Meet Our Specialists
Neonatologists
Alex Espinoza, MD
Dr. Alex Espinoza has been a member of East Bay Newborn Specialists since completing his Neonatology Fellowship at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco in 1987. He is the Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley campus. He has been actively involved in delivery room care quality improvement and lactation support for high-risk infants. He has spent much of his career involved with high-risk infant development and neurologic outcomes. He loves the East Bay, loves to go to A’s and Warriors games, is an avid cyclist and photographer.
Amarjit Sandhu, MD
Dr. Sandhu has been with EBNS for over 10 years. Prior to joining us, he was practicing in Kentucky where he completed his Residency.
In his spare time he likes to travel with his family.
Anna Usowicz, MD
Dr. Usowicz studied Medicine in Poland and completed almost all of her training here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our community has been lucky to have her for over 30 years now. In her spare time she likes to travel.
Arthur D'Harlingue, MD
Dr. Arthur D'Harlingue attended medical school at St. Louis University. He completed his pediatric residency and Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at Stanford University. He has been with the neonatology group since 1983. He is the Director of Neonatology at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland and the President of East Bay Newborn Specialists. He has been a member of the ECMO team at Children's Hospital Oakland since 1988. His clinical interests include nutrition, pulmonary artery hypertension, and ECMO. He enjoys hiking and running.
Margarita Berrios, MD
Dr. Margarita Berrios completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at University of California San Francisco in 1995 and has been with the East Bay Newborn Specialists since Dec of 2005. Her clinical interests include brain development and protection, ECMO and the stabilization of critically ill neonates. She is actively involved in pediatric residents education. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. She loves reading and the outdoors. She is fluent in Spanish.
Charles Scott, MD
Dr. Charles "Chip" Scott completed both his Pediatric Residency followed by a Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship as well as a Pediatric Pulmonary Fellowship at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in 1981. For the next three years he was Associate Director of the Level 3 Intensive Care Nursery at the Maricopa County Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and was a member of the clinical teaching faculty of the Phoenix Hospitals Associated Pediatric Program. He joined East Bay Neonatology Associates, later East Bay Newborn Specialists, in 1984, and has practiced neonatology primarily in the intensive care nurseries at Oakland Children's Hospital, Alta Bates Medical Center, and John Muir Medical Center. Dr. Scott served as Medical Director of the Level 3 Intensive Care Nursery at John Muir Medical Center for approximately twenty years. Currently, he is mainly involved in clinical neonatology and resident teaching at Oakland Children's Hospital, and also provides community neonatal outreach education at San Ramon Regional Medical Center. Dr. Scott's interests outside of the hospital include playing golf, A's Baseball, and especially traveling to visit his children and new grandchild.
Genevieve Kinsey, MD
Dr. Genevieve Kinsey joined East Bay Newborn Specialists after completing her Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship at the University of California, Davis, in 2017. While she enjoys all aspects of NICU care, she is particularly interested in neurodevelopment and high risk infant follow up, and she is actively engaged in resident education. Additionally, she enjoys community and international outreach, throughout her training having provided health care and education at local schools, free clinics in underserved communities, and abroad in Kenya. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Golde Dudell, MD
Dr. Dudell studied Medicine at Brown University. She completed her Pediatric Residency in New York and joined us in the bay area over 10 years ago. She has contributed to several Professional Societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Section of Cardiology. When Dr. Dudell is outside of the hospital, she likes to ride her bicycle around the city.
Jaime Tannenbaum, MD
Meet Dr. Jaime Tannenbaum, the Director of ECMO* at Children's Hospital of Oakland. She completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at University of California San Francisco in 1994 and has been with the East Bay Newborn Specialists since July of 1994. She is currently Secretary-Treasurer of East Bay Newborn Specialists, and her clinical interests include ECMO and the stabilization of critically ill neonates. In her spare time, Dr. Tannenbaum enjoys time with family and friends, traveling to Italy and studying Italian.
*Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
James Anderson, MD
Dr. Anderson is a Massachusetts native who moved to San Francisco to complete his Pediatric and Neonatal training. He kicked off his professional career with 5 publications in the field of Pediatrics and Neonatology. He also dedicated over two-years of mentorship at UCSF for medical students conducting projects in San Francisco and Vietnam. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, traveling, and hiking with his partner and dog.
Jayalakshmi Ravindran, MD
Dr. Ravindran attended Stanford University and obtained her medical degree at UCSF. She then moved to Seattle to complete her residency and neonatology fellowship at the University of Washington, but she couldn't stay away from the Golden State too long! She came back and joined EBNS in 2016. Her interests include medical education and neonatal global health. In her spare time, she loves to travel and try new restaurants.
