NYMC and WMCHealth Network Host Sixth Annual HeLa Conference 

The NYMC Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) presented the sixth annual HeLa Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference in-person for the first time since the pandemic on February 22. The hybrid audience listened to panelists discuss topics surrounding disparities and inequities in medicine from surgical procedures to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full article on the HeLa Conference and view the video.

Community Read Book Discussion Spotlights the Inequalities in Dental Care 

The Phillip Capozzi, M.D., Library and Touro College of Dental Medicine co-sponsored a book discussion on February 22 on Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America, by Mary Otto, second from right, a medical journalist and topic leader on oral health for the Association of Health Care Journalists. Otto was joined by Burton L. Edelstein, D.D.S., M.P.H., professor emeritus of dental medicine and health policy and management and special lecturer at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who was featured in the book. Read the full article on the book discussion and view the video. 

Harvey: An Educational Tool for NYMC for More Than 20 Years

Students and faculty have got to know Harvey on a first name basis ever since the shaggy-haired manikin's arrival on campus in 1998. Harvey, a Cardiopulmonary Patient Stimulator, helps learners to master their clinical skills related to identifying the nuances of cardiopulmonary sounds, implementing diagnostic interventions and developing therapeutic treatment plans. With a touch of a button, the life-sized Harvey manikins can be programmed to simulate nearly 50 clinical findings found in children and adults. Harvey takes students outside of a traditional classroom setting by providing hands-on training utilizing specialized headsets, corresponding to a technologically advanced stethoscope, related to recognizing variations in blood pressure, pulses, heart sounds, murmurs and breath sounds. Read the full article on Harvey.

NYMC Celebrates National Heart Month

The NYMC community gathered sporting red for National Heart Month and to show their support for the fight against heart disease on February 15.

Congratulations to NYMC faculty top cardiologists in the February 2023 issue of Westchester Magazine.

Cardiac Electrophysiology 

• Sei Iwai, M.D., professor of medicine
• Jason T. Jacobson, M.D., associate professor of medicine

Cardiovascular Disease 

• Alan Gass, M.D., professor of medicine
• Scott A. Gottesfeld, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine
• Richard H. Greif, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine
• Diwakar Jain, M.D., professor of medicine
• Elliot Levine, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine
• Daniel George Lorch III, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine
• Joshua Melcer, M.D., assistant professor of medicine
• Julio A. Panza, M.D., professor of medicine
• Alan Slater, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine            
• Daniel M. Spevack, M.D., clinical professor of medicine
• Howard Tarkin, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine
• Joseph J. Tartaglia, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine
• Franklin H. Zimmerman, clinical assistant professor of medicine

Interventional Cardiology

• Srihari S. Naidu, M.D., professor of medicine
• Robert J. Timmermans, M.D., assistant professor of medicine 

Pediatric Cardiology

• Markus Erb, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics
• Joseph L. Giamelli, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics
• Leif Lovig, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics
• Irfan Warsy, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics

Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery

• Joshua  B. Goldberg, clinical associate professor of surgery
• Ramin Malekan, M.D., clinical associate professor of surgery
• David Spielvogel, M.D., professor of surgery

NYMC Helps 99 Local Patients with Blood Drive Organized by Donate Life Club and New York Blood Center

NYMC’s Donate Life club hosted their first blood drive of the calendar year on February 9. Thirty-three donors rang in the year helping 99 patients in hospitals who need blood and plasma, as the country still struggles with a blood shortage. The third blood drive of the school year co-hosted by New York Blood Center put the College at 139 donations for the school year with 417 blood units donated to local patients. Donate Life Clubs plans to host two more blood drives before the end of the school year. The goal is to increase participation to at least 60 donors for their next drive.

“Blood is always critical as local area hospitals almost never have more than a day's worth of donations stored, so units need to be replenished as soon as donors are physically able to meet the constant demand,” said Caroline Bredthauer, SOM Class of 2025, co-president of Donate Life Club.

A recently published article, “MicroRNA-195a-5p Regulates Blood Pressure by Inhibiting NKCC2A,” by Nicholas R. Ferreri, Ph.D., left, professor and vice chair of the Department of Pharmacology, and Shoujin Hao, M.D., Ph.D., research assistant professor in Dr. Ferreri's lab, who is the first author of the paper, was selected as one of two featured manuscripts, also knowns as editor’s picks, in the February 2023 issue of Hypertension. This recognition is selected by the editor-in-chief and is labeled with a special icon featured on the issue release email and within the issue, and the article is given free access to all.

Kristina H. Petersen, Ph.D., assistant dean of academic support programs and associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, was a speaker at the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Building Better Curriculum series on February 15. Dr. Peterson presented the webinar, “Fostering an Inclusive Environment: Increasing Course Accessibility,” which highlighted the importance of enhancing accessibility and inclusive instruction practices in medical education.

Members of the laboratory of Esther L. Sabban, Ph.D., the Sidney E. Frank Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Roxanna Nahvi, M.D./Ph.D. candidate, Arax Tanelian, Ph.D. candidate, and Chiso Nwokafor, Ph.D. ’20., published an article “Transcriptome profiles associated with resilience and susceptibility to single prolonged stress in the locus coeruleus and nucleus accumbens in male sprague-dawley rats” in the February 15, 2023 issue of Behavioural Brain Research. The article was selected by the editors-in-chief as the editors’ choice for the issue that is displayed on the journal homepage alongside a comment from the editors on why it was chosen. Free promotional access to the article is granted for a three-month period, allowing all readers full access to the article.  

From the Office of Human Resources: The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available for all employees, at no cost. You do not need to be enrolled in any NYMC benefits package to access this resource. The EAP is available not only for employees but also spouses, dependents, parents and parent-in-laws. The EAP is accessible 24/7 and completely confidential.  

Instructions to access the Employee Assistance Program: 

• InTouroOne, click the “Employee” tab
• Scroll down to “Benefits” where you can find resources for the Employee Assistance Program 
• From there you can click the link to sign up, call the EAP Helpline or review the guide. 

Employee Assistance Program Overview:

• Provides information on medical care, including medical diagnosis and treatment options
• Assists with locating in-network medical professionals for your personal needs
• Helps resolve insurance and billing problems
• Coordinates services related to all aspects of life, including but not limited to, childcare and elder care
• Provides expert, confidential help from a licensed professional counselor for personal, family and work issues