Continuum Health Partners, Leading the Way

S u mmer 2013
Thoracic Surgery Research
Lab Receives Gift from
Grateful Family…page 1
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St. Luke’s and roosevelt hospitals
Thoracic Surgery Research Lab Receives Gift from
Grateful Family • Meringoff Family Foundation Supports
Behavioral Health Institute • SLR Holds Interfaith Holiday
Service • The Agnes Varis Trust Helps Cancer Patients
Look and Feel Better • Helen Sawaya Fund Donors
Honored for their Generosity • Al-Sabah Arrhythmia
Institute Celebrates Opening
Thank You
Your gift to a Continuum Health Partners hospital is an
investment in medical progress. Philanthropic support
is vital to our lifesaving work.
Benefactors like you ensure that our hospitals continue
to deliver outstanding care, pioneer groundbreaking
research, and train the next generation of exceptional
physicians—improving the quality of medical care for
all of our patients and the communities we serve.
Thank you for your commitment.
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Beth ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER
Celebrating Steadfast Support from the Friedman
Foundation • Trustee Mary DeBare Furthers Her
Commitment to Geriatric Care • "What a Wonderful
World" Awards Given• Support for Leir Fellows in Pain
Medicine and Palliative Care • Hearst Grant to Establish
Corrections
The following donors should have been included in the
2011 Donor List that appeared in the Fall 2012 issue
of Leading the Way. We apologize for the omissions
and extend our sincere gratitude to all of our generous
donors for their support.
Dedicated Geriatric Unit • Gratitude for Excellent Care
Beth Israel
Inspires Barry Siadat to Give Back• Longtime Supporter
$10,000-$24,999
Puts BI in Estate Plans • Get Pink’d Event Raises Funds
Cindie and Donald M. Kastenbaum, MD
for Appel-Venet Comprehensive Breast Service
15
New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
“Thanks for Giving” Ball Garners Funds for Pediatric
Programs • Million-Dollar Gift Launches Fund to
Advance Glaucoma Research
17
Continuum Health Partners
Picket Family Demonstrates Strong Commitment •
Trustee Gives to Enhance Care • Founding Chairman
Emeritus Morton P. Hyman Helps to Spread the (Digital)
Word • Ninth Annual CCCNY Golf Classic Held•
Team Continuum Marks Milestone with its Support
• Unveiling of Lawrence S. Huntington Portrait •
Continuum Center for Health and Healing Celebrates
Expanded Space and Services
Cover: Sarah Al-Mubarak, MD, Sadiq Rehmani, MD, Jordan Sasson, MD,
and Faiz Y. Bhora, MD, in the Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratory at
St. Luke’s Hospital
$5,000-$9,999
The Rabbi Abraham & Shirley Kelman Charitable
Foundation
$2,500-$4,999
Mr. Richard P. Myers, Jr.
In our 2013 Special Events Issue, we misidentified
an attendee of the Sinatra Theater Benefit. He is Alan
Benvenisty, MD (not Bruce Wenig, MD). We regret the error.
Leading the Way is a publication of Continuum Health Partners.
Stanley BrezenoffPresident and CEO
Kathleen KearnsSenior Vice President, Development and
External Affairs
Patricia BalsaminiVice President for Development
Michele PignatelloAssistant Vice President for Development
Susan McCormickAssociate Director of Development, Editor
Chelsey Roche
Development Manager, Editor
Pam Long
Contributing Writer
Constance Skedgell
Contributing Writer
Brad Hess, Jack MillerPhotography
Creative Source, Inc.Publication Design
For more information on making a gift to Beth Israel Medical Center,
St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, and the New York Eye & Ear
Infirmary, please contact us at:
Continuum Health Partners, Inc., Development Department
555 West 57th Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212.636.8400
www.chpnyc.org
If you would like to remove yourself from future mailings,
please contact us at the address or phone number above or send
an e-mail to [email protected].
St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals
Thoracic Surgery
Research Lab Receives
Gift from Grateful Family
“We sincerely hope that our contribution
can give the right people enough research
opportunities to overcome and cure this
fatal and deadly disease."
cure,” Mr. Hussain and Mr. Abbas said. “We sincerely hope that
our contribution can give the right people enough research opportunities to overcome and cure this fatal and deadly disease.”
Robert S. Lebovics, MD,
and Faiz Y. Bhora, MD
F
ollowing his diagnosis of advanced lung cancer
and cancer of the trachea, Mohammed Hussain
came to see Faiz Y. Bhora, MD, at Roosevelt Hospital
in January 2011. Internationally known for his
expertise in advanced bronchoscopic surgery
involving the airway, Dr. Bhora serves as Director
of Thoracic Surgical Oncology and Thoracic Surgical
Research, Co-Director of the Airway Program, and
Associate Program Director of General Surgery at
St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals and Continuum
Cancer Centers of New York (CCCNY).
“We have one of the largest programs in the country in terms of
treating patients with complex airway problems, both cancerous
and noncancerous. For patients like Mr. Hussain, we try our best
to perform minimally invasive surgery,” Dr. Bhora explained. “These
are unresectable cancers, so we’re not trying to cure them. We’re
trying to palliate the patients so that they can breathe reasonably
well and don’t need to be on a respirator.”
The renowned thoracic surgeon was able to extend both the length
and quality of Mr. Hussain’s life. In gratitude, his sons, Zafar
Hussain and Amir Abbas, pledged $500,000 to support Dr. Bhora’s
work in thoracic surgery.
