Meet Our Staff
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
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Anna Usowicz, MD
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Arthur Dharlingue, 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.
Berrios Margarita, 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
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Golde Dudell, MD
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Jaime Tannenbaum, MD
Dr. Jaime Tannenbaum 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.
James Anderson, MD
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Jayalakshmi Ravindran, MD
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Jeffrey Merrill, MD
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Joanna Halkias, MD
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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
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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
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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 and Director of the ECMO program for children of all ages with cardiorespiratory failure. 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 Childrens 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
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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.
Annie Fang, MD
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Eman Haidari, MD
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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
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Meg Renik, MD
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Miriam Wubeshet MD
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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 Summitt Medical Center unparalleled. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling and snow boarding with her husband and eight year old son.
Stephanie Willis, RN, NNP
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