Christina J. Yang, MD, has been appointed chief of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology in the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She will also lead Pediatric Otolaryngology Services at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.
Dr. Yang specializes in pediatric airway and aerodigestive disorders, with expertise in both acquired and congenital conditions such as glottic, subglottic, and tracheal stenosis, as well as laryngeal clefts. Her research centers on improving safety and quality in pediatric care by implementing evidence-based practices.
“Dr. Yang brings an outstanding track record as a clinician, researcher, and program leader,” said Umamaheswar Duvvuri, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. “She will play an important role in expanding access to the highest quality care for families and children with complex otolaryngologic needs.”
In her new role, Dr. Yang joins the Pediatric Aerodigestive Center at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. The center was established over ten years ago by Mikhail Kazachkov, MD, director of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine. It has since grown to include specialists from ear, nose, and throat (ENT), gastroenterology, pulmonology, and other fields to treat children with rare or complex conditions affecting breathing, speaking, or swallowing. The Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care supports the program by providing child life specialists and social workers to enhance family-centered care.
“Dr. Yang’s expertise and dedication to children and families make her an outstanding addition to Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital,” said Ryan Calhoun, vice president of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. “She brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach that will enhance care for children with complex ENT conditions and partner with our clinicians to expand our high quality, clinical programs.”
As division chief, Dr. Yang will manage a team treating pediatric ENT issues including snoring, tonsillitis, ear infections, speech delay, and hearing loss. She is tasked with expanding access to specialized ENT care for children while fostering collaboration across disciplines.
“I am excited to lead a growing team of pediatric otolaryngologists,” said Dr. Yang. “I look forward to building on Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital’s strong programs and fostering collaboration across specialties to provide the best possible care for children with complex airway and swallowing needs.”
Dr. Yang replaces Scott M. Rickert, MD—now associate director for Children’s Surgical Services at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—who continues his clinical practice and research in pediatric otolaryngology.
Previously leading the AeroDigestive Program at Montefiore Einstein’s Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Dr. Yang received her medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; completed residency training at Tulane School of Medicine; fellowship training at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; earned a Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement; and holds a Master of Science in Clinical Research Methods from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Patients can see Dr. Yang at NYU Langone Otolaryngology Associates—38th Street.
NYU Langone Health is recognized nationally for its patient outcomes due to its focus on quality improvement initiatives that have resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates among academic medical centers nationwide (https://www.vizientinc.com/). Vizient Inc., which ranks academic medical centers based on performance metrics including patient outcomes (https://www.vizientinc.com/), placed NYU Langone first out of 115 comprehensive academic medical centers nationally for three consecutive years (https://nyulangone.org/news/nyu-langone-health-ranked-no-1-nation-vizient-quality-outcomes-three-years-row). Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recently ranked four NYU Langone clinical specialties number one nationally (https://nyulangone.org/news/four-nyu-langone-specialties-ranked-no-1-us-news-world-report). The health system operates seven inpatient locations along with more than 320 outpatient sites across New York area and Florida (https://nyulangone.org/locations). This year it reported $14.2 billion in revenue (https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/top-50-largest-health-systems-by-net-patient-revenue.html) and includes two tuition-free medical schools as well as an extensive research operation.
