Meet The Staff

Donna Franco, RPA

Physician Assistant

Donna Franco is an expert in the field of bariatric surgery. She has worked with bariatric patients for almost a decade, and feels fortunate to work with patients on their journeys to weight loss. You’ll likely meet Donna during both your pre-op and post-op processes. She follows patients and helps guide them towards their weight loss goals.

Eva Pilchman

PA-C, MS

Eva Pilchman has been with the practice since 2012. She received her Bachelor of Science in diagnostic genetic sciences from the University of Connecticut and Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies from Hofstra University.

Kelly Emmert

PA

Kelly is a native of Texas, received her Bachelor's of Science from Austin College in Sherman, Texas in 2011. She subsequently obtained her Masters of Physician Assistant studies from New York Institute of Technology in 2015.

Jennifer Puciloski

PA-C, RD, CDN

Jennifer is a board-certified physician assistant specializing in both plastic and bariatric surgery and is also a Registered Dietitian in the state of New York. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition as well as the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Dietetics at the C.W Post Campus of Long Island University.

Emily Rogan

PA-C, MSPAC

Emily attended an accelerated Physician Assistant program at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Medical Studies in 2017 and her Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies in 2018.

Julia Bassi

PA-C, MSHS

Julia Bassi is a board-certified physician assistant specializing in bariatric and robotic surgery. Julia was born and raised on Long Island. She is licensed in New York and works mostly out of our Islandia office.

Jen Weston

PA-C, MSPAS, MS, RDN

Jen Weston is a board-certified Physician Assistant and Registered Dietitian. She completed her undergraduate education in Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. Jen holds a Masters of Science in Human Nutrition from Tufts University.

Willo Wisotsky

PhD

Dr. Willo Wisotsky is a NY State Licensed Psychologist who received her Clinical Health Ph.D. from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University. Dr. Wisotsky is a faculty member at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, and Suffolk Community College. Dr. Wisotsky has committed her research and clinical practice to the field of eating disorders and obesity with its related medical and mental health comorbidities.

Natania Ostrovsky

PhD

Dr. Natania Ostrovsky is a clinical psychologist licensed in both New York and Connecticut. She received her PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University. She has both a clinical and research background in health psychology with a focus on cognitive behavioral therapy, improving health behaviors, and obesity.

Sharon George

MS, RD, CDN

Sharon George is one of the most experienced bariatric surgery nutritionists in the country. She joined New York Bariatric Group over 10 years ago, and thrives on helping patients with obesity to reach their weight loss goals. Guided by a strong desire for education, Sharon completed 2 bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree with honors. In addition to working with patients, Sharon writes as a nutrition expert. She has been published in OH Magazine and Bariatrics Today. Sharon will be an important part of your journey regardless of which weight loss procedure or treatment option you choose.

Joseph R. Gaudio

MD

Dr. Gaudio is a board certified anesthesiologist. He works with the surgeons to ensure every patient has a safe and comfortable experience during their bariatric procedure. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Gaudio works with patients who choose surgical procedures such as the band, bypass, or sleeve, as well as those who choose a non-surgical approach like the weight loss balloon.

Gregory J. Schilero

MD

Dr. Schilero received an M.S. degree from Tufts University and his M.D. from Hahnemann University. Dr. Schilero performed his medical residency and fellowship at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, with subspecialty boards in Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine. After completing his fellowship in Pulmonary Medicine, Dr. Schilero remained at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine for four years as the Associate Director for the Lung and Heart/Lung Transplantation program and the Sleep Center at Mount Sinai.

Shara Lazar

RD

Shara Lazar has spent many years counseling patients with varied health concerns including renal failure, hypertension, and diabetes. It was those experiences that lead her on a path to help people reduce the risk of developing these health concerns and improve the quality of their lives. She joined NYBG with 8 years of bariatric nutrition expertise and is also extremely passionate about fitness. She will help you to integrate both nutrition and exercise into your life with a practical approach and continuous support.

Sarah Kennedy-Etheridge

PA-C, MHS

Sarah joined NYBG in 2019 after receiving her Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Quinnipiac University. Prior to becoming a board-certified Physician Assistant, Sarah received her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science Studies from Quinnipiac University in 2017.

Dr. Roberta Lenner

Pulmonologist

Dr. Roberta Lenner graduated from the University of Pecs Medical and Health Sciences Centre, Hungary in 1991. She relocated to the United States to complete a residency in internal medicine at Greenwich Hospital and Yale University School of Medicine in Connecticut, where she developed an interest in pulmonary physiology. She completed her fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she delved into researching pulmonary disease and its relation to critical body functions.

