Kemarut C Laothamatas, MD - ColumbiaDoctors at NewYork-Presbyterian The One

Pediatric rheumatologic diseases can be complex, and figuring out the problem can be like solving a mystery. My interest in pediatric rheumatology began during my pediatric residency, when I was able to care for patients with arthritis, lupus, and other rheumatologic problems. Finding the right diagnosis, then helping patients find treatments that made them feel better was very gratifying! I now treat children of all ages, from infancy to young adulthood, with all types of rheumatologic problems, including arthritis, lupus, myositis, and vasculitis. I also have a specific interest in evaluating and treating patients with fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome—conditions that are sometimes referred to as amplified musculoskeletal pain syndromes (AMPS). I am the director of the Pediatric AMPS Program here at Columbia. For all of my patients, I work to provide an accurate diagnosis and support as they navigate the treatment process with their families. My goal is to provide compassionate, patient-centered, and family-centered care. My research interests are focused on juvenile fibromyalgia. I also participate in clinical research projects related to pediatric lupus nephritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and juvenile arthritis. I am very involved in teaching rheumatology to the next generation of pediatric doctors, and I am honored to work with medical students and pediatricians-in-training to help educate them on the evaluation and treatment of patients with rheumatologic disorders.

Dr. Zitsman graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in natural sciences, and received his M.D. degree from Tufts University Medical School in 1976. He received his training in General Surgery at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, and completed his Pediatric Surgery training at the Babies & Children's Hospital of New York. He is Board-Certified in General Surgery and Pediatric Surgery, and also holds a Certificate of Special Competence in Surgical Critical Care. Dr. Zitsman has maintained an active clinical practice in pediatric surgery in the New York area since 1985. He holds the rank of Professor of Surgery at the Columbia University Medical Center. His areas of interest include applications of minimally invasive techniques in pediatric surgery, chest wall deformities, and weight loss surgery in adolescents. Dr. Zitsman has been named to Castle Connolly’s Best Doctors in the New York area list annually since 2002. Dr. Zitsman is founder and Director of the Center for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian. He is Principal Investigator for an FDA-approved adolescent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding study. He has performed over 500 minimal access weight loss procedures and served as Chairman of the Committee on Obesity of the American Pediatric Surgical Association as well as Chairman of the Childhood Obesity Committee of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr Zitsman has served as a Consultant to the Medical Devices Evaluation Panel of the FDA.

I am a board-certified pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist, with extensive experience in cystic fibrosis, asthma, and global health. My deep passion for correcting health disparities globally and in populations affected by asthma and cystic fibrosis regionally is strongly rooted in my upbringing. My father was a New York-trained pediatrician, and a supportive and motivating role model who shaped my life-changing commitment to community service. As a result, following medical training, pediatric specialty training, and pediatric pulmonary subspecialty training in the United States, I was committed to serve the underserved from afar. I have had the privilege of working with the pediatric pulmonary team at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) since 2000. My early years at CUIMC were influenced by Professor Robert (Bob) Mellins until his passing in 2012. While working in Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut during the last year of my pulmonary fellowship, I became acutely aware of the underserved needs of a sick pediatric population in southern Connecticut that, for various reasons, did not have access to care. I established a pulmonary practice in this region and became engaged in program development in three main areas: cystic fibrosis, asthma and global health. I also established a cystic fibrosis care clinic in Stamford Hospital, which led to my current position as the director of the Sue and John L. Weinberg Cystic Fibrosis Center at Columbia. In addition to my clinical practice, I have been involved in research in asthma, RSV bronchiolitis, and cystic fibrosis. In recent years, grants from the CF Foundation and CF Foundation’s therapeutic and development network have enabled me to focus my research on cystic fibrosis.