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Saratoga Hospital Family Medicine Residency Celebrates Class of 2026 Graduates

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Education.

Alina Bazarian, MD, Anna Kaoutskaia, MD, Awais Chaudary, MD, Elena Mejery, MD, Carolyn Miller, DO, have all graduated from the Saratoga Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program

Saratoga Hospital proudly celebrates the inaugural graduation of six physicians from its Family Medicine Residency Program, marking a first major milestone in the program’s mission to prepare community-focused physicians to provide high-quality care throughout the region and beyond.

The inaugural Class of 2026 includes:

Alina Bazarian, MD (Chief Resident 2025–2026)

Awais Chaudary, MD

Anna Kaoutskaia, MD (Chief Resident 2025–2026)

Elena Mejery, MD

Carolyn Miller, DO

Zeynep Ovacik, MD

Established through a collaboration between Saratoga Hospital, Albany Medical Center and Hudson Headwaters Health Network, the Family Medicine Residency Program provides comprehensive training in both hospital and outpatient settings, with an emphasis on community health, behavioral health, addiction medicine and leadership development.

What sets the program apart is its unique partnership between Saratoga Hospital and Hudson Headwaters Health Network. Residents train in a variety of clinical settings while working alongside multidisciplinary teams to deliver patient-centered care. The program also prepares physicians to address the healthcare needs of rural and underserved communities and to become leaders and advocates within their profession.

“Our graduating residents have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their patients, colleagues and communities throughout their training,” said Ephraim Back, MD, Program Director of the Saratoga Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. “We are proud of their accomplishments and confident they will make meaningful contributions wherever their careers take them.”

“Strong communities depend on access to high-quality primary care, and that starts with investing in the next generation of providers,” said Tucker Slingerland, M.D., CEO, Hudson Headwaters Health Network. “We are proud to celebrate these graduates and the dedication they have shown throughout their training. Their contributions have helped strengthen the health care workforce in our region and ensure that patients and families in our communities can continue to receive the care they need, close to home. We congratulate them on this achievement and are grateful for the role they will play in helping to keep our communities, and beyond, healthy, vibrant and well cared for.” 

“We are incredibly proud of these graduates and the impact they will have on the health and well-being of the communities they serve,” said Jill VanKuren, President and CEO of Saratoga Hospital. “This program plays an important role in developing the next generation of family medicine physicians, and we congratulate the Class of 2026 on this significant achievement.”

The graduation ceremony also recognizes the contributions of the residency program’s faculty and leadership team, including Ephraim Back, MD, MPH, Founding Program Director; Sean Roche, MD, Program Director; Colleen Quinn, MD, Associate Program Director; Abigail Lubin, MD, Associate Program Director; Deidre Cirillo, RN, Executive Director of Medical Education, and Starla Hooks, Residency / ACGME Program Coordinator.

Upon graduation, family medicine residents begin the next chapter of their careers as independent physicians or pursue fellowship training in specialized areas of medicine. Whether they remain in the Capital Region or practice elsewhere, they help strengthen the physician workforce and expand access to high-quality primary care for the communities they serve.

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