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DOCTORS’
DAY 2019
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NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS
MEDICAL DIRECTORS

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/BELLEVUE       NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOUVERNEUR
NATE LINK, MD                         JEFFREY N. NICHOLS, MD

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CARTER         NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/HARLEM
DAVID MARGOLIS, MD                    MAURICE WRIGHT, MD

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/COLER          NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/JACOBI
SHERRY HUMPHREY, MD                   MICHAEL ZINAMAN, MD

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CONEY ISLAND   NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/KINGS COUNTY
TERENCE BRADY, MD                     STEVEN PULITZER, MD

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/ELMHURST       NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/LINCOLN
JASMIN MOSHIPUR, MD                   ANITA SONI, MD

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM         NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/MCKINNEY
HEALTH, BELVIS
                                      ROBERT HOLLAND, MD
JOQUETTA D. PAIGE, MD
                                      NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM         METROPOLITAN
HEALTH, CUMBERLAND
                                      JOHN PELLICONE, MD
CYNTHIA BOAKYE, MD
                                      NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/NORTH
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM         CENTRAL BRONX
HEALTH, EAST NEW YORK
                                      CHINYERE ANGU, MD *
DAVID JOHN, MD
                                      NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/QUEENS
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM
                                      JASMIN MOSHIPUR, MD
HEALTH, GOUVERNEUR
MORRIS GAGLIARDI, MD
                                      NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/SEA VIEW
                                      MARIA PABLO, MD
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM
HEALTH, MORRISANIA
JOSEPH WILLIAMS                       NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/WOODHULL
                                      EDWARD FISHKIN, MD
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM
HEALTH, SYDENHAM
REBA WILLIAMS, MD

*INTERIM CMO
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DOCTORS’
DAY 2019
April 30, 2019

WELCOME
MITCHELL KATZ, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer

MACHELLE ALLEN, MD
Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer

NATALIA CINEAS, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nurse Executive
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS
2019 DOCTORS’ DAY RECIPIENTS

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/BELLEVUE             NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
                                            GOTHAM HEALTH, CUMBERLAND
AMIT UPPAL, MD
                                            MAGALIE PIERRE-LOUIS, MD
Section Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care,
& Sleep Medicine                            Pediatric Attending

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CARTER               NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
                                            GOTHAM HEALTH, EAST NEW YORK
YELENA SULER, MD
                                            LLOYD P. HASKES, OD, FAAO
Chief, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
                                            Chief, Eye Care Services

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/COLER
                                            NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
XIANG NONG LUO, MD,                         GOTHAM HEALTH, GOUVERNEUR
FAAPMR
                                            NATHANIEL LIM YAO, MD
Attending Physician, Internal Medicine
                                            Primary Care Physician,
                                            Family Medicine-Integrative Medicine
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CONEY ISLAND         Chief Medical Information Officer
ARISTOTLE LYSSIKATOS, DDS, MS,
FAGD
                                            NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
Attending Dentist                           GOTHAM HEALTH, MORRISANIA
Program Director of the Dental Practice     BELKIS J. VIZCAINO-REYES, MD,
Residency Program                           MPH, FAAP
                                            Attending Physician, Pediatrics
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/ELMHURST
MARITZA BROWN, MD                           NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
Associate Program Director,                 GOTHAM HEALTH, SYNDENHAM
Inpatient Medicine                          FRANCISCO SANTONI, MD
Director of Inpatient Hemodialysis          Internist

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/                     NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOUVERNEUR
GOTHAM HEALTH, BELVIS
                                            ANDREA N. COTLER,
OYEBISI JEGEDE, MD                          OD, FAAO
Attending Physician, Infectious Disease     Director of Eye & Vision Services
and Internal Medicine
                                            Chief of Optometry
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/HARLEM         NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/QUEENS
CLARICIO DE CASTRO, MD                M. MARGARET KEMENY,
Attending Anesthesiologist
                                      MD, FACS
Director, Pain Management Service     Director, Cancer Center

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/JACOBI         NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/SEA VIEW

SHELDON H. TEPERMAN,                  MOHAMMAD KHALID, DDS
MD, FACS                              Chief of Dental Service
Trauma Medical Director               Vice President of Medical and
                                      Dental Board

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/KINGS COUNTY
ANDREW G. WINER, MD                   NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
                                      SIMULATION CENTER
Chief of Urology                      NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CONEY ISLAND
                                      REGINA HAMMOCK, DO
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/LINCOLN        Program Director, Emergency Medicine
                                      Residency
PRONOY KUMAR ROY, MD
Unit Chief, Inpatient Psychiatry
                                      NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/WOODHULL
                                      ERSHAD ELAHI, MD
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/MCKINNEY
                                      Vice Chief, Emergency Department
INNA SOSINA, MD
Attending Physician

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/METROPOLITAN
JENNIFER M. HARLEY, MD
Chief of Gastroenterology and
Hepatobiliary Diseases
Director, Gastroenterology and
Hepatology Fellowship Programs

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
NORTH CENTRAL BRONX
LORENZO L. SCOTTI,
DPM, DABFAS
Director of Podiatry
CELEBRATING OUR DOCTORS, 2019

                        In our rapidly changing health care landscape,
                        with digital advancements to improve patient
                        care and innovative strategies to strengthen
                        our financial outlook, there is one thing that
                        remains constant: the steadfast dedication of
                        our doctors. Every year, with our celebration
                        of Doctors’ Day, NYC Health + Hospitals
                        honors an outstanding selection of physicians
MITCHELL KATZ, MD       who are blazing exciting paths toward a
PRESIDENT AND CEO       new era of health care delivery for our
                        patients. Nominated from 23 facilities located
                        throughout this great city, these doctors are
                        among the thousands that uphold the system’s
                        promise to care for all.

                        This year’s honorees include: Pediatricians,
                        Primary Care Physicians, Optometrists,
                        Dentists, ER Doctors, and more. They represent
                        a range of specialties that ensure we can meet
                        the needs of every person who comes to us for
                        care. Beyond their medical specializations, our
                        Doctors’ Day honorees share a rich immigrant
MACHELLE ALLEN, MD      heritage, tracing their roots to nations such
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
                        as Nigeria, China, Russia, Bangladesh, the
                        Dominican Republic, Pakistan and others. Their
                        diverse background reflects the breadth of
                        nationalities that we find among the millions of
                        patients we treat.

