General Surgery Residency Faculty
J. Alexander Palesty, MD, FACS
Director, Program in Surgery
Dr. Palesty joined the Saint Mary's Health System in 2005, adding his expertise in robotic surgery, minimally invasive surgery and surgical oncology. After receiving his medical degree from Saint George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, Dr. Palesty went on to complete his residency in General Surgery at Saint Mary’s Hospital and subsequently a research fellowship in plastic surgery at Yale University. Thereafter, he spent two years at the prestigious Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, as a fellow in surgical oncology.
He currently serves as the Director of the Residency Training Program in Surgery and is the Director of Surgical Oncology at the Stanley J. Dudrick Department of Surgery at Saint Mary’s Hospital.
Dr. Palesty is the Surgical Director of Clinical Cancer Research at Saint Mary’s Hospital and is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center. He established and serves as director of the Saint Mary’s Surgical Simulation Laboratory, and is the author of over 30 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, and remains involved in the research arena. He also acts as the Surgeon to the Waterbury Police force as well as one of the Surgeons for the Connecticut State Police.
Glenda Callender, MD
Dr. Glenda Callender, board certified by the American Board of Surgery, has joined Saint Mary’s Hospital and Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group. Along with her other surgical colleagues, Dr. Callender is welcoming new patients.
She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Dr. Callender is fellowship trained in Surgical Oncology and Surgical Endocrinology, and completed both fellowships at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Callender comes to Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group Saint Mary’s from Yale University School of Medicine where she served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Clinician-Educator Track. Dr. Callender’s clinical interests include thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgery. She focuses on minimally invasive approaches and surgery for endocrine cancers.
Shady Macaron, MD
Dr. Shady Macaron is a board-certified general surgeon specializing in bariatric and robotic-assisted surgical procedures. Dr. Macaron received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and medical degree from the American University of Beirut. He completed his residency in general surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, Waterbury Hospital Health System and Saint Mary’s Hospital. He also completed a fellowship in laparo-endoscopic surgery at Danbury Hospital.
Ellen G. Polokoff, MD, FACS
Dr. Polokoff is a general surgeon specializing in all aspects of women’s breast health. She received her medical degree from New York Medical College and completed her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
Formerly the Secretary and President –Elect of the Medical Staff at Yale New Haven Hospital, Dr. Polokoff brings to our community more than 15 years surgical experience. She also serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.
Beth A. Sieling, MD, FACS
Dr. Sieling is a board-certified general surgeon who earned her medical degree from East Carolina University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in general surgery at Abington Memorial Hospital in suburban Philadelphia, as well as a Breast Surgery Fellowship under the tutelage of nationally-renowned experts at The Comprehensive Breast Center in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Dr. Sieling is skilled in the most advanced technologies available for the diagnosis and treatment of breast disease, including minimally invasive stereotactic and ultrasound-guided core breast biopsies. She also performs skin- and nipple-sparing mastectomy, placement of accelerated partial breast irradiation catheters, and genetic counseling and testing for patients at risk for BRCA gene mutations.
Nicole Sookhan, MD, FRCS, FACS
Nicole Sookhan, MD, FRCS, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon specializing in all aspects of women’s breast health. Dr. Sookhan received her medical degree from the University of the West Indies. She completed her surgical training in the United Kingdom and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland. She completed a research fellowship at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Mansel, an internationally known expert in breast surgery. Dr. Sookhan also completed a residency program in general surgery at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York and a Multidisciplinary Breast Surgery Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.
A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Dr. Sookhan is a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the American Society of Breast Disease. Her areas of expertise include nipple sparing and skin sparing mastectomies and oncoplastic techniques in breast surgery. Dr. Sookhan practice, The Breast & Oncology Center of Prospect, is an affiliate of Saint Mary’s Hospital. She is Associate Program Director for Saint Mary’s Surgical Residency Training Program and serves as the Cancer Liaison Physician for the Saint Mary’s Hospital Cancer Committee.
