Our Core Faculty

Chair of Surgery, RWJMS

Email

Leonard Y. Lee, M.D. graduated from then UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden in 1992.  He completed his general surgery residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center, New York Medical College in 1997.  He served two years in the basic science lab of Todd Rosengart, M.D. and Ron Crystal, M.D. at New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center focused on gene therapy research for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases culminating in an NHLBI sponsored human trial.  He then completed fellowship training in cardiothoracic surgery at New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2001.  For the next 10 years he served on the faculty at Cornell within the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery before being recruited for a one year stay at Hackensack University Medical Center, then ultimately Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he currently serves as the James W. Mackenzie, M.D. Professor and Chair for the Department of Surgery

Personally, Dr Lee has maintained productivity in terms of education, research, and clinical responsibilities despite growing administrative demands and requirements.  Research efforts have continued, both clinical and basic, with over 200 published articles and abstracts as well as a recent ADA grant submission and RO1 and AHA grants currently in preparation for submission late 2019.   As a mentor and educator, He has received high reviews from students and residents alike.  Finally, Dr Lee remains one of the most productive clinicians in the school and hospital, personally performing 400 heart surgeries per year, generating 19,000 wRVU with an interest in minimally invasive valve surgery and thoracic aortic pathology.   

Program Director, RWJMS General Surgery

email

Nell Maloney Patel is double board certified in both Colon and Rectal Surgery and General Surgery.   She is an expert in robotic and laparoscopic surgery and she is committed to offering minimally invasive approaches to patients whenever possible.  She is one of the only surgeons in New Jersey who offers incisonless surgery for early rectal cancers.  Her clinical research focuses on developing methods of minimizing the stresses of surgery on patients and improving patients experience with surgery and their disease outcomes. Her passion is surgical education and she serves as the Program Director for the General Surgery Residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She and her residents have presented nationally on the innovative educational curricula developed in our program at Rutgers.She feels strongly that surgeons are leaders in their communitites as well as in the hospital and believes that a residency program should teach both clinical excellence and leadership development. She is a strong advocate for women in Surgery and is the faculty mentor for the AWS chapter at RWJMS.

Dr. Maloney Patel received her medical degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, and then completed her residency in General Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She then went on to receive additional subspecialty training in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the John H. Stroger Hospital for Cook County in Chicago, Il. She has been in practice in New Jersey at Rutgers since completing her fellowship in 2007. She is the current president of the NJ Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.  Dr. Maloney Patel has been included numerous times in lists of the "Top Doctors" in Colon and Rectal Surgery in the New Jersey Monthly magazine, (an award which recognizes the physicians that other physicians determine to be the best in their respective fields). She was also named a woman of excellence in Union County for her leadership and commitment to the community. She lives in Central NJ with her husband and her two terrific kids. She enjoys baking and tries to balance that with regular gym workouts.

Chief Surgical Officer, CINJ

email

I am a surgical oncologist, cancer researcher, and surgical educator who recently joined the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey as the Chief Surgical Officer; my new position at Rutgers has quickly become the highlight of my career for several reasons.  In particular is the opportunity to join a world-class organization and work with my new colleagues in the Gastrointestinal/Hepatobiliary Oncology Program to further build and expand the portfolio of treatment and clinical research options for patients who may benefit from the surgical treatment of complex, rare, or recurrent cancers. 

My surgical career started as a medical officer in the US Navy where I served aboard both the USS Mt. Whitney (LCC-20) and the USS Midway (CV-41).  After that I completed a fellowship in surgical oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, I subsequently joined the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) where I eventually became a Deputy Director in the Center for Cancer Research.  At the NCI and during my subsequent tenure in the department of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, I led teams that developed internationally recognized clinical and research programs for patients with advanced primary, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. 

I have focused my clinical and research efforts to define and expand the application of surgical resection for properly selected patients with recurrent or metastatic gastrointestinal cancers. Specifically, I have a particular interest defining the role of surgical treatment in patients with peritoneal surface metastases from peritoneal mesothelioma, appendiceal cancer, colorectal cancer, and other tumors.   