                        Aside from diversity, our doctors are unique
                        in their embrace of this special calling to
                        serve the public good. They are worthy of our
                        recognition and unqualified gratitude.

                        Today and every day, we salute you, our
                        doctors, for your excellence, your sacrifice and
                        your commitment to our patients. As a Primary
                        Care Physician and an Obstetrician, both of us
                        are proud and honored to stand with you as
                        we continue our mission and commitment to
                        helping New Yorkers live their healthiest lives.
                        Congratulations to all of you.
AMIT
UPPAL, MD

Section Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care, &
Sleep Medicine, Associate Chief of Medicine,
Director of Medical ICU
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/BELLEVUE

A Driving Force for Safety
Dr. Amit Uppal is hailed by                    “Delivering high-quality, cutting-
colleagues as a driving force for              edge care to all members of our
quality and safety whose leadership            society gets right to the core of why I
at Bellevue has helped revolutionize           became a physician,” he says. “There
care -- from boosting outcomes in              are very human moments when
sepsis patients to deployment of               you connect with patients, there are
a Threatened Airway Protocol and               cognitive challenges that change the
“airway boxes” that are now in use             way you think, and there are physical
hospital-wide.                                 demands that push you to improve.”
He has had “dramatic experiences”              Dr. Uppal earned his B.S. at John
at Bellevue, sheltering and                    Carroll University and his M.D. at
evacuating patients during Hurricane           The Ohio State University College
Sandy and caring for an Ebola                  of Medicine and Public Health.
Virus patient. But his “proudest               He completed his Internal Medicine
accomplishments,” Dr. Uppal says,              internship and residency at University
have come from working on a                    of California, Irvine; a fellowship in
team “that made substantial and                Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
fundamental changes to the way we              at NYU, and a Master’s in Health
deliver care. Our efforts with regard          Professions Education at Maastricht
to sepsis and airway safety impact             University, Netherlands.
patients on a large scale and in a
sustained way.”
Coming from a family of doctors,
Dr. Uppal always knew medicine
was his calling, and he finds working
in the city’s public health system
“incredibly rewarding.”
YELENA
SULER, MD

Chief, Rehabilitation Medicine
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CARTER

Motivated by Her Patients
Dr. Yelena Suler joined NYC                Born and raised in Moscow, Russia,
Health + Hospitals in 2000 when            Dr. Suler credits her mother, “a very
she was recruited for the Cardiac          respected doctor in a local clinic,”
Rehabilitation program at Coler-           with inspiring her to pursue a medical
Goldwater Memorial Hospital. She           career. “Her ability to help people
was quickly recognized for her             in life-threatening situations made
expertise, compassion and putting          medicine a very attractive field to
the needs of patients first.               me,” Dr. Suler says. “I wanted to have
Her responsibilities expanded over         the same power, the same ability to
time to include clinical oversight of      save someone’s life.”
the Rehabilitation Medicine program,       Dr. Suler graduated from Moscow
and in 2013 she was chosen to help         State University of Medicine and
staff the new Henry J. Carter Specialty    Dentistry with a medical degree and
Hospital and Nursing Facility,             worked for 11 years at the Moscow
where she is involved in the care          Center for Emergency Medical
of nearly every patient. Her clinical      Care. She married and had two
contributions, combined with her           sons and eventually migrated to the
leadership skills, have made Dr. Suler     United States, where she gained a
“indispensable” to Carter. In recent       specialty in Physical Medicine and
years, she has served as President of      Rehabilitation. She started at Coler-
the Medical Staff and has assisted with    Goldwater in 2000 as a physiatrist,
clinical oversight of surgical specialty   and moved up from Attending
services, all while maintaining a full     Physician to Chief of the Department,
consultative case load.                    then moved to Carter.
                                           “My biggest motivation,” says Dr.
                                           Suler, “is the success of my patients.
                                           The ability to restore someone’s life
                                           gives me the highest professional
                                           satisfaction.”
XIANG NONG
LUO, MD, FAAPMR

Attending Physician, Internal Medicine
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/COLER

An Early Calling to Help
Dr. Xiang Nong Luo is praised as an         He earned his Doctor of Medicine
outstanding multi-specialty physician       degree at Hunan Medical University,
who has assumed a variety of roles          Changsha, Hunan, China, followed
at Coler -- managing patients with          by a Master of Medicine degree
complex medical issues, improving           in Experimental Oncology at
dementia care and working with the          the university’s Cancer Research
physical therapy department.                Institute. Dr. Luo spent four years
He has assumed a leadership role            as a Research Associate in the
in the Department of Medicine,              Department of Medicine at Mount
where he has assisted in preventing         Sinai Medical Center and worked at
unnecessary hospitalizations and            Coler-Goldwater and Carter facilities
recently took on the challenge of           as an Attending Physician in Physical
improving the rehabilitation and            Medicine and Rehabilitation, before
nursing facility’s dementia care            coming to Coler in 2016.
program. He has also provided               The China of Dr. Luo’s childhood was
specialty consultations to NYC              poor and short of doctors. Because of
Health + Hospitals since 2000, and          the shortage, his 7-year-old brother
works diligently with Coler’s Physical      died from diphtheria. “Since then I
Therapy department to improve the           swore I wanted to be a doctor when I
speed and accuracy of consults and          grow up, to help patients,” he says.
assist with prosthetics and orthotics.      Dr. Luo says he is proud to see
Dr. Luo is also appreciated for imparting   patients recover following his
his Internal Medicine expertise to          treatment. “When I see the patient,
the staff through formal and informal       I always think of what I should do
education, and for his eagerness to         if she or he was my mother, father,
cover other units and support his           sister or brother. I have to do my
colleagues. In addition to his health       best to help.”
system work, he has been in private
practice in Queens for 14 years.
ARISTOTLE
LYSSIKATOS, DDS, MS, FAGD

