Internal Medicine Residency Program

Gregory K. Buller, MD, FACP	Gregory K. Buller is the Chairman of the Department of Medicine and previously served as the Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and is board certified in Nephrology and Hypertension. Dr. Buller received his medical degree from the University of Kansas, subsequently completing his residency and chief residency at Duke University. He was a National Kidney Foundation Fellow at Duke, and later a faculty member in the Division of Nephrology. Dr. Buller has authored or coauthored more than 75 scientific publications and has served on editorial panels and as a reviewer for several medical journals. His current areas of interest include the renal and blood pressure effects of NSAIDs, potassium homeostasis and the cardiovascular effects of potassium perturbations. Dr. Buller maintains a strong personal interest in general medical education and has been the recipient of the “Teacher of the Year” award given by the Yale and Saint Mary's Residency Programs. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at a number of academic institutions and frequently lectures across the country on a variety of medical topics. His proudest professional achievement remains the tremendous success enjoyed by his former residents, whose careers vary from NIH and other basic science researchers, to professors of medicine at various academic institutions, to local internists and subspecialists.

Jason R. Ouellette, MD, FACP	Jason R. Ouellette is the Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program, Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Ouellette graduated from Boston University School of Medicine in 2001. He completed his residency in the Yale Traditional Internal Medicine Program in 2004 and is board certified in Internal Medicine. He subsequently served as a Clinician Educator for the Yale Primary Care Residency Program and as Associate Program Director of the Saint Mary's Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Ouellette’s interests include residency program administration and accreditation, curriculum development, resident evaluation, education, recruitment, research and advising. In addition to supervising residents on the inpatient medicine service, he has his own private practice at Saint Mary’s Hospital. He is also a member of the Communication Skills Faculty for students at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Ouellette is a member of the American College of Physicians Executives, Society of General Internal Medicine and the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine.

Shawnette Alston, MD	Shawnette Alston is the Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Program and serves as Director of Ambulatory Education. Dr. Alston received her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2000 and completed her Residency in the Yale Primary Care Internal Medicine Program in 2003. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and a Clinical Instructor at Yale University School of Medicine. She is a member of the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Michael Simms, MD	Michael Simms joined the faculty in 1984 after completing a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Brown University School of Medicine. Since that time he has immersed himself in the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate/peer education, and hospital infection control. During this score of years he has engaged in virtually every aspect and venue of medical education at Saint Mary’s Hospital and lectured at other institutions; has served on and chaired many committees for the improvement of patient care, education, and quality; and has served as Chairman of the Department of Medicine. Dr. Simms is Chief of Infectious Diseases/ Infection Control, Chairman of the Infection Control Committee, an Associate Clinical Professor Of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and secretary/treasurer of the Connecticut Infectious Disease Society. When not in the hospital he can be found outdoors in the woods, hiking, biking, kayaking and on rainy days/nights feeding his passion for learning new things especially American history.

Eugene Bunnell, MD	Eugene Bunnell received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in 1986. He completed a fellowship in Internal Medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and another in Pulmonary Medicine at Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He has received numerous teaching awards from the Yale Primary Care Residency Program and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. He is the Director of the Intensive Care Unit at Saint Mary’s Hospital and Chairman of the Institutional Review Board.

Dr. Sina Raissi, MD	Sina Raissi graduated from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 1990. He graduated from Internal Medicine residency program at Wayne State University, Detroit Medical Center in 1998. Subsequently, he received training as a fellow in Nephrology at Emory University. Dr. Raissi joined the Department of Medicine at Saint Mary's Hospital in September 2001 and has been actively involved in clinical teaching of the internal medicine residents on both general medicine, and nephrology rotations. Dr. Raissi is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Nephrology. He is an active member of American Society of Nephrology, American College of Physicians, International Society of Nephrology, and American Society of Hypertension. His primary areas of interest are hypertension, diabetic kidney disease, and electrolyte disorders.

