Staff
Hospital for Special Care's medical staff is comprised of a dedicated group of specialists in the fields of internal medicine, geriatrics, infectious diseases, physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation), pulmonology, psychology and pediatrics. All medical staff members are employees of Hospital for Special Care - so they are available at all times to oversee patient care.
John Votto, DO - President & CEO/Chief of Staff
- Areas of Expertise: Pulmonary care, ventilator care, chronic lung diseases, cost of care for long-term patients
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine
Infection Control
Brenda Nurse, MD - Chief, Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology/Director, Medical Education
- Areas of Expertise: Infection control in long-term care, infections/colonization with resistant bacteria (MRSA; VRE) in long-term care, urinary tract infections in long-term care, infections in elderly patients
- Licenses: New York, Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Wound Care Management
Medicine
Mervet A. El Kair, MD, FCAP - Chief of Medicine
- Areas of Expertise: Primary care management of patients with multiple and complex medical and physical needs, hypertension, nephrology
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Internal Medicine
Thomas J. Soltis, MD, MPH - Chief of Geriatrics
- Areas of Expertise: Primary care management of patients with multiple and complex medical and physical needs, and general geriatric issues including inpatient assessment, dementia, and incontinence
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Geriatric Medicine, Internal Medicine
Dr. John Del Valle - Staff Physician
- Areas of Expertise: Primary care management of patients with multiple and complex medical and physical needs, hypertension.
- Licenses: Connecticut and Ohio
- Board Certifications: Internal Medicine
Pediatrics
John P. Pelegano, MD - Chief of Pediatrics/Interim Director of Children with Special Healthcare Needs Clinic at CCMC
- Areas of Expertise: Developmental disabilities and care of children who are technology-dependent
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Pediatrics
John Bean, PA-C, MS - Physician Assistant
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: NCCPA
Regina M. Palazzo, MD - Pediatric Staff Physician
- Area of expertise: Pediatrics, pediatric pulmonary, technology-dependent children, Bronchoscopy, and Cystic Fibrosis
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonary Disease
Physiatry
Steven G. Beck, MD - Medical Director of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Areas of Expertise: Low back pain, cumulative trauma injuries, work conditioning/work hardening, sports injuries, electrodiagnostic medicine
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Wendy Kellner, MD - Chief of Inpatient Rehabilitation
- Areas of Expertise: Stroke, neuropathy
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
William J. Pesce, DO - Staff Physiatrist, Director of Sub-Acute Unit Brittany Farms
- Areas of Expertise: Musculoskeletal/spine injuries, pain management, electrodiagnostic medicine, nerve and muscle injuries
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Krystyna Piotrowska-Nyerick, M.D. - Physiatrist
- Areas of Expertise: General rehabilitation, pediatric rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation
- Licenses: Connecticut
Dennis L. Rosati, MD - Director Brain Injury Service, Medical Director, Neurobehavioral Unit
- Areas of Expertise: Acquired brain injury, amputee rehabilitation, pain management
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Subramani Seetharama, MD - Director of Spinal Cord Injury Program
- Areas of Expertise: Spinal cord injuries, musculoskeletal and sports injuries, EMG/NCS studies
- Licenses: Connecticut, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio
- Board Certifications: FAAPMR, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury
Psychology
John K Stanwood, Ph.D. - Chief of Psychology
- Areas of Expertise: Neuropsychology, rehabilitation psychology, health psychology
- Licenses: Connecticut, Arizona
Timothy Belliveau, Ph.D. - Clinical Neuropsychologist
- Areas of Expertise: Adjustment to brain injury and spinal cord injury, computer assistance with complex diagnosis
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Clinical Neuropsychology, American Board of Professional Psychology
Dennis Johnston, Ph.D. - Director of Neuropsychological Services
- Areas of Expertise: Traumatic brain injury, neuropsychological assessment, neuropsychological rehabilitation, disability, assessment of mild brain injury, behavior related to acquired brain injury, coping with acute or chronic determination illness, anxiety disorders
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: American Board of Professional Disability Consultants
Steven Brown, Psy.D. - Clinical Neuropsychologist
- Areas of Expertise: Neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation
- Licenses: Connecticut, Maryland
- Board Certifications: Clinical Neuropsychology, American Board of Professional Psychology
Pulmonary Medicine
Paul Scalise, MD, FCCP. | - Medical Director of HSC Saint Francis Campus (Satellite Unit) |
| - Chief of Pulmonary Medicine |
- Areas of Expertise: Pulmonary Disease, critical care medicine, weaning from mechanical ventilation
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, Internal Medicine
Steven R. Prunk, MD, FCCP - Pulmonologist
- Areas of Expertise: Pulmonary disease, critical care medicine, internal medicine
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine
Marcy Goldstein, MD, FCCP, D,ABSM
- Areas of Expertise: Pulmonary disease, sleep medicine
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Pulmonary Disease, Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine
Prashant Grover, MD
- Areas of Expertise: Pulmonary disease, weaning from mechanical ventilation
- Licenses: Connecticut
- Board Certifications: Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine
