Meet the New York Nephrology care team.

Our physicians and advanced practice providers are dedicated to providing expert kidney care, compassionate guidance, and coordinated support for patients across the Capital Region.

  • Group President

    Dr. Joseph Roglieri

  • Physician

    Dr. Jorge Cerdá

    Dr. Cerdá earned his MD at the University of the Republic School of Medicine, in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1976, completed internal medicine training at the University of the Republic Hospital de Clinicas in Montevideo, Uruguay and later obtained his Certificate in the Specialty of Nephrology in 1982. Between 1974 and 1991 Dr. Cerdá was successively Instructor, Assistant Professor and Associate Professor of Physiology at the University of the Republic School of Medicine. In 1979-80 he was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in the United States, and completed a Masters of Science in Physiology at the Albany Medical College. Between 1985 and 1987 Dr. Cerdá completed a Nephrology Fellowship at the Albany Medical Center and became an Assistant Professor and subsequently an Associate Professor of Medicine. In 1996, he joined Capital District Renal Physicians. He is currently a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Albany Medical College, where he actively participates in the teaching and research program.

    Dr. Cerdá has co-authored more than 60 papers in peer reviewed journals, books and international meetings, and is on the editorial board of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Society of Nephrology NephSAP, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, American Journal of Kidney Disease, Kidney International, Nephrology Dialysis & Transplantation, Critical Care, Critical Care Medicine and the Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica.

    He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology, and a member of the International Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation, where he holds local, national and international leadership positions. Dr. Cerda’s main research interests have been in the field of Critical Care Nephrology and Chronic Kidney Disease and are focused on acute kidney injury (AKI) post cardiac surgery, continuous renal replacement therapies in AKI, and the epidemiology of AKI. Additionally, he currently participates in research on the management of diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney disease. Dr. Cerdá has extensive experience as a speaker in multiple national and international meetings, and is a member of the Organizing Committee of the International Conference on Continuous Renal Replacement Therapies, a member of the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN), the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI), the AKI Committee of the international Society of Nephrology, the Advisory Committee of the American Society of Nephrology and the Board of Directors of the World Foundation for Renal Care, where he works to promote renal care in disadvantaged countries.

  • Physician

    Dr. Vincent Carsillo II

    Dr. Carsillo has been with NY Nephrology since 2004. Our patients love his warm bedside manner and exceptional listening skills. He is well known throughout the region and has been asked to be a returning guest on WAMC’s Medical Broadcast with Dr. Alan Chartock. He is a graduate of the University of Scranton where he received degrees in Biology and Philosophy.

    His medical training began at The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine where he also completed an Internal Medicine Residency. He then went on to Fellowship in Nephrology at Albert Einstein Medical Center where he was a Chief Fellow. During his time at Albert Einstein he received the inaugural award for Outstanding Teaching Fellow at the institution. He has presented original research to an international audience.

    In addition to his clinical practice and management of our group, Dr. Carsillo enjoys spending time with his family of five. He is a regular at the fitness center and loves to cook. He has competed in multiple triathlons. When time allows, he enjoys participating in multiple sports including snowboarding, hockey, and racquetball.

  • Physician

    Dr. Michael DiRusso

    Undergraduate Education: Bachelors of Science in Biology, State University of New York at Stony Brook

    Medical Education: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine

    Residency: UMDNJ-SOM Internal Medicine

    Fellowship: Rowan-SOM Nephrology

    Board Certification

    American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine – Internal Medicine

    American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine – Nephrology

    AHSCP – Hypertension Specialist

     

    Office Locations

    Schenectady

  • Physician

    Dr. Mujtaba Hasnain

    Dr. Hasnain joined CDRP in July, 2015. He is serving as Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Albany Medical College, where he actively participates in the teaching. He also sits as the Medical Director of Fresenius Kidney Care Dialysis Center in Saratoga Springs. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology.

    Dr. Hasnain earned his M.D. from King Edward Medical University in Pakistan. He has won numerous scholarships most notably the Meritorious Scholarship and the President National Talent Scholarship during his undergraduate and graduate studies.

