Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital Pediatrician Named President-Elect of American Academy of Pediatrics New Jersey Chapter
February 05, 2021
Katharine Clouser, M.D., FAAP, a pediatric specialist at the Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, has been elected by her peers to serve as vice president-elect of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Dr. Clouser is one of four Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health physicians who serve on the Executive Committee of the Trenton-based organization. Two other Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health pediatricians were appointed to the executive committee as district counselors — Stephen Percy, Jr., M.D., MBA, FAAP, the vice chair of Pediatrics at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, and Melissa Wallach, M.D., FAAP, director of Medical Education at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and director of Quality Improvement of the Pediatric Primary Care Practices. Steven Kairys, M.D., MPH, FAAP, is the longtime medical director of the New Jersey Chapter.
“The children of New Jersey, and the people who care for them deserve advocates, and I’m happy to work and serve alongside the other members of the executive council, especially my peers in the Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health network,” said Dr. Clouser. “I’m thrilled to bring the leadership skills gained during my time at Hackensack University Medical Center to the state at large.”
About the Physicians
In addition to being an attending physician at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Dr. Clouser is the associate program director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Hackensack University Medical Center, the clerkship director of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Pediatric Clerkship program and the physician advisor to the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Clouser is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. She is board certified in Pediatrics and in Pediatric Hospital Medicine.
In addition to his role as vice-chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Dr. Percy is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and at UMDNJ – New Jersey Medical School. Clinically, Dr. Percy is the division director for the Children’s Hospital General Medicine service at HUMC. He is board-certified in pediatrics, pediatric critical care medicine, and pediatric hospital medicine.
Dr. Wallach is board certified in pediatrics and internal medicine. She is involved in various special integration projects to improve the quality of healthcare delivered to pediatric patients, including nutrition and primary care, and mental health and childhood development. She is also dedicated to medical education, teaching and advising medical students and resident physicians.
Dr. Kairys is the founding chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. Board-certified in general pediatrics, adolescent medicine and child abuse, Dr. Kairys has been recognized by the NJAAP as Pediatrician of the Year.