FACULTY
Neil C. Mitnick, D.O. F.A.A.F.P., Professor, Alice E. Fruehan Chair, and Residency Program Director, is one of the longest serving family medicine residency program directors in NYS and even nationally. In 2006 he was selected by the ACGME to receive the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award. He is the first DO and only the 6th family medicine residency program director to ever receive this national recognition. His reputation of caring and being committed to quality education and patient care follows him where ever he goes. He serves as a role model for residents, always available to them for both personal and professional guidance. His enthusiasm, sense of humor, and love of life make coming to work each day enjoyable and worthwhile. Residents, faculty, and local and national colleagues have nominated Neil for various teaching awards including best preceptor, educator of the year from the NYS Academy of Family Physicians and the CDPHP Physicians Academy. He oversees all residency and departmental teaching and clinical activities. He also can tell you all you need to know about caring for dogs and fish.
Raymond J. Carrelle, Jr., M.D., received his medical training at the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed his family medicine residency training hare at AMC. Upon completion, he joined the Latham Medical Family Medicine Group which is part of Community Care Physicians. Soon after his starting in private practice he was recognized for his leadership abilities and very quickly became active in the administration of the practice. He is particularly interested in office efficiency and effidence-based medicine. He continues to stay involved in academia by precepting on a regular basis in our Albany Family Practice Group. He serves as a role model for our residents in demonstrating how one can balance personal and professional life after training and in a clinical practice.
Holly Krick Cleney, M.D., received her MD degree from SUNY Upstate Medical College at Syracuse, NY and completed her family residency training here in Albany in our program. During her residency, she was particularly active on the Patient Education Committee. She joined the Latham Medical Group, a large family medicine group in our community which is also part of Community Care Physicians. She continues to keep her hand in teaching by precepting weekly in the Albany Family Practice Group. She has a particular interest in practice management and is taking a leadership role in her practice on this committee. When not working, she and her family are avid sports enthusiasts.
Scott Deckelbaum, D.O., Assistant Professor, joined us in August 2006 after the completion of his family medicine residency program as well as a faculty development fellowship focusing on urgent care and inpatient medicine. Scott's main interests here are the establishment of the Continuity Care Clinic and practice management efficiency. Dr. Deckelbaum has the distinct honor of receiving the pre-doctoral teaching award two years in a row for exceptional commitment and dedication to teaching medical students. He received these awards both as a second and as a third year resident. When not working, you can find Scott hiking, rock climbing, or doing something in the area of wildlife biology or ecology, that is, after he plays with his young daughter.
Carlos Elguero, M.D., Assistant Professor, has just completed his family medicine residency training in our program and served as a co-chief resident during his final year. He has earned the reputation as being a great teacher. He loves it and does it so well. He has a knack for getting to the core of what it is someone needs to learn and is able to present it in ways people do learn. He grew up in Massachusetts and originally thought he would become a mechanical engineer. But his interest in working with people and real life situations led him to medicine. He will be collaborating with Drs. Rosenbaum and Stetzer to work on the OB curriculum as well as continuing his other interests in medicine, teaching the basics of family medicine such has hypertension, diabetes, EKG readings etc. Along with his engaging smile, he is a close second to Dr Roche with his quick wit and creative humor.
Peter H. Forman, Jr., M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor , graduated from Ross University School of Medicine in 2000 and Albany Medical College's Family Practice Residency Program in 2003. He not only served as chief resident in his third year of training but stayed on as full time faculty until 2007 serving as the Pre-doctoral Director. After that he decided to go into solo practice in the community and continues to teach medical students in his office. In addition, he does nursing home care and rounds periodically at AMC with our residents doing family medicine OB.
Mary Johnston, M.B.Ch.B., Clinical Associate Professor, is one of the more sought after preceptors due to her ability to teach and guide using her quick wit and her great sense of humor. She also serves as a positive role model for women in medicine, knowing how to manage her time and maintain her priorities. Dr. Johnston has a large patient following consisting mostly of the baby boomers and their families.
Robert Kleinbauer, CHE., is the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Practice and Network Development with Community Care Physicians, and oversees the practice and business management curriculum for our residents. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in practice management and the business of medicine and both faculty and residents tap into his skills almost on a daily basis. He is a great lecturer and it is evident he enjoys the teaching he does. He also teaches at Union College in the graduate MBA program. When not working or teaching, one can see the fruits of his photography hobby hanging on the walls of many of our offices.
Brigid Mack, M.D., is joining our faculty, returning home to Albany after almost a decade away. She obtained her MD degree from SUNY Buffalo, completed her Family Medicine residency at UNC-Chapel Hill and Maternal Child Health Fellowship at University of Rochester. She is excited to work with Drs. Elguero, Stetzer and Rosenbaum on the OB curriculum. She has a passion for women's health and for working with medical students and residents. Brigid spends her free-time with her husband and young daughter, and is eagerly anticipating the arrival of a second child this winter.