    Dr. Hasnain completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey. He won a Regional Research Competition organized by the American College of Physicians New Jersey Chapter. He was awarded the Outstanding Graduating Scholar Award during his residency training. Dr. Hasnain later went on to complete his Fellowship in Nephrology at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center where he was Chief Fellow. During his Fellowship he presented numerous papers at both the National and International Conferences. His interview which was based on a unique phosphorous binder “Chitosan” was published in the American Journal of Kidney Disease.

    Dr. Hasnain is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians & the American Society of Nephrology and member of the National Kidney Foundation. He is certified in Medical Humanities from Drew University in New Jersey.

    His main academic and clinical interests have been in the field of preeclampsia, complications of CKD, dialysis and hypertension.

    He enjoys reading, music and traveling in his free time.

  • Physician

    Dr. Frank B Cortazar

    Dr. Cortazar is the Director of the New York Nephrology Vasculitis and Glomerular Center. He attended medical school at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and graduated first in his class. He then completed his internship, internal medicine residency, and nephrology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Following his training, Dr. Cortazar was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, an attending physician in the Renal Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Co-Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Vasculitis Center. He was awarded the Massachusetts General Hospital Excellence in Clinical Nephrology award for outstanding clinical teaching. He moved to the Albany area in 2019 to start the New York Nephrology Vasculitis and Glomerular Center.

    Dr. Cortazar’ s primary interest is improving the care of patients with vasculitis and glomerular diseases. As a clinical researcher, he conducts patient-oriented observational studies and has served as a principal investigator for multiple international randomized trials evaluating novel therapeutic agents for ANCA vasculitis and glomerular diseases. His research has been published in Kidney International, Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, and Arthritis and Rheumatology, among others. He has frequently been invited to lecture at national and international meetings on the management of ANCA vasculitis, lupus nephritis, and other glomerular diseases.

  • Physician

    Dr. Michael Gallichio

    Dr. Gallichio is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is board certified in general surgery. He received his undergraduate degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his medical degree from Albany Medical College, participating in a six-year accelerated BS/MD program at those institutions. Dr. Gallichio completed a fellowship in clinical transplant surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and was a surgical research fellow in transplantation immunology at Albany Medical Center, where he completed his residency. Dr. Gallichio served as professor of surgery at the Albany Medical Center with the kidney and pancreas transplant program. He previously served as a staff surgeon in vascular access at Birmingham Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Alabama, and as assistant professor of surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the division of Transplantation.

    Dr. Gallichio is a member of numerous professional societies including the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Transplantation, the Association for Academic Surgery, and is a founding member of the Vascular Access Society of the Americas. He has authored numerous publications and presented at national and international meetings on the topics of transplantation and dialysis access. Three years ago, Dr. Gallichio joined Dr. John Ross in South Carolina to form the Dialysis Access Institute where they performed thousands of percutaneous and surgical procedures for dialysis yearly. They were at the forefront of dialysis access care and physician education for the placement, maintenance, and salvage of dialysis access. Dr. Gallichio co-founded the TACIDA group for physician education on dialysis access with Dr. Ross and Dr. Ingemar Davidson.

    Dr. Gallichio returns “home” to provide dialysis access care to the patients of New York Nephrology

  • Physician

    Dr. Darshan Arora

  • Physician

    Dr. Rahim Dhanani

  • Nurse Practitioner

    Christina Yerdon

  • Nurse Practitioner

    Michelle Catherine Dixon

    Michelle is a certified Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with more than two decades of experience caring for patients across a variety of healthcare settings. She is focused on delivering compassionate, patient-centered care to her patients.

    Michelle’s connection to nephrology began in 1999 as a hemodialysis technician at Capital District Dialysis Center, where she discovered a passion for caring for patients with chronic kidney disease.

    Michelle is known for her approachable nature, strong patient advocacy, and commitment to building lasting relationships with her patients. She believes exceptional healthcare begins with listening, education, and partnership, empowering patients to take an active role in their care while navigating complex kidney, electrolyte,  and metabolic health conditions.

