Faculty

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Faculty

Catherine Scarfi, MD
Director of the Fellowship Program in Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Dr. Scarfi completed her pediatric residency and served as chief resident at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. She then completed her Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at Jacobi Medical Center. Her interests include environmental emergencies and resident education.


Dr. Adam Sivitz Medical Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Adam Sivitz, MD
Medical Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Dr. Sivitz completed his pediatric residency and chief residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park, NY and a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, RI. Dr. Sivitz participates in supervision and teaching of patient care during clinical rotations. He is involved in mentorship for fellow and resident research projects. Current active research interests include the application of bedside ultrasound to pediatric emergency medicine, and adolescent STD/HIV screening. In his free time, Dr. Sivitz enjoys coaching his kids' soccer teams, boogieboarding, and rooting for the Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers.


Cena Tejani, MD

Cena Tejani, MD
Associate Director of the Fellowship Program in Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Dr. Cena Tejani completed her pediatric residency at NYU Langone Medical Center in NY and her PEM fellowship at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in 2012. Dr. Tejani is in charge of the fellowship conference curriculum, facilitating administration of the core curriculum weekly lectures and small group seminars. She is involved in mentorship for fellow research projects and directects the PEM fellow and pediatric resident simulation program. Her current research interests include adolescent medicine, wound care and sickle cell anemia.


Vaishali Shah, MD

Vaishali Shah, MD
Dr. Vaishali Shah completed her pediatric residency training at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 2007 and completed fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital Center in 2010. She has experience and interest in bedside ultrasound, medical student and resident education. Her interests include traveling and taking care of her two children.


Ravi Thamburaj, DO

Ravi Thamburaj, DO
Dr. Ravi Thamburaj completed his pediatric residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in 2007, serving as chief resident over the final year. He then completed his Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at Newark Beth in 2010, as one of the first two graduates of the program. His interests include clinical education of medical students, residents and fellows.


Patrick J. Cazilas, MD
Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, and with a jump shot that can only be described as flawless, Pat was once described by ESPN as a “key piece” to the future of the New York Knicks organization before sustaining a career ending knee injury while throwing down a windmill slam dunk over Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. The game was won, but a promising career lost. In the wake of his injury Pat decided to pivot and set his sights on his second love, medicine. Pat then completed his residency in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois and his fellowship in PEM at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. While most of what you just read is factually inaccurate, and Pat is average height on a good day, he is a happily married girl dad of two, an avid New York sports fan, and passionate about PEM, medical education and caring for the children of New Jersey.


Gina Pizzitola, MD, MS

Dr. Pizzitola completed both her Pediatric Residency and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship in Queens, NY at Cohen Children's Medical Center. While at Cohen's, she completed the Point of Care Ultrasound Track, created Gel Rounds (the resident POCUS curriculum) and helped develop and run a multidisciplinary MCI Training Simulation.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship, CCMC 2023
Eastern Virginia Medical School M.D. 2017, M.S. 2013
Georgetown University B.A. 2011


Ashley T. Serrette, MD

Ashley T. Serrette, MD

Dr. Ashley Serrette was born in New Jersey and graduated from Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Preprofessional Studies in 2009. She attended Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where she received the Excellence in Pediatrics Award. Dr. Serrette completed her Pediatric internship and residency at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, VA, earning a certificate in Public Health and the Pediatric Global Health Award. She then completed a three-year Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at Cohen Children's Medical Center at Northwell Health in Queens, New York. In 2021, Dr. Serrette joined the Pediatric Emergency Medicine faculty at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, NJ and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.