Attending Dentist, Program Director of the
Dental Practice Residency Program
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CONEY ISLAND

Better Dental Care for Brooklyn
Dr. Aristotle Lyssikatos came to NYC         and represents his colleagues on the
Health + Hospitals/Coney Island in           Facility-Based Collaborative Council,
2015 to establish a dental residency         developing research projects with
program, and under his leadership            staff and residents. In 2015, Dr.
the program has quickly become               Lyssikatos was designated one of the
one of the most desired residencies          country’s top young dentists under
for dental school graduates in the           40 by Incisal Edge Magazine.
city. With some 75,000 patient               Dr. Lyssikatos says he’s proud to be
encounters in its first four years, the      part of a health system devoted to
program has also had an impact on            bringing care to people who often
dental health in the community it            have complex medical and social
serves. “By the time of graduation,          needs. “We have patients with great
our dental residents consistently            hardships, and the emphasis is always
tell me that this was one of the best        on their needs,” he says. “This system
experiences of their lives,” says Dr.        allows us to care for our patients
Lyssikatos. “Meanwhile, our patients         without constraints. That is why I am
have been very appreciative of the           not just a doctor here but a patient
compassionate care they receive              as well. We have talented doctors
from our program.”                           who work together and genuinely
Dr. Lyssikatos graduated with honors         care about their colleagues, and we
from New York University College             have an executive team that is very
of Dentistry in 2005 and served as           approachable and goal-oriented. We
dental director of Newark Community          have a group of dental residents who
Health Centers for nine years before         enjoy learning and dental attendings
joining Coney Island. In addition to         who have a passion to teach.”
his clinical work, he has published
research articles in the Journal of
Oral Health and Community Dentistry
MARITZA
BROWN, MD

Associate Program Director,
Inpatient Medicine
Director of Hemodialysis
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/ELMHURST

Speaking with Compassion
Dr. Maritza Brown’s compassionate          Dr. Brown received her B.S. from
approach to patient care is                CUNY’s Medgar Evers College and
appreciated by those she treats            her M.D. from the Universidad del
and the future physicians she trains.      Noreste in Mexico. Her postdoctoral
She has served in a variety of key         training – internship, residency,
leadership roles since she arrived at      and nephrology fellowship – was
Elmhurst in 2008, and is known for         at Brookdale Hospital/Downstate
excelling in all of them.                  Medical Center.
Dr. Brown, a nephrologist, is              She traces her ambition to study
Associate Program Director of              medicine to her childhood days
Inpatient Medicine and Director of         translating for her grandmother, who
Hemodialysis. She is also Clerkship        spoke little Spanish, during doctor’s
Site Director for the Icahn School         appointments in Costa Rica. Dr.
of Medicine at Mount Sinai. As a           Brown was “awed by the doctors’
medical educator, she has received         knowledge,” she says. “I wanted to be
Elmhurst’s Distinguished Ward              like them.”
Preceptor Award multiple times.            Compassion for patients resonates
She is also a distinguished leader         with Dr. Brown as a critical
in the larger medical community,           component of care. “Many of our
serving on the National Kidney             patients speak very little English,
Foundation Advisory Board, and as          and come here with very advanced
an IPRO Chronic Kidney Disease             disease, and have limited health
Project Advisor.                           literacy,” she says. “They are fearful
Working at Elmhurst, she says,             of what the doctor might tell them.
“allows me to fulfill two of my greatest   Speaking to them with compassion
passions -- direct patient care and        helps to allay some of this fear and
being a part of the education of our       permits them to make informed
young physicians, being a role model.”     decisions.”
OYEBISI
JEGEDE, MD

Attending Physician, Infectious Disease and
Internal Medicine
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
GOTHAM HEALTH, BELVIS

Fighting Disease,
from Nigeria to the Bronx
A few years after earning her medical         “The central thing to me—and I wrote
degree in her native Nigeria, Dr.             this all the way back in my graduate
Oyebisi (Bisi) Jegede decided                 school application—is that health care
she wanted her career to focus                should be affordable and accessible
on improving the treatment of                 to everybody. At that time in Nigeria,
HIV and other infectious diseases.            a lot of people were dying without
Immigrating to the United States              care so that is how I got interested in
in 2002, she earned a Ph.D. in                working in a public health system.”
cellular and molecular biology at             At Belvis, Dr. Jegede has quickly
the Cleveland Clinic, spent several           become known as a kind-hearted
years as a researcher in labs that            doctor who has an exceptional way
were trying to develop new drugs              with patients. “What’s important to
for HIV and hepatitis C, then served          me is getting people to buy in to
a residency in internal medicine.             their care,” she says. “To do that, my
Eventually she moved to New                   approach is to speak to them in a way
York for a Masters in translational           they will understand -- less jargon,
science—the application of laboratory         more straightforward information,
discoveries to patient treatment—at           what the prognosis will be with and
The Rockefeller University. “I wanted         without intervention and what they
to do clinical studies to develop new         can do to make things better. Once
therapies and also have the flexibility       people understand what is at stake,
to be able to practice medicine,” she         whether it is an HIV patient or a
says. “The best of both worlds.”              diabetic patient, they’ll be the one
In 2017, Dr. Jegede’s long road led           to tell you, ‘This is what I’m doing.’
to NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham              They take ownership and if they make
Health, Belvis, where a position for an       progress that’s their achievement.”
infectious disease specialist had been
open for some time. It was a good fit.
MAGALIE
PIERRE-LOUIS, MD

Pediatric Attending
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOTHAM
HEALTH, CUMBERLAND