Jeffrey Merrill, MD
Dr. Jeffrey Merrill attended medical school at the University of Rochester, NY. He completed his Neonatology fellowship at the Cardiovascular Research Institute of UCSF. Aside from being an attending Neonatologist at several hospitals in the bay area, Dr. Merrill is a Clinical Scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Joanna Halkias, MD
Dr. Halkias is a practicing Neonatologist and a lab-based research scientist interested in the development of the fetal and neonatal immune system. She is especially interested in how the fetal immune system contributes to preterm labor and to the inflammatory complications of preterm infants.
Kathryn Ponder, MD
Dr. Kathryn Ponder attended medical school at Brown University. She completed her Pediatrics residency at the University of California Davis and her Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. She is interested in the developmental origins of disease and high-risk infant follow-up. She enjoys traveling, swimming, exploring the Bay Area, and spending time with family and friends.
Kimberly Larson, MD
Dr. Kimberly Larson completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, OH. She was thrilled to join East Bay Newborn Specialists after completing fellowship in 2017 and contribute to the clinical care of infants in the East Bay. Her particular interests include early stabilization of premature infants, medical education and simulation training. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the many beautiful hiking trails and beaches with her husband and dog.
Kristin Hubert, MD
Dr. Kristin Hubert joined East Bay Newborn Specialists in 2009. She attended medical school at Tufts University. She completed two years of residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston before transferring to Seattle Children’s Hospital to complete her final year of residency. After this she moved to Portland, Oregon to complete a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. Currently, she serves as the Associate Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at John Muir Medical Center. She has an interest in using Simulation for education of nurses and pediatricians.
Leslie Lusk, MD
Dr. Leslie Lusk completed medical school, Pediatric Residency, and Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship training at the University of California San Francisco. She completed her fellowship training in 2015. Prior to joining the East Bay Newborn Specialist in 2017 she worked in the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Nursery. Her clinical interests include Fetal Medicine, ECMO, and surgical diseases of the newborn. She loves traveling, hiking, rock climbing, and yoga.
Lilia DeJesus, MD
Dr. de Jesus studied Medicine in the Philippines and completed her Residency in Detroit, Michigan. She has been part of EBNS for 5 years. Throughout her career she has published several articles for the field of Neonatology including studies in low-birth weight, pulmonary hypertension and more. In her spare time she likes taking her kids to the skate park.
Lily Kao, MD
Dr. Lily Kao attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, completed her pediatric residency at Pittsburgh Children Hospital and a combined Pediatric Pulmonology/Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at Los Angeles Children Hospital. She has been with East Bay Newborn Specialists for more than 25 years and is the Medical Director at both Eden Medical Center and Sutter Delta Medical Center nurseries. Dr. Kao is a Board member of Chinese American Physician Society and is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. Her clinical interests include bronchopulmonary dysplasia, ventilator support, and nutrition. Her personal interests include travelling worldwide, singing, reading and growing orchids.
Nick Mickas, MD
Dr. Mickas earned his medical degree at UC Irvine. He has been practicing in the bay area since completing his residency at Children’s Hospital- Oakland. He has contributed over five publications relating to lung health in babies.
Priscilla Joe, MD
Dr. Priscilla Joe has been a member of East Bay Newborn Specialists since completing a Neonatal Perinatal fellowship at UC San Francisco in 1992. She is one of the primary neonatologists at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland where she serves as the Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her clinical interests are neonatal intestinal, neurologic, and cardiorespiratory illnesses. She is active in quality improvement, resident education, and clinical research. She has an extensive background in global health and has provided national training programs for newborn care in Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Uganda. She is an avid Oakland A’s and Golden State Warriors fan and enjoys traveling to baseball stadiums and national parks. She is married and has 3 children.
Sandra Wai, MD
Dr. Sandra Wai completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at University of Colorado in 2015. She joined the East Bay Newborn Specialists in August of 2015. Her special interests include intrauterine growth restriction, postnatal nutrition and growth, resident education, and high risk infant follow up. Outside of work, she loves snorkeling, visiting wild animal sanctuaries, hiking - anything that offers a chance to observe or interact with animals.
Shilpa Patil, MD
Dr. Shilpa Patil completed her Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship at Los Angeles County - University of Southern California in 2007 and has been with the East Bay Newborn Specialists since July of 2014. Previously, she worked at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and CHA-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center where she was Medical Director, specializing in high risk deliveries. She is an ECMO specialist and is now part of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland ECMO team. Her clinical interests include nutrition and preterm growth, simulation training, and telemedicine. In her spare time, Dr. Patil enjoys staying active, traveling and learning about different cultures and has visited over 25 countries.