“We discovered that our father’s disease was far more advanced
and complicated—and that due to lack of research, there was no
For cancers of the air passages, Dr. Bhora works closely with
his colleague in head and neck surgery, Robert S. Lebovics, MD,
Site Director of the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and
Neck Surgery at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, as well as
Co-Director of the Airway Program. Their partnership is a unique
collaboration ideally suited for complex, cutting-edge approaches
to the diagnosis and treatment of airway disorders.
“By working together, we are more than a sum of our parts, and
that benefits the patient greatly,” Dr. Lebovics said. “With Mr.
Hussain, we were able to give him an extra year of life—in addition
to improving his quality of life.”
Dr. Lebovics and Dr. Bhora worked together to stent Mr. Hussain’s
airway successfully, and he went on to receive radiation treatment.
Following Mr. Hussain’s return to his home in Dubai, Dr. Bhora
visited him there over the course of several months to check
on his health and to perform another stenting procedure, which
was the first time that particular procedure had been done in the
United Arab Emirates.
Dr. Bhora became close to the family during Mr. Hussain’s
treatment. “We felt that Dr. Bhora would not leave out any
option that could help our father to recover and get better,”
Mr. Hussain and Mr. Abbas said. “His dedication, his positive
attitude, his ability, and his experience were the factors that
always kept our faith alive.”
Dr. Bhora is using the generous gift from Mr. Hussain and Mr.
Abbas to support research, help find treatment solutions, and subsidize care for needy patients. “Because of Mr. Hussain’s and Mr.
Abbas’s generosity, we will be able to continue to offer the most
innovative treatments and remain on the leading edge of thoracic
care,” noted Cliff P. Connery, MD, Director of the Comprehensive
Thoracic Oncology Program at CCCNY and Chief of Thoracic
Surgery at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals and Beth Israel.
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St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals
Meringoff Gift Helps
Launch New Behavioral
Health Institute
“Treating the behavioral health and
medical needs of the community at one
site is a vital and exciting idea, and I’m
happy the Meringoff Family Foundation
is helping to make this project a reality.”
Steve Meringoff, speaking at a June
2012 reception to celebrate the future
home of the Behavioral Health Institute
A
generous gift of $100,000 from the Meringoff
Family Foundation is helping St. Luke’s and
Roosevelt Hospitals to create the new Behavioral
Health Institute in the historic Plant and Scrymser
buildings in Morningside Heights. This state-of-the-art
center will allow the hospital to address a wide range
of patient needs—from mental health care to primary
care to substance abuse treatment—in an integrated,
non-institutional environment.
“Treating the behavioral health and medical needs of the community at one site is a vital and exciting idea, and I’m happy
the Meringoff Family Foundation is helping to make this project
a reality,” said Stephen J. Meringoff, a commercial real estate
investor and president of the Foundation. “When you integrate
care, you get a better outcome, and it is my hope that this new
Institute will help improve the overall health of our community.”
According to Richard N. Rosenthal, MD, Chairman, Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, St. Luke’s and Roosevelt
Hospitals, and Physician-in-Chief of the Continuum Behavioral
Health Service Line, optimal treatment planning requires an
integrated approach to behavioral health and medical care. With
that in mind, the new Institute will offer treatment services for
everything from diabetes and hypertension to bipolar disease,
depression, and substance abuse.
“When you’re treating a physical illness, if you don’t treat the
mental illness as well, the outcomes aren’t as good. For example,
people who are depressed don’t keep up on their hypertension
medication,” Dr. Rosenthal explained. “We want to be able to
expand these primary care services to a broader array of our
patients and their families to make sure they benefit from an
integrated approach to care.”
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at St. Luke’s
and Roosevelt Hospitals is the largest not-for-profit provider of
mental health and addiction services in New York City. Since
1954, it has offered comprehensive, high-quality services that
enable individuals to improve their overall quality of life. The
Behavioral Health Institute will allow for consolidated services
and greater access to care for patients.
“Over the years, we’ve had success in combining substance abuse
treatment and mental health care. The co-morbidity rates are high
with mental illness and substance abuse—that is, those who have
one often have the other,” Dr. Rosenthal noted. “But there are
higher rates of primary care-type problems with these patients as
well, and the new Institute will allow us to address that.”
The Behavioral Health Institute will utilize a team approach to
deliver the best possible care for each patient. Team members,
including a primary clinician, will work closely together to ensure
that the patient’s needs are addressed in a comprehensive
manner. In addition, having all of a patient’s medical records in
one location will help prevent such issues as overmedication.
“Integrating these services will ultimately result in better population-based health care. It greatly increases our ability to move
forward in terms of quality of care and of healing the community,”
Dr. Rosenthal said. “In recognizing our vision, Mr. Meringoff smartly
and generously gave of the Foundation’s resources to help push
this idea forward. It’s important for the future of care, and Mr.
Meringoff understood this. I hope that others will do the same."
St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals
School of Nursing alumnae Marguerite Fox,
Anne Karl, Marieke Burt, Lee Carr, Judith
Gantly-Hale, Clare Tomeo, and Geraldine Ness
Interfaith Holiday Service
Celebrating Diversity
On December 3, 2012, President Frank J. Cracolici
and the Board of Overseers of St. Luke’s and
Roosevelt Hospitals hosted the annual interfaith
holiday service and reception at the historic
Muhlenberg Chapel on the St. Luke’s campus.
Trustee Joan Sarnoff, Chair of the Board of
Overseers, welcomed guests to the service.
Mikyoung Yun, an organist with the Sekwang
Korean Presbyterian Church in Yonkers, NY, performed Meditation on Stille Nacht by Franz Gruber,
and vocalist David Lee sang Oh Holy Night and
Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure.
Anna-Lena
and Farrokh
Shahrivar, MD
Bruce Polsky, MD, and
Domingo Nunez, MD
Readings were given by Mr. Cracolici; Louis
Brusco, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief
Medical Officer; Joanne Miller, Vice President
of Nursing; Greg Calliste, Chief Administrative
Officer; Imam Yusuf Hasan, Chaplain of St. Luke’s
and Roosevelt Hospitals; and Carl Braun, MD,
Senior Attending, Department of Neurology, and
Associate Chief Medical Officer. The service was
officiated by Director of Pastoral Care Reverend
Florine Thompson.
A special prayer of commemoration for the
St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing alumnae
from 1888 to 1974 was led by Reverend Lynne
Dawson-McQuade ’62, with remarks by The Very
Reverend Dr. James A. Kowalski, Dean of the
Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. A
plaque honoring the nursing alumnae now hangs
in the Chapel entrance.
Frank J. Cracolici, Joan Sarnoff, Reverend
Florine Thompson, and The Very Reverend
Dr. James A. Kowalski, Dean of the Cathedral
Church of Saint John the Divine
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St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals
The Agnes Varis Trust
Helps Cancer Patients
Look and Feel Better
“Her idea was, ‘If we can beautify these
people, it will lift their spirits.’ And
Cleopatra’s Touch was born.”
Agnes Varis
A
smiling woman views herself in the mirror as
her bangs are stylishly shaped. In a nearby
reclining chair, another woman’s tension melts away
as her cheeks are brushed with a flattering shade of
blush. Across the room, a woman watches her lashes
grow long and lush under the wand of an expert
makeup artist.
Is this an upscale Manhattan beauty salon? No—it is Marilyn’s
Place, a special center for respite at Roosevelt Hospital, created
and funded by the family and friends of Marilyn Brodoff, who died
of cancer in 2002. And the “customers” are cancer patients,
most in wigs, receiving treatment—along with beauty makeovers.
This is Cleopatra’s Touch at work, the inspired gift of a woman
who came to this very room for treatment and who created the
weekly beauty sessions as a way to raise the spirits, ease the
tension, and restore the body image of women undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.
Dr. Agnes Varis was her name. In 2010, after she was diagnosed
with cancer, Dr. Varis was introduced by her oncologist, Gabriel
Sara, MD, to the Helen Sawaya Fund. Since 2005, the fund
has provided an array of complementary therapies to oncology
patients at Roosevelt. Dr. Varis was very touched by the vision
of the fund, which mirrored her own passions for music, art,
and animals—and their power to change the world for the better.
She immediately gave her first gift of $100,000.
Later on, as she was undergoing treatment that led to her hair
loss, she felt very strongly that it was important to create a
program to help patients look better and feel better. And that
is how, with Dr. Varis’s gifts and vision, Cleopatra’s Touch was
created as part of the Helen Sawaya Fund. As an advocate for
women’s rights and empowerment, Dr. Varis chose the name
herself to evoke the strength and power of Cleopatra.
When Dr. Varis died in 2011, the trustees of her estate gave an
additional $200,000 to the Helen Sawaya Fund, as
Dr. Varis had committed to continue her support after her
passing. The trustees continued their generous support with
a gift of $275,000 in 2012. With these gifts, the cancer
therapies that were started in the outpatient oncology unit were
expanded to one of the inpatient units. An artist and a music
therapist visit unit 9A at Roosevelt Hospital five days a week,
transforming the experience of the patients there. During the
holiday season, patients decorated that floor with their art work.
Thanks to the musicians, patients’ anxiety and fear is alleviated.
Dr. Varis, a daughter of Greek immigrants, grew up in Bay
Ridge, Brooklyn. As a chemist and businesswoman, she
founded Agvar Chemicals and became a leading figure and
consumer advocate in the generic drug industry. Her success
spurred a passionate personal philanthropy that included
broadening access to generic drugs and to supporting the
Metropolitan Opera. When Dr. Varis fell gravely ill with cancer,
a close physician friend led her to his friend, Dr. Sara.
Undergoing treatment at Roosevelt, Dr. Varis was impressed by
the music therapy program, art-making, massage, and pet visitors
already in place thanks to the Sawaya Fund. Yet, she saw another
need. Recalled her friend, “While waiting for her radiation treatment, she’d see people with no makeup, bald, or losing their hair.
Her idea was, ‘If we can beautify these people, it will lift their
spirits.’ And Cleopatra’s Touch was born.”
Dr. Varis lived to see Cleopatra’s Touch work its healing magic.
Her generosity has underwritten the services of professional
makeup and hair stylist Lisset Cawley, who was Dr. Varis’s
personal beautician. As Dr. Varis watched Lisset, she knew the
St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals
program was working small miracles. Said Dr. Sara, “The patients
love Lisset because she makes them feel good—and they
become friends. They are having an incredibly personal experience, and Lisset does the makeovers lovingly.”