The Great Communicator
Dr. Magalie Pierre-Louis exemplifies           She went on to medical school at
some of the most important qualities           Temple University, returned to New
of a doctor who practices in a                 York for her pediatric residency at
community as diverse as the one she            Albert Einstein, and spent 14 years
serves at NYC Health + Hospitals/              as an attending pediatrician at
Gotham Health, Cumberland. “I                  clinics in Brooklyn before joining the
think every doctor should have                 Cumberland team in 2007.
compassion and be considerate of               Colleagues laud Dr. Pierre-Louis as
the particular needs and cultures of           a strong advocate for her patients
their patients,” said Dr. Pierre-Louis.        who is always seeking innovative
Those aspects of her approach are              ways to deliver the best care to her
one reason she’s earned a reputation           young patients and their families.
among both staff and patients for              Sometimes it’s as simple as going
being a great communicator.                    the extra yard to connect with them—
Dr. Pierre-Louis, a pediatrician who           calling an adolescent patient herself
grew up in Haiti, cares for many               to find out why they missed an
families who speak her native Creole.          appointment, for instance.
Her Spanish-speaking patients also             She recalls a teenage boy with a
appreciate her ability to talk with them       subtle abnormality that led her
in their first language. It’s all in service   to refer him to a specialist, who
of Dr. Pierre-Louis’s fierce commitment        diagnosed an unusual genetic
to making Cumberland’s pediatric               condition, called Klinefelter’s
clinic a place that fosters strong             Syndrome that can affect various
personal and therapeutic relationships         aspects of development. “As a result
between staff and patients.                    of my discovery he had the proper
“I always wanted to be a pediatrician,         workup and treatment,” she says.
since my own childhood,” Dr. Pierre-           “That was a case where I was proud
Louis says. She immigrated to New              that I could really make a difference
York when she was 18 and began                 in my patient’s life.”
pursuing her dream at City College.
LLOYD P.
HASKES, OD, FAAO

Chief, Eye Care Services
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS / GOTHAM
HEALTH, EAST NEW YORK

Caring for the Eyes of East New York
Ask Dr. Lloyd Haskes what he loves        engagement with diabetic patients
about being an optometrist at NYC         and improving their management of
Health + Hospitals and he might tell      vision-related conditions.
you about the patient who came into       In addition to his clinical duties
his clinic one day years ago, confused    at East New York, Dr. Haskes is a
about why an outside provider had         full-time clinical professor at the
prescribed eye drops. Dr. Haskes          facility’s affiliate, the SUNY College
did a complete workup and found           of Optometry, his professional alma
that the patient had glaucoma. He         mater. He earned his D.O. degree
carefully explained the condition,        there in 1987, following his father
its treatment and prognosis. “I’ll        into the field.
never forget the hugs I received,”
                                          Three decades later, Dr. Haskes
Dr. Haskes says, “as well as the nearly
                                          has seen thousands of patients and
10-year doctor-patient relationship
                                          trained hundreds of doctors but
since then.”
                                          his daily mission remains constant:
Dr. Haskes is the chief of eye care       To make sure his team sees every
services at NYC Health + Hospitals        patient as an individual, addresses
/ Gotham Health, East New York,           all their needs, answers all their
and director of the center’s family       questions, sends them home better
practice/ocular disease residency         off than when they came in. “Because
and externship program with SUNY.         of the immense size of our system,
Overseeing a clinical center that sees    with a lot of moving parts, a patient
more than 350 patients a month, Dr.       may feel overlooked,” he says.
Haskes has had an important impact        “My goal every day is for our patients
on the awareness and treatment of         to leave our care smiling. Nothing
ocular disease in the East New York       feels better than being told, ‘Doc,
community. Known for his proactive        don’t ever leave East New York.’ ”
approach, he’s recently been focused
on stepping up his department’s
NATHANIEL LIM
YAO, MD

Primary Care Physician,
Family Medicine-Integrative Medicine
Chief Medical Information Officer
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
GOTHAM HEALTH, GOUVERNEUR

EMR Champion
Dr. Nathaniel Yao, Primary Care           Dr. Yao is considered an extraordinary
Physician at Gotham Health,               team player, teacher and colleague
Gouverneur and Chief Medical              whose talents and dedication have
Information Officer at Gotham Health,     produced significant improvements
is passionate about treating patients     benefiting providers and patients.
and developing the potential of IT        Patients also respond to his caring,
to improve care. A computer whiz          easygoing style and professionalism.
since childhood, Dr. Yao, uses his IT     Dr. Yao earned his B.S. in Biomedical
skills to help colleagues navigate        Science at The Sophie Davis School
medical databases, and to fine-tune       of Biomedical Education at The City
the functionality of electronic medical   College of New York and his M.D.
records. As Gotham Health’s CMIO          at The School of Medicine at Stony
he works to improve EMR as a critical     Brook University Medical Center.
tool in delivering quality care.
                                          He was inspired to study medicine by
One of his most memorable NYC             the doctor who treated him and his
Health + Hospitals experiences,           family members, at very reasonable
Dr. Yao says, was realizing that his      cost, after they came to the U.S., from
teamwork with other providers             the Philippines.
to substantially improve clunky
                                          “Being able to take care of families,
prescription-writing software boosted
                                          and experiencing their trust when
their ability to help patients. The
                                          your patient brings their newborn to
city’s public health care teams “do
                                          you as well as their grandma . . . is
more with less,” he notes. “We deliver
                                          humbling,” he says. “I would not have
that world-class care when we work
                                          it any other way.”
closer and depend on each other’s
strengths.”
BELKIS J. VIZCAINO-REYES,
MD, MPH, FAAP

Attending Physician, Pediatrics
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
GOTHAM HEALTH, MORRISANIA