Shohan Shetty, MD
Shohan Shetty, M.D. is a board certified surgeon specializing in advanced laparoscopy and other minimally invasive surgical techniques, including all forms of general and weight-loss/bariatric surgery.
Dr. Shetty attended medical school in India and, after earning his medical degree, trained in the United Kingdom prior to starting residency in general surgery at Saint Mary’s Hospital. During his residency, Dr. Shetty completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Yale School of Medicine in surgical education and simulation training.
After completing his residency, Dr. Shetty went on pursue a fellowship in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and has successfully obtained the ASMBS (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) certification of training. He serves as an active member of ACS (American College of Surgeons), ASMBS and the APDS (Association of Program Directors in Surgery). Dr. Shetty has authored numerous peer reviewed journal articles, award winning presentations at national meetings.
Dr. Shetty is committed to researching the root causes of obesity and bringing awareness to the short and long-term benefits of weight loss surgery that can impact health in particular and quality of life in general.
Abdulmasih Zarif Zarif, MD, FACS
Dr. Abdulmasih Zarif Zarif is the medical director of Saint Mary’s Trauma Program and Section Chief for General Surgery. Dr. Zarif received his medical degree from Damascus University School of Medicine. He completed a surgical internship at Saint Francis Hospital and the University of Connecticut. Dr. Zarif completed his general surgery residency training at the University of Connecticut, Saint Mary’s Hospital and Yale University with a fellowship in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Board certified in general surgery, he has been a member of the Saint Mary’s Hospital medical staff since 1997. Dr. Zarif’s areas of clinical interest include minimally invasive, robotic and emergency surgery. He was honored with teaching awards for his work with the surgical residency program in 1996 and 2012. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Staff Bios
Kathie Matthews
Kathie Matthews is the Assistant Program Coordinator for the Surgical Residency Program and the Medical Student Clerkship Coordinator. A valuable resource for resident physicians, medical students, and other hospital personnel, she is the surgery liaison with the medical schools from which we accept students. Kathie always goes “above and beyond the call of duty” and played an integral part in the establishment and maintenance of the state-of-the-art Department’s Surgical Simulation Laboratory.
Joan Cristiano
Joan Cristiano is the Program Coordinator for the Surgical Residency Program at Saint Mary’s Hospital and the Administrator of the Department of Surgery. She has participated in Graduate Medical Education for decades, in particular, the training of surgical residents. She previously held administrative positions in the Yale-New Haven Health System as the Program Coordinator at Bridgeport Hospital. Her considerable knowledge of ACGME requirements and program coordination led her to establish a New England Society for Program Coordinators in Surgery. She continues to serve as a resource for Program Coordinators and Program Directors throughout New England . She is well-known nationally by leaders of American surgery and the surgical education community as a result of her close association with Dr. Stanley Dudrick. Throughout her career, she has participated in the training of hundreds of surgical residents, many of whom currently hold prestigious academic and executive positions in the U.S.
Cynthia Quadrato
Cynthia Quadrato is the Department Secretary and serves as the face and voice of the department. She is the first person to greet visitors, and often is the voice they hear most often on the telephone. She has been with Saint Mary’s Hospital since 1997. In addition to her secretarial duties, she assists the program director and program coordinator with daily operations plays an vital role in the organization of resident candidate interview sessions and annual examinations.
Roxanne Tapley
Roxanne Tapley is the Trauma Program Manager in the Department of Surgery for our American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) Level II Center. Roxanne is a talented nurse and administrator who is highly proficient in organizing and promoting physician and departmental relations. Prior to our recruitment of Roxanne to the Department of Surgery, she was initially a staff nurse in the Emergency Department, then patient flow manager and subsequently the house shift supervisor. Roxanne is a certified Course Director for Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) which is recognized both nationally and internationally, and remains heavily involved with continuing education for not only staff physicians, but residents, nurses and medical students. She received her Nursing Degree from Quinnipiac University, and her BSN from Western Connecticut State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude.