Meet Our Residents and Faculty!

Pavan Srivastava, MD is the Program Director for the MedPeds residency program and an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics. He has been at the University of Illinois at Chicago since the turn of the century: completing his undergraduate studies, medical school education, and residency training at the institution. He has also served as Chief Resident for the MedPeds and the Pediatrics residency programs at UIC, and currently is a co-director for the longitudinal Synthesis course for pre-clinical students at the College of Medicine. Dr. Srivastava has strong interests in medical education and quality improvement, as well as, primary and preventative health care for underserved adults and children. He supervises residents in clinic and on the medicine and pediatric wards. Dr. Srivastava has received teaching awards from both the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, as well as, a Golden Apple Award for excellence in medical education from the College of Medicine.

Michael Charles, MD is an Associate Program Director and an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. As an undergraduate, he studied Human Nutrition and Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He went on to complete both medical school and MedPeds residency training at UIC. Michael is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle habits and also enjoys the management of complex health issues in his primary care clinics. He precepts residents in the Internal Medicine and Pediatric clinics as well as on the medicine wards. As a graduate of the MedPeds Global Health Track, he has worked with health systems strengthening and capacity building through various projects in Senegal. As a College of Medicine Physician House Advisor, he engages students in the exploration of professional development and health, illness, and society. Outside of UIC, Michael spends a lot of time with his family. He likes learning new languages. In fact, he speaks English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. He frequently dreams about being a professional soccer player. Every year, he plays at the intramural soccer league with medical students, residents, and other attendings.

CLINIC FACULTY

Rachel Caskey, MD, MPP is the former Program Director for the MedPeds residency program and is now Chief of the Section of Academic Internal Medicine. She is a Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, and a health services researcher. Dr. Caskey attended Jefferson Medical College for medical school and University of Michigan for residency where she served as the MedPeds Chief Resident. Dr. Caskey completed a health services research fellowship at University of Chicago, and received a Master of Arts in Public Policy. Dr. Caskey holds an affiliate appointment at UIC’s School of Public Health. She precepts residents in MedPeds clinic and serves as an attending on both medicine and pediatric wards. Her research focuses on investigating novel system-level mechanisms to positively impact and incentivize preventive health behaviors which result in improved health outcomes. She has studied adoption of HPV vaccine and timely receipt of contraception among women. Currently, she is studying a novel system-level intervention to co-located care for postpartum women and infants, with the goal of improving outcomes for women.

Erin Hickey, MD is a graduate of the Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) Fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. As an undergraduate, she studied Biology at Northwestern University. She went on to complete medical school at the University of Colorado and MedPeds residency at the University of Chicago. She grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and she apologizes for her sports allegiances lying in Boston, where she was born. Her medical interests include the care of children and adults with disabilities and other special health care needs, as well as in the health care transition of children and adolescents with chronic conditions into the adult model of care. She precepts residents in MedPeds clinic and serves as an attending on medicine wards.

Leslie Jabine, MD has had a long and successful history here at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She attended medical school and completed her MedPeds residency at UIC and has been a beloved MedPeds attending here for over two decades, now practicing primarily outpatient Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She has received awards for her teaching skills and patient care. Her clinical interest lies in the transition of care for children with chronic illnesses into adulthood. She currently runs the Adults with Childhood Cancer Survivor Clinic. Being a child who lived outside the U.S. has provided her with cross-cultural perspectives on medicine and health, while being a mother of three has given her daily perspective on pediatrics and parenting.

Katie Mena, MD is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She completed medical school at the University of Toledo College of Medicine in Toledo, Ohio and went on to complete her MedPeds residency training at UIC. She has served as Chief Resident for the MedPeds and Pediatrics residency programs at UIC. Dr. Mena has interests in medical education and is the medical director of the UIC South Loop Physicians Group clinic. She supervises residents in the MedPeds, Peds, and Internal Medicine resident clinics as well as on the medicine wards and newborn nursery.

Jennifer Schulte, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. As an undergrad, she majored in Anthropology and Science Preprofessional Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and went on to medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her MedPeds training at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Boston Children’s Hospital Medicine-Pediatric Residency program before returning to her home state of Illinois and joining the faculty at UIC. She sees patient in the MedPeds and Internal Medicine clinics, and supervises residents on the inpatient Medicine wards. Her interests include preventative health, addressing health disparities for underserved populations, and medical education.

