Geisinger providers honored for being ‘most caring’

DANVILLE, Pa. – More than 140 Geisinger caregivers were honored for being named “the best” by the patients they serve. 

Geisinger recognized providers – including physicians, physician assistants and certified registered nurse practitioners – for ranking in the top 10 percent in patient experience nationally at the health system’s annual Top Patient Experience Clinicians Awards Dinner. 

“The providers that were honored truly embody our Geisinger values,” said Jaewon Ryu, M.D., J.D., Geisinger interim president and CEO. “These individuals come to work every day and deliver the highest quality and most compassionate care. We’re proud to have these individuals caring for the patients in our communities.” 

Among the 146 clinicians honored, three were spotlighted for exemplary work – receiving Geisinger awards for going above and beyond when it comes to compassionate patient care.

Mary F. Callahan, M.D., family medicine physician, Geisinger Port Matilda, and W. Fred Hess, D.O., orthopedic surgeon, Geisinger Medical Center, received the Victor J. Marks Award for best Primary Care and Outpatient Specialty physician, respectively. The award was established in 2002 to honor Dr. Victor Marks, who served as Geisinger’s interim CEO from 2000 to 2001, and his commitment to making patients the primary focus of the health system. Recipients of the award are identified by patients as “the best of our best.”

Jennifer M. Aebli, certified physician assistant, Geisinger Scranton, received the Christina Appleman Award, given to Geisinger’s advanced practitioner achieving the highest overall care provider score on the patient satisfaction survey. The award is named in honor of Christina Appleman, certified registered nurse practitioner, and is given to the advanced practitioner for achieving the highest overall care provider section score for the system.

Providers were identified for the honor by results of patient satisfaction surveys. Clinicians were compared to more than 89,000 providers throughout the country that use Press Ganey surveys. 

Locally, the 90th percentile Geisinger winners are as follows:

Central region
Christina Appleman, CRNP, Obstetrics/Gynecology
Michael Ashton, M.D., Family medicine
Thomas Balz, M.D., Internal medicine
Maria Bermudez, M.D., Nephrology
Christopher Berry, PA-C, Neurological surgery
Thomas Bitterly, M.D., Plastic surgery
Rochelle Blue, PA-C, Orthopedic surgery
Judith Bianchi Bowser, O.D., Ophthalmology
Ion Dan Bucaloiu, M.D., Nephrology
Greg Burke, M.D., Internal medicine
John Burns, M.D., Gastroenterology
Luann Byerly, PA-C, Plastic surgery
Ronald Byerly, PA-C, Internal medicine
Michelle Cornacchia, M.D., Internal medicine
Benjamin Darhun, M.D., Family medicine 
Anju (Sonia) Dayal, M.D., Internal medicine
Lindsay Eisler, M.D., Otolaryngology
Jill Elliott, PA-C, Family medicine
Halle Ellison, M.D., General surgery
Lauren Fabian, PA-C, Gastroenterology
Christine Gallagher, O.D., Ophthalmology 
Jennifer Gallo, PA-C, Plastic surgery
William Gianfagna, M.D., Pediatrics
Christopher Good, D.O., Cardiovascular disease
Sherry Gordner, CRNP, Family medicine
Michael Halupa, DDS, Dental medicine
Ashley Hashuga, CRNP, Gastroenterology
W. Fred Hess, M.D., Orthopedic surgery, Spine injury
Lynn Hunter, CRNP, Obstetrics/Gynecology
Patricia Kane, D.O., Pediatrics
Christian Kauffman, M.D., Plastic surgery
Susannah Kisvarday, M.D., Internal medicine
Benjamin Kuhn, D.O., Pediatric gastroenterology
Rosemary Leeming, M.D., General surgery
Jenna Lindenmuth, PA-C, Orthopedic surgery, Sports medicine
Kevin Long, M.D., Colon and rectal surgery
Kelly Longenberger Warunek, PA-C, Urgent care
Victor James Marks, M.D., Dermatology
Michele Maroon, M.D., Dermatology
John Matunis, PA-C, Medical oncology
Timothy Mccloskey, D.O. Allergy and immunology
Shannon McShea, PA-C, Gastroenterology
Robert Meloy, M.D., Internal medicine
Karen Mettler, CRNP, Orthopedic surgery, sports medicine
O. Fred Miller, M.D., Dermatology
Donna Milligan, PA-C, Otolaryngology
William Mirenda, M.D., Pediatric orthopedic surgery
Christen Mowad, M.D., Dermatology
Thad Neidrick, CRNP, Vascular surgery
Elyssa Johnson, PA-C, Family medicine
Jess Oren, M.D., Cardiovascular disease
Matthew Palmer, M.D., Dermatology
Rajiv Panikkar, M.D., Medical oncology
Ann Patterson, PA-C, Orthopedic surgery, hand surgery
Amy Patynski, PA-C, Orthopedic surgery, spine surgery
John Arthur Pellegrino, M.D., Family medicine
Lauren Peters, PA-C, Orthopedic surgery
Mary Petrick, M.D., Dermatology
John Quick, M.D., Anesthesiology 
Marylou Rainone, D.O., General surgery
Katherine Raker, CNM, Obstetrics/Gynecology
David Rolston, M.D., Internal medicine
Dana Rubin, PA-C, Plastic surgery
Elizabeth Scott, CRNP, Cardiovascular disease
Nicholas Sebes, M.D, Dermatology
Mark Seeley, M.D., Orthopedic surgery
Keith Shalongo, O.D., Ophthalmology
Ashlee Smith, D.O., Gynecological oncology
Dennis Smith, M.D., Cardiovascular disease
Christopher Still, D. O., Gastroenterology
Randle Storm, M.D., Cardiovascular disease
Kristina Thornburg, D.O., General surgery
Dennis Torretti, M.D., Rheumatology
David Troutman, DPM, Podiatry
Monisa Wagner, PA-C, Pediatric neurology
Diana Whitebread, PA-C, Family medicine