Throughout my career my professional and academic successes have been built on a foundation of values that we all share in caring for our patients; compassion, communication, respect, teamwork, and a commitment to providing patients exceptional, thoughtful and timely surgical care in the context of a multidisciplinary treatment plan. To that end, I have always valued the partnerships that I have developed with other physicians who are invested in their patient’s cancer treatment.

I am a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Surgical Association, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and an honorary member of the Royal College of Surgeons (Glasgow).  I have received numerous teaching awards and was the recipient of the National Institutes of Health Award of Merit in 2005.  I have served on the Executive Committee, Training Committee, and as chair of the Research Committee for the Society of Surgical Oncologists.  Next year I will complete my term as chair of the board for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.  I have published over 250 peer-reviewed articles and 50 book chapters and have lectured in 17 countries.  I currently serve on the editorial board of the journal, Surgery. 

Associate Professor of Surgery, RWJMS

Dr. Toni Beninato is an endocrine surgeon at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Beninato treats benign and malignant tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. She attended New York University and earned her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. She then completed internship and residency at New York Presbyterian - Weill Cornell Medical Center, dedicating two years to performing endocrine oncology research. She then completed a fellowship in endocrine surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, written several book chapters, and given multiple national and international presentations in the field of endocrine surgery. She is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, the American Thyroid Association, the Association for Academic Surgery and the Association of Women Surgeons. She has a Masters of Science in Health Policy and Economics from Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University.  Her research focuses on healthcare disparities and access to care in patients with endocrine malignancies, particularly in those who are uninsured or underinsured.

email

Advaith Bongu is an ASTS fellowship trained transplant surgeon who is also board certified in general surgery.  At RWJ he specializes in kidney and pancreas transplantation, but also deals with the complex general surgical and vascular issues that arise in our transplant patient population.  Advaith is a local product having grown up in Jersey-graduating from Rutgers University here in New Brunswick and furthering his education at Rutgers-NJMS for his medical school and surgical training.  He spent two additional years in a transplant lab working on clinical trials related to organ donor management.   He then completed his fellowship in Abdominal Organ Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery at Columbia/New York Presbyterian and joined the faculty here in 2018.  He has won many teaching awards and remains very committed to resident education.  His passions include international surgery, and of note has a mean crossover.  His current areas of research focus on tech and transplant.

Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery

email

Jenny Cai, M.D., is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Acute Care Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She is a product of a through and through Rutgers education, obtaining a bachelor degree in Genetics from Rutgers University and her medical degree here at RWJ. She completed her general Surgery Residency at Mt Sinai- St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York and Fellowship in Acute Care Surgery at East Carolina University. Dr. Cai holds board certifications in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. She is heavily involved in medical student and resident education. Areas of interest include surgical education, simulation and emergency general surgery. She is an active member of the American College of Surgeons, Easten Association for Surgery of Trauma and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.  

email

Gregory A. Greco, DO. FACS 

Dr. Gregory A. Greco is a dual board-certified plastic surgeon. He is a Diplomate of the both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.  Dr. Greco is the Chairman of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Rutgers-Monmouth Medical Center and is in private plastic surgery practice with offices in Red Bank, New Jersey and New York City since 2002. He specializes in full body cosmetic surgery and breast reconstruction. 

Dr. Greco’s academic appointments include: General Surgery Residency Program Director at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health-Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch,NJ and he serves as the assistant Program Director of the Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson General Surgery residency program located in New Brunswick, NJ . Dr. Greco is a Clinical Assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Drexel University School of Medicine. He serves as a member of the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees.  

Dr Greco is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). He is on the on the Board of Directors of ASPS and currently serves as the Board Vice President of Health Policy and Advocacy. In November of 2021 he will begin his term as President-Elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  Dr. Greco is a member and past President of the New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons. He is a member of the Board of trustees for The Visiting Nurse Association Health Care Group-Personal Care Board and the Tigger House Foundation, an organization committed to eradicating opioid addiction.   

