Provider Location: Hawthorne

Alyssa Townsend, PA-C

Physician Assistant Provides Positive Patient Experience

“As family medicine providers, we are the gatekeepers of our patients’ health.”

From a young age, Alyssa Townsend was drawn to a career in healthcare. Inspired by her mother’s dedication as a radiation therapist, she too wanted to make a difference. In high school, she had the opportunity to shadow her primary care provider, who happened to be a physician assistant at Vanguard Medical Group. “It was during this experience that I truly fell in love with the PA profession,” Alyssa recalled.

She worked as an EMT to get patient care experience before beginning her studies. In her PA program, she completed an additional rotation in women’s health. She also enjoyed the fast pace of working in emergency medicine and urgent care. “When I was looking for family medicine jobs, I saw that Vanguard had an opening,” she said. “I was excited to join the practice that had inspired my career.”

Patients say that they appreciate that Alyssa takes the time to really listen to them. “I want to hear their story,” she said. “I want to know their concerns. Then, we can determine the next steps together.” In her role as a family medicine provider, she perceives herself as the custodian of her patients’ well-being, steering them through essential preventive measures like screenings and vaccinations, while also addressing urgent matters and seamlessly coordinating referrals to specialists when necessary.

She wants her patients to have a positive experience so that they are more likely to return when they need care. “I don’t want them to be hesitant to go to the doctor’s,” she said. “I want them to be inspired to keep up with their health. That’s my biggest motivation.”

When she’s not working, Alyssa loves to read and spend time with friends and family. She also enjoys hiking at the many picturesque parks in New Jersey.

Salerno, Adrienne, MD

Surgery and Women’s Health Are Focuses for Dr. Adrienne Salerno

“Family medicine is about making a difference in people’s lives every single day.”

Dr. Adrienne Salerno has always wanted to be a doctor. “I can’t remember a time when I wanted to be anything else,” she says. “I enjoy helping people.”

She started out her career in surgery, but found that she wanted more of a continuous, long-term relationship with her patients. Family medicine provided that connection. At Vanguard, Dr. Salerno enjoys the diversity of being able to treat everyone, from newborns to geriatrics. Often, her patients include various members of the same family.

“When I’m able to treat the whole family, it gives me the full perspective of understanding for the patients,” she says. “It’s easier to see the bigger picture, and that helps me make better decisions.” Toward that end, Dr. Salerno also makes it a point to follow her patients from office visits to hospitals or rehab, as needed. “You can see the difference in care delivered by someone who doesn’t know the patient as well,” she says. “It allows us to make sure that nothing slips through the cracks with these transitions.”

Dr. Salerno also uses her surgical background when minor cosmetic dermatologic procedures are needed, from cyst removal and abscess drainage to complex laceration repair. “I also perform ear lobe laceration repair,” she notes. “That’s pretty unique for most primary care offices, but we’re able to offer it right in the office.”

Dr. Salerno is on the Women’s Health Committee at Vanguard, to help improve services for female patients. These may include IUD placements, options for birth control and other procedures. The goal is also to expand education on women’s health topics.

When not working, Dr. Salerno enjoys doing CrossFit. She also likes to cook and spend time with her husband and children.

Carrazzone, Peter, MD

Dr. Peter Carrazzone Blends Data with Experience for Diagnosis and Treatment

“Evidence-based medicine – the conscientious use of clinical information to direct a plan of care – makes a difference in helping a patient achieve longevity and quality of life.”

When Dr. Peter Carrazzone injured his eye in the fifth grade, he discovered his future career. “I was hospitalized, and the doctor who treated me – the ophthalmologist – really inspired me. I knew then that I was going to be a doctor.” He chose family medicine because he enjoyed most every medical rotation. “Family medicine gave me the most robust ability to see everything.”

A large focus of his practice is preventive care. “We strongly monitor our patients to identify problems,” he says. “We offer annual physicals and important screening tests. We talk to them about diet and exercise. If they’re doing something harmful, such as smoking, we want to motivate them to change behaviors so they have a greater chance of a healthier and longer life.”