Dr. Lenner served as Director of Emergency Department, and as Pulmonary and Critical Care Attending at James J. Peters Medical Center in Bronx, NY. She was then appointed as Associate Director of the hospital’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Director of Pulmonary Outpatient Clinics. Dr. Lenner has presented at conferences as well as published in multiple academic journals and abstracts focused on respiratory treatments. Her research with the Bronx VA and Mount Sinai Hospital has led to several publications and has distinguished her as a leader in her field.

Dr. Lenner has been an active fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians since 1996.

Brian Spangler

PA

Brian is a board-certified Physician Assistant who joined the NYBG in 2020. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Biology at The Pennsylvania State University in 2018. In 2020, Brian received his Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Lavinia Couture

PA-C

Lavinia Couture is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in bariatric, general and robotic surgery. Lavinia was born and raised in Bergen County, New Jersey. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2015.

Sharon Meltzer

PA-C, RD

Sharon completed her undergraduate education at Syracuse University earning a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition/Dietetics and worked in clinical nutrition for seven years. Sharon completed her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Pace University – Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program and started practicing bariatric and general surgery with Ballem Surgical in 2013.

Deborah Sforza

RD, CDN

Deborah is a registered dietitian with experience in Bariatrics, Diabetes, Obstetrics, and Gynecology, Orthopedics, and Oncology. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Food, Nutrition, and Exercise Science from Queens College and an Associates in Science from SUNY Farmingdale. She also serves as a bariatric coordinator and chief clinical dietitian for the former Long Island Bariatric, PLLC, in Riverhead, now a part of NYBG. She has been a bariatrician for the last fourteen years of her twenty-eight-years long career in nutrition and dietetics.

Eden Bessaleli

MSPAS, PA-C

Eden Bessaleli is a board-certified physician assistant who received her Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Touro College of Health Sciences. After completing her surgical rotation at NYBG in 2019, Eden discovered her profound interest in laparoscopic surgery and in helping others achieve their weight loss goals. This interest led Eden to return to NYBG in 2020 for an extended advanced training clinical rotation, where she continued to train with and learn from the doctors and PAs at NYBG. After earning her master's degree, Eden returned to NYBG full-time to be part of the team - where she is assisting in surgery and seeing patients in the office for pre- and post-op care.

Emily Meyer

MSPAS, PA-C

Emily is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in bariatric surgery. She completed her Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). Before starting PA school, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biobehavioral Health from The Pennsylvania State University.

Jacqueline Gribko

PA-C

Jacqueline joined NYBG after graduating with her Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from New York Institute of Technology. She received her Bachelors in Life Sciences from New York Institute of Technology as well. Jacqueline is excited to be a part of your weight loss journey.

Karen Sanchez

PA

I completed my Bachelor of Science degree at Stony Brook University on Long Island. I then obtained my Masters of Physician Assistant Studies at Marist College in 2020.

Mariya Mayer

MSPAS, PA-C

Mariya is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in Bariatric Surgery. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance and Premedical Studies with minors in Biology and Chemistry at the City College of New York. After graduation, Mariya accepted a research assistant position at the Wallace H. Coulter Laboratory for Cardiovascular Dynamics and Biomolecular Transport, where she explored new therapeutic targets for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Mariya’s strong interest in medicine and biomedical research motivated her to pursue the Physician Assistant profession. She received a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant studies with high honors from Stony Brook University and was inducted into the Alpha Eta Health Professionals Honor Society. At NYBG, Mariya leans on her experience in biomedical research to provide the patients with the most recent, evidence-based information while ensuring all patients are treated with empathy, integrity, and compassion.

Phoebe Hughes

MMS, PA-C

Phoebe is a board-certified physician assistant specializing in bariatric and robotic surgery. She completed her Master’s of Medical Science at Arcadia University in Delaware, after completing her undergraduate education in Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Connecticut.

Sarah Siegler

Registered Dietitian

Sarah has been a Registered Dietitian since 2015 after completing her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics and completing her Dietetic Internship at North Shore University Hospital. Sarah continued her career at NSUH and went on to specialize in Critical Care, Heart Failure, and Heart Transplant Nutrition and is a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC). During this time, she gained a passion for helping to prevent illness through positive diet and lifestyle changes. Sarah is certified in Adult Weight Management by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. She joined the NYBG team in 2020.

Tamar Joseph

MSPAS, PA-C

Tamar, born and raised in Bergen County, NJ, received her Bachelor of Science from Yeshiva University and then completed her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Pace University- Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program. Prior to joining NYBG, Tamar worked in the General Surgery department at Mount Sinai Hospital and is now practicing mainly in our Wayne, NJ location. With her outgoing personality and empathetic nature, Tamar is looking forward to working together with her patients to improve their quality of life!