Allergy and Asthma Care of Fairfield County
Food Allergy Center of Connecticut
Dr. Kenneth Backman • Dr. Katherine Bloom • Dr. Sara Dever • Suzanne Hines, APRN • Jillian Ross APRN • Elizabeth Strong, APRN
Our practice is located in Fairfield and Monroe, and staffed by compassionate professionals on all levels. Our physicians are highly trained, and experienced in both adult and pediatric allergy, asthma and food allergies.
Kenneth Backman, MD, FAAAAI, FAAACI, is the founder of Allergy and Asthma Care. He is board certified in Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, received his bachelor of science in Biology with honors from Yale University, and his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his residency training at the University of Chicago Hospitals, and his fellowship training in Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Backman has published numerous scientific articles in the field of allergy, and has served on the Editorial Board of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Dr. Backman is currently Chief of the Section of Allergy at Bridgeport Hospital. He has suffered from allergies and asthma his whole life, including multiple food allergies, and understands how these conditions can impact his patients. He brings that empathy and compassion to every patient interaction, and feels fortunate to be able to help patients of all ages. Dr. Backman supports a number of philanthropic organizations, and enjoys exercising, traveling, watching sports, and spending time with his wife and two adult children.
Katherine Bloom, MD, is a board certified adult and pediatric allergist and immunologist with expertise in the full range of allergic disorders, and particular interest in food allergy and immunodeficiency. Dr. Bloom received her undergraduate degree in Biology with distinction from Boston University, where she graduated summa cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where she was elected Alpha Omega Alpha, and completed her residency training at New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Bloom completed her Allergy and Immunology fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, where she also participated in clinical and laboratory research in food allergy and immunology. In 2008, she received the Jaffe Food Allergy Research Award from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, which supported her research investigating immunologic mechanisms of food allergy. Dr. Bloom loves being a physician; she is blessed to have the opportunity to form relationships with patients of all ages and strives to provide the highest quality and most compassionate care that she can. Dr. Bloom and her husband are the proud parents of four beautiful children. When not busy practicing medicine, they enjoy traveling, skiing, exercising, watching sports and cheering on their children from the audience/sidelines.
Sara Dever, MD, is board certified in adult and pediatric allergy and immunology. She graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in psychology. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Connecticut and trained in Internal Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center. After completing her fellowship training in allergy and immunology at the University of Michigan, Dr. Dever published her research in food allergies. Following fellowship, Dr. Dever joined Advanced Specialty Care in Danbury CT where she worked for six years and was well regarded by patients and staff. After taking some time off to be with her young children, Dr. Dever was thrilled to join Allergy & Asthma Care. She believes that clear and open communication are essential for optimal care of her adult and pediatric patients. Dr. Dever will work steadfastly with you to develop an action plan that encompasses all of your health needs while minimizing the use of medication through education and avoidance measures. When not busy chasing after her two young and beloved boys, Dr. Dever enjoys traveling, running with her husband and reading about history.
Suzanne Hines, RN is a board certified nurse practitioner. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marquette University, a master’s degree with distinction from Boston College for a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Maternal Child Health and post-master’s certificate from Sacred Heart University for a Family Nurse Practitioner degree. She has worked in many areas of pediatrics from intensive care, emergency medicine and primary care, and taught pediatric nursing at Yale University School of Nursing and Sacred Heart University. When not working she is busy with her husband and four children, and loves to play tennis, paddle and golf, ski, walk, and travel whenever possible.
Jillian Ross, APRN, is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Fairfield University and subsequently a Master of Science in Nursing from Regis College in Weston, MA with a concentration in acute care/emergency medicine. Prior to working at Allergy and Asthma Care, Jillian worked both as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Practice Manager for CVS MinuteClinic. She also worked for Northeast Medical Group urgent care centers treating patients across the lifespan. When not working, Jillian loves spending time with her husband and daughter. She enjoys figure skating, running, traveling, and cooking.
Elizabeth (Beth) Strong, APRN, is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at SUNY Buffalo and went on to earn her Masters of Science in Nursing at the University of Rochester. Beth learned world-class allergy care while working closely with and training under top researchers and experts. She spent eleven years working with the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai in NYC. She treated patients with food allergies, eczema, seasonal allergies and asthma. She managed several clinical trials studying immunotherapy for food allergy and was highly integral in opening the Food Allergy Treatment and Research Center to treat food allergic patients with an advanced oral desensitization protocol. Beth has also worked with a pediatric pulmonology group and she has extensive experience managing asthma. In her free time, Beth enjoys being outdoors and traveling. Most of all, she loves spending time with her husband and two young children.
