Meet Our Team

Dr. Alana specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He sees patients at Bayfront Health Spring Hill. Previously Dr. Alana was a neonatologist at Florida Hospital Medical Group, where he served as vice chair and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Florida Hospital Orlando.

Dr. Berg specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the hospital staff in 2017. Previously, she worked as a neonatologist at the University of Vermont Children's Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics in the University of Vermont College of Medicine where she was director of the fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. Dr. Berg earned her medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency and her neonatal-perinatal fellowship at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Brooks specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the hospital staff in 1997 and is associated medical director for the neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Brooks earned her medical degree at American University of Beirut School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Duke University Medical Center and her fellowship in neonatology at University of South Florida where she also attained a masters degree in public health.

Dr. Chang is an All Children’s Specialty Physicians pediatric neonatologist based at Florida Hospital Tampa. She completed both her pediatric residency and a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She is a graduate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Her clinical interests include neonatal nutrition and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Dr. Chang also holds a master’s of science in applied physiology and kinesiology from the University of Florida.

Dr. DiBartolomeo specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. Dr. DiBartolomeo earned her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She trained in pediatrics and completed a neonatology fellowship at University of Chicago, Comer Children’s Hospital. While at the University of Chicago, Dr. DiBartolomeo concurrently completed a clinical medical ethics fellowship through the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. During her training she completed a pediatrics and neonatology rotation at Amrita Institute in Kerala, India, and a neonatology elective at Kijabe Hospital in Kijabe, Kenya. Additionally, she holds a Master of Public Health from Nova Southeastern University and has completed internships in Washington, D.C., both on Capitol Hill and at a political think tank. Her clinical and research interests include clinical medical ethics, neonatal palliative care and ethical issues at the margins of viability.

Dr. Diego is a neonatalogist in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He joined the neonatology staff in 2013. Dr. Diego earned his medical degree from Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. He trained in pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch and completed a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of South Florida. He is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Escoto is a neonatologist in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He also sees patients through the Bayfront Health St. Petersburg Baby Place, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg General Hospital and the Medical Center of Trinity.

Dr. Fares specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She sees patients at Bayfront Health Spring Hill. She joined the hospital staff in 2014. Previously, she was the director of neonatology at Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers. Dr. Fares earned her medical degree at State University of Liege in Belgium and completed her pediatric residency at Orlando Regional Medical Center and her neonatal fellowship at the University of Illinois. Her research interests include the role of specific fatty acids in premature formula on growth, acceptance, tolerance, blood lipids and selected physiological parameters in very low birth weight neonates.

Dr. Fort specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He is a co-lead for the institute’s Research and Quality Network and a co-chair of its research council. He advocates for research education and has ongoing projects with residents and fellows related to caffeine and respiratory outcomes as well as biomarkers predictive of necrotizing enterocolitis. Dr. Fort’s research focus includes control of breathing and apnea of premature infants, specifically as it relates to its management with caffeine. During a fellowship in neonatal medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, he successfully presented, with support of his mentor Waldemar Carlo, a large, multicenter, randomized controlled trial called the MOCHA trial, which is currently recruiting at the Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) neonatal research network to evaluate the use of caffeine at home for premature infants. He is also a site principal investigator for the Intermittent Hypoxia and Caffeine (ICAF) trial, a multicenter trial headed by Dr. Carl Hunt and Eric Eichenwald. Dr. Fort is also an expert reviewer for caffeine with the Journal of Perinatology as well as being a junior member and reviewer for the Society of Pediatric Research. He has received teaching awards during his training and received the 2015 Society of Pediatric Research Fellows’ Section Clinical Research Award as well as the Clinical Young Investigators’ Award from the Southern Society of Pediatric Research for a pilot randomized control trial comparing vitamin D dosing in extremely preterm infants during his fellowship.

Aaron M. Germain, M.D., FAAP, is associate program director of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program and instructor in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Germain was named Pediatric Resident Teacher of the Year at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He completed his fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. His research interests include patient management and outcomes, management of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and innovation in medical education. Dr. Germain is an assistant director of the LifeLine critical care transport program.

Dr. Go is a neonatologist in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the hospital in 2016 and is the principal investigator in St. Petersburg for a multi-center National Institutes of Health-funded study on whether stress on expectant mothers contributes to childhood obesity. Her clinical interests focus on improving respiratory outcomes such as chronic lung diseases and associated conditions by using a multidisciplinary approach. 

Dr. Rayon specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He joined the hospital staff in 2003 and sees patients at Florida Hospital Tampa. Previously, he was the director of neonatal transport at Sarasota Memorial Hospital from 1996-2003. Dr. Rayon is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Jensen is a neonatologist in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She sees patients at our neonatal intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Saint Petersburg General Hospital and Brandon Regional Hospital.  She attends deliveries at Bayfront Baby Place. Dr. Jensen’s clinical and research interests include feeding and swallowing disorders in infants. She joined the Johns Hopkins All Children's staff in 2016.

Dr. Karber specializes in neonatology for the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She sees patients at Florida Hospital Tampa. She joined the hospital staff in 2017. Previously, she worked as an attending physician at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, New York. 

Joana Machry, M.D., FAAP, is program director of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program and instructor in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Machry received a Department of Pediatrics Teaching Excellence Award as a resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she completed her pediatric residency and fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.

Dr. McCarthy specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the hospital staff in 1977 and founded its Institutional Review Board and ethics committee. She served as chief of staff for three years. Dr. McCarthy earned her medical degree at University of Miami School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency and her neonatology fellowship at University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital. She also has a Master of Medical Science degree in physiology from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from West Virginia University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pharmacology at the University of Miami.

