Prakash Satwani, MD

My interest in the physical and mental wellbeing of children and adolescents started in medical school and was solidified during my pediatric residency. I cared for underprivileged children and teenagers with growth failure, failure to thrive, and obesity. Those experiences led me to the field of pediatric endocrinology, which provided me with the opportunity to treat children of all ages with a wide spectrum of endocrine disorders. I have a special interest in growth and puberty disorders as well as the late endocrine effects of childhood cancer. My clinical academic background has helped me to build a unique practice in which I take care of very complex patients with endocrine disorders, including oncology patients, transplant patients, and international patients with complex endocrine disorders. My training in pediatric endocrinology and metabolism also sparked my interest in clinical research. In a study funded by the New York Empire Clinical Investigator Program I explored the metabolic effects on children exposed to diabetes in utero, and I also worked on the NIH Bone Mineral Density Childhood Project. Following these projects I had five years of rich experience working with Columbia's Center for Children’s Environmental Health, exploring the effects of air pollution and endocrine disruptors on children’s metabolism and their link to obesity. I have been lucky to share my experience and passion for endocrinology through teaching many pediatric endocrinology fellows, pediatric residents, and medical students. My goal as a physician is intertwined with my goal as an educator—teaching the new generation of physicians the art of pediatric medicine and endocrinology.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to become a pediatrician. I was led to cardiology during my pediatrics residency at Babies Hospital—now NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital—where I witnessed the deep bond that pediatric cardiologists develop with their patients who have congenital heart disease. In my own practice, it has been a privilege to have such close relationships with my patients and their families. It is a joy to watch as children with even the most complex heart problems develop into thriving young adults, thanks to continuous innovations in cardiac surgery, interventional catheterization, and arrhythmia management. In addition to patients with congenital heart disease, I see children and teenagers with symptoms such as fainting, chest pain, and heart murmurs, as well as children with other anomalies that may be associated with heart problems. Their issues may differ from those of my more complex cardiac patients, but families' concerns about their children's health are the same no matter what the problem is, and they receive the same compassionate care and consideration. My office on West 86th Street is one of Columbia's pediatric subspecialty practices. I see patients there four days a week with appointments available early morning to late afternoon. It is a full-service office including ECG and echocardiogram machines. I also see patients at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital once a week, and I spend several weeks a year caring for patients in the neonatal cardiac intensive care unit (NCICU). I also teach pediatric cardiology fellows and other trainees, both on hospital rounds and in my role as director of the pediatric cardiology fellows clinic. I very much enjoy being a faculty mentor for Columbia medical students as well. Most recently, I have been involved in both research and care of children who develop MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) related to a COVID-19 infection.

Dr. Anne Ferris is the medical director of the Center for Single Ventricle care at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, which she co-founded in 2014. She is also medical director of the cardiology/neurology inpatient unit at the hospital and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University in the division of Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Ferris received her medical degree from St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, India, did her residency and chief residency in pediatrics at New York Medical College, and stayed on as a faculty member at Columbia after completing her fellowship in pediatric cardiology. During the course of her career Dr. Ferris has volunteered extensively, including at Mother Theresa’s Orphanage, teaching Braille at the Blind School, and working with Afghan refugees under the aegis of the United Nations High Commission for Refugee Relief. She has been on international disaster medical response teams to countries in South Asia and has worked and lived with tribal and primitive societies for several years in rural India. Dr. Ferris has won several awards for excellence in teaching. As chief resident she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society, signifying a lasting commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism, and service. The department of nursing at NewYork-Presbyterian recently honored her with the physician of the year award in acknowledgement of her commitment to providing a collaborative, collegial environment that supports the highest standards of patient care.