News

Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Unifies ICU Services Across Strong, Highland

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Irene Perillo, M.D.

After over 20 years of dedicated service, Irene Perillo, MD, of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, will transition from her role as the medical director of the Highland Hospital ICU in June. The Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) has established a new PCCM-Medical ICU service line spanning Strong Memorial and Highland hospitals.

The new service line will establish a coordinated system for delivering critical care, ensuring consistent protocols, shared expertise, and streamlined patient transfers. Caroline Quill, MD, will oversee the service line, and Joshua Mauro, MD, will assume the role of Highland ICU medical director. Serban Staicu, MD, will serve as associate director of the Highland ICU and continue in his roles as director of Highland’s Step Down Unit and pulmonary clinic. 

Joshua Mauro, M.D.

Serban Staicu, M.D.

Caroline Quill, M.D.

“We sincerely thank Dr. Perillo for her leadership, vision, and enduring contributions to Highland Hospital and the patients and teams she has served,” said M. Patricia Rivera, MD, chief of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine. “Her visionary leadership has transformed critical care at Highland Hospital.”

Since taking on the medical director position in 2003, Perillo led creation of a 14-bed medical–surgical ICU to support higher-acuity patients. She led the formation of a dedicated multidisciplinary ICU team, including faculty, APPs, and fellows, ensuring expert coordinated care with round-the-clock coverage for critically ill patients.

Perillo also spearheaded numerous significant Highland Hospital and regional initiatives, including transitioning its ICU to an intensivist-co-managed model aligned with the Leapfrog Initiative, developing regional transfer protocols, and expanding critical care capacity during the pandemic. She helped establish several key programs, such as the Medical Emergency Response Team, Rapid Response Team, Stroke Code team, and a continuous renal replacement therapy program.

She also played a key role in developing educational programs and rotations in the Highland ICU for fellows, residents, APP trainees, and medical students across various disciplines.