Jalene Shoener, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She completed medical school and MedPeds residency training at UIC. She served as Chief Resident for the MedPeds and Pediatrics residency programs. Dr. Shoener has interests in legislative advocacy, transitional care, and medical education. She supervises residents in the MedPeds and Peds resident clinics and off-site at a Federal Job Corp Training Center caring for adolescents and young adults. She is also a supervising hospitalist in the Clinical Decision Unit, a observation unit for patients who need care beyond the emergency room.   Dr. Shoener is the assistant medical director for the Child and Youth Center (pediatrics clinic) which involves both quality improvement and patient education projects.

ADDITIONAL FACULTY

Kruti Acharya, MD is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Disability and Human Development. Dr. Acharya attended medical school at Boston University. She then completed a MedPeds residency, a Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics fellowship and a Medical Ethics fellowship, all at the University of Chicago. Her research interests include the role of childhood adversity in the health disparities experienced by individuals with disabilities. Her clinical interests include supporting adolescents and young adults with developmental disabilities as they transition to adult-systems of care. Dr. Acharya is also the Director of the Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other related Disabilities (LEND) Program at UIC, a state-wide interdisciplinary training program to develop leaders to care for and advocate for individuals with disability.

Maria Isabel Angulo, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. She earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She then completed her Medical degree and MedPeds residency training at UIC. She is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Her clinical interests include preventive medicine, minority health and health equity, and women’s health. Her academic interests include medical education and public health. Dr. Angulo supervises residents in the Internal Medicine and Pediatric outpatient resident clinics and Medicine wards.

Michelle Barnes, MD is a former pediatric residency Program Director and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics at UIC. Dr Barnes attended medical school at Loyola University, Stritch School of Medicine, followed by MedPeds residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She then did a Chief Resident year in the Department of Pediatrics at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. Dr. Barnes works as a supervising attending on both the pediatric and medicine wards, the Peds clinic, and the newborn nursery.  Her interests lie in community outreach and medical education. She is the Director for the Community Health and Advocacy Track and leads the transitions to clerkship curriculum for the College of Medicine. Dr. Barnes has received honors for clinical teaching from the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine.

Sarah Messmer, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics.  As an undergraduate, she studied engineering physics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and then went on to medical school at Harvard Medical School.  She completed her MedPeds residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.  She then returned to her home state of Illinois and joined UIC as faculty.  She is additionally board certified in Addiction Medicine and provides primary care and substance use disorder treatment for adults at a syringe service program on the west side of Chicago in partnership with the UIC School of Public Health. She serves as a co-Director and Clinical Lead of the Mobile Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program, which provides low-threshold substance use disorder treatment and general medical care via mobile van on the west side of Chicago. Her additional interests include LGBTQIA+ health, global health, and immigrant and refugee health.  Dr. Messmer has also spent several years working in Guatemala and speaks Spanish

Amanda Osta, MD is a former pediatric residency Program Director and is now Associate Dean of Medical Education for the College of Medicine. She is a Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics. Dr. Osta attended medical school at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, and did her MedPeds residency at the University of Michigan Health Center in Ann Arbor. She was MedPeds Chief Resident during her fourth year of residency, and then went on to serve as an Internal Medicine Chief Resident at the University of Michigan. Prior to her current role, she served as Assistant Dean of Advising and Career Planning in the College of Medicine. Her clinical interests include the care of urban underserved populations and adolescent health. Dr. Osta often precepts residents in the peds clinic and is a supervising attending on both the medicine and pediatric wards. She is extremely committed to teaching residents and medical students. She has won awards of excellence in clinical teaching from the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, as well as national awards from the Academic Pediatric Association (APA).

Andrea A. Pappalardo, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is board certified in three specialties: internal medicine, pediatrics and allergy/immunology. Dr. Pappalardo serves as the Medical Director in the Coordinated Healthcare for Complex Kids or CHECK program where she oversees a large care coordination program recently chosen by the state of Illinois to service much of Chicagoland’s highest risk patient population. Her research focuses on school and community-based interventions to reduce health disparities in asthma and other allergic diseases. She believes strongly in increasing sub-specialty access in vulnerable populations and provides school-based allergy and asthma specialty care through Mobile Care Chicago’s Asthma Van one day a week in addition to her clinics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Sara Smith, MD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics.  She attended the University of Notre Dame as an undergraduate, where she studied anthropology and Spanish. She returned to Chicago to attend the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She then matched into and completed a combined MedPeds residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After finishing residency, she remained on the faculty at the University of Michigan, then returned to Chicago and joined the faculty at the University of Illinois. At UIC she currently serves as a hospitalist, caring for inpatients in both the departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She also serves on the physician advisor team for the hospital, helping to optimize hospital throughput and appropriate utilization management. Dr. Smith is also a lead faculty for the M1/M2 curriculum for the sub-theme Healthcare Systems.  Her interests include medical education, patient safety, and quality improvement, as well as, caring for underserved populations.

