About the Partial Hospitalization Program Team

Medical Director, Partial Hospitalization Program
Medical Director, Acute Care Services
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine 

Tapan Parikh, MD, MPH, completed his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He completed general psychiatry training at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in New Jersey. Dr. Parikh grew up in India and completed his medical training at Pramukhswami Medical College, Gujarat, India.

Dr. Parikh served as Chief Resident and Chief Fellow during his residency and fellowship training. In addition to his formal training, he completed a three-year intensive program in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. Dr. Parikh has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and regularly presents posters at national meetings. He received the AACAP Beatrix A. Hamburg, MD, Award for the Best New Research Poster by a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow in 2020 and the AACAP Systems of Care Award in 2019. Dr. Parikh supervises fellows, residents, and students from various disciplines, including medical students and the PHP staff. He offers evidence-based treatment for all the conditions we treat at PHP listed in this section and combines various psychotherapy techniques and psychopharmacology.

Medical Director of Acute Care Services and Partial Hospitalization Program, The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health; Director of the Schools & Communities CAP Fellowship Rotation, Center for Childhood Resilience

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Khushbu Shah, MD, MPH, is a dual board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. She completed her medical education and public health training at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Shah completed her general/adult psychiatry training at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Shah completed her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Vanderbilt University. She concurrently completed a Distinction in Biomedical Ethics certificate through the Vanderbilt Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society. 

She also performed clinical research at the Center for Excellence for Children in State Custody. Dr. Shah is a member of the AACAP Schools Committee and received the AACAP Systems of Care Award Special Program Clinical Project Award in 2020. Dr. Shah joined Lurie Children's Hospital and the Northwestern University community in the Fall of 2021. Her clinical time is spent in the Inpatient Unit, and the Partial Hospitalization Program, and she serves as Co-Medical Director of Acute Care Services. She is involved with the Center for Childhood Resilience (CCR) and serves as Rotation Director of the Schools and Communities Rotation for trainees. Dr. Shah is particularly interested in acute care, trauma, and various care systems.

Medical Director of Acute Care Services and Partial Hospitalization Program, The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg Schools of Medicine

Tareq Yaqub, MD, is an Attending Physician who joined our faculty in 2021. He completed his General Psychiatry Residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin and his Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Michigan. He was also a fellow of the American Psychoanalytic Association from 2019 to 2020 and completed the Adult and Child/Adolescent Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program through the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute.

Dr. Yaqub is a medical director of psychiatric acute care services, primarily working clinically in the inpatient unit (IPU) and the partial hospitalization program (PHP). He is also a faculty member of the Forensic Asylum Immigration Relief (FAIR) clinic, where he conducts psychiatric evaluations for minors seeking asylum. He is committed to teaching and encourages trainees to develop a holistic understanding of a presenting symptom. His clinical interests include refugee mental health, intergenerational trauma, and psychodynamic understandings of embodiment.

Medical Director of Acute Care Services and Partial Hospitalization Program, The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg Schools of Medicine

Thomas Cummins, MD, is a seasoned physician with 20 years of experience at Lurie Children’s Hospital and over 30 years of experience in the field. He completed his residency at Emory University and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at UCLA. He is a current member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Illinois Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Cummins continues to serve as co-medical director of the psychiatric acute care services in the inpatient unit and the partial hospitalization program. Along with clinical care, he teaches trainees from multiple disciplines and supports PHP and IPU staff. He has a broad knowledge base on pediatric psychopathology and psychopharmacology and continues to provide lectures for the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Social Worker, Partial Hospitalization Program

Emma Fojtik, LCSW conducts individual, family, and group therapy and supervises the social work interns. She coordinates your child’s care during PHP and upon their discharge. With your permission, we will contact other providers to coordinate the most appropriate services.

Emma completed her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Illinois. She graduated with her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Mental Health from the Jane Addams School of Social Work in Chicago. She started at Lurie Children’s in 2023 as a Psychiatric Social Worker in the Emergency Department and transitioned to our Partial Hospitalization Program in 2024. Emma has previous experience working in child welfare, residential treatment, community mental health, and sexual assault education and prevention. Her clinical focuses include mood and anxiety disorders, suicidal behaviors, crisis intervention, and survivors of trauma, abuse, and neglect. Emma utilizes a relational, strengths-based perspective in her work with children and families. She incorporates evidence-based treatments, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and mindfulness, into her treatment.

