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    Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine Fellowship

    Program Overview

    The Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Training Program — offered jointly by ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware, Christiana Hospital and Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) — provides a unique and comprehensive training experience that will lead to a career in academic or clinical neonatology.

    The program, leveraging the diverse strengths of all 3 hospitals, provides a well-rounded experience in the clinical care of critically ill newborns and extensive training in the principles of clinical and basic science research.

    ON THIS PAGE:

    Our Fellowship Program

    The fellowship program in Neonatal-Perinatal medicine offers the unique opportunity to provide clinical care at three distinct settings in the Delaware Valley. Your clinical experience will range from the largest delivery center in Delaware at Christiana Hospital, through a large inner-city delivery experience at Thomas Jefferson University to a referral children’s hospital NICU at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware. The clinical program will provide training across the full breadth of neonatal care from the care of the periviable premature neonate to providing ECMO to the critically ill term newborn.

    While experiencing high-level clinical training you will also be fully immersed in a vibrant academic environment, including weekly dedicated lecture time, multiple clinical conferences and a defined research and simulation curriculum. As your fellowship progresses and research becomes more prominent, you will be presented with an abundance of research opportunities ranging from bench basic science research, through clinical database design to qualitative research methodology.

    Our fellowship program graduates clinically and academically excellent Neonatologists that we anticipate to become future clinical and academic leaders in the field.

    Program Components

    Unique Clinical Settings

    You’ll do your rotations at all hospital facilities. Although the campuses are located within 45 minutes of each other, you’ll work at only one of these clinical sites on any given day:

    • ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware, located in Wilmington, Del., is one of the top children’s hospitals in the United States providing high-level clinical care and cutting edge academic research. Part of your clinical experience will occur in the 14-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit where you will care for infants with congenital heart disease both before and after surgery. In the 32 bed referral NICU you will learn the care of the surgical infant, the infant requiring ECMO and those requiring multiple complex subspecialty referrals. Your experience will include the Advanced Delivery Program focusing on the care of the fetally diagnosed neonate requiring immediate access to post-delivery care.
    • , the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, located in Philadelphia and affiliated with Sidney Kimmel Medical College, is a 40-bed Level III NICU associated with a busy delivery room and a maternal fetal medicine department that serves as a referral service for high-risk pregnancies. The ICN is also a tertiary referral site for neonates requiring photocoagulation therapy for retinopathy of prematurity and therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Its urban setting exposes you to a highly diverse patient population with a particular focus on premature neonates born as early as 22 weeks gestation and opiate exposed neonates with neonatal abstinence syndrome as a part of the Maternal Addiction Treatment Education & Research (MATER) program.
    • , located in Newark, Del., is the only general tertiary care facility in the state and is a high risk obstetrics referral center. With more than 7,000 annual deliveries, the hospital has an active maternal fetal medicine department that evaluates high-risk pregnancies and a 86-bed, single bed, Level III NICU. The NICU has an annual admission rate of 1,500 newborns and an average daily census of 55. Our training environment is enriched by the hospital’s advanced neonatal transport team which has served as a mobile NICU for more than 25 years. Our Tiny Baby collaborative group focuses on providing evidence based guidelines and quality improvement initiatives for infants born as low as 22 weeks gestation. The NICU collaborates with the pediatric subspecialists at ֲý, the NICU provides neonatal palliative care services through the IMPACT team which is comprised of a neonatologist who is board certified in hospice and palliative medicine, physicians and nurses from neonatology and obstetrics, advanced practice clinicians, social work and pastoral care. Our neonatology group is active in quality improvement, clinical research and trainee education.

    Program Activities

    With fellows from other programs, you’ll participate in a variety of didactic sessions, including basic research training and statistics, as well as pediatric grand rounds.