In bright lipstick tones, the poster for the Monday makeovers
reads: “Let Lisset Help You Stay Beautiful While in Treatment!”
And while Cleopatra’s Touch is all about makeup tips and wigstyling, its benefits go far beyond skin-deep. Said one patient,
“It’s a good feeling—like I’m a 100% person again. I don’t think
about my illness.” Added another, “I always feel young, but now
I feel even younger. I’m happy.”
5
Dr. Sara reflected, “A woman who has lost her hair to chemotherapy may not want to go to a regular salon. She may feel different
from everyone else, self-conscious. But on the hospital floor, it is
a given that other people are having similar experiences. Agnes
wanted to give women positive experiences in a place where they
don’t often have them.” Today, in the Radiation Suite, as women
chat and laugh while getting manicures and having their wigs
snipped to look becomingly natural, it is clear that Dr. Varis’s wish
has been realized.
Sawaya Thanks Supporters
Helen Sawaya Fund Donors
Honored for Their Generosity
On October 24, 2011, Fuad Sawaya hosted a special
evening of thanks at Robert Restaurant atop the
Museum of Arts and Design for more than 120 supporters of the Helen Sawaya Fund of St. Luke’s and
Roosevelt Hospitals. Mr. Sawaya established this fund
in memory of his wife, Helen, who lost her life at age 36
after a long battle with breast cancer.
Toby Greenberg, Fuad
Sawaya, and Patricia Witt
The Helen Sawaya Fund allows cancer patients to receive
special therapies—from music therapy to makeovers—
that increase their comfort and enhance their state of
mind during treatment. Relying solely on the generous
support of its donors, the fund has received more than
$1.5 million to date.
“Since its launch in 2005, the Helen Sawaya Fund has
helped more than 8,000 cancer patients and their loved
ones weather through the struggle of their illness,”
said Gabriel Sara, MD, Medical Director, The Roosevelt
Hospital Chemotherapy Infusion Site, and Executive
Director, Patient Services Initiative, Continuum Cancer
Centers of New York, St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals.
“In addition to a travel and pet therapy program (free to
patients through The Good Dog Foundation), the Helen
Sawaya Fund’s music and massage therapists, artists,
and beautician put their talent and love into transforming the patients’ daily struggles. Thanks to their efforts,
the cancer patient’s experience is entirely transformed.
Whereas the patients frequently begin their treatment
depressed, frightened and paralyzed, the art, beauty,
warmth, playfulness, and care eclipse their once-prevalent feelings of fear and pain.”
Gabriel Sara, MD, and
Gail and Paul Jock
Shelley A. Weinstock
and William Parness
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Beth Israel Medical Center
Lawrence S. Huntington; Sami A. Hashim, MD; Bruce Polsky, MD; Alan Rozanski, MD; Gary Roubin,
MD; Frank J. Cracolici; Ali Al-Obaidi, MD, Kuwait Health Minister; Qais al-Duwairi, MD, Assistant
Undersecretary for Public Affairs, Kuwait Ministry of Health; Mohammed al-Jarallah, MD, Head of Sabah
al-Ahmed Cardiac Center; and Faisal al-Dousari, Director of Public Relations, Kuwait Ministry of Health
Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute
Arrhythmia Institute
Celebrates Opening with
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
On October 15, 2012, more than 75 guests gathered at St. Luke’s Hospital for a special ribboncutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the
Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute. Offering advanced,
sophisticated, and compassionate arrhythmia
care under one roof, this state-of-the-art facility
was funded with a magnanimous leadership
gift from His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait.
Guest of Honor H.E. Dr. Ali Al-Obaidi, Minister of
Health, Kuwait, expressed his gratitude to the
hospital’s administration and praised the ongoing
collaboration between American and Kuwaiti
medical specialists. Several representatives from
St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals also spoke at
the event, including Frank J. Cracolici, President;
Bruce Polsky, MD, Chairman, Department of
Medicine; Alan Rozanski, MD, Interim Chief,
Division of Cardiology; Gary Roubin, MD, Director
of the Cardiovascular Service Line, Continuum
Health Partners; and Sami A. Hashim, MD, a
longtime friend of the State of Kuwait and senior
attending physician at St. Luke’s Hospital.
With the capacity to serve more than 3,000
patients annually, the 21,000-square-foot
Institute is one of a few of its kind in the United
States and the only facility focused specifically
on arrhythmia in the New York metropolitan
area. Andrea Natale, MD, has been named the
Institute's Executive Director.
Beth
BethIsrael
IsraelMedical
MedicalCenter
Center
Celebrating Steadfast
Support from the
Friedman Foundation
“The Foundation’s support has been
instrumental in every aspect of operations
within the Division—from staff to
technology. This funding has enabled us to
fulfill our mission.”
Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman
F
or nearly a decade, the Gerald J. and Dorothy
R. Friedman New York Foundation for Medical
Research has played a vital role in the work of Todd
E. Feinberg, MD, Chief of the Betty and Morton
Yarmon Division of Neurobehavior and Alzheimer’s
Disease at Beth Israel. In fact, the Foundation’s generous support has had such a significant impact that
Dr. Feinberg views its president Jane Friedman as a
partner in the success of the Division.
“The Foundation’s support has been instrumental in every aspect
of operations within the Division—from staff to technology. This
funding has enabled us to fulfill our mission,” Dr. Feinberg said.
Since 2004, the Foundation has given $375,000 to the Division.
