Program Directors

 

Adam Pallant, MD, PhD, Program Director

Adam Pallant has been the residency director at Brown Medical School since 1998.  He completed his graduate and medical training at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, followed by pediatric residency and chief residency at the University of California, San Francisco. 

 Dr. Pallant continues to practice and precept general pediatrics and refugee health in the primary care clinic at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. He was in a community pediatric practice for two years prior to being invited to work with the residency program at Brown.  He chose Providence as the location to settle for its unique mix of coastal beauty and access, cultural and ethnic diversity, great food, and reasonable lifestyle with ready entrance to urban and rural activities without the expense and congestion of many larger cities.

 Dr. Pallant has put a priority on bringing a humanistic and family-centered focus to resident education and patient care. He received the Brown Pediatric Award for Outstanding Dedication to Patient Care in 2009 in addition to earlier receiving both the Teaching Recognition Award and The Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award at Brown University.  Previously he received the Neossi Award at the end of his chief residency at UCSF, given in recognition of caring interactions with medical staff while providing outstanding and humanistic medical care. Dr. Pallant is currently interested in fostering a meaningful and pragmatic educational approach to humanistic health care in the context of a busy residency training environment.          

 

Bonnie OConnor PhD, Associate Program DirectorDr. O’Connor is a Folklorist by training, having received her doctoral degree from the Department of Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania. There she specialized in the ethnographic study of health belief and behavior; complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) – including ethnomedical systems; cultural and cross-cultural issues in health care; and patient/family perspectives of health, illness, and care.  She has made her 25-year career conducting ethnographic research in health matters, and applying her specialized knowledge in medical education. Throughout this time she has also served on hospital Ethics Committees helping to mediate among differing viewpoints and values in resolving complex dilemmas.  She frequently reviews grant applications and manuscript submissions that deal with cultural, cross-cultural, bioethics, and ethnographic research topics.  A native Texan who grew up in both Texas and Mexico, Bonnie is a dog lover, perennial gardener, avid reader, beach bum, and scuba diver – all in the company of her husband and best friend, Mal – who also happens to be the person who introduced her to Rhode Island where he spent many happy childhood and adolescent summers. 

Rhode Island Favorites:  the beach, friendly people, Saugys, fresh seafood (especially in“joints”), – and, did I mention the beach?

 

Erica Chung MD, Associate Program Director

  Dr. Chung graduated from Brown Medical School and completed her pediatric residency training at the Boston Combined Residency Program (Children's Hospital Boston/ Boston Medical Center). She remained on staff at Children's Hospital Boston as a pediatric hospitalist before she joined the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Her interest and commitment to medical education has led her to become the Associate Director of the Brown Pediatric Residency Program. In addition to working with patients and families, she truly enjoys working with medical students and residents.

Rhode Island Favorites: Strolling along the Cliffwalk in Newport,  Walking with her pooch along Narragansett beach, apple-picking in the Fall, and exploring the many eateries all over the state! 

  

Program Coordinators

Donna Glittone, Program CoordinatorDonna is a home grown Rhode Islander who grew up with all the favorite things Rhode Island is noted for:  Dell’s lemonade, coffee milk and Allie’s donuts.  She has worked in the residency program for the past 21 years.   She is a true sun worshipper whose favorite place to relax is in Aruba.

Rhode Island Favorites:  Spending time at the beaches, raking leaves and shoveling snow.

 

Dennisse Reyes, Program CoordinatorDennisse has been living in Providence almost her entire life, but please don’t ask her for directions.    She was born in Puerto Rico and came to live in little old Providence while just a toddler.  She is the typical Rhode Islander, which means anything more than a 30 minutes drive is too far.  She’s been working at Rhode Island Hospital since the age of 15 and has worked in many areas in the hospital, but for the past 10 years has been with the Residency.   She loves talking to and helping people which is just one of the reasons she truly enjoys her job.  She also loves to play Rummy 500 with some of her closest friends.  When she’s not at work, Dennisse loves spending time with her husband, daughter, son, her dog, and her immediate family.

 Rhode Island Favorites:  Everything in Rhode Island is close, the change of seasons, lots of places to buy cheap and expensive bling, and the Residency!

 

Lori Moniz, Program AssistantI started working at Rhode Island Hospital in 1985. Since 1992, I have work with the Pediatric ResidencyTraining Program and in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. In 2007, I also took over as the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Coordinator. According to Dennisse Reyes, my husbandand I are the “Bo and Hope” of RI, having been together since our teen years. We have 3 adult sons andrecently we welcomed a daughter -in- law into our family. I also have 2 dogs, Tess-a wonderful yellowlab and Roxy a “sweet” Rottweiler. I have lived in Rhode Island my whole life and love it here! I actuallybought and live now in my childhood home in Barrington. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with myfamily, baking and Zumba. I am also a volunteer with Home and Hospice Care of RI and The AmericanCancer Society.

Rhode Island Favorites: There are so many wonderful places to visit in Rhode Island. The small towns are charming, the beaches are exquisite. The parks are picturesque and the restaurants are delectable. But always rememberwhen in Rhode Island, you must be sure to have a quahog, Iggy’s doughboys, Del’s lemonade, hotwieners and a glass of coffee milk!

 

 

Chief Residents

 

Elizabeth Dawson-Hahn MD, Chief ResidentBeth grew up in Upstate NY, where she gained an appreciation for hiking in the Adirondacks and canoeing on Lake Ontario. She attended Cornell University where she was active in the Public Service Center and in Cornell Outdoor Education.  She  attended SUNY Upstate Medical University where she helped start an office of Global Health Education, and hosted an AMSA National Conference on Cultural Competency.  She met her now husband, Will, on a trip to Guatemala, and together they sought out other opportunities to return to Latin America as medical students.  They couples matched to Brown where they continued their interests in global health, and social determinants of health in the BRIGHT Pathway .   Fausto, their adopted rescue dog from Lousiana, keeps them moving and laughing.  Beth plans to pursue a General Academic Pediatrics fellowship at the University of Washington (Seattle) after chief year.

 Rhode Island Favorites:  East Bay Bike Path, Farmer’s Markets, Tree lined streets, Historic homes, RISD Alumni Art Sale, Craftland, Blackstone Woods (off leash dog walking!), La Laiterie, Grey Lady Ale, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Chase Farm

 

Jeffrey Riese MD, Chief ResidentJeff graduated from Bowdoin College in 2002 and then spent 3 years in a non-traditional path before entering medical school.  He spent 12 months working and living in Yokohama, Japan teaching conversation English to middle school children, then traveled throughout Southeast Asia before returning to the Boston area where he grew up.  While applying to medical school, he worked as a pediatric nursing assistant before entering University of Massachusetts Medical School.  At UMass, Jeff met his future wife who couples matched to the Pediatric Residency at Brown.  In residency, Jeff completed clinical research about factors related to readmission in bronchiolitis and was awarded the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award by Brown Medical School.  After this year as chief resident he plans to work as a pediatric hospitalist.

According to Jeff, an ideal day in Providence is grabbing a coffee at the Coffee Exchange, going to the park with his now 1-year-old daughter Chloe, catching an independent film at either the Cable Car Cinema or the Avon, then hitting Wayland Sq for dinner at La Laiterie.