Pediatric Associates
MEDICAL STAFF
All physicians at Pediatric Associates are board certified in pediatrics and fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics. We are affiliated with all Syracuse area hospitals including the Golisano Children’s Hospital. Pediatric Associates strives to build strong relationships with our patients and their families and provide the highest standard of pediatric care.
Thomas Abbamont, MD, FAAP
Dr. Abbamont is originally from Mount Vernon, NY. He graduated from Fordham University summa cum laude with a BS in biology. He attended New York Medical College. Dr. Abbamont completed his residency training in pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University and joined Pediatric Associates in 1988. Outside of the office, Dr. Abbamont and his wife spend most of their time with their two children.
Steven Nicolais, MD, FAAP
Dr. Nicolais grew up in Rochester, NY. He graduated from LeMoyne College, and completed medical school and pediatric residency training at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Dr. Nicolais joined Pediatric Associates in 1989. In 1994 he was elected “Pediatrician of the Year” by the Upstate Pediatric Residency Staff. Dr. Nicolais has four children. He is active in youth athletics and enjoys camping and hiking with his family.
Cynthia Bright, MD, FAAP
Dr. Bright is a Pennsylvania native. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in biology. She attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and completed pediatric residency training at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Bright joined Pediatric Associates in 1990. In 1995, she received the Outstanding Community Physician Award from the Onondaga County Medical Society. Her area of interest is adolescent medicine. Dr. Bright is married and has four children. Her outside interests include tennis and skiing.
Coreena Weaver, MD, FAAP
Dr. Weaver is originally from Geneseo, NY. She graduated from Houghton College with a BS in biology and attended Oral Roberts University School of Medicine. Dr. Weaver completed her residency training in pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She practiced pediatrics in Rome, NY for three years before joining Pediatric Associates in 1995.
Kathleen Rovall, MD, FAAP
Dr. Rovall is a Syracuse native and graduated from LeMoyne College summa cum laude with a BS in biology. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, then returned to Syracuse to become chief resident in pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University before joining Pediatric Associates in 1996. In her free time, Dr. Rovall enjoys traveling with her husband, entertaining family and friends, and gardening.
Daniel Saarie, MD, FAAP
Dr. Saarie is a Central New York native and attended Syracuse University. He received his medical degree from the College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University and completed his residency training in pediatrics at the University of Vermont in Burlington. He and his family then returned to the Syracuse area where he joined Pediatric Associates in 1998. Dr. Saarie is happily married and has three children.
Wayne Leavitt, MD, FAAP
Dr. Leavitt is originally from Fair Lawn, NJ. He graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in mathematics. He then joined the United States Peace Corps where he taught math in Africa for three years. After teaching for seven years, he decided to become a pediatrician and continue his work with children. He attended the University of California School of Medicine at Davis and completed his pediatric residency on Long Island at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY. Dr. Leavitt joined Pediatric Associates in 2002. He is married and has three children.
Jennifer Rufa, MD, FAAP
Dr. Rufa is originally from Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Binghamton University with a BS in biology, then attended both medical school and completed her pediatric residency training at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Dr. Rufa joined Pediatric Associates in 2004. She enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.
Esther Livingstone, MD
Dr. Livingstone graduated from Cornell University, magna cum laude, with a B.S. in biology. She attended medical school and completed her pediatric residency training at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Dr. Livingstone joined Pediatric Associates in 2011. She is married, and she and her husband like to spend time outdoors, including hiking, cross-country skiing, and gardening.
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Michelle Dart, MSN, PNP
Michelle is originally from Elmira, NY. She graduated from Elmira College with a BS in Nursing. She graduated from Upstate Medical University with a Master of Science in Nursing and a pediatric nurse practitioner certificate. She is a certified diabetes educator. In addition to being a contributing author to some nursing text books, she is also the author of Motivational Interviewing in Nursing Practice: Empowering the Patient. Michelle joined Pediatric Associates in 2009.
Nancy Jones, MSN, PNP
Nancy graduated from Alfred University with her BS in Nursing. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing and pediatric nurse practitioner certificate from the University of Buffalo. Nancy has been a board certified pediatric nurse practitioner for 23 years. She joined Pediatric Associates in 1990, moved to the west coast for several years and returned to Pediatric Associates in 2009. She is married and has two children.
Alice Chico, RN, CPNP
Alice is originally from Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Hunter College (CUNY) with a BS in Nursing and an MS in Community Health Nursing. She received her Nurse Practitioner training at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Center in the Bronx. She has held positions as a staff RN, Public Health Nurse, and Assistant Professor in the first Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at SUNY-Upstate, Syracuse. Alice joined Pediatric Associates in 1985. She and her husband have four children and one grandchild.
Meet the Nurses:
Karen Wild, R.N.
After growing up in Camillus, Karen graduated from Auburn Memorial Hospital in 1976 where she worked on maternity for 11 years. She has worked at Pediatric Associates for the past 23 years. Karen is married, has two grown sons, an adorable granddaughter and a dog, Chloe. She notes that, “The best part of my job is watching the children grow, and it is true…kids say the darndest things.”
Mary Ann Tomas, R.N.
Mary Ann has been a pediatric nurse for 33 of her 35 years in nursing, spending the last 14 years at Pediatric Associates. She has been married for 33 years, has two grown, married daughters, one an artist, one a soldier in the U.S. Army, and an old dog named Bear. Mary Ann notes that one of the best things about her job is, “The children make me smile and I learn something new every day, especially about super heroes and princesses.”
Odessa Dean, R.N.
A graduate from Albany Medical Center School of Nursing in 1981, Odessa has enjoyed working with transplant, urology and plastic surgery patients for 3 years, as well as pediatric patients for seven years. She has been married for 29 years, has three grown children and an 11 year old chocolate lab.
Kelly Mc Shane L.P.N.
Kelly has been a geriatric and pediatric nurse for 7 years. She enjoys being a mother of 6 children.
Donna Lewis, L.P.N.
Of Donna’s 34 years in nursing, 20 years has been in pediatrics. She is the proud mom of two sons, both serving in the military.
UniQue L.P.N.
UniQue has worked in pediatrics for more than 5 years. She is the proud mother of two boys.
Gretchin Winland, L.P.N.
Gretchin is new to Pediatric Associates. She is the proud mom of five children, one of whom is a United States Marine. She has also been a state registered daycare provider for over 15 years.
Eileen Burghdurf, L.P.N.
Eileen is new to Pediatric Associates. She is married and the proud mom of 2 sons and a daughter. She enjoys gardening and reading.