Psychiatric Social Work Fellow, Partial Hospitalization Program

Bailey Jaeger, LSW, is eager to join the PHP team as the psychiatric social work fellow to provide individual, family, and group therapy. Bailey recently graduated from the University of Chicago with her Master of Arts in Social Work. She completed a one-year internship in Lurie Children’s outpatient psychiatry department before transitioning to PHP in 2024. Her clinical experience includes treating mood and anxiety disorders, suicidal thinking and behaviors, and childhood trauma. In her practice, she draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing styles, aiming to build strong therapeutic relationships with patients while collaborating with families to provide the best possible care. Bailey is an avid advocate for children, which prompted her transition from teaching to social work in 2022. Bailey also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University with a concentration in Early Childhood Education, which she draws on to partner with schools in care coordination.

Recreation Therapist, Partial Hospitalization Program and Recreation Therapy Internship Coordinator and Supervisor 

Nicole facilitates Recreational Therapy (RT) groups within PHP as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Recreation Therapists at Lurie Children’s assess and provide treatment to improve socialization, leisure functioning, and community reintegration. The RT programs are structured to fit the Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents to coach and model appropriate behaviors for successful recreation participation. Nicole’s focus is to help teach our patients to express their feelings and excess energy appropriately through leisure activities and mastering skills.

Nicole graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor’s in public health and Therapeutic Recreation. Nicole was allowed to complete her Therapeutic Recreation internship within the Psychiatry units at Lurie Children’s in 2018, during which time her passion and interest in Mental Health grew. Nicole worked as a Milieu Therapist in the Inpatient Psychiatry Unit and Partial Hospitalization Program. Nicole is the College Internship Coordinator for Recreation Therapy interns following the personal and professional development criteria identified by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (atra-online.com) and the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (nctrc.org).

Milieu Therapist, Partial Hospitalization Program

As a Milieu Therapist (MT), Kari provides direct patient care focusing on behavior modification, social skills, and coping skills while maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment. Within the milieu, Kari aids in implementing patient plans of care, actively sets, and communicates age/developmentally appropriate individual goals, facilitates behavior plans, and sets expectations and behavioral limits within the program's parameters. Kari also assists with leading group activities when needed.

 Kari graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor's degree in Recreation and Parks Administration, focusing on Therapeutic Recreation. During her studies, Kari completed an internship at Advocate Christ Medical Center in the Adult Rehabilitation unit. During this experience, Kari found her passion and was sure she wanted to pursue a career in mental health, specifically in the clinical setting. Following her internship, Kari became a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and has worked as a Milieu Therapist at Lurie Children on the inpatient psychiatry unit and partial hospitalization program since 2019.

Milieu Therapist, Partial Hospitalization Program

Brooke is a Milieu Therapist (MT) at Lurie Children's Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP). As an MT, Brooke focuses on providing support and therapeutic interventions for the children within a group setting. Additionally, she helps the children learn and implement coping strategies, foster positive relationships, and facilitate personal growth.  

 Brooke graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, then earned her master’s in social work from DePaul University. Throughout her master's program, she worked with children and families in the mental health and non-profit sector. Brooke has had experience interning at Brightpoint (previously known as Children's Home & Aid), The Cook County Public Defender's Office in the child protection division, and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center on their behavioral health consult liaison team.  These opportunities lead Brooke to discover her passion for helping children navigate challenges and emotionally and mentally thrive. Brooke is now working alongside her PHP team members to obtain her clinical license (LCSW).  

Administrative Assistant, Partial Hospitalization Program

As the administrative assistant, Jessica helps coordinate many aspects of PHP and meets with new parents to complete consent forms and provide additional information about the program. Jessica is a highly efficient and meticulous administrative assistant focusing on healthcare administration. With over three years of experience in the healthcare industry, Jessica has developed a comprehensive skill set that includes patient coordination, medical records management, and administrative support to healthcare professionals. Her ability to navigate the complexities of a healthcare environment makes her a vital asset to any medical facility.