Jodi Carter, MD, FAAP
Dr. Jodi P. Carter is the Department Chair of Pediatrics for District Medical Group and Valleywise Health Medical Center. Dr. Carter is also a pediatric hospitalist and outpatient pediatrician at Valleywise Health Medical Center. After growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Carter earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University in Washington D. C. She returned to Arizona for medical school and earned her medical degree from the University of Arizona. She then completed a pediatric internship and residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, in 2003. Dr. Carter joined the Pediatric Hospitalist Division at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 2007 and worked at Phoenix Children’s Hospital from 2007 – 2021. While at Phoenix Children’s, she held many different administrative roles including: Medical Director of Utilization Review, Chief Medical Officer of the Phoenix Children’s Care Network, Chief Clinical Integration Officer, and Section Chief Community Based Ambulatory Pediatrics. Dr. Carter has been a member of the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP) since moving back to Arizona in 2003. Dr. Carter looks forward to working with AzAAP to continue its mission to improve the health of all Arizona children while supporting the pediatric professionals who care for these children.
JASON VARGAS, MD, FAAP
I love being a private practice pediatrician. I have had the privilege to care for children and families and watch them grow at my practice, Cactus Children’s Clinic in Glendale, Arizona, since 2004. I have been able to cultivate my interests in child advocacy, child safety, and caring for children with special needs. I have been able to be a part of training pediatric residents, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in my office. I have been able to work with community hospitals as a board member for Phoenix Children’s Care Network. It has been my pleasure to serve on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics for the last 10 years as a board members and previous President. I hope to use my experience to continue as the immediate past president to support our mission to improve health care for children and to support our members.
I graduated from San Jose State University and Stanford University before my residency at the University of Washington-Seattle Children’s Hospital. I was born and raised in California but moved to Arizona in 2004 with my wife after her residency in Anesthesiology. We have two children and a dog. We love traveling with our children, running, and spending time with family and friends.
Sara Park, MD, FAAP
Dr. Park received her B.A. from the University of Chicago and her M.D. from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her residency at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital & Maricopa Medical Center Pediatric Residency Program in 1995.
She practiced pediatrics in private practice as well as in the academic setting in Arizona. She taught clinical pediatrics to students from the University of Arizona, as well as Residents at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital/Maricopa Medical Center Pediatric Residency Program at Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS), now known as Valleywise Health. Her special interests include underserved and vulnerable populations and she helped implement the Pediatric Refugee Program at Valleywise Health. Dr. Park is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona, Department of Child Health.
Dr. Park joined the Department of Child Safety Comprehensive Health Plan (DCS CHP) in October of 2015. DCS CHP is the Medicaid Health Plan for children in out-of-home care in Arizona; it is also part of the Department of Child Safety (DCS). Her current position as Chief Medical Officer at DCS CHP allows her to remain in the patient care realm with evaluation of services provided to the members, but also affords her the opportunity to advocate for children on a system level. She has taken up this cause with enthusiasm, by taking the opportunity to address the care of children in out-of-home care internally with DCS, and externally with the Medical community, Behavioral Health System, the Juvenile Justice System, the Division of Developmental Disabilities, and community stakeholders.
Jon McGreevy, MD, FAAP
Dr. McGreevy, like many Arizonans, is not native to the state but has considered it home since his family moved to the Phoenix area in 1989. After attending the University of Arizona, he attended Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska. He went on to complete pediatric residency at Children’s Medical Center Dallas / University of Texas Southwestern. He spent the next two years as a pediatric hospitalist working for Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine / St. Louis Children’s Hospital and stayed there to complete fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine. During fellowship, he was enrolled in an NIH training grant to develop physician scientists and additionally completed a Master’s in Science and Public Health from St. Louis University School of Public Health. Research on Rapid HIV screening during this period lead to the Ludgwig-Siedel award in 2009. Upon completion of training, he moved to Phoenix.
He has been with Phoenix Children’s Hospital since 2013 and has been an Associate Program Director for the pediatric residency program since that time. After completing the LEAD (Leadership in Educational Academic Development) program with the Association of Pediatric Program Directors, he was appointed as the Fellowship Director of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship aligning with his long-time interest in medical education and the mentoring of fellows.