    Other activities include:

    • Daily teaching rounds during clinical rotations
    • Orientation lectures on ventilator management, transport and ECMO
    • Neonatal-perinatal, laboratory and radiology rounds
    • Fellow physiologic lecture series (weekly lectures that cover the entire content of the subspecialty certifying examination)
    • Classic and neonatal journal clubs
    • Fellow board review
    • Conferences and seminars on fellow research, quality improvement, professionalism/communication, case conferences, morbidity and mortality and fetal therapy

    Master's Opportunity at Thomas Jefferson University

    You may also pursue a Masters degree through Thomas Jefferson University, concurrently or following your fellowship training. They offer programs in:

    • Human clinical investigation
    • Public health
    • Health care quality and safety

    These fulfill the scholarly activity requirement of the American Board of Pediatrics.

    Unique Features of Our Program

    • Strong clinical training in three different types of NICU
    • One of the bigger programs (total 12 fellows, planning to increase to 15)
    • ECMO managed by the NICU team
    • ECMO training and certification, ECMO simulation program
    • Research opportunities (Basic/Translational/Clinical/QI projects)
    • Robust research program (Strong representation at national meetings, manuscripts)
    • Protected time for the didactics
    • Research grant for the fellows
    • Clinical mentors program
    • Bedside ultrasound training
    • Simulation training
    • Research curriculum lecture series
    • Fellows’ retreat
    • Research mentors-first year fellows meeting
    • Neonatal Critical Care Transport training
    • Joint Neonatology Surgery conference
    • Joint Neonatology Cardiology conference
    • Joint Neonatology Neurology conference
    • High risk deliveries at ֲý Children's Hospital, Delaware
    • High risk babies follow up program
    • Quality and safety curriculum
    • Global health (clinical and research opportunity)
    • Masters program
    • Diversity

    Research Opportunities for Fellows

    Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

    The division of neonatology at Thomas Jefferson University is actively involved in basic science, translational, clinical research and quality improvement projects. The basic science and translational research are focused on epigenetic changes and lung inflammation in an animal model of chorioamnionitis and BPD. We are collaborating with the division of maternal fetal medicine on the impact of fetal environment on DNA methylation changes in cord blood cells. The faculty at TJU are involved in clinical research on neonatal abstinence syndrome, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, early onset neonatal sepsis, gastroesophageal reflux, neonatal iron deficiency, non-invasive ventilation and point-of-care ultrasound. The quality improvement projects include: antibiotic stewardship, improving iron status at discharge in preterm infants, reducing BPD and NEC and improving overall nutrition in preterm infants. Thomas Jefferson University is part of the NICHD Global Network to improve maternal and child health in low- and middle-income countries. The division of neonatology and MFM at TJU is collaborating with several centers in India on clinical trials to improve iron status in mothers and children, improve outcomes in infants with HIE and iron deficiency, and reduce mortality with infection in preterm and term infants. The fellows will have an opportunity for an independent research project on global health at collaborating centers in India and other LMICs.

    ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware

    At ֲý there is an expanding research program ranging from basic science projects looking at the genetics of BPD and pulmonary hypertension, through quality improvement work on reducing medication errors to multi-center projects looking at variation in neonatal end-of-life care. Faculty are also available to mentor fellows interested in pursuing research on ECMO, palliative care and the neo-surgical patient. The research efforts of the division are rapidly growing and expanding and we appreciate the participation of neonatal fellows in ongoing projects or in the initiation of a new project. Interested fellows are welcome to contact faculty directly to discuss potential research projects.

    Learn More About Research at ֲý

    ChristianaCare Hospital

    The Division of Neonatology at Christiana Hospital has 14 attending neonatologists who are active in a wide variety of scientific research activities. The research topics are diverse and fellow participatory activities would primarily be in the areas of clinical and translational research and quality improvement. Examples of recent fellow-based research include detailed pulmonary physiology and mechanics, cytokines, breastmilk nutrition, transfusion medicine, transport medicine, parent decision aids and communications, spirituality/mindfulness for parental coping, neonatal resuscitation, and epidemiologic analysis of retrospective and prospective database studies. Through your fellowship training, you will learn research design, methodology, ethics, informed consent, process control, quality improvement, database management and statistical procedures. There are additional opportunities to collaborate with maternal-fetal medicine, obstetrics, pediatric radiology and global health.

