Meet our team at CAHC! Please take a few moments to learn about our skilled practitioners and our friendly staff.
At CAHC, we consider it both a great joy and a great responsibility to care for your children. All of our physicians are parents ourselves, so we strive to be understanding and available to the families we are privileged to serve. We are honored that you have chosen us as your child's primary medical doctors and are confident that you will be pleased with the quality of care and service that we can provide you and your family.
A vital part of our service to children begins with our outstanding staff who works hard to manage and maintain a professional, caring and supportive environment for our patients in a timely manner.
Our doctors are lifelong learners. Not only have they received advanced medical training in pediatrics, they continually pursue ongoing education to stay abreast of the latest in child health care.
Your child's health is as important to us as it is to you. We look forward to providing you with excellent pediatric care for your children.
Joe Avni-Singer, MD
Dr. Joe Avni-Singer formed CAHC with Dr. Deborah Ferholt in 1999. He grew up in Albany, NY, received a B.S. from Cornell University and attended New York University School of Medicine. He came to New Haven in 1989 for residency in Pediatrics at Yale, and went on to complete a fellowship in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at Yale as well. After working for several years at the Fair Haven Community Health Center, he joined Dr. Ferholt. He found that she had created a unique practice where doctors take time to get to know each child and family individually and provide care with patience, and respect. Though the practice has grown, Dr. Avni-Singer and his partners strive to maintain these core values and protect the time they spend with patients and families. In addition to addressing preventive care and managing children with illness, he finds great fulfillment in helping parents with the challenges of raising families in our complicated world. Dr. Avni-Singer lives in New Haven with his wife and three children, of whom 2 are now in college.
Shari Storeygard, MD, FAAP
Dr. Shari Storeygard joined CAHC in 2006. She grew up in the Philadelphia area in a big family of educators. She attended Haverford College and then earned her medical degree at The George Washington University. Dr. Storeygard completed her pediatric residency training at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. She lives with her husband and three boys in Woodbridge. For fun and relaxation, she loves to hike and spend time outside with her family, cook, and travel.
Shannon Martinello, MD, FAAP
Dr. Shannon Martinello joined CAHC in 2009 after practicing in Fairfield County for 11 years. She is a Connecticut native who attended Providence College and then Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric internship, residency and an additional year of training in Developmental Pediatrics at Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis. She lives in Woodbridge with her husband and four boys. Her area of interest is children with special healthcare needs. She is Clinical Assistant Professor at the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University and enjoys teaching medical students at Netter. She enjoys going to the beach, swimming, traveling and reading when she is not cheering on her boys at their sporting/music/school events.
Elizabeth Northrop, MD, FAAP
Dr. Northrop joined CAHC in 2023. She has over a decade of experience in pediatrics in the Middletown area of Connecticut. She graduated cum laude from Middlebury College in VT in biochemistry and minored in physics. She then attended University of Vermont College of Medicine. Her pediatric training was completed at the University of Utah. She has experience as a hospitalist in the newborn nursery at Middlesex Hospital. She is on faculty at the University of CT School of Medicine and participates in medical education. She is a certified lactation consultant as well. She is the mother of four children.
Namita Wijesekera, MD, FAAP
Dr. Namita Wijesekera,MD joined CAHC in 2018 after practicing for several years in California and most recently, in the New Haven area. Namita received her BA from Boston University and her MD from Boston University School of Medicine. Besides seeing patients daily, Namita teaches medical students and residents. She is a Clinical Instructor in Pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Namita enjoys forming longtime relationships with her patients while caring for their ongoing needs as newborns to young adults. Active in her community, she serves on various boards inherently linked with childhood health and well-being. Namita serves as secretary and member of the Bethany Board of Education. She also serves on the board of the Massaro Farm CSA, a partnership between local farmers and the community to delivery healthy, organic vegetables. Namita enjoys spending time with her husband and four young children. Her hobbies include cooking, tennis, running, and traveling.