History of Our Office

This office was opened by Dr. Mitchel Alpert in June of 1987 as the only full time practice of Pediatric Cardiology in both Monmouth and Ocean County. Since that time this practice has grown to a 4 person practice exclusive to Pediatric Cardiology and is affiliated locally with the Meridian Health Care System which includes Jersey Shore University Medical Center and regionally with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with whom the practice is always in close contact.

In 1998 Dr. Vincent R. Zales, who had been the Director of the Transplant Program at Northwestern University in Chicago and had held the position of Director of Pediatric Cardiology at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center, was recruited to this practice. Dr. Zales specializes in congenital heart disease both pre and post surgical and in the older children with congenital heart disease.

As Fetal Echocardiography began to expand in the late 1990’s, there became a need to have an individual who was truly gifted and talented in this regard. Dr. Elsa I. Castro joined this practice in late 2001. After spending a year learning Fetal Echocardiography at the world renowned Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Castro quickly established herself as an expert in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine.

Because of the growth of this practice in  2009 we added another Pediatric Cardiologist, Dr. Maria Angela Umali. Dr. Umali is actually home grown having completed her Pediatric Residency at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center before completing a Pediatric Cardiology fellowship in Virginia. Dr. Umali adds another female to the practice and another specialist in Fetal Echocardiography in addition to all aspects of general Pediatric Cardiology.

This practice in addition to practicing at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center does see patients at the Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Kimball Medical Center, Community Medical Center and the Centrastate Medical Center.
We also remain committed to the teaching of tomorrow’s physicians. When visiting our offices it is common to see Pediatric Residents from both Jersey Shore University Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center not to mention Medical Students at the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center where the doctors have faculty appointments.