All of our hospitalists function as attending pediatricians for general pediatrics and in the newborn nursery. Our hospitalists also provide medical care for pediatric patients at several group homes and a long-term care facility in the community.
Our clinical staff includes board-certified pediatricians.
Maribeth Chitkara, MD Division Chief
Carolyn Milana, MD Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Josette Bianchi-Hayes, MD
Rachel Boykan, MD
Candice Foy, MD
Mariann Jacob, MD
Merissa Rzonca, MD
Lisa Wilks-Gallo, MD
Maribeth Chitkara, MD Dr. Maribeth Chitkara is a board-certified pediatric hospitalist and division chief of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. She also serves as the medical director of the pediatric acute care unit, participating in multiple initiatives to ensure quality of care for pediatric inpatients at Stony Brook Children's. Additionally, Dr. Chitkara is the director of medical student education in pediatrics, overseeing all of the educational activities for the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University medical students as they rotate within the Department of Pediatrics. Her academic interests include the development and implementation of novel educational strategies for graduate medical education.
Josette Bianchi-Hayes, MD Dr. Josette Bianchi-Hayes is a board-certified pediatrician and board-certified hospitalist. She worked as a community pediatrician before joining Stony Brook in 2012 as a pediatric hospitalist. Dr. Bianchi-Hayes provides care to newborns on our mother-baby unit and to children of all ages on our pediatric inpatient unit who are hospitalized with a wide variety of conditions, ranging from severe complications of common diseases to rare and chronic medical conditions. Dr. Bianchi-Hayes' research pursuits include the use of technology to support childhood health, the effect of increased weight status on childhood asthma, and healthcare unitization. She has an interest in physician wellness and oversees the pediatric resident physician research program.
Rachel Boykan, MD Dr. Rachel Boykan is a board-certified hospitalist. She provides care to children of all ages on our pediatric inpatient unit who are hospitalized with a wide variety of conditions, as well as to our newborns on our mother-baby unit. Dr. Boykan is also the Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Program at Stony Brook Children's. Dr. Boykan's research interests include addressing secondhand tobacco smoke in hospitalized children, e-cigarette/vaping product use in adolescents, and resident education. In 2012 she spearheaded a partnership between Stony Brook Children's and the New York State Smokers' Quitline Opt-to-QuitTM Program - the first implementation of this electronic referral program at a children's hospital. Dr. Boykan works closely with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to address smoking exposure in children and the use of electronic cigarettes in teenagers.
Candice Foy, MD Dr. Candice Foy is dedicated to the care and treatment of hospitalized children, including children with complex medical conditions. Additionally, she focuses on patient safety and quality improvement - with the continued goal of developing innovative solutions to improve patient experiences.
Lisa Wilks-Gallo, MD Dr. Lisa Wilks-Gallo has been practicing as a pediatrician since 2006 and is board-certified in both General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine. She specializes in the care of hospitalized children from birth through young adulthood, care of newborns immediately after birth, care of technology-dependent and medically complex children, and coordination of care. Dr. Wilks-Gallo has an interest in medical ethics and is a member of the Stony Brook Medicine Ethics Consult Service Team. Dr. Wilks-Gallo's research interests include all areas of inpatient pediatric and newborn medicine with a particular focus on communication in medicine and medical ethics.