Northeast region
Christian Adonizio, M.D., Medical oncology
Jennifer Aebli, PA-C, Orthopedic surgery
Joseph Bannon, M.D., General surgery
Barry Bernstein, DPM, Podiatry 
Stephanie Cabello, M.D., Internal medicine
Brooke Casey, PA-C, Plastic surgery
Jose Castillo, M.D., Medical oncology
Stacy Conway, O.D., Ophthalmology
Karla Dalious, PA-C, Urgent care
Kelly Dalton, O.D., Ophthalmology
Jean Torello Denion, PA-C, Urgent care
Kathleen Ercolani, CRNP, Urgent care
Seth Fisher, M.D., Cardiovascular disease
Harsh Gandhi, M.D., Medical oncology
Sean George, D.O., Cardiovascular disease
Christopher Holtz, D.O., Pediatrics
Ryan Horsley, D.O., General surgery
Megan Kelly, PA-C, Urgent care
James Klena, M.D., Thoracic surgery
Kimberly Kovalick, D.O., Family medicine 
Michael Kovalick, D.O., Family medicine
Gerald Lacey, PA-C, Cardiovascular disease
Anja Landis, M.D., Family medicine
Melissa Laporte, CRNP, Endocrinology
Kara Levandoski, PA-C, Cardiovascular disease
Jessica Manzolillo, PA-C, Urgent care
Richard Martin, M.D., Family medicine
Vernon Mascarenhas, M.D., Cardiovascular disease
William Mclaughlin, D.O., Ophthalmology
Erin Miller, D.O., General surgery
Kathleen Noss, D.O., Pediatrics
Hans Olsen, M.D., Orthopedic surgery, sports medicine
Lauren Polanin, PA-C, Urgent care
Kerri Portanova, PA-C, Urgent care
John Prater, M.D., Family medicine
Kimberly Reed, PA-C, Gastroenterology
Jamian Ryan, D.O., Pediatrics 
Maria Alexies Samonte, M.D, Pediatrics
Justin Tunis, M.D., Orthopedic surgery, sports medicine
Daniel Upton, M.D., Ophthalmology
Sarah Vidumsky, PA-C, Urgent care
Gehred Wetzel, D.O., Obstetrics/Gynecology 
Diane Whitcomb, CRNP, Urgent care
Mary Wolf, PA-C, Medical oncology
Christopher Yusko, D.O., Internal medicine
Lisa Zimmerman, PA-C, Gastroenterology

Southcentral region
Anthony Arlotti, M.D., Pediatrics
Christina Basonic, CRNP, Cardiovascular
David Kann, M.D., Cardiovascular disease
Christine Myers, CRNP, Endocrinology
Kelli Scurfield, PA-C, General surgery
John Snoke, D.O., Family medicine
Angela Soto Hamlin, M.D., General surgery
Jennifer Still, M.D., Pediatrics
Melissa Wolfe, PA-C, Neurology

West region
Gregory Anderson, M.D., General surgery
Jacquelyn Borst, PA-C, Urgent care
Paul Brahmakulam, M.D., Pediatrics
Mary Callahan, M.D., Family medicine
Mona Duncan, M.D., General surgery
Joanna Gunnett, CRNP, Pulmonary disease
Sheldon Henry, M.D., Cardiovascular disease
Stacy Klepeiss, M.D., Dermatology
Jennifer Koberna, CRNP, Pediatrics
Kimberly Manganaro, M.D., Family medicine
Deanna Martin, PA-C, Pediatrics
Brett Oesterling, M.D., Family medicine
Heather Rimmey, PA-C, Otolaryngology
Lorraine Rosamilia, M.D., Dermatology
Abbey Solt, PA-C, Family medicine

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.  Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.