Michael Kavanaugh, M.D., FACP
Program Director & Intensive Care/Infectious Disease
Undergraduate Education: B.A. Physics, Holdy Cross College, Worcester, MA
Medical School: Loyola Chicago
Residency/Fellowship Training: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Internal Medicine), Naval Medical Center San Diego (Infectious Diseases/Critical Care Medicine)
IM Areas of Interest: Simulation
Personal Hobbies: Running, Hiking, Exploring history
Personal Motto: NA
Favorite Quote: The Funny thing about dreams is that they come true, not free. (unknown)
Teaching/Training Philosophy: 1. Identify a problem or a goal 2. define the steps necessary to achieve it,
Why Riverside? Riverside is an amazing well-run hospital which provides incredibly complex medical care. It also is a place where people really enjoying working because of the people and support from hospital leadership.
Advice To Residency Candidates: We are looking for people who are excited about the practice and learning of medicine.
Alison Helmkamp, D.O.
Associate Program Director - Outpatient
Undergraduate Education: Barnard College, NYC
Medical School: NY College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury NY
Residency/Fellowship Training: Union Hospital, Union NJ (Osteopathic transitional internship) University of South Florida, Tampa FL (Internal Medicine residency)
Personal Hobbies: Travel, photography, writing and reading, painting
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: "Well-behaved women seldom make history"
Teaching/Training Philosophy: Good attendings aim to lead by example. Put the patient first in all your actions and decisions. Also, if you're not having fun (sometimes), you're doing it wrong.
Advice To Residency Candidates: Be honest, be curious, be prepared, and take advantage of time with the current residents and staff to ask about whatever is most important to you.
Jerry McQuain, MPT, D.O.
Internal Medicine & Hospitalist - Core Faculty
Undergraduate Education: WVU Bachelor of Arts and Master of Physical Therapy
Medical School: Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency/Fellowship Training: St Joseph Hospital Internal Medicine, Denver CO
Fellowship: Integrative Medicine, Univ of AZ Tucson AZ and Hospice /Palliative Medicine, EVMS, Norfolk, VA
Personal Hobbies: Running, Yoga, Cooking
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: Life is Good.
Teaching/Training Philosophy: Learn at least one thing each day, learn from all those around you and trust yourself. Be kind to others and enjoy the residency experience. Remember the person you want to be and stay true to that.
Advice To Residency Candidates: Be open and honest during the application process. Do your research prior to interviews and seek out those programs that excite you. You have made it here based on your academic performance. Interview season is where you can shine as a an individual and let your personality come through.
Vance Barksdale, M.D.
Internal Medicine & Hospitalist - Core Faculty
Undergraduate Education: Adams State College, Alamosa, Colorado
Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Residency/Fellowship Training: Augusta University - University of Georgia medical partnership, Athens, Georgia
IM Areas of Interest: bedside ultrasound and hyponatremia
Personal Hobbies: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, audiobooks
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: Being a physician is a privilege
Teaching/Training Philosophy: Listen to your patient's chief complaint and hone your history and physical exam skills. The majority of the time those will tell you the diagnosis.
Advice To Residency Candidates: Be humble, be teachable and learn to work well as part of the team. When you're looking at a program, consider the current residents. Are these people you want to spend 80 hours a week working with?
Amanda Bielski, MSW
MSW Program Manager
Undergraduate Education: Christopher Newport university - social work
Graduate- Virginia commonwealth - social work
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: Time is a thief and a blessing. Don't waste it.
Teaching/Training Philosophy: Be invested, ask questions, practice.
Why Riverside?: We have it all at Riverside. Personalized experience and resources to solve the problems. The area has a lot to offer- diversity, activities, and variety in weather.
Advice To Residency Candidates: Honesty and humility are characteristics that you cannot fake. Be true to yourself and others will see that in your actions.
Farhod Djuraev, M.D.
Internal Medicine & Hospitalist - Core Faculty
Undergraduate Education: “Iqbol” academic lyceum.
Medical School: Samarkand State Medical University.
Residency/Fellowship Training: Danbury Hospital in affiliation with Yale School of Medicine
Personal Hobbies: Table Tennis, I am member of Newport News Table tennis Club
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: “Doing the right thing is not always easy.” “Repeated thoughts become beliefs. Focus on positive thoughts to develop a positive belief system.”
Teaching/Training Philosophy: I aim to bring open mind and positive attitude to create supportive and inclusive environment.
