The Internal Medicine Residency Program Faculty
Isaac K. Soliman, M.D., FACP
- Program Director
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Dr. Soliman is a graduate of Misr, Ain Shams University where he went on to a Tropical Medicine residency before moving to the United States. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Mountainside and stayed on as core faculty. As a physician, he takes pride in teaching and bringing patient care back to the bedside but with a sprinkle of technology. His clinical interests include acute care, addiction medicine, and point of care ultrasonography. Outside of the hospital, he is a runner, an amateur carpenter, and a DIY enthusiast.
Roveena Goveas, M.D.
- Associate Program Director – Hospital Medicine and Quality Improvement
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Dr. Goveas earned her medical degree from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, a Masters in Epidemiology from Michigan State, and completed her residency, chief residency, and nephrology fellowship at Wayne State. As a physician and educator, she is passionate about mentoring residents, emphasizing evidence-based medicine, and personalizing patient care. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Goveas is an active mother of two twins who likes to hike, ride bicycles, and plan day trips
Hassan Malik, M.D.
- Associate Program Director – Simulation Medicine
A graduate of C.M.H. Lahore Medical College, Dr. Malik also completed his residency at Mountainside Medical Center and spent time thereafter working within different hospital systems. Dr. Malik returned to follow his passion for teaching, joining the faculty with a special focus on the integration of Simulation Medicine into medical education. When not working, he can be found live streaming cricket and football or enjoying a movie with his wife and kids
Young Ju Lee, M.D.
- Associate Program Director – Ambulatory Medicine
- Medical Director of the Adult Health Center
Dr. Lee earned a bachelor's degree from Houghton University and her M.D. from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, focusing on Global Health. She completed her residency at Unity Hospital in Rochester, NY, and worked as an academic hospitalist at Temple University Hospital before moving to New Jersey. She joined Mountainside to continue her journey in teaching and medical education. Her clinical interests include global health, continuity of care, narrative medicine and healthcare accessibility for underserved populations. When she's not at the hospital, she can be found catching up on her fiction reading and keeping up with her kids.
Aiza Akbar, M.D.
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Dr. Akbar graduated from King Edward Medical College before completing residency here at Mountainside. She went on to pursue a career in Acute and Post Acute Care Medicine but regularly provides teaching services and clinical coverage with the resident teams. She values the supportive environment and aims to pass on this care and compassion to residents. In her spare time, she can be found traveling with her family.
Yosleisy Valdes Hernandez, M.D.
Dr. Valdes Hernandez is a native of Cuba, graduating from the Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana. He also completed internal medicine residency training at Mountainside and has continued to work here in the private group sector since. Dr. Valdes Hernandez is passionate about resident education and believes in deepening one’s understanding of patients’ underlying pathophysiology to better manage complex cases. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Valdes Hernandez has a wide array of hobbies, including hiking and camping with his wife and kids, guitar playing, and weightlifting.
Hospital Leadership
Valarie Allusson, M.D., SFHM, MMM, FACP, CHCQM, CPE
- Chief Medical Officer
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Dr. Allusson trained at the University of Medicine in Paris France before completing her internal medicine residency at Albert Einstein in the Bronx. A Senior Fellow at the Health Management Academy in Hospital Medicine, Dr. Allusson believes that outstanding medical practice in the 21st century hinges on training residents in evidence-based, patient-centered, and cost-conscious care. Emphasizing a "Circle of Learning," Dr. Allusson, despite her role as CMO, rounds regularly with the resident teaching service. In her spare time, she enjoys travel (especially to France), running, and spending time with her family/p>
Ali El-Sayed, M.D.
- Chairman of Medicine
- Associate Director of the Intensive Care Unit
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Dr. Elsayed (or Dr. Ali as he’s mostly known) earned his MD from the University of Gezira, Sudan before pursuing residency at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, MI, followed by Critical Care fellowship training at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. In between his duties as Chair, he can be seen teaching the residents at bedside in the ICU. Alongside Dr. Cohen, he is heavily involved in the teaching of the Critical Care curriculum at Mountainside. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Ali can be found playing or watching soccer and volunteering within the community.
Zaza Cohen, M.D., FCCP
- Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit
- Associate Professor of Medicine
Dr. Cohen graduated from the University of Vermont School of Medicine before completing internal medicine residency at Boston Medical Center and a Pulmonary Critical Care fellowship at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is an ever-teacher who has won multiple awards and currently teaches at the medical school and post graduate levels. Alongside Dr. Ali, he is heavily involved in developing and teaching the critical care and pulmonary didactic curriculum at Mountainside. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Cohen spends his free time with his wife and children travelling the United States and the world.