Benjamin Van Voorhees, MD, MPH is a Professor of Pediatrics (and Medicine), Head of the Department of Pediatrics, and Physician-in-Chief of the Children’s Hospital University of Illinois. He received his BA in History from Dartmouth College, his Doctor of Medicine from Vanderbilt University, and his Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins. Between college and medical school, Dr. Van Voorhees served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He completed a Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital and a Following residency training, he founded and managed a community primary care practice in Brentwood, Tennessee. He then completed a General Internal Medicine Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Van Voorhees has developed a “technology-based behavioral vaccine” model to prevent mental disorders in children and adolescents called CATCH-IT, “Competent Adulthood Transition with Cognitive, Humanistic, and Interpersonal Training.” Other projects have been CURB, “Chicago Urban Resiliency Building,” for African American and Latino youth; “Vets Prevail,” for returning war veterans; “Grasp the Opportunity,” for Chinese youth; a program, focused on Arab youth; and CHECK (Coordinated Healthcare for Complex Kids), which was originally funded by a $19.5 million CMSHCIA award and now has been accepted as an Illinois Integrated Health Home. He has completed NIMH K-08 and NIMH RO-1 funded phase 2, and three clinical trials of CATCH-IT. The comparable effectiveness of CATCH-IT is now being studied with $7.6 million of funding from PCORI. Outcome studies from CMSHCIA and NIMH studies have recently been published in JAMAOpen. Dr. Van Voorhees has a lifetime funding history of more than $32 million in research funding, with more than 70 publications and 100 scientific conference presentations.

Sam Wainwright, MD is a recent graduate of the Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As an undergraduate, he studied Latin American History at the University of Michigan. He worked in Washington, DC as a health policy analyst for the New America Foundation before ultimately returning to his home city of Chicago to attend medical school at UIC. He completed his MedPeds residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, including a year as Chief Resident. He returned to UIC as a physician-researcher looking at maternal-child health initiatives, Medicaid transitions to value-based care, and the sustainable use of coordinated care programs. He supervises residents on the inpatient medicine service, sees patients of all ages in outpatient MedPeds primary care, and cares for new moms and their babies in the UIC Two-Generation health clinic. Ask him about: the appropriate toppings for a hot dog, his deep-seated love of the ACA, and his way-cooler-than-him wife Emilie (and two residency-born kids!)

Saul Weiner, MD is Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Medical Education, and Director of the Clinical Leaders and Academic Scholars (CLASS) fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago, anddeputy director of the Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Health Care, Veterans Health Administration. He has served as medical education dean, university vice provost and currently is senior advisor to the provost. He arrived at UIC in 1997 after completing a MedPeds residency at the University of Chicago and, from 1998-2009 served as director of the UIC MedPeds Program. From 2004-2009 he was Head, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Dr. Weiner has pursued an extensive program of research at UIC and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. His research focuses on identifying and preventing contextual errors in clinical decision making and care planning. He has developed strategies for identifying contextual errors, measuring their impact on health outcomes and costs, and on preventing them.  His research extensively employs unannounced standardized patients, patients who audio record their visits, and clinical decision support tools enhanced with contextual information in the electronic medical record.  He has led studies funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Weiner is the University of Illinois at Chicago 2013 Distinguished Researcher of the Year in the Clinical Sciences.  His recent book Listening for What Matters: Avoiding Contextual Errors in Health Care (Oxford University Press) received the 2017 American Publishers Award for Professional & Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) in the life sciences from the American Association of Publishers. His most recent book, On Becoming a Healer: The Journey from Patient Care to Caring About Your Patients, was published in 2020 by Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lauren Williams, MD is an assistant professor in the medicine department. She earned her undergraduate degree at Howard University and medical degree at the University of Virginia. She completed her MedPeds residency at UIC and served as Chief Resident during her fourth year. She is the site medical director of Mile Square (UI Health’s FQHC affiliate) Cicero and her clinical interests include preventive medicine, chronic disease management, and optimizing the delivery of primary care.