“Jane Friedman has been unbelievable. She cares about our
services and about us as individuals, and her support has made
all the difference.”
Board certified in both neurology and psychiatry, Dr. Feinberg’s
clinical and research interests include the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and the interface between neurology and psychiatry. The Foundation’s funding
has allowed him to devote more time to teaching, the training of
residents and visiting medical students, and research.
“For many years, I’ve been impressed with Dr. Feinberg’s extraordinary achievements in such an important area of medicine, and
I wanted to make sure that he has what he needs to perform his
research and care for his patients,” said Jane Friedman, whose
uncle, the late Gerald J. Friedman, MD, was a prominent Beth
Israel physician for 40 years.
“We’re incredibly grateful that the Foundation and the Friedman
family have carried on Dr. Friedman’s commitment to excellence
at Beth Israel by supporting Dr. Feinberg’s work as well as many
other key programs at the medical center,” said Harris M. Nagler,
MD, President, Beth Israel. “Dr. Feinberg has helped so many
patients and their families deal with these difficult diseases and,
under his leadership, the Betty and Morton Yarmon Division of
Neurobehavior and Alzheimer’s Disease has grown into a wellknown and widely respected program.”
Dr. Feinberg believes that two of the most significant moments at
the Division have been the funding from the Friedman Foundation
and the naming of the program in 1996 by longtime Beth Israel
supporter Betty Yarmon.
“I’ve always been so grateful to Betty Yarmon because her
naming commitment put the program on the map and gave it
caché in New York City,” Dr. Feinberg noted. “At that time, science
and research into Alzheimer’s wasn’t at nearly the level it is today.
It was really quite remarkable to have a named program focusing
on this neurological disease. Our division has achieved so much
thanks to Jane Friedman and Betty Yarmon.”
Dr. Feinberg’s work includes management of the cognitive issues
associated with dementia, managing the behavioral aspects of
these diseases, and liaising with spouses and adult children.
Frequently named to the lists of top doctors, he has delivered
keynote addresses for several national and international scientific
meetings. He is the author or editor of more than 100 publications, including What to Do When the Doctor Says It’s Early-Stage
Alzheimer’s; Altered Egos: How the Brain Creates the Self; and
From Axons to Identity: Neurological Explorations of the Nature of
the Self.
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8
Beth Israel Medical Center
Trustee Mary DeBare Furthers Her
Commitment to Geriatric Care
DeBare Geriatric Fellow
Asenath Steiman, MD, Mary
DeBare, and Joyce Fogel, MD
B
eth Israel Trustee Mary DeBare traces her
interest in geriatric care to her grandmother, with
whom she had a close relationship.
“She was very dynamic and very active in the community. As
she got older, she was able to maintain herself at home with the
help of my father, and she lived to a ripe old age,” Mrs. DeBare
recalled. “I saw what a difference it made to be able to be in your
own home.”
That experience helped inspire a lifelong interest in services
for the elderly. Throughout her life, Mrs. DeBare has helped the
elderly both professionally and philanthropically, including funding
fellowships in geriatric medicine at Continuum Health Partners
and establishing and generously supporting SHARE and HOPE,
two social service programs for the elderly at Beth Israel.
She recently continued her remarkable history of generosity with
a gift of $100,000 to support a number of geriatric initiatives at
Beth Israel, including a fellow in geriatrics, a collaboration with
SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender Adults), and a part-time social worker with a focus on
caregivers.
“Mary DeBare long ago realized the importance of excellence in
geriatric care, and her vision and commitment have been inspiring,” said Harris M. Nagler, MD, President, Beth Israel. “Thanks to
her incredible generosity, Beth Israel has been able to continue
its commitment to providing the most comprehensive and compassionate care to seniors in the community.”
“Thanks to her incredible generosity,
Beth Israel has been able to continue
its commitment to providing the most
comprehensive and compassionate
care to seniors in the community.”
In 2000, Mrs. DeBare established the DeBare Geriatric
Fellowships. This latest gift supports a new fellowship based
at Beth Israel that will train expert geriatricians in the care of
current and future generations of our aging population.
“I’m deeply grateful for Mary’s dedication to promoting geriatric
training,” said Joyce F. Fogel, MD, Chief, Division of Geriatrics,
Department of Medicine, Beth Israel. “These funds will go to
support the educational initiatives of the fellows, including conferences and educational materials. In addition, we perform a lot of
outreach in the community; providing educational programs will
be another avenue, and we will incorporate fellows and medical
students into these initiatives.”
Her gift also is supporting programs for gay and lesbian elderly
people through a new collaboration between Beth Israel Senior
Health and the national organization SAGE. This model community collaboration will address the health education and
Beth
BethIsrael
IsraelMedical
MedicalCenter
Center
healthcare needs of LGBT seniors as well as help educate
health care professionals to provide culturally competent and
sensitive care.
In addition, Mrs. DeBare’s gift is funding a part-time social worker
for caregivers. “It sounded like a great idea to me, because it’s
so difficult for the people who take care of older patients to get
the support they need,” Mrs. DeBare said.
Beth Israel’s Caregiver Support Program helps evaluate care
options, performs crisis intervention, and provides help with
needs assessments. A dedicated social worker offers one-to-one
counseling, telephone support, and two ongoing support groups,
one for sons and daughters and one for spouses.
