reid is the Administrative Director of the Advisory Colleges at CMSRU. In this role she has a major impact on the academic and personal well-being of every medical student at CMSRU. She is also responsible for overseeing the College Advisors, a group of CMSRU physicians chosen to mentor and advise medical students over the course of their four years. Dr. Reid is beloved by the medical students and is seen as a knowledgeable, approachable and compassionate confidant.
Dr. Reid also sits on the advisory board for Cooper’s Women in Medicine and runs the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the Department of Surgery.
On a personal note, she is energized by yoga, relaxed with reading, and creative with cooking. Her two children, one who just became a teenager, keep her grounded.
Kimberly Rozengarten, DO, MPH, FACOI
Kimberly Rozengarten, DO, MPH, FACOI, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at CMSRU and Rowan SOM. She is a practicing primary care physician. She graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and did her medical training at UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine. She also holds a MPH from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. She is currently the Medical Director of the Multispecialty Center in Camden where she works to coordinate care for complex patients and is the Director of Student Health Services for CMSRU. She was recently appointed as the Lead Provider Champion for CUHC Patient Experience. And is Chairman of the Board, AllCare Health Alliance, CUHC’s ACO.
She sits on various committees some of which include the Credentials Committee, Physician Peer Support Group, Diabetes Improvement Team, and the Ambulatory Quality Improvement Team.
Dr. Rozengarten has been married for almost 21 years and has 2 amazing daughters, 16 and 8.
Niharika Sathe, MD, MHS
Niharika Sathe, MD, MHS, trained at Cooper for her Internal Medicine Residency. Following her residency, she was the Primary Care 4th Year Chief Resident. She currently provides primary care to our Camden patients, working as PCP for patients with HIV and as a preceptor in resident clinic. She was continuously inspired by the strong female physician role models in Suite 215 who trained her and demonstrated the compassion, intelligence and humility required to care for our underserved population. She is lucky she now can call them colleagues.
“I would like to nominate Dr. Niharika Sathe in honor of National Women Physicians Day. Dr. Sathe is the example of empathy, elite clinical competency and meticulous care that I strive to emulate with every patient encounter. She is hard working, humble and devoted to her patients. Throughout her residency and Chief Year at Cooper, she exemplified the highest quality of inpatient and outpatient care. She also has the incredible skill of conveying her experiences in written form through publications that are easily relatable. One of her pieces, “Thank You for Your Service: From the Sidelines of the Pandemic,” was recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine. She is a tremendous asset to the Cooper team
Jillian C Smith, MD
Jillian Smith, MD, is the medical director for Cooper’s Urgent Care facilities and her outstanding leadership skills earned her the well-deserved recognition of Provider of the Quarter last month. She has been a calming presence for the nurses, physicians, APPs and all staff at the Urgent Care centers during the past year and has excelled at communicating regularly to her team. Her passion for excellent patient care and staff wellness serve as an inspiration for the entire Urgent Care team.
As Director of Student Affairs for CMSRU this past year, Stephanie V Smith, MD is a wonderful advocate and support system for medical students navigating the waters of residency selection and the match. She has held many leadership positions in her young career, focusing on Medical Student education and career development. She has spoken nationally on this important topic in additional to publishing in peer reviewed journals. Stephanie is an outstanding emergency physician who excels in providing an excellent experience for her patients.
Antoinette Spevetz, MD, FCCM, FACP, FCCP
Antoinette Spevetz, MD, FCCM, FACP, FCCP, completed her medical school training at Hahnemann University. She did an internal medicine residency at Abington and remained there as chief resident. Following that she came to Cooper where she completed two fellowships, one in critical care and one in pulmonary medicine. After that Dr. Spevetz was faculty at the University of Florida in Jacksonville. In order to be closer to her father who was having medical issues she came back to Maryland where she was the Director of Critical Care for Upper Chesapeake Health. She was very involved in hospital administration filing other positions such as Director of respiratory care, Chair of P&T, and Chief of Pulmonary. She also worked with a company on a national level to provide critical care services across the country.
Dr Spevetz missed education and returned to Cooper in 2005 as Director of intermediate care and Head of ICU operations.She quickly became involved in medical education in the internal medicine program and then with GME in the institution. She enrolled in and completed a Master of Medical Education and Leadership program at the University of New England. In 2010 she assumed the Role of DIO at Cooper. She has been a College Advisor at CMSRU since the matriculation of the first class.
During all of this time she was very active in the Society of Critical Care medicine. She was active on numerous committees and was elected to the Board of regents eventually becoming Chancellor. She was also elected to the SCCM council. This year she was awarded a Distinguished Service award from the society.
Dr Spevetz was a founding member of the Baltimore Chapter of critical care medicine and also the Philadelphia area chapter known as the Drinker Society.
Nicole J Terrigno, MD, FACP
Nicole Terrigno, MD, FACP is a hospitalist for the past 6 years at Cooper University Hospital, the acting site director for Cooper hospitalists at the two community hospitals of Virtua Voorhees and Virtua Marlton for the last 5 years, and an assistant professor of medicine at CMSRU. She was recently hired as one of three career navigators for CMSRU in July 2020 and was promoted to an associate program director role for a new ACGME approved internal medicine residency program launching at Inspira Mullica Hill in July 2021.
Brenna Wynne, MD
Brenna Wynne, MD, has transitioned from Emergency Medicine faculty to Medical Director of EM at Salem Memorial Hospital. She leads a Cooper EM team (all Cooper EM Alumni) and has transitioned Salem’s Emergency Department to cutting-edge, state-of-the-art EM care, working with Salem’s Medical Staff, the community and Cooper leadership. She has led an engaged team forward throughout COVID-19 as well.
National Women Physicians Day! – Connect the Docs
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Dr.Jenny Melli is a great physician, she treats all of her patients with great respect,for me she would be hard to replace.