2021 Best Consulting Physician
The Best Consulting Physician award is presented to the physician providing superior consulting or specialized services.
Andrew Agostini, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center
Neurologist
Andrew Agostini specializes in managing inpatients with neurological disorders. He recently joined Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center and currently practices as a neurohospitalist. Dr. Agostini is described as very professional, caring, thorough and knowledgeable, particularly with difficult cases, and he is very collaborative with physicians.
Christopher Inglese, M.D.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
Pediatric Neurologist, Institute for Brain Protection Sciences
Known for his dedication, compassion and expertise, Christopher Inglese is recognized throughout the organization for his thorough clinical assessments and positive bedside manner. Working primarily with hospitalized children, Dr. Inglese helps families cope and live with neurological disorders. As a valued clinical partner, he is appreciated for his kind, receptive and approachable demeanor. Dr. Inglese is a knowledgeable professional who consistently provides exceptional patient- and family-centered care.
Shaista Ahmed, M.B.B.S., M.P.H.
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Geriatric Medicine
As a member of the inpatient consultation service, Shaista Ahmed’s main interest is improving outcomes for older adults who are admitted to hospitals with geriatric syndromes. She works closely with teams from the emergency department and the departments of medicine, surgery, and physical medicine and rehabilitation to provide evidence-based medical management of patients, resulting in minimizing complications and reducing the chance of interrupted stay and re-hospitalization. Also, in 2019, Dr. Ahmed helped establish the geriatric cognitive-behavioral service, which helps teams diagnose and manage geriatric syndromes frequently encountered during hospitalization, such as delirium, neuropsychiatric behavioral problems associated with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Yuri Deychak, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Community Physicians
Physician, Cardiologist
Yuri Deychak is an outstanding physician and a model of excellence in consulting who works tirelessly to communicate well with referring providers. Located at Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Heart Care in Bethesda and Rockville, Maryland, Dr. Deychak is among the most rigorous and conscientious physicians, focusing intensely on what is best for his patients. He has excellent patient experience scores, and he is scrupulous about his use of health care resources. Dr. Deychak also contributes time and energy to his community and to professional societies including the American College of Cardiology — its Maryland chapter recently awarded him the annual Presidential Citation in recognition of his many years of exceptional service that have strengthened cardiovascular medicine in the state. He is particularly well known in the National Capital Region for his service to patients in Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking communities. Dr. Deychak’s colleagues admire his work ethic and caring nature, and note that he always does the right thing, even when no one is looking.
Olivia Kates, M.D.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Olivia Kates has made an impact on teaching and patient care. Patients have benefited from her clinical expertise, residents and consulting teams have benefited from her teaching, and Johns Hopkins as a whole has benefited from both. She helps develop stronger physicians with every consult note she writes and healthier patients with every one she sees.
A first-year internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins who has often consulted the transplant/oncology infectious diseases team reports that Kates has not only contributed to patient diagnosis and treatment and delivered profound care for patients, but she has also gone “above and beyond” to teach the consulting teams.
“The extra effort Dr. Kates put into her notes reflects the extra effort she takes with her patients, with consulting teams and with interns like me who have so much to learn,” says the resident. “Without explicitly trying to do so, she has made me more interested in infectious diseases and has made me a better doctor through her approach to patient care and her teaching.”
Nanak Chugh, M.D.
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Neurologist
Despite running a busy outpatient practice with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Nanak Chugh is always available to meet the needs of inpatients at Sibley Memorial Hospital when called on for consultation. He arrives promptly, evaluates the patient and collegially presents his thoughts to the primary provider. He also seeks out the providers to discuss the patients’ progress as he follows them. Dr. Chugh embodies all the qualities that are crucial for a consulting physician. His clear communication and effective collaboration provide invaluable support to attending physicians that positively impacts patient care and improves health care outcomes. Dr. Chugh is extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. The patients at Sibley Memorial Hospital experiencing neurological disease are lucky to have a doctor like him.
Ashley Bone, M.D.
Suburban Hospital
Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
Under Ashley Bone’s leadership, Suburban Hospital clinicians and patients have seen a remarkable improvement in the accessibility of psychiatrists for consultations. She has helped create 24/7 access for providers, including emergency department practitioners, hospitalists, surgeons and intensivists.
Bone goes above and beyond to provide care for the children and adolescents who come to the pediatric center needing psychiatric care. She facilitates improved communication with community providers to help coordinate care and transitions to the community. She has also guided facilitation of family meetings with a multidisciplinary team to discuss overall patient care, goals of care and treatment. This is no easy task, as it often involves challenging interactions with parents and other family members. Colleagues praise the ways she handles these interactions with clarity and compassion. Bone not only takes time to listen to and earn the trust and respect of patients and families, but also to communicate promptly and effectively with all members of the care team.