In 2019, he won the Grace Caputo Faculty Mentor award which was a tremendous honor as Dr. Caputo was one of his personal mentors. When not working, he and his wife are always looking for outdoor activities and challenges to explore in Arizona with hopes that their daughters may one day join them on their annual Rim-to-Rim day hike in the Grand Canyon.
Christopher Brown, CPA
Chris is the Global Controller for PatientNow.com. Chris was previously a manager in the assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led both public and private company audits, primarily in the asset management and real estate industries. Prior to joining PricewaterhouseCoopers, Chris worked as an associate at Vicenti, Lloyd and Stutzman, LLP. Chris has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Azusa Pacific University and is a licensed CPA in California and Arizona.
Sarah Bannister, DO, FAAP
Dr. Sarah Bannister is a near-native Arizonian who graduated from the University of Arizona (Go Wildcats!) then completed medical school at Touro University Nevada and her Pediatric Residency at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. She served as a Chief Resident after the pediatric residency program at St. Joseph's was combined with Phoenix Children's Hospital. Dr. Bannister is a Pediatric Hospitalist at Banner Children's at Banner Desert Medical Center. She served as the Lead Physician for the Pediatric Hospitalists at Banner Children's at Desert, Department Chair of Pediatric Medicine, and multiple committees within Banner hospitals and at the Banner system from 2012-2020. Dr. Bannister transitioned to an administrative role with utilization management and now serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center. She is passionate about professional excellence, quality, safety, and high-quality evidence-based care for pediatric patients. Dr. Bannister continues to advocate for quality improvement, professional development, and healthcare access for all children in Arizona through AzAAP. During her spare time, Dr. Bannister enjoys baking and spending time with her active family.
Rachel Cramton, MD, FAAP
Dr. Rachel Cramton is the Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. At Banner University Medical Center - Tucson, she is a pediatric hospitalist and part of the Children At Risk Evaluation Team. She is also the only Pediatric Palliative Care Physician in the Banner system. In the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Dr. Cramton is involved in medical student preclinical and clinical education as well as resident education.
She attended Temple University School of Medicine in North Philadelphia before completing her pediatric residency at Hasbro Children's Hospital/Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She completed a Chief year at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire before moving to Tucson in 2009.
Dr. Cramton has been involved nationally with the AAP PediaLink Editorial Board and PediaLink Medical Student Working Group. Locally she is active with the AzAAP Public Health Action Team, Pima Country Child Fatality Review and Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center. Dr. Cramton believes food is a love language and likes to share with her husband James and their two teens.
Catherine Riley, MD, FAAP
Dr. Catherine Riley is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona, Department of Pediatrics. She holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University, a master's degree in education from Western Maryland College, and a doctoral degree from Mayo Medical School. She completed a fellowship in developmental behavioral pediatrics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
She has been here in Arizona for 8 years. She teaches in the UA Medical School in both the basic science and the clinical medical curricula. The majority of her time is spent clinically evaluating and diagnosing children with developmental and behavioral concerns (especially autism). Dr. Riley is the program director for the Developmental Behavioral Pediatric Fellowship. She is a member of the board, along with being the leader of the professional advisory committee for the Autism Society of Southern Arizona. Dr. Riley also serves as the Medical Director for Early Brain and Child Development Section of the AzAAP and chairs the Developmental Screening Committee.
Miran Song, MD, FAAP
Dr. Miran Song graduated Alpha Omega Alpha from Albany Medical College followed by a Pediatric Residency at Tufts Medical Center. She was chosen as a National Health Service Corps Scholar and did her service in the Indian Health Service at the Kayenta Health Center on the Navajo Reservation. Dr. Song gained a wealth of medical and cultural knowledge while working there for 11 years. She then continued to work on the Navajo Reservation in Tuba City for an additional 6 years. She currently is the Pediatric Lead for North Country HealthCare, an FQHC in Northern AZ. Dr. Song has maintained a love for public health and working with underserved communities. She enjoys camping, hiking, rock climbing and many other sports that her children have surpassed her in.