Appleton A. Mason III, M.D., Associate Professor and Geriatric Coordinator, came to the residency program and academia as a faculty member after having more than a 20 year history of private practice in Nashua, NH. Dr. Mason brings the unique ability to bridge the two worlds of practice and teaching. He has a particular interest in medical ethics, family genograms, and end of life issues. He serves as medical director of Community Hospice and has his CAQ in Geriatrics. Dr. Mason is the proud father of Cloe, his Labrador therapy dog, who he brings to the patient's bedside, much to the delight of everyone. If you are among the more fortunate, you may even be invited to go for a sail on the Hudson with Tony. 
Robert J. Paeglow, M.D., Associate Professor and Associate Pre-doctoral Director, brings to the department a unique perspective on life and medicine. In 2006 he was awarded the AAMC Humanitarian Award for his dedication to medical school teaching and inspirational role modeling of being a caring physician. His passion and interests center on care for the underserved, international health, teaching residents, medical students and rural health care. He has traveled extensively in the developing world performing medical missions. Dr. Paeglow is the founding director of Compassion in Action / Koinonia Primary Care which is housed in a 24 hour prayer and healing center in the inner city of Albany, providing family medicine health care for all who chose to enter, regardless of their ability to pay. He is an ordained minister as well as a family physician. He is nationally sought after as an inspirational speaker and is the recipient of numerous local and national awards. Recently he was featured in both People Magazine and Good Morning America.
Inez Pagnotta, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, is a graduate of Albany Medical College. Dr. Pagnotta has experience in inner city medicine while serving as Chief Resident at Downstate Medical Center. She then practiced solo in an underserved rural area through the US Public Health Service. She has practiced for over ten years in a staff model HMO setting. Her enthusiasm for teaching and for medicine is contagious.
Jacob Reider, M.D., Assistant Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical Informatics, is an Albany Medical College graduate. He has special interest and expertise in medical informatics, health policy and evidence-based medicine. He is a nationally recognized leader in medical informatics serving on various national committees. He is part of the residency teaching activities and assists residents and the program with developing user friendly informatics tools.
Sean P. Roche, M.D., Associate Residency Director and Associate Professor, has a CAQ in Adolescent Medicine. He was among the first family physician in NYS to obtain this certification. Dr. Roche has taken the lead in selecting and overseeing the implementation of the EHR for the practice making our residency and faculty medicine office a premier teaching and provider of quality health care facility. Almost every year since 1999, Dr. Roche has been selected as the Teacher of the Year, or best preceptor or some other award from the residents for his teaching abilities and commitment to education. He is the "organized one" on the faculty, sometimes putting the unorganized ones to shame but more impressive is his quick wit, his ability to be satirical, and his uncanny way of coming up with the "Top Ten List" on almost any topic. He can put David Letterman's writers out of business. When he is not working in the office, he is manicuring his lawn, training for his next marathon (completed the one in Philly last year!), or working on his family genealogy.
Elena Rosenbaum, M.D., our newest family medicine faculty member is starting with us on a part time basis in the summer of 2008 and will be going full time soon thereafter. She is no stranger to the Albany area having lived her for a few years doing summer research at the Wadsworth Center in Albany. She completed her family medicine residency at Lawrence Family Medicine in Lawrence, MA. where she also completed an Integrative Medicine Fellowship. She brings with her skills and expertise in acupuncture, hypnosis, OMT, and group visits. Being fluent in Spanish, she will be our liaison with the medical missions in Guatemala for students and residents interested in such an experience. Her other interests are in OB GYN and women’s health and will be working with our other family medicine OB faculty to oversee the OB curriculum. When not working, she can be found on the tennis courts either playing herself or teaching others the pearls of tennis.
Mary F. Smith, Ph.D., LCSW-R, Professor, Vice-Chair, Behavioral Science Coordinator and Director of Academic Programs, is an experienced Family Medicine educator, social work clinician, and researcher. Being an Albanian, she has a unique knowledge of the community and its resources and needs. She often describes herself as being the "old timer" in the department having been with AMC Family Medicine since its inception in 1977. She serves on various college and institutional committees and functions as the link between AMC and CCP. When not working, writing grants and history books, or maintaining a small private counseling practice, Dr. Smith travels and runs an international B& B. However, most people still do question: "just what does Mary do here?" Her answer is always, "I'll never tell!"
Lee Stetzer, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor and another new faculty member starting in July 2008 comes to the area after attending Emory University for both his MPH and MD degrees. He recently completed his family medicine residency training in our program and he and his wife (a family medicine physician also) and new baby daughter, much to our delight, have decided to settle in the area. Lee has a particular interest in primary care OB, is our in house expert on contraception, and is looking forward to working with Drs. Elguero and Rosenbaum to oversee the family medicine OB teaching and modeling of patient care. When not in the office or playing with his daughter and his dog, he and his family love the outdoors, hiking/biking/ and backpacking.
Katherine Wagner, M.D., Assistant Professor and graduate of Albany Medical College and also of our Family Medicine Residency program, has joined the department to assist in overseeing the newly planned Division of Community Outreach. She too is serving as one of the Assistant Directors of the Predoc Office. Kate has extensive experience working with community agencies, working with medical students, and has a special interest in health literacy. She has served for several years as the liaison between the Siena College and AMC early Admissions Program. In addition to her community outreach interests, Kate also has a special interest in international family medicine training. She is a mentor and role model to our residents interested in community outreach activities When not working with us or the community agencies, she is kept super busy with her six year old twin girls.