    Salary & Benefits

    Salary

    • PGY 4: $ 80,904
    • PGY 5: $ 84,139
    • PGY 6: $ 87,505
    • PGY 7: $ 91,005

    Benefits

    • Medical
    • Dental
    • Prescription drug coverage
    • Malpractice insurance
    • Office space
    • Cell phone
    • Educational stipend

    About Our Hospital in Delaware

    The ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware is a multispecialty, tertiary care teaching institution located on a 300-acre estate in the scenic Brandywine Valley in Wilmington, Del.

    Among the hospital’s amenities for all staff are:

    • Free parking
    • Park-like setting
    • Gym/fitness center
    • On-site child care center for children of staff
    Learn More About Our Children's Hospital

    Living in Delaware Valley

    Because of our location in the tri-state area of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we offer unique living/working opportunities. For example, you can choose to live in the downtown Philadelphia area and easily commute to our park-like hospital campus in Wilmington.

    Explore Wilmington

    ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware is located in Wilmington, Del., about 30 minutes from center city Philadelphia, and an easy drive to Baltimore, Lancaster County, Pa. (“Amish Country”), and the beaches in Atlantic City and Delaware. There is much to do in and around the city, including mansion and garden tours, museums, breweries, wineries, fine restaurants and numerous state parks.

    Learn More About Delaware:

    Explore Philadelphia

    Philadelphia is the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States and offers a wealth of historical, cultural and recreational opportunities. From world-class museums to its professional sports teams to the colorful, bustling districts of South Street, Chinatown and the Italian Market, Philadelphia has something for everyone.

    Learn More About the Philadelphia Area:

    Train With Recognized Leaders

    If you’re looking for a rewarding program built on academic excellence and family-centered care, ֲý Children's offers outstanding medical, surgical, pharmacy, nursing, therapy and psychology programs. Train with faculty who are respected leaders in their fields, a patient care model that stands apart and access to groundbreaking research.

    Meet Our Clinical Leadership

    Zubair Aghai, MD

    Director, Neonatal/Perinatal Fellowship Program

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
    Learn More About Dr. Aghai


    Kolawole Solarin, MD

    Neonatal/Perinatal Fellowship Program

    Chief, Division of Neonatology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College


    Kevin Dysart, MD

    Neonatal/Perinatal Fellowship Program

    Chief, Division of Neonatology at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Learn More About Dr. Dysart


    Michael Antunes, MD

    Neonatal/Perinatal Fellowship Program

    Chief, Division of Neonatology at Christiana, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College


    Amy Sloane, MD

    Associate Program Director, Thomas Jefferson University Medical, Neonatal/Perinatal Fellowship Program

    Attending Neonatologist, Division of Neonatology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College


    Kevin M. Sullivan, MD

    Associate Program Director, ֲý Children's Health, Delaware, Neonatal/Perinatal Fellowship Program

    Attending Neonatologist, Division of Neonatology at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Learn More About Dr. Sullivan


    Ursula Guillen, MD

    Associate Program Director Christiana Care, Delaware, Neonatal/Perinatal Fellowship Program

    Attending Neonatologist, Division of Neonatology at Christiana Care, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Meet Our Program Faculty

    Susan Adeniyi-Jones, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Zubair Aghai, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Deepthi Alapati, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Michael Antunes, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Brian Barnette, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Shazia Bhat, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System

    David Carola, DO

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Joanna Costa, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware

    Eliza DeSantis, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Daniel Dirnberger, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware

    Carlos Duran, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System

    Kevin Dysart, MD

    Chief, Neonatology at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Noeet Elitsur, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Andrew Ellefson, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistance Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Michael Favara, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System
    Faculty Appointment: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Lynn Marie Fuchs, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Vaibhav Goyal, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System

    Ursula Guillen, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System
    Faculty Appointment: Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Ashish Gupta, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Geetika Kennady, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Kaitlin Kenaley, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System

    Kelley Kovatis, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System
    Faculty Appointment: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Margaret Lafferty, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Naomi Lauriello, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Robert Locke, DO, MPH

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System

    Rula Nassar, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System

    Elizabeth O’Donnell, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Mark Ogino, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    David Paul, MD

    Associate Director and Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare
    Faculty Appointment: Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Sudha Raman, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware

    Amy Sloane, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Kolawole O. Solarin, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Wendy Sturtz, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System
    Faculty Appointment: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Kevin Sullivan, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Jillian Taylor, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware

    Deborah Tuttle, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System
    Faculty Appointment: Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College

    Lisa Strouss Wallace, MD, MPH

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaHealth Care System

    Christine Yankowski, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ChristianaCare Health System

    Aaron Jefthy Yee, MD

    Attending Neonatologist at ֲý Children’s Hospital, Delaware

    Meet Our Participants

    1st Year

    • Heather Croy, MD, Residency Program at Atlantic Health – Goryeb Children’s Hospital
    • Priyanka Patel, DO, Residency Program at SKMC-TJU/ֲý Children's Hospital, Delaware
    • Justine Pirozzi, DO, Residency Program at Central Iowa Health System/Blank Children’s Hospital
    • Ha Tran, MD, Residency Program at Children’s National Medical Center

    2nd Year

    • Ayush Joshi, MD, Residency Program at Monmouth Medical Center
    • Anoosha Kasanagottu, DO, Residency Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
    • Aupola Kundu, MD, Residency Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School
    • Ramez Rawhani, MD, Residency Program at University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital

    3rd Year

    • Rhea Basu, MD, Residency Program at Albert Einstein Medical Center
    • Estefani Hee Chung, MD, Residency Program at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine
    • Anastasiya Latushko, MD, Residency Program at SKMC-TJU/ֲý Children's Hospital, Delaware
    • Priya Mishra, MD, Residency Program at Tufts Medical Center/Floating Hospital for Children

    Alumni (last 5 years)

    2023

    • Oluwatobi Adegboyega, MD, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, PA.
    • Saminathan Anbalagan, MD, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
    • Kanishk Jha, MD, Pediatrix/Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital/Deaconess Medical Center, WA
    • Jillian Taylor, MD, ֲý Children's Hospital, Delaware, Wilmington, DE

    2022

    • Eliza Fradkin, MD, ֲý/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
    • Geetika Kennady, MD, ֲý/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
    • Johnna Mahoney, MD, Trinity Health System, MD

    2021

    • Laura Belden, DO, CHOP/Virtua, Voohees, NJ
    • Rochelle Sequeira Gomes, MD, ֲý Children’s Hospital, Orlando, FL
    • Diksha Shrestha, MD, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
    • Pedro Urday, MD, CHOP/Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, East Norriton, PA

    2020

    • Melissa Buck, MD, MidAtlantic Neonatology Associates, NJ
    • Maura Gable, DO, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA
    • Alina Ivashchuk, DO, CHOP/Lancaster General Health, PA
    • Amy Sloane, MD, ֲý/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

    2019

    • Michael Favara, DO, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE
    • Gina Fong, MD, Fairfax Neonatal Associates, PC, VA
    • Kathryn Kauffman, DO, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Upland, PA
    • Patrick Philpot, DO, St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA

    Apply Today

    Currently Accepting Applications

    1.

    Questions About Applying?

    Zubair Aghai, MD
    Program Director
    zubair.aghai@nemours.org

    Anita Bergh
    Administrative Director of Graduae Medical Education
    anita.bergh@nemours.org