CHRISTINE HOLMES, MD, FAAP
Christie P. Holmes, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Holmes graduated from the University of Oklahoma on the Dean’s and President’s Honor Roll with a degree in Zoology. She received her medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in June 1994, where she was honored as an Honors Research Scholar. In 1997, she completed her postgraduate Pediatric Medical Residency at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Post residency Dr. Holmes practiced in Tempe, AZ from 1997-2006. Dr. Holmes then founded Desert Shores Pediatrics in 2006 and the practice has grown to 20 providers and two locations in Gilbert and Chandler. She serves as the President and Medical Director. She also serves as the current Chair of the Board of Managers for Phoenix Children's Care Network and is passionate about vaccines and pediatric practice management. Dr. Holmes is a resident of Gilbert and outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and loves to travel.
AMELIA DECKER, MD, FAAP
Dr. Amelia Decker is an Arizona native, completing both medical school and residency at the University of Arizona after earning her BS in neuroscience at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. She is a general pediatrician in private practice in Tucson, AZ. Dr Decker holds an appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics and as the Medical Director for the Tanque Verde Unified School District. She currently serves on the AzAAP CME Committee and is a co-founder of both Rare Disease Day Tucson and The MECP2 Duplication Foundation.
Marisa Werner, MD, FAAP
Originally from Maryland, Dr. Werner attended the University of Maryland for undergraduate studies, medical school, and pediatric residency. Following a pediatric chief resident year at University of Maryland / Maryland’s Hospital for Children, Dr. Werner moved to Arizona to fill a pediatric position in San Carlos Apache Nation. Since 1994, Dr. Werner has worked in Native American health care systems, both in clinical outpatient and inpatient settings and in various administrative capacities, including periods of time as Clinical Director and as acting Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Werner is currently employed by Tohono O’odham Nation Health Care (TONHC). In that context, Dr. Werner convened the interagency Early Intervention Collaborative Group that re-shaped early intervention services for the Nation's children in ways that improve quality of care and increase congruence with principles of tribal sovereignty. Also in the context of TONHC employment, Dr. Werner chairs the Maternal Child Health Committee, serves actively on the Medical Executive Committee, provides physician leadership for partnerships with Vaccines For Children and Reach Out And Read programs, represents TONHC Pediatrics on the Arizona Department of Health Services Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Coalition and the Pima County Child Fatality Review Board, and is a recognized leader in pediatric quality improvement throughout the family practice model organization. Dr. Werner also volunteers as a member of the First Things First Tohono O’odham Nation Regional Partnership Council, filling the health services provider representative position. Marisa lives in Tucson with the family dog and has a daughter away at college. For recreation, Marisa enjoys bicycle rides, gardening, scenic walks, and chats with friends.
SAIKA SOMJEE, MD, FAAP
Saika Somjee, MD is currently the Associate Medical Director for Sunset Health, Inc. She obtained her Medical Degree in 1993 from Seth G. S. Medical College and then her Pediatric Residency Degree in 1996 from Lokmanya Tilak Medical College, Mumbai, India. After working in Pediatric Oncology at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai for 2 years, she came to the US to join the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship program in early 1999 and then completed both her Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship training and Pediatric residency training from Louisiana State University, New Orleans in 2005 and 2007, respectively. She is Board certified both in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. In 2009, she was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Physicians.
She joined Sunset Community Health Center, Inc. (now Sunset Health, Inc.) 14 years ago, in July 2007, in the capacity of active staff Pediatrician. In 2011, she took the position of Associate Medical Director for Sunset Health. Besides her administrative work, she sees patients for half the time, does quality improvement projects, supervises physician assistants, and has been a preceptor for nurse practitioner/medical students and family practice residents. In addition, she provides care for the pediatric hematology-oncology patients of the Yuma County Department. She has been a Member on Panel for Cancer Committee at Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC), Yuma since 2012. She is also the Director of Clinical Education at Sunset Health from 2013. She held the position of the Director of Clinical Education (Outpatient Pediatrics), Family Practice Residency Program, YRMC, from July 2013 through December 2020. She also is the Regional Director of Medical Education at A. T. Still University PA Program, teaching collaboration with Sunset Health from August 2018. She has received multiple awards such as the Award for ‘Excellence in Clinical teaching’ by University of Arizona and multiple ‘Apple Awards’ for the best PGY-1 Rotation of the Year- Pediatrics/Attending of the Year/ Teacher of the Year for the Family Practice Residency Program.
