Giovanni Bonomo, MD

Dr. Rodino has been serving the Staten Island community practicing Vascular Surgery since 1997. After receiving his medical degree from State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, he completed his training in both General Surgery and Vascular Surgery also at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. He is Board Certified in both Vascular and General Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. While on faculty as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at SUNY Downstate he participated in numerous research projects and publications. Dr. Rodino has extensive experience in both open and endovascular surgery and has a clinical practice focus in the treatment of venous disease, varicose veins and dialysis access surgery.

Dr. Shiara Ortiz-Pujols joins the Northwell Health family after most recently serving as the Medical Director of Obesity Medicine at MedExpress/Optum Health. She helped develop and grow a national comprehensive medical weight loss program focused on whole-person care, which was offered as an employee benefit.She completed her undergraduate studies at Yale University. She then went on to receive her MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and her MPH at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. She continued her training as a United Health Group Clinical Scholar in Obesity Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, under the mentorship of Dr. Louis Aronne.Her post-medical training includes training in surgery, preventive medicine/population health, and obesity medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is board-certified in Public Health & General Preventive Medicine, Obesity Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine.She has a strong commitment to person-centered, holistic, and equitable care and strives to expand high-quality, evidence-based, and culturally competent care to all. She is also very interested in population health and research with the goal of finding novel and pragmatic strategies to improve health by addressing obesity as the root cause of many preventable and chronic conditions. One of her priorities will be focusing on Hispanic/Latinx populations, given the high prevalence of obesity and its related conditions in this population.

Basem Nady Azab, MD, is the director of surgical oncology at Staten Island University Hospital’s Florina Cancer Center at Northwell, one of the largest cancer programs in the New York metropolitan area. He’s the first and only doctor in the country who is triple board-certified by the American Board of Surgery, American Board of Medicine and American Board of Surgical Oncology. “My father was a firefighter, and I developed the same passion for helping others,” Dr. Azab explains. “That’s why I became a doctor and chose a career path where I could really make a difference.” Prior to joining Northwell, Dr. Azab completed his internal medicine and surgical residency at Staten Island University Hospital, where he received the honorary Humanistic Award for exceptional patient care. He continued his training in a two-year surgical oncology fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Azab's areas of focus include complex procedures and minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgery to treat a wide range of cancers. Under his leadership, the Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) Program was created at Staten Island University Hospital, the first of its kind in Richmond County. It offers state-of-the-art therapies for patients with advanced abdominal cancer, pairing the latest treatments and surgical techniques—like vascular reconstruction with Whipple surgery—to deliver the best results. Compassion and accessibility are also important to Dr. Azab. “Most of my patients have my personal cell phone number,” he says. “They’re very much involved in the treatment discussion, and we work together to find the best path forward.” As assistant professor at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Dr. Azab trains the next generation of surgical oncologists. His work has been featured in nearly 50 publications, he has spoken at several international and national oncology meetings, and he’s a member of numerous professional societies, including the American College of Surgeons. Outside of his professional duties, Dr. Azab is a master chess player. “It's a game of strategy, much like the job of a surgeon,” he explains. “You must avoid decision fatigue and be on your toes, which is critical in the operating room.” For Dr. Azab, the gift he’s able to give patients is the most rewarding: “It is gratifying to know that I play a part in helping my patients not only live, but also enjoy life moving forward,” he says.