Meet the team

Our Doctors:

Rudaina Banihani, MD

Neonatologist & Developmental Behavioural Pediatrician; 

Medical Director, Neonatal Follow Up Clinic

A Neonatologist is a doctor who takes care of babies (and probably took care of your baby) in the intensive care nursery.  After discharge, they can help with any remaining medical problems and help you and your baby transition to home.  A Developmental Pediatrician is a doctor who plays for a living. Play is a child’s work and learning. They work with children and families to optimize your child’s brain development. At Sunnybrook, both Dr. Asztalos and Dr. Banihani are focused on shifting from the intensive care to play.

Nancy, Freda, Natalie, Emma, and Karli are Occupational Therapists (OT). An OT is someone who helps people of all ages to develop, keep, or recover the skills they need for the job of living. They work with your babies and children and promote the development of important skills such as moving, feeding, learning and playing! At the Follow-Up Clinic, they will spend time interacting with you and your child to get to know your child’s unique strengths and goals for development. They will provide coaching and education, and may refer to other services or therapists in the community where you and your child can work towards these goals together.

Lisa Smuskowitz

Lisa is a Physiotherapist (PT). A Physiotherapist looks at how your baby moves. By watching how your baby moves, we can begin to understand how your baby’s brain is working. We will also help support your baby’s motor development by giving you activities, exercises and stretches at each visit. In addition, the PT along with our OT assesses how your baby feeds so that you and your baby are both enjoying this important time together.

Colleen Rocha

Colleen is a Registered Nurse. Our RN assists in the evaluation of developmental progress and facilitates links to community resources for families.

Katrina Palermo

Katrina is our Receptionist Clerk.

Rena Rosenthal

Rena is a Registered Dietitian (RD). A Dietitian is someone who specializes in the nutritional needs of your baby, including their intake of all macro and micronutrients to make sure they are meeting their requirements as well as monitor weight gain and growth patterns.  If growth is a concern, Rena and the clinic team will work with you to understand your baby’s intake of all feeds, including bottles, breast feeds and intake of solids. Rena will assess their weight gain and growth over a period of time, and will then provide suggestions to adjust calories, vitamins or minerals as needed to ensure optimal growth and development for your baby. Her primary goal is to help you and your baby enjoy feeding as best as possible.