She currently holds privileges at YRMC. She was vice-chair of the Department of Pediatrics in YRMC from January 2010 through December 2012. She has sat on several committees at Sunset Health, such as the Peer Review and the Medical Records committee. She also is a member of the American College of Physicians, the Yuma County Medical Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is drawn to the idea of using all her skills in primary care to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. As a clinician and a teacher, she chooses to focus on teaching, quality improvement, health education, and patient advocacy in the organization.
JILLIAN WALL, MD, FAAP
Dr. Jillian Wall is an academic Pediatric Hospitalist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Following her Pediatric Residency at the University of California, San Diego, she chose to pursue fellowship training in Hospital Medicine at Dell Children’s Hospital from the University of Texas, Austin. During her fellowship, she completed a Master’s in Public Health in Tobacco Control. Since joining PCH, she has pursued QI projects to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in children and improve family centered care. She currently serves as Arizona’s AAP E-Cigarette Champion. She is also the Pediatric Clerkship Director for the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and the Associate Clerkship Director for The University of Arizona, College of Medicine. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and son.
RONALD SERBIN, MD, FAAP
Dr. Serbin's interest in serving on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Academy of Pediatrics is to advocate for the healthcare of children in Arizona. He has been in the same community group pediatric practice in Phoenix since completing his pediatric residency in 1997. His experience has taught him that the responsibility of a pediatrician involves more than treating patients in the clinic.
His personal pediatric practice has evolved into caring for children with complex and special health care needs. This type of care requires collaboration with providers in the community who care for these children. These providers include the hospital team, subspeciality care, rehabilitation providers, school personnel, and home healthcare. This experience has allowed him to develop relationships and participate in organizations which advocate for children’s health care in the Phoenix community.
The opportunity to serve on the Arizona Academy of Pediatrics Board of Directors allows Dr. Serbin to advocate for pediatric providers, children’s healthcare, and ultimately enhance the needs of the pediatric population in the state of Arizona.
ANDREW TERRANELLA, MD, MPH, FAAP
Dr. Terranella is a medical epidemiologist in the Division of Overdose Prevention at the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. His area of research focuses on improving access to treatment for substance use disorders and harm reduction programs in young adults and adolescents as well as serving as subject matter expert for the Division on tribal health. He is also a board-certified pediatrician, is on faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona-Tucson, and practices general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at El Rio Health in Tucson, Arizona. His clinical practice is centered around addiction medicine and transgender care.
Dr. Terranella received his BA in Biology from Kalamazoo College in Michigan, attended Medical School at the University of Virginia, and received an MPH from Emory University. He trained in Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, NY in 2007 and completed an Epidemic Intelligence Service Fellowship at the CDC in 2012. Prior to coming to CDC, he served 14 years with Indian Health Service as a pediatrician and health care administrator on the Navajo and Tohono O’odham Nations and most recently as the Chief Medical Officer for the Portland Area Indian Health Service. He currently lives in Tucson, AZ with his wife Julia, son Luciano, and dog Valentino.
Anne M. Stafford, MA
Anne Stafford joined AzAAP as the Executive Director in July of 2015 and became the Chapter’s first Chief Executive Officer in 2018. As a nonprofit executive who has dedicated her personal and professional career to improving the health, education, and well-being of children and families, Anne has helped lead the chapter to several successes including being named the Outstanding Chapter of the Year.
With a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication and a master’s degree in Administration, Anne is committed to supporting pediatric professionals across the state to improve the care of Arizona children, addressing critical issues including poverty and child health, early brain and child development, and quality of care and child safety.