Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Faculty
Program Director
Scott Watkins, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Watkins specializes in pediatric anesthesiology for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and serves as Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship Program Director and Director of Education. He joined hospital staff in 2018. Dr. Watkins earned his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He completed an internship, anesthesiology residency and pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Watkins also trained in medical simulation through the Center for Medical Simulation at Harvard University and in quality improvement through Cincinnati Children’s Intermediate Improvement Science Series.
Associate Program Director
Richard Elliott, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology, Pain Management
Dr. Elliott specializes in pediatric anesthesiology, acute and chronic pain management, regional anesthesia and is a medical acupuncturist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the hospital staff in 2013. He also is associate program director of the Johns Hopkins All Children's Pediatric Anesthesia fellowship program. Dr. Elliott earned his medical degree at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He completed his residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He earned a post-master’s certificate in evidence-based teaching in the health professions from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education as well as a Master of Science in Jurisprudence in Health and Hospital Law from Seton Hall University School of Law. His medical acupuncture training was undertaken at the Helms Medical Institute. He is board-certified in anesthesiology, pediatric anesthesiology and medical acupuncture. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Faculty
Giovanni Cucchiaro, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology, Pain Management
Dr. Cucchiaro is the director of Pain Services in the Department of Anesthesia at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the hospital staff in 2018. Dr. Cucchiaro’s expertise includes pediatric anesthesia, pain management and palliative care. His clinical research interests include the safety of short and long term use of opioids, addiction prevention and use of complementary intervention to assist children with acute and chronic pain. After earning his medical degree from the University of Milan in Milan, Italy, Dr. Cucchiaro completed an internship at Wilson Memorial Regional Medical Center in Johnson City, New York. Dr. Cucchiaro completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Milan and an anesthesia residency at Health Science Center SUNY in Syracuse, New York. He then completed a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Cucchiaro also holds a masters in international public policy and management from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Jenny Dolan, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Dolan is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2007 and is the Chief of Pediatric Anesthesia. Dr. Dolan earned her medical degree from Javeriana University School of Medicine in Bogota, Colombia. She completed a postdoctoral internship in general surgery and residency in anesthesiology at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. Dr. Dolan then completed a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami Children’s Hospital. Dr. Dolan earned a Master of Public Health from George Washington University with an emphasis in health policies. Her clinical interests include post anesthesia care, qualitative work, and public health issues.
Allison Fernandez, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Fernandez specializes in pediatric anesthesiologist and is the founder of the pediatric pain service at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2012. Dr. Fernandez earned her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York. She completed an internal medicine internship at North Shore University Hospital in New York and an anesthesiology residency at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She also completed a pediatric anesthesia fellowship and advanced training in pediatric cardiac anesthesia at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Fernandez holds a M.B.A. with a concentration in health care management from Boston University Graduate School of Management.
Cindy Hernandez, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Hernandez is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2022. Previously, Dr. Hernandez was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr. Hernandez earned her medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, New York, followed by a surgical internship at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. She completed a residency in anesthesiology from Montefiore Medical Center, followed by a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati.
Bhavana Jami, D.O.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Jami is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She earned her medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, Florida. She completed her internal medicine internship at SUNY Upstate University Hospital and her anesthesiology residency at the University of Louisville Hospital. She also completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore.
Vyas Kartha, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Kartha specializes in pediatric cardiac anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the medical staff in 2005. He is an assistant professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Kartha earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio. He completed a transitional residency at Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center and an anesthesiology residency at Loyola University Medical Center, both in Chicago. Dr. Kartha completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto.
Frederick Kuo, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Kuo is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and holds the rank of Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He joined the hospital staff in 2021. Dr. Kuo earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He completed a residency in anesthesiology at Baylor College of Medicine with training at Texas Children's Hospital, followed by a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Esteban Lugo, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Lugo specializes in pediatric cardiac anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined hospital staff in 2009. Dr. Lugo earned his medical degree from Universidad Central de Venezuela, Luis Razetti Medical School. He completed an internship and anesthesiology residency at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Lugo then completed a pediatric anesthesia and pediatric cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Additionally, he was a cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellow at Emory University Hospital.
Amish Patel, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Patel specializes in pediatric anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined hospital staff in 2007. Dr. Patel earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in St. George’s, Grenada. He trained at MCP-Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed a residency and pediatric fellowship in anesthesia through Penn State University at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Shivani Patel, M.B.B.S.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Patel specializes in Pediatric Anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2022. Dr. Patel received her medical degree from Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai, India in 2000. She completed residencies in Anesthesiology at Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai, India (2004) and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa (2009). She completed a fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore in 2010 and held the position of assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from July 2010-June 2022.
Mohamed Rehman, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Mohamed Rehman, M.D., is the Eric Kobren Endowed Professor in Applied Health Informatics and a Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the chair of the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Internationally recognized for his medical and clinical informatics expertise, Dr. Rehman also is director of Perioperative Health Informatics, leading a team that is involved in data-driven research to improve quality, safety and value. Dr. Rehman’s team is one of the few in the world working in real time consumer level and medical data to improve patient outcomes.
Gerson Rodriguez-Fazzi, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Rodriguez-Fazzi specializes in pediatric anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the hospital staff in 1999. He also is dedicated to providing anesthesia in complex cardiac procedures. Dr. Rodriguez-Fazzi earned his medical degree from the Ponce School of Medicine in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He interned at Louisiana State University Medical Center and trained in anesthesiology at the University of South Florida. Dr. Rodriguez-Fazzi completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, through Northwestern University. He is fluent in Spanish.
Jibin Samuel, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Samuel is a pediatric anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the hospital in 2015 and previously practiced at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami for 5 years. His clinical focus is pediatric anesthesiology and a multimodal approach to pediatric acute and chronic pain. This includes, but is not limited to, alternative therapies for pain management, pain medication weaning and management, nerve blocks/regional anesthesia, and patient-controlled analgesia.
Anna Varughese, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Varughese is the director of perioperative quality and safety in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Department of Anesthesia. She joined the medical staff in 2019. She previously served as division chief of the Department of Anesthesiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Her research interests include quality, safety and outcomes in pediatric anesthesiology and health care.
Lillian Zamora, M.D.
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Zamora specializes in pediatric anesthesiology with a focus on simulation-based training at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2014. Dr. Zamora earned her medical degree from University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she also trained in anesthesiology. She completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Medical College of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital. Dr. Zamora is fluent in Spanish.