Stacie Bennett, MD
Dr. Stacie Bennett completed her Neonatal- Perinatal Fellowship at University of San Diego in 2005. She has been with East Bay Newborn Specialists since August of 2005. She is the current Division Chief of the Department of Neonatology at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and has a special interest in Fetal Medicine as well as Neonatal Resuscitation. She is also part of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland ECMO team. In her spare time she loves to play with her two sons, coach basketball, travel and hike.
Thomas Eusterbrock, MD
We have been fortunate to have Dr. Eusterbrock on our team for almost 30 years. Dr. Eusterbrock came to the United States after earning his Medical Degree in Germany. His professional training has taken place in Germany, Florida and in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been practicing in this community for over 35 years. During his free time, he likes to hike, read, listen to music and to spend time with his wife and 2 sons. He has also volunteered as a medical educator in Ethiopia for many years, and is involved in building schools in rural areas of Ethiopia.
Spencer Magargal, MD
Dr. Magargal earned his medical degree in his home state of Alabama. He moved to California in 2015 to complete his residency training at UC San Diego. Dr. Magargal has been doing research for over 6 years and has published research articles relating to diseases in marine species.
Pediatric Hospitalists
Ana Liang, MD
Dr. Ana Liang completed her pediatric residency at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, and is currently Chief Resident. She is a junior hospitalist who joined the East Bay Newborn Specialists in June 2015. Dr. Liang focuses her clinical time at the NICU of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Ashby Campus. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, shopping at local farmers' markets, and listening to podcasts.
Eman Haidari, MD
Dr. Haidari obtained her medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Before moving to Oakland to complete her residency, she was rotating through clinics in Guatemala, Uganda, and Honduras. She has a strong leadership and teaching background which includes youth mentorship. She speaks Farsi and Spanish.
Kelly Huibriegtse, MD
Dr. Kelly Huibregtse attended medical school and completed graduate studies in epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin, where she was elected by her peers to be a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She completed pediatric residency at University of California San Francisco. She has published research on the risks of radiation from diagnostic imaging and incidence of second cancers caused by chemotherapy. Dr. Huibregtse enjoys traveling, photography and baking in her spare time.
Lauren Towne, MD
Dr. Towne received her medical degree from New York Medical College. She joined East Bay Newborn Specialists after completing her Residency at Children’s Hospital of Oakland.
Meg Renik, MD
Dr. Renik's studies began at Harvard University where she graduated with honors. She joined us in the Bay Area to complete her Medical Degree at UC San Francisco, her Masters in Public Health at UC Berkeley, and her residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Oakland. In addition to her work with East Bay Newborn, she has a primary care practice at La Clinica de la Raza in Oakland.
Miriam Wubeshet MD
Dr. Wubeshet earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont where she wrote two publications in the field of gene sequencing. During her undergraduate studies in Washington, she pioneered the first health fair for Ethiopians in Seattle which with the goal of increasing awareness about women’s health, teen’s health, diabetes and more. Dr. Wubeshet enjoys road trips, singing, playing tennis and baking.
Dorea Martin, MD
Dr. Martin is one of the newest members of East Bay Newborn Specialists. In 2015, she moved from Illinois to Oakland to complete her residency. Dr. Martin has been creating supportive programs for her fellow residents and volunteering in our community. She has contributed three publications to the field of pediatric orthopedics. She loves to sail, make pottery, and run marathons.
Jennifer Nguyen, MD
Dr. Nguyen is a California native who earned her degrees here in the bay area. During her undergraduate studies, Dr. Nguyen lead many relief efforts and global health groups. Her volunteer efforts went as far as Haiti to assist in their earthquake relief. From 2015-2018, she was receiving her residency training at UCSF. During this time she researched neuro-development, cardiac complications, and venous malformations, to name a few. Dr. Nguyen is a certified trained pianist.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
Blanca Valentine, RN, NNP
Blanca Valentine RN, NNP/BC, CNS, MS is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner with a master's degree from University of California San Francisco. She has been with the East Bay Newborn Specialists since August 2007. Previously, Blanca was a neonatal intensive care nurse specialist for 16 years at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Currently she works in collaboration with our Neonatologists in caring for the smallest, most fragile babies in the NICU at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Ashby campus. In her spare time, Blanca enjoys long walks with her two dogs, Luna and Jake, and trying new restaurants around the East Bay.
Erna Josiah-Davis, RN, NNP, CNS
Erna Josiah-Davis, NNP, CNS, has been a board certified Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist for over 20 years. Her love for the care of newborns continues to be a passion. Her interests encompass best practice and quality outcomes among many others. She has worked in newborn intensive care units throughout the bay area. Erna joined the EBNS group in 2010 and has considered her experience at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center unparalleled. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling and snowboarding with her husband and eight year old son.
Stephanie Willis, RN, NNP
Bio Coming Soon