A Morrisania Grandmother
For Dr. Belkis Vizcaino-Reyes, her        York to continue her education with
proudest moment—and it comes with         a Master’s in public health from
increasing frequency these days—is        Columbia University, followed by a
when a patient she began treating         pediatric residency at Bronx-Lebanon
years ago has a child herself and         Hospital, a second residency in social
wants Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes to be their      pediatrics at Montefiore Hospital
pediatrician. “That is when I become      and a fellowship at the nationally
what I call a ‘Morrisania grandmother,’   recognized Mount Sinai Adolescent
“ she says. “I feel honored and proud     Health Center.
to start the cycle all over again.”       At Morrisania, Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes is
Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes joined the             known for her easy smile, warmth,
pediatric service of NYC Health +         compassion and commitment to a
Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania       public health system that doesn’t turn
26 years ago after a long and             anyone away. “Health care is a right,
determined journey to become              not a privilege,” she says. “I like the
the doctor her mother wanted to           fact that I do not have to think about
be. “She is my inspiration,” says Dr.     finances when I see my patients.”
Vizcaino-Reyes, who grew up in the        Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes was instrumental
Dominican Republic. “She was never        in the founding of the Facility-Based
able to become a doctor because of        Collaboration Council at Morrisania
the circumstances of her life. I took     and worked with her team to develop
over her dream and made it a reality.     and implement a project to improve
All my life the only thing I wanted to    the flow of newborns in the pediatrics
do was become a doctor.”                  department.
She earned her medical degree
from the Autonomous University
of Santo Domingo in 1981 after
an arduous seven-year pursuit. A
few years later, she came to New
FRANCISCO
SANTONI, MD

Internist
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
GOTHAM HEALTH, SYDENHAM

Caring for the Latino
Community in Harlem
Colleagues praise Dr. Francisco          That commitment resonates today as
Santoni for his commitment to            he serves a medically disadvantaged
exemplary care and for his service       community “with higher morbidity
to the Hispanic community in             and mortality rates due to less access
Harlem. He is recognized as the          to primary prevention and pre-
highest-performing physician at          morbid care, and discontinuity of
Sydenham this year on his chronic        care,” he says.
disease metrics in both diabetes and     Accountability in the practice of
hypertension.                            medicine is an essential value for
Beloved at Sydenham since joining        Dr. Santoni. “Excellence is ideal but
the medical staff in 1994, Dr. Santoni   not always obtainable,” he says.
serves as a medical advocate for the     ‘However, accountability in our
Spanish-speaking population served       work and its product is essential for
by the community health center.          delivering the best health care that
He champions collaborative care of       we can.”
patients with both mental health and     What motivates his commitment
chronic disease and was an early         to practice medicine, he says, is
adopter and champion of “cycle           “knowing that when a patient leaves
time” improvements.                      my room I have done my best to
He trained in Internal Medicine and      achieve the goals of all medical care:
Cardiology at New York Medical           to relieve suffering, to prevent future
College and at Hospital Damas in         suffering or to prolong life.”
Ponce, Puerto Rico. He credits his
family doctor in the South Bronx,
“who treated me and many others
regardless of the ability to pay,” for
inspiring him to become a physician.
ANDREA N.
COTLER, OD, FAAO

Director of Eye + Vision Services,
Chief of Optometry
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/GOUVERNEUR

A World Crisp and Alive
Blending clinical expertise with a      at American Academy of Optometry
warm, supportive manner, Dr. Andrea     meetings and academic venues.
N. Cotler oversees Eye Care services    She has worked at Gouverneur
and provides care for residents of      since 2016 and counts as one of
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur.      her proudest accomplishments,
She is known as a dedicated doctor      improvements to patient access to
who will rearrange her schedule         ophthalmic diagnostic equipment
to meet residents’ needs including      used to screen for and manage sight-
urgent, serious and unresolved eye      threatening diseases like glaucoma
issues.                                 and macular degeneration.
The day she walked out of her           “I am proud to say that we now
optometrist’s office “wearing contact   provide same-day access for all of
lenses for the first time” inspired     our diagnostic imaging equipment
Dr. Cotler to become a doctor. “The     and have dramatically reduced time
world appeared crisp and alive,”        to next available visual field exam.”
she says. “Becoming aware of what
                                        Dr. Cotler finds it particularly
I had been missing before that
                                        satisfying to help patients “solve
moment inspired me to help others
                                        problems.” She is fortunate, she says,
experience that same joy.”
                                        “to work with amazing optometry
Dr. Cotler earned her B.S. at           interns each day, and each patient
University of North Carolina Chapel     encounter is an opportunity to share
Hill and her Doctor of Optometry        my experience.”
at SUNY College of Optometry. She
                                        “Interacting with my patients
did her residency in Ocular Disease/
                                        and students is rewarding and
Primary Care Optometry at U.S.
                                        energizing,” she says.
Department of Veterans Affairs - New
York Harbor Health Care System, and
worked in private practice. She has
presented on eye disease subjects
CLARICIO
DECASTRO, MD

Attending Anesthesiologist
Director, Pain Management Service
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/HARLEM

Easing Pain, Building Trust
Lauded as an outstanding clinician        medical degree at the Autonomous
who treats patients with respect and      University of Santo Domingo, then
is widely admired by colleagues,          came to Harlem Hospital for two
Dr. Claricio DeCastro is Director of      years as a surgical resident.
the Pain Management Service at            He completed a residency in
Harlem. He considers creation of the      anesthesiology at Albert Einstein
Service, which treats acute, chronic      College of Medicine and was a fellow
and cancer pain conditions, one of        in Pain Management at Memorial
his proudest accomplishments. The         Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr.
“highest honor” he has received, he       DeCastro’s extensive CV includes
says, is his patients’ trust.             training in clinical research at Harvard
Dr. DeCastro is in the pain clinic five   University, certification in medical
days a week, responds to in-house         acupuncture, and a long list of journal
consults, performs pain procedures in     publications.
the operating room, and works with         “We are able to provide the
medical and psychiatry residents.         highest quality of care for the
He was instrumental in developing         most vulnerable and underserved
Harlem’s hospital-wide Policy and         members of our society without
Procedure for Pain Management.            regard for their ability to pay,” Dr.
His own childhood health issues           DeCastro says. “Every day spent in
including asthma, chronic bronchitis      patient care at Harlem Hospital is
and surgeries, combined with the          memorable. From relieving the pain
example of his older sister – a public-   of patients in labor to providing
hospital physician in the Dominican       comfort to the terminally ill, is a daily
Republic who came home after long         rewarding and humbling experience.”
hours to treat local patients for free
– solidified Dr. DeCastro’s desire
to pursue medicine. He earned his
SHELDON H.
TEPERMAN, MD, FACS

Trauma Medical Director
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/JACOBI

Elevating Trauma Care
Dr. Sheldon Teperman, director of         Health + Hospitals have spent a
the trauma center at NYC Health +         lifetime leveling the playing field of
Hospitals/Jacobi since 2007, says         health care,” he says. He recalls his
there can be no better motivator to       own mother coming into the Jacobi
 go to work every day than the            trauma center after a bad fall. “She
likelihood that he and his colleagues     received amazing, compassionate
will need to save someone’s life.         care—not because she was the
Multiply that by 365 days and it’s        mother of the trauma director but
not hard to understand why                because she was an injured human
one of Dr. Teperman’s proudest            being. Ask around and you will find
accomplishments is gaining                my mom’s story is shared by all kinds
certification from the American           of New Yorkers. We are in it together.”
College of Surgeons for all six of        Growing up, Dr. Teperman was
the city health system’s Level            inspired by his father, a Russian
One trauma centers. “There were           immigrant who became a lawyer,
prominent national trauma surgeons        dentist and maxillo facial surgeon.
who said Health + Hospitals could         “He dreamed that his children would
not do it,” Dr. Teperman says.            also lead a life of service. He imbued
“With certification, our trauma centers   us with that sense of purpose.”
are again receiving national acclaim      Now Dr. Teperman himself is an
for the excellent care we deliver to      inspiration to the students he teaches
injured patients.”                        and trains—as they are to him. “On
Dr. Teperman, who began his career        difficult days, and we have quite a
at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi          few of those, I am buoyed by their
as an attending surgeon in 1995,          compassion, dedication, wisdom
considers the strength of the trauma      and sense of humor. They inspire me
centers a vital part of providing         to be a better doctor and a better
high-quality care to all New Yorkers.     teacher.”
“My colleagues and I at Jacobi and
ANDREW G.
WINER, MD

Chief of Urology
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/KINGS COUNTY

Devoted to Brooklyn’s Underserved
Dr. Andrew Winer spent five years at      earlier. His passion for teaching was
Downstate Medical Center, completing      quickly evident: He was named the
his residency in urology in 2014.         program’s Teacher of the Year each of
Then he moved across the East River       his first two years.
for a two-year fellowship in urologic     Dr. Winer’s aspirations started
oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering      forming early in his life, modeled
Cancer Center. He was struck, if          on his parents’ altruism, his
unsurprised, by the differences           grandmother’s career as a nurse, and
between the two institutions—in the       physicians he had the opportunity
demography of their patients, the         to shadow starting in middle school.
access to health care they offered, and   His commitment to working in the
the clinical outcomes.                    city’s public health system comes in
Experiencing the disparity first-         part from feeling “a sense of freedom
hand triggered a pivotal career           from the constraints that many private
decision: After his fellowship at MSK,    practitioners are subject to. I can
Dr. Winer went back to Brooklyn           simply provide the right care for the
to accept a position as chief of          right patient, which was the ultimate
urology at NYC Health + Hospitals/        reason I became a doctor.”
Kings County and an academic              And every once in a while there
appointment at Downstate. “I’m            comes a day in a doctor’s career when
able to pursue my clinical interests      something truly exciting happens.
treating urologic malignancies while      For Dr. Winer, one “monumental
also being able to study them in          moment that will forever stay with me”
an underserved population that            came a few months ago when he was
is typically underrepresented in          part of the Kings County team that
published research,” he explains.         performed the first robotic procedure
Soon after his arrival, he was also       in the hospital’s history. “The sense of
appointed associate director of the       hospital pride was like no other,”
urology residency program he had          he said.
completed himself only three years
PRONOY KUMAR
ROY, MD

Unit Chief, Inpatient Psychiatry
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/LINCOLN

Profound Lessons from Patients
As a young boy growing up in              “I consider it a privilege to work
Bangladesh, Pronoy Roy was                in a community that is one of the
fascinated by doctors. In high school     poorest in the city and know that
he volunteered at free clinics that       anyone can come in here and get
cared for the poor and resolved to        help,” Dr. Roy says. “Mental health
one day become a doctor himself.          problems are chronic issues that
After earning his medical degree in       affect every sphere of a patient’s life.
his home country, Dr. Roy decided         We’re continuously trying to help our
that psychiatry would be his way          patients lead productive lives.”
of helping people. He immigrated          Dr. Roy is also a mainstay of the
to New York in 2005, served a             hospital’s teaching program, widely
residency at NYC Health + Hospitals/      admired as a role model for medical
Metropolitan, then joined the inpatient   students and psychiatry residents.
psychiatry department of Lincoln.         But he’s quick to point out that his
“I always aspired to practice medicine    work makes him a student as well:
in an underserved community and           “I’ve learned many of life’s most
make a difference,” Dr. Roy said.         profound lessons through the
“The proudest moment of my career         stories, struggles and triumphs of
was my first day as an attending at       my patients. Medicine puts me in a
Lincoln Hospital.”                        position to speak for those who may
Dr. Roy has made quite a difference       not otherwise have a voice. It makes
in the 10 years since that day. He        my medical career a journey worth
became unit chief in 2015, and in         completing well.”
addition to his empathetic care
of his own patients he has made
important contributions to the quality
of treatment throughout the unit
by conducting projects to improve
patient engagement and reduce
lengths of stay.
INNA
SOSINA, MD

Attending Physician
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/MCKINNEY