Advice to Residency Candidates: Be honest and self-reflective; programs appreciate candidates who are both introspective and genuine.
Camelia Pana, M.D.
Internal Medicine & Hospitalist - Core Faculty
Medical School: Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest Romania
Residency/Fellowship Training: Internal Medicine at Huron Hospital/Cleveland Clinic, Geriatrics at University Hospitals of Cleveland
Personal Hobbies: Nature, music, gardening
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: to judge you need to know
Teaching/Training Philosophy: Always ask questions, find out what the patient's story is, put yourself in their place to understand how to help best
Advice To Residency Candidates: Trust yourself, be prepared to work hard, but know you are going to achieve great things
Thomas Piscitelli, D.O.
Outpatient / Core Faculty
Undergraduate Education: Hofstra University
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM)
Residency/Fellowship Training:
Internship: UMDNJ Kennedy Memorial Hospitals- Osteopathic Rotating Internship
Residency:
1. Michigan Capital Medical Center (Internal Medicine)
2. Oakland General Hospital (Combined Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine)
IM Areas of Interest: Cardiology, Oncology
Personal Hobbies: Investments and Trading, Outdoor Photography, Guitar.
Personal Motto: Integrity is how you act when no one's looking.
Favorite Quote: Proverbs 3:5-7, Psalm 41:1-3.
Teaching/Training Philosophy: listen carefully to your patient's history, be compassionate and sensitive to their life circumstances.
Why Riverside? I like Riverside’s philosophy of
Trust, Teamwork, Safety, and Excellence, aiming to provide care to all patients as they would for their loved ones.
Advice To Residency Candidates: Be prepared to work long hours to become competent in your profession, learn as much as you can from your mentors, respect the nurses.
Erwin Rommel, M.D.
Internal Medicine & Hospitalist / Nocturnist- Core Faculty
Medical School: Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, India
Postgraduate Education: Suffolk University Boston, Healthcare Administration
Residency/Fellowship Training: Saint Peter's University Hospital/ Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey
IM Areas of Interest: Medical Education, delivering cost-effective patient centered care
Personal Hobbies: swimming, cooking, reading, exploring new tech gadgets
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: Always dream big because dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action!
Teaching/Training Philosophy: 90% of your diagnosis comes from a comprehensive history. Spend time with patients, take a detailed history and you'll often find that making a diagnosis becomes much more straightforward.
Advice To Residency Candidates: Demonstrate genuine enthusiasm, showcase humility and eagerness to learn. Also, make sure to connect personally with your interviewers - it really makes a difference.
John Bryce Sealander, M.D.
Outpatient / Core Faculty
Undergraduate Education: Sewanee: The University of the South, TN
Medical School: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
Residency/Fellowship Training: Madigan Army Medical Center, WAIM Areas of Interest: Outpatient clinic
Personal Hobbies: Hiking, Travel
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: You must always strive to be the best, but you must never believe that you are - Juan Emanuel Fangio
Teaching/Training Philosophy: Medicine is lifelong learning. It should happen every day.
Why Riverside?: I wanted to be closer to family, I love Virginia, and we're a military family.
Advice To Residency Candidates: Be honest, be yourself, be ready and eager to learn
Elhassan Soultan, M.D.
Internal Medicine & Hospitalist / Nocturnist- Core Faculty
Hometown: Manzalah, Dakahliyia, Egypt
Undergraduate Education: MBBCh
Medical School: Ain Shams University
Residency/Fellowship Training:
- Internal Medicine Residency, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), 2022–2025
- Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, 2019–2020
- Infectious Diseases Fellowship, 2020–2022
IM Areas of Interest: Hospital Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Medical Education, Quality Improvement, Geriatrics
Personal Hobbies: Spending time with family, reading, traveling, playing chess and ping pong
Personal Motto/Favorite Quote: "Patients first, always."
Teaching/Training Philosophy: I strive to foster a supportive, feedback-rich learning environment that emphasizes clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, and team-based care. My goal is to model professionalism, encourage curiosity, and help trainees grow in both confidence and compassion.
Why Riverside?: Riverside's commitment to academic excellence, patient-centered care, and collaborative culture makes it an ideal place to teach and practice. I am excited for the opportunity to mentor residents while serving a diverse community.
Advice to Residency Candidates: Be curious, seek feedback early and often, and take ownership of your patients. Support your teammates, protect your wellness, and remember that small, consistent improvements add up quickly.