Leadership Dr. Grace Kajita Program Director Grace Kajita, MD graduated from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her residency in Internal Medicine-Primary Care at New York University. She stayed on in the system as a clinician-educator based at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Medical Center and was an Associate Program Director in the Internal Medicine Residency. She joined Wakefield as the Program Director in 2014. Samantha Lawson-Butler, BA Program Administrator Samantha Lawson-Butler graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in English. She started her career as a grants coordinator for a non-profit agency and came to Wakefield in 2004. Her experience includes grants and coordination of medical student and medical fellow training. She became Program Administrator in 2018. Dr. Azucena Herrera Chancay Chief Medical Resident 2023-2024 I was born in Quito, Ecuador; my name comes from two influential women in my life: Micaela Bastidas, one of the leaders of the Revolution against Spanish rule in South America, and my aunt, a brilliant doctor named Azucena. My mother's work as an anthropologist inspired me to appreciate the privilege of learning from different cultures and working toward the development of small communities. I graduated from Universidad International del Ecuador, and promptly in my medical career, I discovered my passion while volunteering in a camp for Ecuadorian children with type 1 diabetes; there was no doubt I would pursue a career in Endocrinology. I joined the Wakefield residency program with great pleasure, knowing I would receive excellent training while working with a diverse community. To my surprise, I received more than I could ever ask for. Finding mentors who have guided me, provided opportunities I never knew were available, and inspired me to take on many challenges has been a privilege. Being selected as chief is an honor; I aim to accompany my colleagues in their learning process toward achieving their professional goals. I hope to learn more about medical education and systems-based practice this year. I also wish to continue to work on my research projects in Endocrinology in areas like Diabetes and Osteoporosis. Outside of work, I enjoy reading Latin American novels and attending my Zumba class. Dr. Carol Fernandez Hazim Chief Medical Resident 2023-2024 I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. I grew up in a family of five and became the only physician. I attended medical school in my hometown, where I graduated at the Universidad Central del Este. After medical school, I completed a year working in an underserved community as a primary care doctor. Coming to the Montefiore Wakefield Internal Medicine Residency Program was not a decision I took lightly, but I was sure the resources and opportunities were vast. Working in the Bronx has allowed me to work with underserved and underrepresented minorities, aligning perfectly with my background. During these years, I was honored to work on several research projects. I participated in and won the Philip Lief, MD Quality Improvement Program Award for Residents and Fellows in the Department of Medicine. This experience gave me a better understanding and the curiosity to dive deeper into QI work and find ways to improve patient care. This program motivated me to give back to those who helped shape me into the physician I am today, and it is an honor to support the new generation during the 2023- 2024 academic year. Outside of medicine, you can find me watching the NBA or baseball games. Dr. Joseph Hong Associate Program Director Dr. Joseph Hong graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2013 and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center. He joined the Wakefield program in 2016 as an academic hospitalist; besides his commitment to patient care and house staff training, he is also an enthusiastic supporter of point-of-care ultrasound and has worked on developing a POCUS curriculum for both internal medicine residents and hospitalists at Wakefield. Dr Hong became an associate program director in 2020. Dr. Eva Metalios Associate Program Director Eva Metalios, MD, Medical Director for Internal Medicine at Wakefield Ambulatory Care Center, Medical Director of Bronx Human Rights Clinic, Associate Program Director for Wakefield Internal Medicine Residency, Associate Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is a clinician educator and primary care physician. She has spent almost three decades at Montefiore providing care, developing programs, and conducting research focused on marginalized populations, specifically torture survivors and asylum seekers in the United States. Prior to becoming faculty at Einstein, Dr. Metalios received her undergraduate degree in philosophy from Barnard College, and medical degree from New York Medical College. She completed her Primary Care Internal Medicine residency and Chief Residency at Montefiore. Her academic interests include human rights, musculoskeletal medicine, and women's health. Dr. Olena Slinchenkova Associate Program Director Dr. Olena Slinchenkova completed her medical degree at Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy in 2001. After completing her Internal Medicine Residency at Wakefield in 2014 she served as Chief Resident and then was recruited as one of the first teaching hospitalists at Wakefield. Dr. Slinchenkova has taken on increasing levels of responsibility including serving as sub-internship site director and clerkship site director. Most recently, Dr. Slinchenkova became the Director of Medicine services and APD for Internal Medicine Residency at Wakefield. Dr. Kristin Swedish Associate Program Director Kristin Swedish, MD, MPH is a clinician educator at the Wakefield Ambulatory Care Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Dr. Swedish graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2007 and completed a residency in General Preventive Medicine and obtained her MPH from Mount Sinai in 2011. She then came to Montefiore for Social Internal Medicine/Primary Care residency and upon its completion in 2014, started teaching at Montefiore Wakefield. She joined the program leadership in 2016 as the Director for Scholarly Activity and Research, and became an APD in 2020.