    Professional Highlights

    • Certified Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP-C)
    • Master of Science in Nursing, earned with honors from The Sage Colleges
    • Graduate of Ellis Hospital School of Nursing
    • United States Army veteran and former combat medic, honorably discharged in 2006
    • More than 25 years of experience in nephrology and kidney disease management
    • Specialty certifications in dialysis and critical care nursing
    • Member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
    • Extensive clinical experience in nephrology, critical care, urgent care, and hospital medicine

    Clinical Practice

    Michelle provides comprehensive nephrology care throughout the Capital Region, including office, hospital consultations, and acute/chronic dialysis management.

    Office Location

    • Schenectady

    Hospital Affiliations

    • Ellis Hospital
    • Sunnyveiw Rehabilitation
    • St. Peter’s Hospital
    • Samaritan Hospital

    Dialysis Centers

    • Capital District Dialysis Center/ FMC
    • Niskayuna /FMC
    • Amsterdam/ FMC
  • Physician Assistant

    Phillip Keehan

    Phil Keehan is a Capital Region native who worked at Albany Med for 16 years before deciding to pursue a path that would allow him to provide direct patient care.
    He graduated from the the Albany Medical College Center for Physician Assistant Studies in 2023 and joined our practice shortly after.

    He works primarily in Samaritan Hospital where he cares for our acutely ill patients and those requiring the attention of a kidney specialist. He especially enjoys getting to know his patients beyond their kidney disease and enjoys working in collaboration with the rest of the NY Nephrology team.

  • Nurse Practitioner

    Patricia Carmel

    Patricia has been with Capital District Renal Physicians since 1997. She began as a registered nurse in Nephrology in 1985. She became nationally certified as a nephrology nurse in 1988.

    She has extensive experience with dialysis patients and worked as the Director of Nursing of three large dialysis facilities in the Capital District. She is a nationally certified nurse practitioner and a graduate of Community General Hospital in Syracuse, New York.

    She works extensively with patients at St. Peters Hospital and as a coordinator of our Chronic Kidney Disease Program.

  • Nurse Practitioner

    Kendra Bushart

    Kendra joined the practice in 2025 as a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She is dedicated to delivering patient-centered, compassionate, and culturally appropriate care to individuals and families.

    Kendra began her medical career after earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Russell Sage College in 2020, graduating magna cum laude. Before transitioning into her role as a provider, she gained invaluable clinical experience as a registered nurse and charge nurse, working on both cardiac telemetry and intensive care units. Her deep-rooted passion for critical care nursing fueled her drive to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, instilling in her a profound commitment to supporting patients through acute illness and times of greatest need.

    Driven to advance her practice, Kendra went on to earn her Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner from SUNY Polytechnic Institute. She is board-certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Today, she leverages her rich background in critical care to provide thorough, empathetic, and high-quality care to her patients.

  • Nurse Practitioner

    Lianna Mallory

  • Nurse Practitioner

    Jordan Tymeson

    Jordan is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who began her nursing career at St Peter’s Hospital in 2018. She first worked in surgical oncology before transitioning to the intensive care unit. Jordan’s critical care experience helped cultivated her interest in nephrology. She earned her Master of Science of Nursing from Utica University and joined New York Nephrology in February 2024.

    She sees patients in the Albany and Clifton Park offices, and is closely involved in the care of dialysis patients at DCI Albany and Albany Regional Dialysis Center. Jordan also serves as a sub-investigator for clinical trials at New York Nephrology’s Vasculitis and Glomerular Center. Her main clinical interests include glomerular diseases, heart failure management in chronic kidney disease patients, and dialysis education and planning.

    In her spare time, Jordan enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, Rooney.

  • Nurse Practitioner

    Paul Ani

  • Practice Manager

    Janel Nelsen

    Janel started her healthcare career in 1989 and has since gained extensive experience across several specialties, including pulmonary, family medicine, oncology, orthopedics, and nephrology. Throughout her career, she has consistently prioritized patient needs by developing efficient office processes and training staff on proper patient care and communication. Janel holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Florida Southern College and a Master of Health Administration from Capella University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and going on long walks with her dog.

Need Help Finding the Right Office?

Contact New York Nephrology for help with appointments, locations, or patient resources.