PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Robert Madlinger, DO, MPH, FACOS, FACS, LTC, USAR, USARC
Chief of Trauma, Acute Care and Surgical Critical Care, MVHS, Utica, NY
Dr. Madlinger received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience in Kansas City, Missouri. He performed his internship and residency in General Surgery at St. Barnabus Hospital in Bronx, New York. He also received fellowship training in Trauma and Critical Care from Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, New York.
Dr. Madlinger is board certified by the American Board of Osteopathic Surgery in both Surgical Critical Care and General Surgery. He is a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgery and the American College of Surgeons.
CORE SURGICAL RESIDENCY FACULTY
Paul Davidson, MD, FACS
Dr. Davidson is a surgeon at Surgical Associates of Utica in New Hartford, New York. He received his Doctor of Medicine from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, New York, and a Bachelor of Arts from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Davidson is chairman of the Medical Records Committee, a member of the Mohawk Valley Health System Medical Staff Advisory Committee and is one of SEMC’s trauma surgeons.
Nils-Tomas McBride, MD
Dr. McBride earned his Doctorate of Medicine from St. George’s University Medical School in True Blue, Grenada. He completed a General Surgery residency at Easton Hospital in Wilson, Pennsylvania, and a Cardiothoracic Surgery fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.
Maurizio Miglietta, DO
Dr. Miglietta graduated from Rutgers University and received a degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of the NYIT. He did his General Surgery residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in New York and Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowships at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland. Dr. Miglietta served as the Director of Medical Education and Program Director of a General Surgery residency program at Palisades Medical Center for over 6 years, creating 11 residency programs. He also served as Chief of the Division of Trauma and Critical Care at New York University School of Medicine and Director of Trauma and Co-Director of the Surgical ICU at the renowned and historic Bellevue Hospital Trauma Center in New York city and founded and served as Director of the Homeland Security Mobile Trauma Unit. He authored a number of scientific and medical publications and is a member of several scientific societies. Dr. Miglietta is fluent in Italian and speaks medical Spanish.
GENERAL SURGICAL RESIDENCY FACULTY
William A. Graber, MD, FACS
Dr. Graber founded the bariatric program at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare in 2002. He has more than 20 years of experience in laparoscopic surgery and has performed thousands of weight loss procedures.
Fayez Chahfe, MD
Dr. Chahfe received his medical degree from the University of Sherbrook (Quebec, Canada) and McGill University (Montreal, Canada). He completed a fellowship at the Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). He is board certified in Otolaryngology by the American Board of Otolaryngology.
Danielle Thesier, MD
Danielle Thesier, MD, has joined the MVHS Vascular Surgery Group. She specializes in the treatment of conditions of the blood vessels and lymph system (vascular diseases) as well as Vascular Procedures.
Dr. Thesier earned her medical degree, performed her residency in General Surgery and received fellowship training in Vascular Surgery at the State University of New York, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Thesier also completed fellowship training in Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ransford Commey, MD
Ransford Commey, MD, grew up in Ghana, West Africa. He spent his high school years in New York City and received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. After graduation, he worked in vaccine research and development at Merck & Co. Inc.in Pennsylvania, where he was instrumental in the development and production of multiple vaccines. He left the pharmaceutical industry for medical school in New Jersey at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Commey finished his General Surgery residency training at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he discovered his passion for Bariatric and Minimally Invasive GI Surgery. In residency, Dr. Commey also received training in Robotic General surgery.
Following his residency, Dr. Commey completed his Bariatric Surgery fellowship at St. Alexius Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. In fellowship, Dr. Commey trained in various bariatric surgery procedures including laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, the Loop Duodenal Switch and revisional bariatric surgery. Additionally, he is trained in performing endoscopic procedures including the insertion and removal of intragastric balloons, insertion of the Aspire Assist weight loss device and the Apollo overstitch endoscopic suturing system
Dr. Commey was nominated and recognized as a 2018 Leading Physician of the World and a 2018 Top Doctor in St. Louis.
Tracey Barone
Jorge Ferreiro, MD
Dr. Ferreiro received his bachelors degree in Microbiology – University of South Florida and his medical degree from Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain). He completed his residency in General Surgery at New York Medical College (Bronx, NY). He is certified in Surgery by the American Board of Surgery.
John Sperling, MD
Dr. Sperling received his bachelors degree in Environmental Studies/Biology from Alfred University and his medical degree from Georgetown University (Washington, DC). He completed an internship and residency in General Surgery at Monmouth Medical Center (Long Branch, NJ). Prior to joining FSLH, Dr. Sperling was a staff surgeon and director of Emergency Services at Griffiss Air Force Base. He has been on the medical staff at FSLH since 1991. He was recently deployed with the Navy Reserves in Afghanistan.
Nandita Rao, MD
Dr. Rao attended East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine for her medical degree, and then moved to East Tennessee State University for general surgery residency.
She was veryinvolved in both medical student and resident education and was awarded for her efforts every year of residency, including recognition by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism and Excellence in Teaching three years in a row.
She was additionally involved in clinical research related to global surgery and the establishment of medical care in internationally underserved areas. Dr. Rao was inaugurated into Alpha Omega Alpha prior to graduation, which is considered the highest honor awarded in medical training based upon compassion, servant leadership, and academic achievement. Following residency, she completed a 1-year fellowship program in metabolic and bariatric surgery at the University of Missouri.
Following residency, she completed a one-year fellowship program in metabolic and bariatric surgery at the University of Missouri.
Dr. Nandita Rao, a board-certified metabolic and bariatric surgeon, is a part of the Medical Staff of MVHS and the practice of Dr. William Graber and his team.
Nicholas Qandah, DO, FACOS
Dr. Qandah earned his medical degree from Midwestern University AZCOM in Glendale, Arizona. After completing Neurosurgical Residency training at the Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, Dr. Qandah was awarded the AO Complex Spine Fellowship in Orthopedics and Neurosurgery at the University of Washington-Harborview in Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Qandah served as the director of the Complex Spine Program for Neurosurgery and assistant professor of Neurosurgery for the Residency Program at the Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic. Dr. Qandah is a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Dr. Qandah treats patients with back and neck pain, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and herniated discs.
Natalie Pavelock, MD
Nathanial Gerhardt, PA
Prior to joining MVHS, Nathanial Gerhardt worked as an inpatient technician at Cobleskill Regional Hospital in Cobleskill, New York. He has more than four years of experience.
Kayla Panko, FNP
Panko earned her Master in Family Nurse Practitioner and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Utica College, Utica, New York.
Panko has more than four years of experience at MVHS in the Intensive Care Unit.
ADMINISTRATIVE FACULTY
Barbara Dyer, MSHA
Program Coordinator
General Surgery Residency Program
