Program Leadership

Lia Cruz, DO

Program Director

Amy Puchalski, MD

Associate Program Director

Asuncion Erikson

Program Coordinator

Current Fellows

PGY-5 Class

Victoria Riley, MD

Medical School: University of South Florida
 
Residency: All Children’s Hospital St. Petersburg (Pediatrics)
 

“I grew up with eight brothers and sisters in a small, one-stoplight town in Florida. I went on to complete medical school and residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa and am board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine. After many fulfilling years as a hospitalist, I decided to challenge myself further by stepping into the fast-paced and rewarding world of pediatric emergency medicine. I chose CMC for its outstanding reputation and have been continually impressed by the expertise and dedication of its world-renowned faculty. Outside of the hospital, I enjoy CrossFit, pickleball, playing cards, and cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I am incredibly fortunate to have the support of my husband and our three children as I take on this exciting adventure!”

Adam Brzezinski, MD

Medical School: Poznan University of Medical Sciences
 
Residency: BayCare St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital (Pediatrics)
 
“Hello! My name is Adam – I am originally from Michigan and moved to Florida around high school, where I went to undergrad at Florida State University.  I fell in love with Charlotte the very first time my wife and I visited, and we couldn’t get enough of the great food and drink scene, awesome weather, and the fun outdoorsy activities (which our Bernedoodle, Scout, loves the most)!  CMC provided the perfect mixture of high acuity and high volume surrounded by smart, outstanding co-workers, all within a beautiful metropolitan area that anyone would be lucky to train and live in.  I am a movie buff, an avid video gamer, and I try to stay active either running or weightlifting in between finding the best burger places and cocktail joints.  My research interests are in airway management and medical simulation.  I couldn’t see myself training anywhere else!”

 

Sami Hlebak, DO

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
 
Residency: University of Illinois College of Medicine
 
“Hello! My name is Sami!
I grew up here in Charlotte, went to undergrad up at Appalachian State, and did medical school in South Carolina.  I did my residency at The University of Illinois.  My husband and I were looking to move back to the area after residency.  Growing up in Charlotte I knew Levine Childrens had a wonderful reputation as a fantastic childrens hospital.   When I interviewed with the program I immediately felt like it was the perfect fit for me! Everyone was kind and super excited to meet with me and answer all my questions about the program.  You could really tell how invested the faculty and other fellow were in creating a supportive learning environment.  Moving back to the city has been wonderful!  There are lots of delicious restaurants and plenty to do.  My husband and I have spent lots of time cycling on the Greenways around the city and trying out new restaurants and cocktail bars!  I am still working on developing my research area but I am interested in resident and medical student education and medical simulation.  My first few months here have been really wonderful and I already feel like I am learning so much!”
 

PGY-4 Class

Chloe Doris, MD

Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical School
 
Residency: Carolinas Medical Center (Emergency Medicine)

 

“Originally from New York, I’ve proudly called Charlotte home for many years. I completed my undergraduate education at UNC before earning my medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. I then returned to Charlotte to complete my Emergency Medicine residency at CMC. I’m incredibly grateful to be staying on at CMC and Levine Children’s, where the exceptional clinical experience, incredible patient population, and invaluable mentorship have shaped me into the physician I am today. This institution has truly become home, and my colleagues have become like family.

Outside of work, I enjoy staying active by working out, exploring Charlotte’s growing restaurant scene, and hitting the slopes whenever I get the chance. I’m also looking forward to marrying my fiancé this summer and spending time with our German Shepherd, Kaya. I’m excited to continue caring for the children and families of our community and to begin this next chapter alongside the team that has meant so much to me.”

 

Madeline Hendrix, MD

Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
 
Residency: Washington University (Pediatrics) 
 

“Hello! My name is Madeline and I am so excited to have started PEM fellowship at CMC. I am originally from Oklahoma where I went to undergrad and medical school, but I spent the last 3 years doing my pediatrics residency at Wash U in St. Louis. I was thrilled to discover CMC because it’s everything I was looking for in a program – high acuity with diverse pathology, housed within an impressive emergency medicine department, with the greatest bonus being the city itself and all that North Carolina has to offer! So far I have been most impressed by how individualized our curriculum can be. I am professionally interested in pediatric readiness and pre-hospital care, and I can easily see how I will be encouraged and challenged to pursue whatever I want here. On my days off I love to read, work my way through the never ending list of restaurants to try here, explore the greenways, and daydream about my next trip. My husband and I love to travel, and we can’t wait to take along our Australian Shepherd, Beans, to the beautiful mountains and beaches nearby.”

Jason Ly, DO

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
 
Residency: Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters 
 

“Hi! I’m Jason, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellow at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center/Levine Children’s Hospital.

Before fellowship, I completed my pediatric residency and served as Chief Resident at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. During that time, I discovered my passion for teaching, mentoring, and occasionally convincing residents that wellness events really are fun. My professional interests include global health, point-of-care ultrasound, and caring for children in resource-limited settings. Throughout residency, I participated in global health experiences in Vietnam, Panama, and Kenya. These opportunities shaped my perspective on equitable pediatric care and strengthened my commitment to serving diverse communities.

CMC is the perfect fit for me because of its commitment to serving a diverse patient population, its strong culture of mentorship, and the opportunity to combine exceptional pediatric emergency training with meaningful global health experiences. Outside of the ED, I enjoy trying new restaurants, cooking, traveling, exploring the outdoors with my goldendoodle, Ollie, and discovering new adventures around Charlotte.”

 

Alumni

                                                                                                                                                                                               

2026

Dr. Beth Melton, DO | Charlotte, NC | Emergency Medicine Physician | US News Doctors

Beth Melton, DO

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus

Residency:  Wake Forest (Emergency)

“Hi! My name is Beth Melton and I am originally from Michigan and went to Michigan State University for college. I moved to Charlotte shortly after and worked for several years as a medical assistant, EMT, and was a Hyperbaric Technologist at CMC – Mercy. I attended medical school in South Carolina and recently completed my EM residency at Wake Forest. I live in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte now with my husband Tyler, my cat Petrie and my dog Triscuit. Professionally, I have research and clinical interests in preventing child abuse, ED care of sexual assault patients, workplace violence, and global health. Personally, I enjoy cooking and baking, attempting to try every Charlotte restaurant (just ask me for recommendations!), running and hiking, watersports, travel, reading, and crocheting. My favorite thing about CMC so far has been the people. The attendings and teaching are unmatched, and working alongside the phenomenal residents and other fellows makes me happy to come to work every day.”

Taylor Burl, MD

Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine

Residency:  Hennepin County (Emergency)

“Hello! My name is Taylor and I’m a second-year PEM fellow, along with Beth. I grew up in Newburyport, Massachusetts and have a strong preference for beaches, black dogs, seafood, and New England sports teams. I went to undergrad at Penn State so naturally love the Nittany Lions and college football, too. I stayed in Boston for medical school at Tufts, and recently completed my emergency medicine residency at Hennepin County in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I fell in love with the PEM fellowship at CMC/LCH because it’s a high acuity, high volume, urban hospital program in a city with easy access to the outdoors, a great food and drink scene (I’ve been getting recommendations from Beth since I moved), and lovely neighborhoods to live in.  On days off you can find me running,  hiking with my dog, browsing flea markets, or reading romance novels and murder mysteries. My research interests include pediatric airway management and pediatric trauma. I’m looking forward to exploring these interests during fellowship, with the support of the wonderful and down-to-earth faculty at CMC/LCH. “

 

PGY-6

Rebecca Raffler, DO

Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: Carolinas Medical Center (Pediatrics)

“I’m a rare, born and raised, Charlotte native! Despite leaving to do my Undergrad at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, then living in NYC for a few years, I found my way back down south for medical school at VCOM in Spartanburg, SC. It was a very easy decision for me to come back to Charlotte, NC for my Pediatric Residency training at Levine Children’s Hospital and I love it here so much that I stayed for Fellowship. My research interests are on invasive group A strep, sepsis, and I have completed our Sim Track! While our education and experience are uncontested with the amount of high acuity patients we care for and the diverse pathologies, it’s the people we work with and the city itself that sold this program to me. Charlotte is central to the mountains, beach, and multiple lakes so there’s always something to do and somewhere to be! The food, bar, and activity scene here is amazing and (most importantly) it’s super dog friendly! I can’t imagine being anywhere else. So come hang out with us!”

 

2025

Zack Gibson, DO

Medical School: A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency:  University of Arizona (Emergency Medicine)

Research Interest:  Airway Management, Medical Education

Current Position:  University of Utah

Haseeb Khatri, MD

Medical School: Texas A&M

Residency: University of Missouri (Emergency Medicine)

Research Interest: Advocacy and Policy, HIV Linkage to Care

Current Position: Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management Fellowship (inaugural Atrium Health Program Fellow!), Carolinas Medical Center and Levine Children’s Emergency Department

Maureen Nsofor, MD

Medical School: Morehouse Medical College

Residency: Emory (Pediatrics)

Research Interest: Injury Prevention

Current Position: Carolinas Medical Center and Levine Children’s Emergency Department

 

2024

Ali Rosser, MD

Medical School: SUNY Upstate

Residency: Stony Brook (Emergency Medicine)

Research Interest: Simulation and Medical Education

Current Position: Dell Children’s Hospital – Austin

 

Kendra Jackson, MD

Medical School: University of Virginia

Residency: Carolinas Medical Center (Pediatrics)

Research Interest: HIV and Medical Education

Current Position: Johns Hopkins University

 

2023

Lizz Olson, MD

Medical School: Wake Forest

Residency: Carolinas Medical Center (Emergency Medicine)

Research Interest: Informatics and HIV

Current Position: Medical College of Georgia

Erica Scott, MD

Medical School: Texas Tech

Residency: East Carolina University (Emergency Medicine)

Research Interest: Global Health and Medical Education

Current Position: UT Southwestern

 

Whitney Ficker, MD

Medical School: University of Missouri

Residency: University of Missouri (Pediatrics)

Research Interest: Human Trafficking

 Current Position: University of Missouri

 

2022

Vanessa Goff, MD

Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Residency: Children’s National Health System (Pediatrics)

Current Position: East Carolina University

Nikki Richardson, MD

Medical School: East Carolina University

Residency: Carolinas Medical Center (Emergency Medicine)

Current Position: Associate Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and the Director of Education for BayCare Emergency medicine residency- Tampa

 

2021

 Elise Graber, MD

Medical School: University of Miami

Residency: University of Miami (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Jackson Health System

Juliana Jaramillo, MD

Medical School: SUNY Downstate

Residency: King’s Country Hospital/SUNY Downstate (Emergency Medicine)

Current Position: East Carolina University

 

2020

Mary Grady, MD

Medical School: New York Medical College

Residency: New York University (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC

Ashley Mazo, MD

Medical School: Medical College of Georgia

Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Richmond (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Memorial Health Dwaine and Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital in Savannah, GA

2019

Chantel Walker, MD

Medical School: Florida State University – College of Medicine
 
Residency: University of Florida – Jacksonville (Pediatrics)
 
Current Position: Mercy Emergency Department, St. Louis, MO
 
 

Jennifer Tiller, MD

Medical school: Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine – Chicago, IL

Residency: Children’s Hospital – University of Illinois – Chicago, IL (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Cook Children’s Emergency Department – Fort Worth, TX

2018

Simone Lawson, MD

Medical School: University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Residency:  LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Administration (Pediatrics)

Additional Fellowship: Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC- Body Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Ultrasound

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at Children’s National Hospital and The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.  Program Director Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Fellowship

 

2017

Christyn Magill, MD

Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine

Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Richmond (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center and Levine Childrens’ Hospital

JR Young, MD

Medical School: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Residency: Children’s Hospital of Colorado (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates, Charlotte, NC

Kat Bryant, MD

Medical School: USF Morsani College of Medicine

Residency: East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine (Emergency Medicine)

Current Position: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Division Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine ECUH, Clinical Assistant Professor, ECU Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC

 

2016

profile

Jeremiah Smith, MD

Medical School: Southern Illinois University

Residency: Indiana University (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Prisma Health Medical Group, Greenville, SC

 

2015

Matt Neal, MD

Medical School: University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Residency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Prisma Health Medical Group, Greenville, SC

image of Abby Mofield, MD

Abby Mofield, MD

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Residency: Indiana University School of Medicine (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Lee Health, Ft. Myers, FL

 

2014

Maneesha Agarwal, MD

Medical School: University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Residency: Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics (Pediatrics)

Current Position: Faculty and Associate Professor Emory University School of Medicine / Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

 

2012

Chad Scarboro, MD

Medical School: Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Residency: East Carolina, Brody School of Medicine (Emergency Medicine)

Current Position: Chief Medical Officer, Levine Children’s Hospital and Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Center.  Associate Professor,  Department of Emergency Medicine, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center