A Healer in the Purest Sense
Dr. Inna Sosina is a beloved doctor in     herbs to make potions that helped
a facility where patients need a lot of    people with illnesses. In the eyes of
emotional support and care providers       a child it was a miracle to see how
must have reserves of patience and         medicine helped people.” Her aunt
compassion. Since 2004, she’s been         was a nurse in a local hospital and Dr.
an attending physician at NYC Health       Sosina would spend her weekends
+ Hospitals/McKinney, a nursing            there, reading to patients and talking
facility in Brooklyn that provides         with them about their lives. The
long-term, sub-acute rehabilitation        experience sparked her interest in a
and adult day care. The work is some       medical career and taught her that a
of the most demanding in health care       good doctor has to be a good listener.
but after 15 years Dr. Sosina says she     Dr. Sosina underwent six years of
can’t imagine doing anything else.         medical training in Moscow before
“I chose NYC Health + Hospitals            immigrating to Brooklyn with her
because I wanted to help people            family. She completed an internal
who are uninsured and unable to            medicine residency at Lutheran
pay,” says Dr. Sosina. “It’s challenging   Hospital, an experience that led her to
because we have many patients who          geriatric care and ultimately McKinney,
are very sick and have complicated         where she’s now vice president of
social issues. But I’m proud that I        the medical and dental staff and a
stuck to my commitment to help             dedicated preceptor for doctors, nurse
them get their health back. For me it’s    practitioners and physician assistants
the highest reward to see my patients      in training. But she’s admired most for
feeling better.”                           being a loving caregiver who develops
Born in Ukraine, Dr. Sosina grew up        special connections with her patients
in the last years of the Soviet era and    and their families—a healer in the
got her first exposure to medicine         purest sense.
from her grandmother. “She was a
healer. I used to watch her gather
JENNIFER M.
HARLEY, MD

Chief of Gastroenterology and
Hepatobiliary Diseases
Director, Gastroenterology and
Hepatology Fellowship Programs
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/METROPOLITAN

Treating the Patient as a Whole
At a young age, Dr. Jennifer            “Compassion is the core of
Harley’s life was saved by a            everything we do,” Dr. Harley says.
gastroenterologist, sparking her        “In every patient we should see
desire to “pay it forward and one       ourselves: What would we want as a
day be able to make a positive          patient? How would we want to be
impact on a person’s life.” Later, as   treated?” She is motivated, she says,
an undergraduate at The Ohio State      by hope for those she treats.
University, she was inspired by a       “No patient should have to suffer
speech by then-U.S. Surgeon General     from a life-altering disease, especially
Dr. David Satcher on health care        preventable ones,” she says. “I have
reform and advocacy. That turning       the opportunity to treat the patient as
point launched her “career mission”     a whole, providing not just diagnostic
to provide exceptional medical care     and therapeutic options but also
to the underserved and eliminate        holistic approaches.”
health care disparities.
                                        Dr. Harley graduated from Howard
Dr. Harley, Chief of Gastroenterology   University College of Medicine
and Hepatobiliary Diseases at           and completed her Internal
Metropolitan, has more than fulfilled   Medicine residency and fellowship
her goals. Her medical portfolio        in Gastroenterology at New York
includes saving and improving           Medical College-Westchester
lives, and leading the hospital’s       Medical Center. She was recruited
gastrointestinal endoscopy service      to join Metropolitan’s Department
and all aspects of the division.        of Medicine as a gastroenterologist.
She also directs the New York           Over the years she has participated in
Medical College-Metropolitan            numerous gastroenterology-related
Gastroenterology Fellowship             healthcare initiatives, including a health
program, shaping future generations     fair at Metropolitan in March 2019 to
of gastroenterologists.                 promote colon cancer awareness.
LORENZO L.
SCOTTI, DPM, DABFAS

Director of Podiatry
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
NORTH CENTRAL BRONX

Giving Patients Their Lives Back
When he was young, Dr. Lorenzo           “In order to treat patients, you have
Scotti found his career aspiration in    to have compassion in your heart,”
a podiatric physician who delivered      Dr. Scotti says. “My reward is seeing
special care to his patients. “I saw,    the gratitude and smiles on patients’
first-hand, patients walking into the    faces every day. For me, the patient
office in pain and leaving pain-free,”   becomes part of a growing family.”
he says. Now, like his mentor, Dr.       Those sentiments are a reflection of
Scotti is a podiatrist who focuses       the pride Dr. Scotti takes in being
on severely diabetic patients with       part of the city’s health system. “We
foot ulcers that can progress to         see patients from all walks of life,”
amputation. “The most rewarding          he says, “and we’re committed to
part of my practice is limb salvage,”    giving them the highest quality
he says. “Treating and healing these     medical care, regardless of income
patients feels like I am giving them     or insurance. Helping people is my
their lives back.”                       motivation. I love what I do.”
Dr. Scotti is a mentor, too. As the      Dr. Scotti earned his bachelor’s
director of podiatry at NYC Health       degree in medical technology from
+ Hospitals/North Central Bronx for      St. John’s University and his D.P.M.
more than 20 years, he is a driving      from the New York College of
force with quiet humility, known for     Podiatric Medicine. In addition to his
his comforting presence with patients    duties with North Central Bronx and
and the care he puts into guiding        Jacobi, he is an attending podiatrist
young doctors. His colleagues regard     in the Department of Orthopedics
him as the embodiment of selfless        at Columbia Presbyterian Medical
service both in the clinic and in his    Center.
teaching role at Jacobi, where he is
also director of podiatry.
M. MARGARET
KEMENY, MD, FACS

Director, Cancer Center
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/QUEENS

Providing Patient-Centered
Cancer Care
Dr. Margaret Kemeny, one of the           Dr. Kemeny’s career is distinguished
first female Surgical Oncologists in      by years of innovative clinical
the United States, has been Director      and laboratory research and by
of the Queens Cancer Center               a technique she developed to
since its opening in 2002 and has         treat patients with metastatic liver
built it into one of the city’s most      cancer that involves delivering
comprehensive, coordinated cancer         chemotherapy through a pump into
treatment institutions.                   the organ’s main artery.
Under her leadership Queens               Dr. Kemeny graduated from Harvard
received the highest accreditation        University, received her M.D. from
and recognition for excellence from       Columbia University College of
the Commission on Cancer of the           Physicians and Surgeons, and
American College of Surgeons. Its         completed internship and residency
commitment to research brought            at New York Presbyterian Hospital,
in one of the first National Institutes   University of Colorado Medical
of Health grants ever given to NYC        Center, and Downstate Medical
Health + Hospitals.                       Center respectively.
The center has “saved countless lives     H+H is the first city public health
because of the integration of all the     system she has worked in and
modalities of cancer treatment into one   she says “it is a pleasure” to treat
area,” says Dr. Kemeny, who is also a     Queens’s uniquely diverse patients.
Professor of Surgery at Mount Sinai’s     She is motivated, she says, “by love
Icahn School of Medicine. “We have        of the atmosphere I work in. The staff
a very patient-centered environment       “is wonderful and I enjoy dealing with
that has helped thousands of patients     big, complex problems and helping
through their course of cancer            people every day.”
addressing all of their problems –
medical, social and psychological.”
MOHAMMAD
KHALID, DDS

