Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 6 CITY VIEWS March 13, 2026 E ffective February 2026, Dr. Aseem Shukla began serving as Chief of Pe- diatric Urology at Cohen’s Children Hospital, SystemVice President of the Pediatric Urology Service Line, and Director of Pediatric Global Services for Northwell Health in NewYork. Dr. Shukla is a pioneer in pediatric ro- bot assisted laparoscopic surgery, having been among the first pediatric urologists trained in the technology in 2004, a press release said. Since then, he has completed nearly one thousand robotic surgery procedures for children of all ages, including the smallest infant, and introduced innova- tive surgical procedures using the robotic platform. Dr. Shukla is also one of the most experienced surgeons in the country in performing the highly complex recon- struction of bladder exstrophy, having completed more than 250 of these rare cases as part of multidisciplinary teams spanning two continents. He also has expertise in the repair of hypospadias, disorders of sexual develop- ment, cloacal malformation, and compli- cations of posterior urethral valves and neurogenic bladder. Until December 31, 2025, Dr. Shukla served as the Endowed Chair and Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery and co- director of the Bladder Exstrophy Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he served for 17 years. He held an appointment as Professor of Surgery in Urology at the Perelman School of Medi- cine at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that, he was the Chief of Pedi- atric Urology at the University of Minne- sota and the urology residency program director. As the Director of Pediatric Global Services, Dr. Shukla provides consultation and strategic input in developing op- portunities for international partnerships and collaborations that serve to increase access to Northwell’s leading pediatric healthcare services for children across the world. Dr. Shukla routinely lectures and participates in surgical workshops and conferences throughout Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe. In 2009, Dr. Shukla initiated a surgical workshop at the Civil Hospital in Ahmed- abad, India, that has become an inter- national model of Indo-U.S. academic collaboration. This collaboration brings together a leading American children’s hospital and India’s most respected pediatric surgeons to address the vast surgical burden of complex urological anomalies in India. The annual Bladder Exstrophy-Epispadias consortium includes academic surgeons, local hospital systems, American disease- specific support groups, and research staff. It has led to the creation of an inter- national Center of Excellence in Ahmed- abad, which is now a referral destination for all of South Asia and Africa. Dr. Shukla completed his residency in general surgery and urology at the Univer- sity of South Florida College of Medicine and his fellowship in pediatric urology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Northwell is the largest healthcare provider in NewYork and the largest nonprofit health system in the Northeast, comprised of 28 hospitals. “I am thrilled to join my good friend, the renowned Lane S. Palmer, MD, and my former resident and now partner, CoreyWeinstein, along with a fantastic clinical care team that is absolutely committed to offering world class pediatric uro. Praising his ylogy care to our NewYork families and those coming to us from across the country,” Dr. Shukla said. Praising his years at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, he added, “As I transition to my new role, I have shared with my NewYork team that I will always keep centered the dictum of my mentor emeritus and former chair of CHOP Urol- ogy, the late Dr. Douglas Canning: “We will always start with the child and move out from there.” Dr. Aseem Shukla Appointed System VP/Chief Of Pediatric Urology @Northwell Health, NY By a StaffWriter T here was color, live Bollywood music, and laugh- ter at the Aristacare nursing home for seniors in Cedar Oaks, NJ, recently, when almost 100 residents enjoyed celebrating Holi. They were entertained by the Care Chords musical group. The show featured nostalgic tunes from the 1940s to the early 2000s. The singers – Aditi Tandon, Prathyusha Nacha, Ashwath Gurumurthy and Saanvi Nacha – chose lively and soft classics loved by many generations, a press release from Care Chords said, adding that seniors sang along and clapped to the beats. Care Chords, a community outreach Program based in Basking Ridge brings live Indian andWestern Music per- formances to senior and care communities in New Jersey. “The goal is to entertain elders who find an emotional connection with their favorite music, and also build cultural and meaningful interactions,” said Care Chords which can be reached at CareChords@gmail.com. The music program was created a year ago. “It started when I was much younger,” says the founder, Saanvi Na- cha, 15, who sings in many languages. “At 7 or 8, I used to love caroling at senior homes with my music group. Later on, I also sang Beatles and ABBA songs at a few centers.” The theme of the Holi show was love in its myriad forms, from the jazzy notes of Shankar Jaikishan, to the romance of R D Burman, with the vintage gems by Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, and Asha Bhonsle. The 2 teenage performers Saanvi and Ashwath, who were born in the U.S and don’t speak much Hindi, confessed that they love the yesteryear tunes as much as their par- ents and grandparents do. “We want our residents to feel at home here, and do things that make them smile and enjoy,” says Dr. Mukund Thakar, founder of Indian Nursing Program. Ankita Patel, the Cultural Director adds, “Holi is such a fun festival and we try to make it a vibrant and colorful celebration each year!” Seniors At Aristacare Nursing Home In Cedar Oaks, NJ Celebrate Holi With Musical Group Care Chords By a StaffWriter PHOTO:DREAMSTIME_L_64783187 Senios at Aristacare’s Indian Nursing Program enjoying the musical performance by Care Chords for Holi. Dr. Mukund Thakar, founder of the Indian Nursing Program at Arista- care, with other attendees and organizers. PHOTO: LINKEDIN Dr. Aseem Shukla