Wellness is a term that is used a lot, according to Dr. Carrazzone. He cautions patients to be aware of so-called lifeline screenings. “Sometimes, companies offer screenings that don’t give you any information that pertains to your health. That’s why we practice evidence-based medicine. We do screenings that either rule out a potential problem or result in a need for monitoring or treatment.”

He treats babies to seniors, and enjoys getting to know the families at Vanguard. “Knowing the family history and dynamics plays a large role in being a good diagnostician,” he says. “It provides that additional information that is helpful in treating the whole patient.” Importantly, he takes the time to listen, and he sees the patient throughout the whole medical experience, from office to hospital. “Every morning, I do rounds at three hospitals,” he says. “It’s part of our continuity of care.”

When he’s not working, Dr. Carrazzone enjoys hiking, kayaking and spending time with family, including his six children. Visit Dr. Carrazzone’s leadership biography to learn more about his responsibilities as a part of Vanguard’s Executive Team. 

Bottiglierie, Christina, PA-C

Christina Bottiglierie Advocates for Her Patients

“When patients are educated about their health, it becomes a two-way street where they are actively involved in the decision process. The result is better care.”

Christina Bottiglierie has the distinct memory of folding laundry with her father and telling him of her future career choice. “I want to go into medicine,” 5-year-old Christina said. But it wasn’t until college that she found the perfect fit, becoming a physician assistant.

Now she’s not only a seasoned physician assistant at Vanguard but also a role model for future PAs. Students from the Robert Wood Johnson Rutgers program in Piscataway and Kean University train under her as part of their course work. She also precepts “pre-PAs” – students in high school and college who are considering physician assistance as a future career.

Christina enjoys the variety in a family medicine practice, from pediatrics to women’s health to chronic care and more. She prides herself on being an advocate as well as an educator for her patients. “When I work with children who have special needs, I’ll counsel the parent on how to approach the school district, the questions to ask and what the school should provide,” she says. “When my patients are employees of the state or county, I educate them about the NJWELL program, where they can get money back for getting physicals. Certain insurances will give you free bike helmets for kids. I spend the time and talk to my patients, and make sure that they understand how they can play a role in their health.”

She’s also a certified Department of Transportation medical examiner, one of the few in New Jersey. This allows her to conduct the detailed physicals required for bus and truck drivers with commercial drivers’ licenses.

When she’s not working, Christina is involved in running groups and does Spartan races with her kids. “You have time for what you want to make time for,” she says. “That’s what I always tell my patients.”

Becker, Julie, PA-C

Julie Becker Makes a Difference in Patients’ Lives 

“Encouraging patients to keep abreast of their health care plan is a crucial part of preventive family medicine today.”

Julie Becker’s desire to have a career in health care was influenced by her grandmother, who was a dentist as well as a mentor whom she shadowed while she was in college. “For me, I had positive role models who were in medical professions, and it was during high school that I decided to pursue a career in health care,” says Julie. “When I was in school, a physician assistant was a new medical career option, but I liked the idea that it would offer me the opportunity to examine, diagnose and treat patients under the guidance of a medical doctor.”

As a physician assistant, Julie is passionate about preventive and wellness care. “Prevention is the key to health care today,” she says. “During every visit, after reviewing my patients’ charts, I encourage and remind them to keep on top of immunizations, screenings and annual physicals, including PAPs, mammograms, colonoscopies and other screenings, so that a baseline can be recorded. If an abnormality is indicated, it can be caught and treated early.”

Julie speaks fluent Russian and Hebrew. According to her, “Once in a while, I have an opportunity to speak with patients in their native language. This came in handy for me with one of my patients who was a centenarian and was a little confused about diabetes. Being able to explain her condition in her native language put her at ease.”

As a physician assistant, Julie provides a variety of services to patients, including annual physicals, wellness checkups, diagnoses, medication management, blood pressure screenings, inoculations and vaccinations.  

As the mother of four, Julie’s schedule is jam-packed keeping up with her children and their activities, but they also find time to enjoy Broadway shows and traveling.