Dr. McKay specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He joined the hospital staff in 1997.  He is currently the medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. In addition, he is the regional medical director for the Johns Hopkins All Children’s neonatology system. He also leads the Clinical Practice Council of the institute. He is certified in neonatal resuscitation and is a regional instructor. He is board certified in pediatrics and neonatal/perinatal medicine.

Dr. Nguyen is a neonatologist with the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She received her medical degree from the University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine, where she received the Lewis A. Barness, M.D. Award and completed a scholarly concentration in health care disparities. Dr. Nguyen also completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship at USF.  

Dr. Nwokeji is a neonatologist in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He sees patients at the main campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, at Brandon Regional Hospital and at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte. Dr. Nwokeji received his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean. He then trained in pediatrics at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Nwokeji also completed a neonatal-perinatal fellowship at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Parimi is director of the Johns Hopkins All Children's Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute, director of the division of neonatology, and associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of numerous papers published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented peer-reviewed original science publications at national and international meetings. Dr. Parimi leads the cohort-based continuum of care model at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, oversees clinical and translation investigative research, and provides leadership to a full-staff of neonatologists on the main campus and at affiliated community and regional hospitals.

Dr. Patel specializes in pediatric neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He joined the hospital staff in 2008 and sees patients at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte. Dr. Patel earned his medical degree at the University of Vadodara Medical College and completed his pediatric residency at Jersey City Medical Center. He completed his fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where he also received his certification in Biomedical Informatics. He is pursuing a physician executive MBA from Auburn University.

Dr. Sandoval specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She also sees patients at Sarasota Memorial Hospital through a collaboration between the hospitals. Dr. Sandoval earned her medical degree at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara Medical School and completed her pediatric residency at Metropolitan Hospital Center and her neonatal-perinatal fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center. She is certified by the Florida Medical Board, the American Board of Pediatrics and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Dr. Sandoval is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Schilling specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children's Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute and sees patients at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Dr. Schilling earned her degree as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Louisiana State University and her neonatal - perinatal fellowship at the University of South Florida. During her fellowship, she created and teaches a newborn - specific cardiac curriculum rotation for pediatric interns.

Dr. Shakeel has been a neonatologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital since 1999. She has a clinical focus on nutritional care for neonates to improve clinical outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and improving clinical outcomes in infants with short bowel syndrome at risk of intestinal failure. She is chair of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Care Under Intestinal Rehabilitation Excellence (CUIRE) intestinal rehabilitation program. She also has a clinical focus on Patient Safety & Quality and is a quality lead for the hospital’s Maternal Fetal & Neonatal Institute.

Dr. Sosa was named medical director of Johns Hopkins All Children’s International Patient Services in 2013 after nearly 40 years as the leader of the hospital’s regional neonatology program. He has helped develop medical education and research projects in Latin America, including his native Guatemala, and participates in international conferences to provide education and foster clinical relationships with children’s health providers around the globe.

Dr. Stone specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the hospital staff in 2002 and leads the neonatal vascular access program. In 2017, she won the Johns Hopkins All Children's Excellence in Service & Professionalism Award. Her clinical interests include congenital diaphragmatic hernia and infection prevention.

Dr. Tan specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He joined the hospital staff in 2004. He sees patients at Florida Hospital Tampa. Dr. Tan earned his medical degree from and completed an internship at University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He trained in surgery at Metropolitan Hospital in Manila, Philippines. He then trained in pediatrics and completed a neonatology fellowship at Schneider Children’s Hospital of Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York. He is fluent in Tagalog.

Dr. Teper specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She sees patients on the main campus in St. Petersburg and at Brandon Regional Hospital. She joined the Johns Hopkins All Children's staff in 2018. Dr. Teper earned her medical degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She completed a pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and a neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York.

Dr. Theophilopoulos specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute program at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He joined hospital staff in 2005. Dr. Theophilopoulos earned his medical degree and completed pediatric training and a neonatology fellowship at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He is board certified in pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine.

Dr. Trulli specializes in pediatric neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the hospital staff in 2016. Dr. Trulli earned her medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and trained in pediatrics at Stony Brook University Medical Center in Stony Brook, New York, and Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Trulli then completed a neonatology fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center/George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Volodka specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Maternal Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the medical staff in 2018. Dr. Volodka sees patients at Brandon Regional Hospital where she serves as medical director for the neonatology program. She retired with the rank of Commander in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps where she was neonatology specialty leader and a consultant to the U.S. Surgeon General. Dr. Volodka earned her medical degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. She completed a family medicine internship at Martin Army Community Hospital in Fort Benning, Georgia. She then trained in pediatrics at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and completed a neonatology fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Dr. Winners Mendizabal specializes in neonatology in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He joined the hospital staff in 2012. Dr. Winners Mendizabal earned his medical degree from Universidad Boliviana Mayor de San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia. He completed training in pediatrics at University of Kansas and neonatal-perinatal fellowship at Case Western Reserve University at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. His research interests include retinopathy of prematurity, chronic intermittent hypoxia and enteral and parental nutrition. He is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Komis specializes in caring for children in the neonatal intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, which she joined in 2017. Previously, she worked with Fairfax Neonatal Associates as a pediatric hospitalist at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Virginia. Dr. Komis earned her doctor of medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center. Her areas of interest include breastfeeding, newborn care, and application of clinical practice guidelines.

Dr. Walker specializes in taking care of babies in the neonatal intensive care unit in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He joined the hospital staff in 2017. He previously worked as a medical director and newborn hospitalist at Ascension Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His professional areas of interest include child maltreatment, childhood obesity, physician leadership and management, tropical medicine and traveler’s health.