Chief of Dental Service, Vice President of
Medical and Dental Board
NYC HEATH + HOSPITALS/SEA VIEW

Treating Complex Dental Needs
Family dentist and civic leader Dr.          Pakistan. He completed his Doctor
Mohammad Khalid has been Chief of            of Dental Surgery at the New York
Dental Service at Sea View since 2014        University foreign dental program.
and has been in private practice on          Dr. Khalid takes pride in working
Staten Island for 41 years. He takes         for NYC Health + Hospitals and the
great pride in the expansive dental          agency plays a large role in his family
services the rehabilitation center           as well. His wife is an NYC Health +
and home provides its patients, from         Hospitals pediatrician and his attorney
fillings to surgery and dentures,            daughter is a NYC Health + Hospitals
and is proud that patients and their         compliance officer.
families appreciate the thorough care
                                             He counts as a “great accomplishment”
offered at Sea View.
                                             his appointment as dental chief
Dr. Khalid started out in medicine           at Sea View, which is “is very
following his parents’ dream, and            challenging” with patient needs
came to view his profession as a             “more complex and compromising
“God-given gift.” “Growing up in             than patients in private practice.” He
Pakistan it was every parent’s dream         has worked closely with Sea View
that their children would become             colleagues on infection prevention,
a doctor and help people in their            educating the nursing staff in
medical needs,” he says. “I became           proper daily oral hygiene to prevent
a doctor in 1971and I am so happy            pneumonia – a strategy that keeps
that I listened to my parents. This is       Sea View’s pneumonia rate low.
the most noble profession on Earth --
                                             Dr. Khalid says he considers it his
helping other human beings. “
                                             “moral and ethical duty to help . . .
Dr. Khalid earned his Bachelor of            and provide the highest care that
Dental Surgery, and did a General            you can. To me that’s the best part of
Dentistry Rotating Internship, at            being a doctor every day.”
Khyber Medical College in Peshawar,
REGINA
HAMMOCK, DO

Program Director,
Emergency Medicine Residency
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/
SIMULATION CENTER
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/CONEY ISLAND

Finding Joy in ED Simulation
Some of Dr. Regina Hammock’s             used what I learned to bring back to
earliest memories are of reading—        my ED.” She recalls an instance four
and memorizing—a set of medical          years ago when the center’s support
encyclopedias her mother bought.         made a difference in a difficult case:
“I remember pulling them out to          “I called on them and they helped us
diagnose my family’s ailments,” she      get back on track. I don’t think I could
says. From then on, her path was         form these kinds of relationships in
set. Now she has a number of roles       any other system.”
that fulfill her lifelong passion to     Teaching at the Simulation Center
be a doctor who advocates for her        was also a catalyst for what Dr.
patients and a teacher who helps         Hammock considers her proudest
advance the field.                       accomplishment: starting an
Dr. Hammock, a veteran emergency         emergency medicine residency at
physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/     Coney Island in 2015. “It’s a small
Coney Island, found a new outlet for     program, only 16 residents, but
her calling when she began teaching      they have made a significant impact
at the Simulation Center, a facility     on the care we provide to the
serving the entire health system where   community,” she says.
simulation-based education is used to    Dr. Hammock is a graduate of
advance patient safety and carry out     New York College of Osteopathic
quality-improvement initiatives.         Medicine and chose emergency
Dr. Hammock has taught several           medicine because she considers it,
emergency medicine courses               among all the subspecialties, “the
since joining the Simulation Center      closest to what practicing medicine is
faculty in 2013 and she has gained       all about. The ED is the place where
a reputation as an exceptional and       I can take on all people and practice
popular teacher. Dr. Hammock             patient advocacy, sometimes for
returns the compliment: The center’s     people who have never experienced
staff “opened my eyes to simulation      it. This gives me joy.”
in health care,” she says, “and I’ve
ERSHAD
ELAHI, MD

Vice Chief, Emergency Department
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/WOODHULL

Connecting with Patients
When he first became an attending         Dr. Elahi graduated from New Jersey
emergency physician a few years           Medical School and has served
ago, Dr. Ershad Elahi was focused         NYC Health + Hospitals ever since.
on the purely clinical—seeing a lot of    He was an emergency medicine
cases and getting better at treating      resident (and chief resident) at
a wide range of acute conditions          Bellevue, completed a fellowship
in the pressured environment of a         in emergency ultrasound at Kings
city emergency department. But            County and been an attending at
over time he realized something           Woodhull since 2013.
important. “In this fast-paced, high-     He became vice chief of the
volume health care system we are in,      department in 2015 and his area
compassion is something I’ve noticed      of expertise has made emergency
as being less commonplace,” he            ultrasound at the bedside an important
says. “As time has gone on, I have put    tool of the hospital’s ED care.
more value on creating relationships      “From the beginning of my residency,
with patients—to making a connection      I have always had a commitment to
with them.”                               providing care to this population and
Dr. Elahi, the son of Bangladeshi         being a clinical advocate for those
immigrants, grew up in New Jersey         who otherwise may not have one,”
with an interest in science and serving   Dr. Elahi says. “Some days we save a
the public good. But he majored           life or lives.” And some days “test the
in economics at Duke University           fortitude of the staff.” He recalls the
and it wasn’t until the summer after      day a few years ago when more than
his sophomore year that he chose          30 patients came in after using the
his path. That summer he had two          synthetic marijuana known as K2.
internships—one on Wall Street, the       “We were able to quickly identify
other a humanitarian mission helping      that a surge was occurring and tailor
provide free medical care to the          clinical operations to deal with it.”
indigenous population in the Peruvian
Amazon. That clarified his ambitions.
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