Meet Our Doctors

Maria M. Emerson, MD, FACOG

New City and Stony Point Offices

Maria M. Emerson MD, FACOG is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist practicing at OBS-GYN of Rockland in New City and Stony Point. She is also the Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Dr. Emerson comes to Highland Medical with a wealth of experience, most recently from the Bronx Healthcare System where she held the position of Director of the Women’s Health Clinic and Health and Wellness Gynecology. She was an instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, NY. Dr. Emerson earned her Medical Doctorate with distinction in research in women’s health from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY and completed her Residency at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center in Bronx, NY.  Dr. Emerson has a Masters in Healthcare Delivery Leadership from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, she is fluent in Spanish and enjoys international cultures, foods, cooking and gardening.

Jonathan J. Jakus, MD

New City Office 

Jonathan J. Jakus, MD, ABOG is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist. For over 40 years he has served the Rockland County Community as the primary physician of his private practice, Hudson Center for Women’s Health. Since joining Highland Medical, he continues to inspire trust and confidence by providing comprehensive care to his patients.

Dr. Jakus received his medical degree from Semmelweis Medical University in Budapest, Hungary and graduated Summa Cum Laude. He completed his internship in general surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was a resident and administrative chief resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Luke’s Women’s Hospital of Columbia University in New York City. Dr. Jakus was instrumental to the establishment of the first modern collaborative Midwifery Practice in Nyack. Since then it has become the largest of its kind in the Hudson Valley, assisting in the delivery of close to 1000 babies a year at the state of the art Maternity Department of Montefiore Nyack Hospital.     

Dr. Jakus is a senior attending, past Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Medical Director of the Prenatal Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. He has held appointments at Columbia University and Touro Medical College teaching medical students and residents in the art of obstetrics and gynecology. As the first one at Nyack Hospital to perform minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, he developed a microinvasive laparoscopic tubal sterilization procedure.

He enjoys traveling with his wife, playing tennis with friends, skiing with family and spending time with his grandchildren.

Irene M. Kelly, MD, FACOG

New City and Stony Point Offices

Dr. Irene Kelly is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and practices at Highland Medical, OBS/GYN of Rockland.

Dr. Kelly received her medical doctorate from the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. She completed her Internship at Jewish Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY and her Residency at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. She is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an attending physician at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Currently her practices consist of office based GYN and minor surgical procedures. Dr. Kelly has worked, lived and raised her family in the community for over 30 years. She enjoys swimming, cycling, running, skiing and sailing. 

Dr. Kelly speaks fluent Spanish.

Hernan Parra Freitas, MD

New City and Stony Point Offices

Hernan Parra Freitas, MD is an obstetrician and gynecologist with Highland Medical. He provides care at Highland Medical OBS/GYN of Rockland. He was previously a laborist at the labor and delivery unit at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Dr. Parra is originally from Cartagena, Colombia. He received his medical doctorate from Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia in 2013. He was a research assistant for the Division of Family Planning, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, and later was a clinical observer at Alivio Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2016.  In 2017 Dr. Parra moved to NY where he joined the Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program at Bronx Care Health System and completed his training in 2022. Dr. Parra is fluent in Spanish and has a particular interest in Obstetrics, Family Planning and Woman’s reproductive health rights.

Yanka Benitez, RN, CNM, WHNP

New City Office

Yanka Benitez is a board-certified Certified Nurse Midwife and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner with OBS-GYN of Rockland. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hunter College in New York, NY and earned her WHNP (Women's Health Nurse Practitioner) and CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) degrees from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Most recently Yanka has been providing gynecologic care including prenatal and postpartum care as a Women's health Nurse Practitioner in the outpatient setting along with extensive experience in the inpatient setting across behavioral health, emergency care and primary care disciplines. Yanka is fluent in Spanish. 

Jennifer Castello, DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC

New City Office

 Jennifer Castello is a board-certified Nurse Midwife and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner with OBS-GYN of Rockland. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Sacred Heart University School of Nursing in Fairfield, CT and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice, women's Health and Midwifery from Rutgers   University School of Nursing in Newark, NJ. Ms. Castello comes to Highland Medical with extensive experience as a certified nurse midwife and registered   nurse in inpatient and outpatient settings. Her inpatient experience includes working in the Labor and Delivery department as well as the Neonatal ICU at Westchester Medical Center, the only Regional Perinatal Center in the Hudson Valley. Her outpatient experience includes a multidisciplinary office as well as an independent midwifery practice. She incorporates the most current evidence-based research to her plan of care from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and American College of Nurse Midwives to provide the most optimal outcomes for her patients.

Debra A. Gilhooly , MSN, WHNP-BC

New City and Stony Point Offices 

Debra Gilhooly, MSN, WHNP-BC is a certified women’s health nurse practitioner at Highland Medical, OBS-GYN of Rockland. She has been caring for patients at OBS-GYN of Rockland since 1999. As a WHNP, Debra is licensed to provide gynecological care to women throughout their lives. She provides prenatal and postpartum care and counseling, as well as comprehensive health care services for women, including contraceptive counseling and family planning. Her focus is promoting healthy living by counseling and educating women about preventive measures to stay healthy and avoid illness.

Debra received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Mercy College and her Master of nursing from Columbia University. She was valedictorian and received the medical staff award from The Cochran School of Nursing for academic excellence and bedside nursing.

Debra has worked as a professor of Maternal Child Nursing and is passionate about education. She concentrates on educating her patients, as well as future nurse practitioners.

Debra enjoys being active and spending time outdoors. She loves to swim, bike, kayak, and garden with her husband and two children.

Yvette Sims, RN, MSN, FNP-C

New City Office 

Yvette Sims, RN, MSN, FNP-C is certified nurse practitioner at Highland Medical, OBS-GYN of Rockland. She specializes in adolescent and women’s healthcare and has been caring for patients for over 20 years in a private practice, urgent care and hospital settings. She also serves as a preceptor for Nurse Practitioner graduate students. She specializes in hormone imbalance.

Yvette received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Binghamton University and her Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner from Pace University in New York. When she is not at work she is a mother of two teenage boys and loves hiking and yoga.