“People can come to the group, and talk about whatever they
want; the focus is on them, and there’s no judgment. The caregivers are supporting each other through the life journey they’re
going through, and we brainstorm strategies and solutions for
dealing with various problems,” said Susan Group, LCSW, who
facilitates both support groups. Each group meets twice a month
for 90 minutes and each is open to the community. “It allows
caregivers to take a subjective experience and look at it objectively.
They get to see that they’re not alone and that other people understand what they’re going through.”
The Caregiver Support Program is headquartered at Beth Israel
Senior Health, a geriatrics practice run by Beth Israel’s Division of
Geriatrics and staffed by specialists trained in the care of older
adults. The practice offers primary medical care, consultations with
other physicians, and a wide range of support services.
Mrs. DeBare joined the Beth Israel Volunteer Service Board in
1962 and was appointed to the Beth Israel Board of Trustees in
1969. She is a longtime supporter of many projects throughout
Continuum. In addition to her generous geriatric gifts, she also has
provided support to initiate a Type I Diabetes Program at the Gerald
J. Friedman Diabetes Education Center and has contributed toward
the Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing and many other Beth
Israel programs and events.
Center for Music & Medicine
“What a Wonderful World”
Awards Event Raises
Funds for Louis
Armstrong Center
The Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine
at Beth Israel Medical Center raised $28,000 at its
seventh annual “What a Wonderful World” Awards
reception and auction on September 24, 2012.
The event honored jazz icon Jon Hendricks; patient
Deena Harburg; research assistant Ilene Harrison,
RN; and Physician-in-Chief of the Continuum Cancer
Centers of New York Louis B. Harrison, MD. “This
annual event highlights the significant impact of
music therapy,” said Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC,
director of The Louis Armstrong Center, “through the
eyes of a patient, doctor, nurse, and jazz giants like
Jon Hendricks, whose charm lit up the stage!”
Jon Hendricks, Deena
Harburg, Ilene Harrison, RN,
and Louis B. Harrison, MD
The Center uses music therapy to complement
medical treatment. Outpatient programs include
services for children with asthma and developmental delays; teens with emotional issues; adults
with cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
and cardiovascular disease; and musicians and
performing artists.
9
10 Beth Israel Medical Center
Support for Leir Fellows
in Pain Medicine and
Palliative Care
ince 1999, the Foundations have
S
given gifts totaling more than $1.5
million to support 16 fellowships.
best of care, Erna died in a rather miserable state, so when the
DPMPC was described to us, we jumped at the chance. It was an
opportunity to do something that I didn’t think existed.”
Since 1999, the Foundations have given gifts totaling more than
$1.5 million to support the DPMPC’s Fellowship Program, as well
as a generous gift that enabled the creation of an online learning
program on the management of pressure ulcers (bedsores) —in
memory of Erna Leir.
Erna and Henry Leir
W
hen the renowned industrialist, financier, and
philanthropist Henry Leir died at the age of
98 in 1998, Beth Israel was on his list of beneficiaries for a charitable remainder trust. That initial gift
grew into an extraordinary history of giving by The Leir
Charitable Foundations to the hospital’s Department
of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care (DPMPC).
“Oddly enough, we have no record of his prior contact with Beth
Israel, which was a surprise, because normally he had fairly
constant contact with the organizations on his list,” recalled
Leir Charitable Foundations President Arthur S. Hoffman, who
first met with representatives from Beth Israel to find a suitable
program for the charitable remainder trust. The DPMPC seemed
the perfect match—especially in light of the contrast between
the deaths of Henry Leir and his wife, Erna, who passed away at
age 93 in 1996 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease
several years earlier.
“Unlike Henry, who was at work on a Monday and died on a
Tuesday, Erna was bedridden with Alzheimer’s and suffering from
bedsores. She could have benefited greatly from palliative care
knowledge,” Mr. Hoffman said. “Even though she could afford the
“The Leir Charitable Foundations have been among our most loyal
supporters since shortly after the founding of the department in
1997. These past 15-plus years have simultaneously seen the
disciplines of hospice and palliative medicine become recognized
advanced specialties, and the Leir Foundations have been our
partner throughout this period in helping us meet the growing
need for training new practitioners and leaders in these fields,”
said Russell K. Portenoy, MD, Chairman of the Department of
Pain Medicine and Palliative Care and Gerald J. Friedman Chair in
Pain Medicine and Palliative Care. “It is clear that our partnership with the Foundations has yielded substantial contributions
towards advancing the fields of pain and palliative medicine.”
The department was founded by Dr. Portenoy with a mission of
providing the highest quality comprehensive care in pain management and palliative care and advancing these disciplines
nationally through research and innovative educational and
patient care programs. As the country’s first and only academic
department devoted to the disciplines of pain medicine and palliative care, the DPMPC is internationally renowned for its training programs, which include year-long fellowships for physicians,
nurses, and social workers, as well as numerous onsite, offsite,
and online offerings.
The Leir Foundations have provided support for 16 fellows since
1999. “I am eternally grateful for the Leir Foundations’ visionary
commitment to the training of future specialists in pain and palliative care over the years,” said Myra Glajchen, DSW, co-director
of the DPMPC’s Fellowship Programs. “Past Leir Fellows maintain
Beth
Beth Israel
Israel Medical
Medical Center
Center
leadership positions in palliative care programs at top medical
centers across the country, using what they learned at Beth Israel
not only to provide compassionate palliative care, but also to
train and mentor future specialists.”