Rebecca Newell, MD	Rebecca Newell is the Director of the Children and Family Health Center and is a Yale University Clinical Instructor and Quinnipiac University Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor. Dr. Newell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University 1995. She received her medical degree from University of Pittsburgh in 2000 and completed a residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve - University Hospitals of Cleveland in 2004. She went on to become the first Med/Peds Chief Resident at Case the next year. She is currently a general practitioner of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Children and Family Health Center. Additionally, Dr. Newell supervises residents in the outpatient setting and teaches medical students, physician assistant students and nurse practitioner students. Dr. Newell’s interests include obesity, diabetes and disparities in healthcare. She is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatricians and the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Ali Vaezy, MD	Ali Vaezy graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Yale. He served as chief resident in the Yale Primary Care Medicine Residency Program before joining the faculty at Saint Mary's as a Clinician Educator. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and he is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Yale. He sees both adult and pediatric patients at the Children's and Family Health Center and attends on the inpatient medical service at Saint Mary’s Hospital. His interests include resident education and board review.

Jaideep S. Talwalkar, MD, FAAP	Jaideep Talwalkar graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine in 2000. He completed his residency in the Yale Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, and spent a year as Pediatric Chief Resident at Yale. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Dr. Talwalkar’s interests include primary care residency education, curriculum development and evaluation, resident teaching skills development, cystic fibrosis, and transition of care. He sees general internal medicine and pediatric patients at the Children’s and Family Health Center in Waterbury, CT. He also serves as Associate Director of the Yale Cystic Fibrosis Adult and Transition Clinics at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He supervises residents and medical students in both the inpatient and outpatient settings at Yale and Saint Mary’s Hospital.

Arjet Gega, MD	Arjet Gega is an Infectious Diseases attending who recently joined the residency program faculty. He was born and raised in Albania and received his medical degree from Istanbul University Cerrahpasa School of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville and his Infectious Diseases fellowship at Yale. Dr. Gega has a special interest in chronic viral diseases including HIV, Hepatitis B and C. He has worked and published his research related to HIV and CNS compartmentalization. Currently he is building a Chronic Hepatitis Clinic. Dr. Gega is a member of Infectious Diseases Society of America. He is married and has one son. When he is not working in the hospital he likes to volunteer in the local Albanian Community Centers, watch and play soccer and spend time with his son.

Rohit Beri, MD	Rohit Beri received his medical degree from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Haryana, India. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he also served as a chief resident. He subsequently did a Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship at University of Illinois, Chicago and joined Saint Mary’s Hospital in July 2009. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. His clinical interests include sepsis, lung cancer, bronchoscopy, pulmonary HTN, sleep disordered breathing and pulmonary physiology. In addition to supervising residents in the ICU and pulmonary rotation, he has a private pulmonary practice.

Howard Zhang, MD	Howard Zhang received his medical degree from Shandong Medical University, China and PhD in pharmaceutical science from University of Rhode Island. He completed his internal medicine residency training at Saint Mary's Hospital, Waterbury, CT, and pulmonary and critical care fellowship at University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore, MD. He received multiple awards during his residency and fellowship training. He returned to Saint Mary's Hospital as a pulmonary and critical care consultant in 2011. He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care medicine. He supervises residents and medical students in pulmonary and critical care services.

Leigh Aronin	Leigh received her Masters Degree in Health Care Management from Hartford Graduate Center and has been part of the Saint Mary’s Hospital family since 1982. She is the Program Coordinator for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, supervising every aspect of resident recruitment and other vital program functions. She is coordinator, mother, and friend to our residents.

Lisa Trusch	Lisa is the Assistant Program Coordinator for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Lisa joined Saint Mary’s Hospital in May 2007. She was previously employed by Aetna Life and Casualty as the Legal Department Recruiting Coordinator. Her prior experience also includes employment by United Technologies in Windsor Locks, CT, and as an Independent Medical Transcriptionist. She holds an AS Degree from Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

Dan Keifer	Dan received his Associates Degree in Electronics Engineering from the Community College of the Air Force. He serves as a Residency Support Specialist, providing administrative and technology support to the Department, coordinating resident schedules and educational conferences, and maintaining the Program’s on-line supports and resources.