Saint Peter’s Healthcare System announced June 25 the appointments of Dr. James Gervasoni, Jr. as chair of the Department of Surgery at Saint Peter’s University Hospital and Dr. Siva Jonna as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief of The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital.
“Both Dr. Gervasoni and Dr. Jonna are well-regarded members of Saint Peter’s medical staff,” said Leslie D. Hirsch, president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. “For decades they have delivered safe and exceptional care to patients and their families, while advancing an environment of innovation in partnership with administrative and medical leadership.”
Gervasoni joined the medical staff in 2006 and first began at Saint Peter’s as chair of the Department of Surgery, a role he held until 2015. He was serving as vice chair of the department before once again being appointed department chair. Gervasoni was instrumental in launching the robotic surgery program at Saint Peter’s and performed the first robotics general surgery case in December 2011.
Gervasoni also serves as the vice president of Saint Peter’s Medical Staff and as the surgical residency site director through Saint Peter’s affiliation with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he is an associate professor of surgery.
Jonna, a pediatric critical care physician, has contributed to the success of The Children’s Hospital during his tenure at Saint Peter’s, including the transformation of the pediatric extended care unit. Under his leadership, the unit has gained a distinguished reputation for helping critically ill children throughout the state. The pediatric extended care unit has also been recognized with multiple Beacon Awards for nursing excellence and patient care.
For the past 27 years, Jonna has served as chief of the division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s and was appointed vice chair of the Department of Pediatrics in 2016. In 2023, Jonna was appointed interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics at The Children’s Hospital.