Dr. Greco is a graduate of Adelphi University and received his medical degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. After completing his five-year general surgery training at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ, he went on to complete a three-year plastic surgery residency at The University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Dr. Greco grew up in Long Island, NY, is married and resides at both the Jersey Shore and Manhattan.  

email

Dr. Tomer Davidov is a general and endocrine surgeon.  He grew up in New York City, completed college and medical school at Boston University and Boston University School of Medicine, surgical residency at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, including his chief residency year in 2006, and a year of surgical transplant fellowship training at Columbia University - Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.  He was recruited back to the Department of Surgery at Rutgers-RWJMS where he spent his first 11 years in academic practice as a general and endocrine surgeon, with a focus on thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery, as well as complex hernia surgery and abdominal wall reconstruction.  He is a well published in the area of thyroid surgery has presented his work at many national meetings.  Some of his publications are now referenced in the latest American Thyroid Association practice guidelines.  He is also credited with describing a rare thyroid tumor, CNNETT (calcitonin negative neuroendocrine tumor of the thyroid).  He is a member of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, member of the American Hernia Society, diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.  He has also reviewed manuscripts for the Annals of Surgery and Journal of Surgical Research and is a grant reviewer for the National Science Foundation’s innovation grant program.  Dr. Davidov was recruited to Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center to grow the endocrine surgery program last year.  He looks forward to working with many of you.

Assistant Professor of Surgery, RWJMS

Dr. Mariam Eskander is a board-certified surgical oncologist. She treats patients with gastrointestinal malignancies and has a special interest in hepatobiliary and robotic surgery. After graduating from Chicago Medical School, she completed general surgery residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She did her complex general surgery oncology fellowship at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and James Cancer Hospital in Columbus. She has a Master's degree in public health from Harvard. Her research focuses on achieving equitable health outcomes for vulnerable patient populations. She is passionate about increasing racial and socioeconomic diversity in clinical trials. She enjoys helping trainees learn the skills necessary to perform high quality health services research that guides interventions to address health disparities. 

She lives in central NJ with her husband and two sons. She enjoys eating, swimming, yoga, and drawing cartoons. 

email

Dr. Joseph Hanna is an Acute Care Surgeon board certified in General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care and certified in Hyperbaric Medicine.  Clinical areas of expertise include the management of intra-abdominal sepsis, necrotizing pancreatitis, application of damage control concepts in emergency general surgery, and complex abdominal wall reconstruction.  His research interests include academic global surgery and surgical system science, surgical quality, and topics in emergency and trauma surgery.  In addition to being an accomplished researcher, he has served as an advisor to the Colombian Ministry of Health and is internationally recognized for his work in academic global surgery.

At Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dr. Hanna serves as Associate Director of SOA Quality Improvement in the RBHS Office of the Chancellor.  He is clinically active on the trauma, emergency general surgery, surgical critical care and cardiac surgical critical care services and has an active role in the education of the medical students, residents and fellows.

Dr. Hanna received his PhD in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine where he was inducted into AOA.  He subsequently completed his residency and fellowship training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.  Since completing his training in 2013, he has been in practice at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson.  He lives in Northern New Jersey with his wife and two wonderful daughters.  He enjoys hiking and camping with his girls, and is an avid photographer, a passion which he shares with his oldest daughter.

email

Dr. Lawrence J. Jordan, a son of physicians, was born in Philadelphia and raised in Philadelphia and Abington, Pennsylvania. He graduated with honors from Abington High School in l975 and completed his Bachelor of Science degree, with distinction, from Cornell University, College of Engineering, in l979. Dr. Jordan moved to New York City where he earned his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in l983, and completed his surgical residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City in l988.

Upon completion of his surgical residency, Dr. Jordan became an attending physician at the Medical Center at Princeton and a Clinical Instructor of Surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Jordan became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in l991 and is board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery. He is also a member of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Dr. Jordan specializes in general, oncologic, laparoscopic, and endoscopic surgical procedures. This includes laparoscopic hernia repairs using modern mesh techniques, component separation techniques, and laparoscopic hiatal hernia repairs. Laparoscopic colon surgery was introduced to Princeton in the 1990’s by Dr. Jordan in conjunction with Dr. Davison. In addition to doing endoscopic polypectomies and balloon dilitation of colon strictures, he also frequently treats diverticulitis and colon cancers with modern laparoscopic operations that shorten recovery time and involve minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Jordan also contributes his time to many cancer awareness programs.

email

Dr. Matharoo completed his residency at Monmouth Medical Center in 2013.  He went on to complete an Advanced Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at Staten Island University Hospital in 2014.  He returned to attending practice in Monmouth County New Jersey and has been an active educator in the program since.  He has been the Assistant Program Director of the General Surgery Program and Medical Student Clerkship Director since 2016. 

