United Hospital Fund Graduates Second Class of Fellows Dedicated to Transforming Pediatric Primary Care

Eight PEDS Network Fellows Complete 15-month Fellowship 


NEW YORK, NY—June 15, 2023—United Hospital Fund (UHF) announced that eight PEDS Network Fellows graduated today, completing a 15-month program to develop the next generation of clinical leaders committed to transforming pediatric primary care in ways that will improve early childhood development and reduce health disparities.

The PEDS Network Fellowship is part of UHF’s Pediatrics for an Equitable Developmental Start (PEDS) Learning Network, a statewide initiative to raise awareness of child health equity and the impact of early childhood development on lifelong health. The PEDS Network program recognizes that the first few years of life are crucial in establishing a path toward better health and educational outcomes throughout life, and that clinicians are on the front lines of supporting families during this critical period. The PEDS Network helps providers and health plans across the state share promising practices through an online resource center, and other forms of outreach. 

The PEDS Fellowship, supported by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, is open to early career physicians, nursing professionals, behavioral health practitioners, and clinical social workers. Fellows receive mentorship, professional development opportunities, and a stipend to develop and implement an equity-focused, child health project in their respective pediatric primary care site. This is the second class of Fellows. 


The 2022-2023 class of fellows are:

•    Rachel Stein Berman, MD, MPH, FAAP
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
•    Jena Burgner, DO 
Albany Medical Center 
•    Nicole Delgado-Salisbury, Ed.D. 
Saint Joseph’s Medical Center 
•    Geri Lynn Galotti, MD 
Stony Brook Children’s 
•    Jisha Jacob, MD 
NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx 
•    Talia A. Roth, MD 
NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx 
•    Beija Vasquez, MSW 
Open Door Family Medical Center 
•    Karina Vattana, MD, FAAP 
Pathway Pediatrics, Trillium Health 

About United Hospital Fund

United Hospital Fund works to build an effective and equitable health care system for every New Yorker. An independent, nonprofit organization, we are a force for improvement, analyzing public policy to inform decision-makers, finding common ground among diverse stakeholders, and developing and supporting innovative programs that improve health and health care. We work to dismantle barriers in health policy and health care delivery that prevent equitable opportunities for health. For more on our initiatives and programs please visit our website at www.uhfnyc.org and follow us on Twitter.