Faculty and staff bade farewell
to nine Fellows at its annual
graduation reception.
The Leir Charitable Foundations provide support for innovative projects they believe will have the greatest positive and
permanent impact on health, welfare, and human achievements.
“Handling the palliative care aspect of the medical process is as
much an issue to me as how to conduct a surgery,” Mr. Hoffman
noted. “Pain medicine and palliative care have come a long way,
but they cannot meet the huge need for this kind of care without
a great deal more well-trained, knowledgeable doctors. That’s why
I believe the fellowship programs are so important.”
Hearst Grant to Establish
Dedicated Geriatric Unit
On the inpatient unit, to be located at
the Petrie Division, soft colors, handrails,
and geriatric chairs will help create a
safe and more homelike environment. A
geriatrician will lead an interdisciplinary
team to communicate and coordinate
each patient’s care plan.
Joyce F. Fogel, MD (left) and
members of Beth Israel’s
Geriatric Medicine Team
A
$125,000 grant from the William Randolph
Hearst Foundation will help Beth Israel establish
a dedicated geriatric inpatient unit for patients aged
65 and older.
“While not all of the hospital’s elderly patients will be treated
there, a dedicated geriatric unit will serve as a model of care for
other older patients around the hospital,” said Joyce F. Fogel, MD,
Beth Israel’s Chief of Geriatric Medicine. “Our goal is to raise the
level of awareness about the needs of older patients.”
“These issues are important to the future of medical care and to
the future of the United States in terms of its aging population,”
said Mason Granger, The Hearst Foundations’ Director of Grants.
He added that Beth Israel was selected for the grant because
of the Foundations’ admiration for both the hospital and its
president, Harris M. Nagler, MD. “We believe the institution is an
important one in New York City and in its neighborhood, and we
particularly believe in the leadership of Dr. Nagler.”
It also will serve as a teaching unit,
with the geriatrician providing education
to nurses, house staff, and residents,
and leading teaching rounds with the
hospital’s other geriatric faculty. House
staff will rotate through the unit, and a
dedicated attending will do consults on
geriatric patients throughout the hospital. “Physicians will get to
see a different concept of care for issues ranging from delirium to
immobility,” Dr. Fogel said.
Long-time supporters of the Continuum hospitals, The Hearst
Foundations make grants to organizations and institutions
working in the fields of education, health, culture, and social
service, and have, in the last decade, placed a special focus on
the issues surrounding aging in America.
“We believe the institution is an
important one in New York City
and in its neighborhood, and we
particularly believe in the leadership
of Dr. Nagler.”
11
12 Beth Israel Medical Center
Gratitude for Excellent
Care Inspires Barry Siadat
to Give Back
“I received such wonderful care from
Dr. Karpeh and his staff that when it was
time to leave the hospital, I told [him] I’d
like to help him in some way.”
Barry Siadat
W
hen Barry Siadat needed surgery a few years
ago, he asked around for opinions on where
he could get the best care. The answers pointed
him to Beth Israel—and to Martin S. Karpeh, Jr., MD,
chairman of the hospital’s Department of Surgery.
“I received such wonderful care from Dr. Karpeh and his staff
that when it was time to leave the hospital, I told Dr. Karpeh I’d
like to help him in some way,” said Mr. Siadat, who serves as
a managing director of the private investment firm SK Capital.
He ultimately donated $100,000 to the Chairman’s Fund of the
Department of Surgery, and the money is being used to help train
and educate physicians and improve quality of care.
“Dr. Karpeh took a personal interest in my well-being, and I got
the sense that that’s how he treats all his patients,” Mr. Siadat
said. “His interns and residents love and respect him. I thought
his work was something special, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
The recipient of Mr. Siadat’s
gratitude and praise is in
turn grateful for the donor’s
thoughtfulness and generosity. “Barry Siadat was very
enthusiastic about offering his
assistance,” Dr. Karpeh said.
“We are extremely thankful for
his support.”
Martin S. Karpeh, Jr., MD
Part of Mr. Siadat’s gift will
fund equipment and educational activities at The Alice
and Richard Netter Simulation
Training Center, which serves
as a model training center for physicians across disciplines.
Used by almost all of the hospital’s departments, the Center has
trained more than 3,000 people since its opening in 2010.
“Simulation and advanced instrument usage training are important areas of development for physicians because they offer them
a chance to improve their skills without the consequences of
working on an actual patient,” Dr. Karpeh noted. Funds from Mr.
Siadat’s gift will help the Center continue to expand the entire
simulation program—from purchasing state-of-the-art endoscopic
simulators to hiring actors who perform simulated scenarios of
various clinical situations.
Mr. Siadat’s gift also has played a vital role in helping Dr. Karpeh
and the hospital continue their quality assurance efforts by
participating in two national programs: TeamSTEPPS and the
National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP)®. Team
STEPPS is a teamwork system designed for healthcare professionals, and Beth Israel uses it in the operating room to help physicians, nurses, and other staff work together in a patient-focused
way to improve quality of care. NSQIP® is a nationally validated,
outcomes-based program that measures and improves the quality
of surgical care. The hospital collects data on clinical variables
such as risk factors and post-operative mortality and morbidity
outcomes for patients undergoing major surgical procedures.
Recently appointed a trustee of Continuum Health Partners, Mr.