Chief, Division of Acute Care Surgery, Professor of Surgery, RWJMS

Dr. Narayan is Professor of Surgery, Chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery, and Trauma Medical Director at Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He is also the Program Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship and Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Before joining Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson, Dr. Narayan served as Associate Professor of Surgery, Program Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship and Director of the Skills Acquisition and Innovation Laboratory for the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian. Prior to his tenure at Weill Cornell, Dr. Narayan was an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center where he served as Chief of Acute Care Surgery, the Chief of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency Program. He started his academic career as Assistant Professor of Surgery at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland where he founded and served as Medical Director for the Center of Injury Prevention & Policy. He was also the Associate Director of the Division of Medical Education and Founding Course Director for two courses, the Humanism Symposium, and the Surgical Boot Camp. Dr. Narayan received a B.S. (Biology) from Old Dominion University and his M.D. from the Eastern Virginia Medical School as a member of the highly competitive joint BS/MD program. He stayed on to complete his internship and general surgery residency at EVMS. Dr. Narayan went onto to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center for his fellowship in Surgical Critical Care. He completed a second fellowship year in Traumatology while simultaneously completing a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. He then completed a Master of Science in Health Professions Education from Harvard University and the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Narayan is a recognized expert in trauma care and surgical education. He has been an invited international lecturer in trauma, surgical education, and injury prevention. Additionally, he serves as Visiting International Faculty for Trauma at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, the King George Medical College and Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute in Lucknow, India, as well as the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2011 Leonard Tow Humanism Award awarded by the Gold Humanism Honor Society and Arnold P. Gold Foundation. In 2012, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation awarded him the prestigious Gold Doctor, a national award given to those "working to keep the care in healthcare”. In addition, Dr. Narayan has been awarded the highly coveted Golden Apple Teaching Award for Best Clinical Faculty by the American Medical Student Association in both 2012 and 2013. In 2013 and 2014, Dr. Narayan's led Center for Injury Prevention & Policy was awarded a Senatorial Award from US Senator Barbara Mikulski, D- MD for positively impacting the lives of troubled youth in Maryland. In 2014, Dr. Narayan was Visiting Professor for the White House Medical Unit. In 2018, he was nominated for the National Compassionate Care the Year Award from the Schwartz Center. At Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Narayan was awarded the Senior List Award for outstanding education of medical students in 2020 as well as the General Surgery Teaching All-Star Award in 2021. In 2018, he was inducted as an Associate Member into the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, as part of the inaugural class of 91 surgeons globally.

