Eliza A. Varadi

Eliza A. Varadi, MD IBCLC, FAAP was born in St. Petersburg, Russia but grew up here in Charleston. She graduated from the Academic Magnet High School and obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology and Hebrew Language from Brandeis University in Massachusetts. She then returned to Charleston for her doctorate degree from The Medical University of South Carolina. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at The Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital. She has also spent time training in tropical medicine in San Jose, Costa Rica. Dr. Varadi is board certified in pediatrics and an international board certified lactation consultant. She is a Clinical Instructor for The Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine department of Pediatrics and College of Nursing. She is also a member of the South Carolina Pediatric Practice Research Network. Dr. Varadi is an active member in the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the district representative for The American Academy of Pediatrics section on early career physicians. In 2017 she received The President’s Award from The South Carolina chapter of The American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Varadi speaks Russian, Spanish and Hebrew. Her interests include asthma treatment and education, prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity, and breastfeeding education and support. She looks forward to taking care of your children. When not working she enjoys skiing, hiking and traveling with her husband and 3 Children.

Namrita Malhi

Namrita Malhi, MD, FAAP was born in India but grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. She completed her undergraduate studies in Microbiology and Immunology as well as Film Studies at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. She spent 2 years doing obesity research at Pennington Biomedical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She went back to medical school at the University of Rochester and completed her MD with Distinction in Research. She has 2 publications in major medical journals. Dr. Malhi moved to Charleston in 2010 with her husband who is also a physician in the area. She has very much enjoyed becoming a part of the Pelican Pediatrics team and values the privilege of caring for your children and meeting your families. Outside of work, Dr. Malhi enjoys spending time with her 4 children, husband, and parents, going to the movies, reading, doing yoga, and spending time outdoors.

Desiree Rodriguez

Desiree Rodriguez, MD, FAAP was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus. She then completed a masters in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. After that, she went to Medical School and completed her medical doctorate at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine. After graduating medical school, she moved to Augusta, Georgia to complete her residency is pediatrics. She then moved to Charleston to work as a pediatrician, which has been her lifelong dream. Dr. Rodriguez has always been an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and her passion is advocating for children, ensuring they get the care they need and deserve. She is especially passionate about advocating and helping those affected by natural disasters obtain basic necessity supplies. Her interests also include improving literacy in children by promoting reading from a young age. She is also interested in breastfeeding medicine and education. On her time off, she enjoys taking walks with her husband and her dog Mila and going to the beach. Dr. Rodriguez speaks both English and Spanish and is excited to help take care of the children in Charleston.

Simone Chinnis

Simone Chinnis, FNP, AE-C joins Pelican Pediatrics as a board certified, doctorate-prepared Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a native Charlestonian and graduate of the Academic Magnet High School. She has also lived in Greenville, SC, Miami, FL and San Pedro, Costa Rica. Simone double majored in Spanish and Health Exercise Science at Furman University. After graduation, her interest in improving the health of the community, through the employment of culturally applicable health care, led to the pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina. Simone began her diverse career in nursing as a pediatric cardiac perioperative nurse, transitioned to working with patients across the life span as a nurse researcher, and returned to pediatrics during the latter part of her career. She continued to foster her love of lifelong learning by obtaining a Master of Business Administration and dually completing the requirements for a Master of Science in Nursing and Doctorate of Nursing Practice from The Medical University of South Carolina. She first came to Pelican Pediatrics as a student from MUSC to be precepted by Dr. Varadi. Simone was such a strong student, developing a great relationship with both patients and staff that she stayed on as a provider. Simone is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner and an Asthma Educator. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, traveling, and spending time with her family. Simone is enthusiastic about her new career path a pediatric provider and is looking forward to becoming an integral member of Pelican’s team.

Lily Fong

Lily Fong, MD Lily Fong, MD was born in Los Angeles, California. She graduated on the dean's list from UCLA with a major in Biological Anthropology and a minor in Asian Humanities, combining her interests in wellness and cultural diversity. She earned her medical degree from St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada, where she also spent time volunteering with the local orphanages. She then completed her pediatric residency at Maimonides Children's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Fong speaks English, Spanish, and Cantonese. She is working on learning more words in different languages (Mandarin, Russian, Italian, etc) and appreciates any opportunity to grow. Her interests include helping children develop lifelong healthy habits, teaching about nutrition, supporting mental health, and practicing evidence-based medicine. In her spare time, she loves spoiling her mini schnauzer Kylo, adventuring with her boyfriend (also a physician at MUSC), and getting lost in a good book. She is thrilled to start this new chapter in Charleston and for the opportunity to care for your children!