Dr. Narayan has made significant contributions in education at Weill Cornell. He is a mentor to many learners from varying backgrounds at all levels from high school to fellowship. He serves as an advisor to several Weill Cornell Medicine student groups, including the Injury Prevention and Response Group as well as the Student National Medical Association to promote access to medical education for underrepresented minorities. He has been appointed as a Longitudinal Advisor for medical students. He has been appointed by the Dean’s office to the Teacher Learner Committee, tasked to preserve the educational environment during both preclinical and clinical years at Weill Cornell Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Narayan has created the Multi- Disciplinary Critical Care Fellows Conference as well as the Critical Care Fellow’s Surgical Nutrition Curriculum and had led faculty development modules for the medical school on feedback. Academically, Dr. Narayan has 55 peer-reviewed publications, 15 textbook chapters, and 294 international, national, and local/institutional presentations. He has been a funded investigator having received several extra-mural grants as PI including one from the U.S. Air Force. Air Force Materiel Command (USAF/AFMC) for approximately $200K for his work on Hydrophobically-Modified Chitosan Gauze for Control of Massive Hemorrhage and most recently from Pfizer Global Grants for $100K to study Antibiotic Stewardship in 5 Hospitals in India. In addition to his clinical area of focus of hemorrhage control and surgical infections, Dr. Narayan has made a strong commitment to advancing surgical education and global health. He serves as a journal reviewer for the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, MedEd Portal, the American Journal of Surgery, the Journal of Surgical Research, and the Journal of Surgical Education. He serves on the Editorial Board for SCORE Surgical Critical Care, the textbook of Intensive Care for the Acute Care Surgeon, the textbook of First Responder’s Manual of Prehospital Trauma Care, and the textbook of Comprehensive Textbook of Surgery, 2nd Edition. He is also the current editor of the 4th edition of the Trauma Evaluation and Management (TEAM) Course of the ACS Committee on Trauma. Dr. Narayan is active in national and international societies. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), the American College of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM), the International College of Surgeons (FICS) and the Asian Collaborative on Trauma (FACT) and Fellow of the American College of Academic International Medicine (FAIM). He is a member of the American College of Academic International Medicine (ACAIM), the Association of Academic Surgery (AAS), the Association for Surgical Education (ASE), the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS), the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), the International College of Surgeons (ICS), the Surgical Infection Society (SIS), the Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS), the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SSCM), the L.D. Britt Surgical Society, the Indian American Surgical Association, and several other organizations. Dr. Narayan holds several regional and national leadership positions. He is currently Chair of the Education Committee of the Surgical Critical Care Program Directors Society; Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Surgical Infection Society; Vice-Chair of the Awards Committee and Past Chair of the Committee on Social Responsibility for the Association of Surgical Education. He is a Past-President of the LD Britt Surgical Society. He serves as Chair of the American College of Surgeons Simulation Return on Investment Work Group; President of the American College of Academic International Medicine; one of five members of the National Steering Committee of the ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-Based Surgical Skills Curriculum; Editor for the SCORE curriculum for Surgical Critical Care; and Vice-President of the International College of Surgeons. Dr. Narayan has been elected to serve on the Senior Educatory Advisory Board (SEAB) for the ACS Committee on Trauma and serves as a National Educator for Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS). He was appointed to the ACS National Committee on Trauma in 2021. In addition, Dr. Narayan serves as an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Surgery (ABS) as well as an exam question writer for the ABS Surgical Critical Care Exam. He is also a core member of the American Board of Surgery Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) Writing Group to revise the five initial EPAs. Dr. Narayan has most recently been asked to serve on the ACS Senior Resident Readiness Assessment (SRRA) Committee to help develop a program that will assess the decision-making skills of senior level surgical trainees.

Assistant Professor of Surgery, RWJMS

Dr. Arunachalam Thenappan is a triple board certified in Pediatric Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, and General Surgery.  He is an expert in open and minimally invasive surgery for children and has particular interest in minimally invasive hernia repair and chest wall abnormalities.  He is passionate about surgical education and the adoption of protocols and guidelines in surgical care.  He also serves as a mentor to surgical residents, especially those interested in pursuing a career in pediatric surgery.

Dr. Thenappan received his medical degree from the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and then completed his general surgery training at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital where he also pursued a two-year research fellowship.  Following residency, he completed a Surgical Critical Care fellowship at the University of Michigan, followed by a Pediatric Surgery fellowship at NYP/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York.  He joined the faculty here at Rutgers RWJMS in 2021.  In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and is an ardent tennis player.

Associate Program Director, RWJMS General Surgery

email

I have been a practicing general and laparoscopic surgeon at Rutgers Medical School since 2003.   My clinical interests include minimally invasive surgery with an ever growing focus on foregut surgery and esophageal disease.  In addition to being clinically active with patient care, I really enjoy working with residents and students to teach surgical techniques, medical knowledge and communication skills. I have been the associate residency program director for surgery since 2015.  Watching residents grow into surgeons is a fantastic part of being at this institution. 

In high school, I moved to Princeton, New Jersey.  I spent my college years at the University of Pennsylvania studying biochemistry as a major and business management and fine arts as minors.  I attended New Jersey Medical School.  My surgical residency was at Brown University.  My strong ties to the area brought me back to the New Jersey.  

When I am not at the hospital, I am usually riding horses, travelling with my son, or doing something either active or creative.