Siadat is happy to be a part of the hospitals. “Beth Israel is a
hospital that serves a lot of the New York City community, so it’s
hard not to get involved with Beth Israel and Continuum Health
Partners if you live in the city,” Mr. Siadat said, noting that two of
his granddaughters were born at Roosevelt.
When asked what he hopes his support will accomplish, Mr. Siadat
said, “In a word, excellence. I’m a believer in what Dr. Karpeh is
doing in surgery and oncology and that it’s a great contribution to
our community. I wanted to help him to do his work, to attract top
talent, and to perform research and improve technologies.”
Beth
Beth Israel
Israel Medical
Medical Center
Center
Longtime Supporter
Puts Beth Israel in
Estate Plans
“I’m glad that I have this relationship
with Beth Israel and can stay
connected, even after I’m not around.”
Irving Denbaum
F
or Irving Denbaum, a lifelong resident of the
Lower East Side, Beth Israel is his family hos-
pital. So, when he began to think about his estate
plans, it didn’t take long to decide that Beth Israel
Medical Center would be included. “You can’t do
better than leaving money to a hospital,” he said.
“Your health is the most important part of your life.”
Irving Denbaum is 92 years old, the second of three sons born to
Orthodox Jewish parents. He was raised in a series of apartments,
all of them within a few blocks of each other; the family eventually
moved to Grand Street, where he still lives today. He dreamed of
becoming a French teacher when he graduated from City College,
but war was declared, and he enlisted in the Army in 1942.
The war years took him from California to Egypt to Libya to Italy,
where he was stationed for his remaining 21 months in the
service, “doing about every job there was to do, and I was never
shot at,” he reminisced. He was discharged from the Army and
returned to his parents’ home “right before the Jewish holidays”
in September 1945.
He found work as the credit manager for a manufacturing distributor, a job he held until he retired at age 65. Along the way,
he had a long relationship with a woman who had three young
daughters, and quickly discovered a New York beyond the Lower
East Side. “My life was turned around completely,” he said. “She
introduced me to things I’d always had an interest in but had
never really done before. I began to go to the theater quite often,
we attended concerts at Lincoln Center, went to the movies, and
explored the museums.” They also started taking trips together,
beginning his love of travel. “I loved just about every city that I’ve
visited—London, Paris, and Rome several times each,” he said.
Throughout the years, Mr. Denbaum helped to take care of his
parents and was introduced to Beth Israel Medical Center when
his mother, Yetta, was hospitalized. She died in 1981 and the
surviving Denbaums, Irving and his younger brother, Sidney, had
a plaque installed in her memory in the Cardiology waiting room
on 11 Dazian.
Mr. Denbaum has been a loyal supporter of the hospital ever since
and had already willed a specific amount of money to
Beth Israel when he had a series of medical setbacks himself
that required hospitalizations. “The care that I got—particularly
from the nurses—was excellent. I had the feeling that they were
with me personally, and we communicated very well.” He attended
lectures given by Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing Dean
Janet Mackin and started making gifts to programs at the nursing
school. To this day, he attends luncheons, lectures, and graduation ceremonies when he can.
Today, Mr. Denbaum’s mobility is a bit limited, but he remains
fiercely independent, living alone and making trips by himself
several times a week to the supermarket and the pharmacy. He
is grateful that his eyesight is still good—he enjoys reading The
New York Times every day, watching movies, and has recently
rediscovered the pleasures of a good book or two. He remains
very close to his brother, his nephew (“who has been a Godsend
to me”), two nieces—and his three “girls,” the daughters of the
woman he dated all those years ago. And he attends services at
his local synagogue accompanied by his neighbor, who is one of
several people he can “ask for anything at any time.”
“My life is what it is, but it’s the only life that’s available to me,”
Mr. Denbaum mused. “I’m happy to do what I can to help the hospitals function as effectively as they can,” he explained, “and the
only way they can do that is to have the money and the people to
run the hospital. My experience with the hospital is excellent.”
“I’m glad that I have this relationship with Beth Israel and can
stay connected, even after I’m not around,” Mr. Denbaum said.
He admits, though, that “I’m still happier when I’m not there.”
13
14 St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals
14
Melanie Friedman, David Friedman, MD,
Alyssa Gillego, MD, and Susan Boolbol, MD
Get Pink’d Event Raises Funds
for Appel-Venet Comprehensive
Breast Service
Freema and Harris M. Nagler, MD
Get Pink’d
Continuum Cancer Centers of New York celebrated Breast
Cancer Awareness Month with the annual Get Pink’d event to
benefit The Appel-Venet Comprehensive Breast Service of Beth
Israel. Held on October 19, 2012, at the XL Nightclub at The
Out Hotel, Get Pink’d raised its highest amount ever—more than
$158,000. The total raised since the event’s inception in 2005
now exceeds $600,000.
At the event, 450 guests were treated to cocktails, hors
d'oeuvres, dancing and a silent auction that featured items
ranging from an Apple iPad and iPad mini to jewelry and designer
handbags. Other items at the auction included theater tickets
to the Broadway shows Once and Nice Work If You Can Get It
as well as trips to Aruba, Vermont, and Long Island’s Wine
Country. Susan K. Boolbol, MD, and Stephen C. Malamud, MD,
co-chaired the event committee.
Stephen Malamud, MD,
Susan Boolbol, MD, and
Kim Charles McMahon
The vital funds raised at Get Pink’d enable the Breast Service to
conduct clinical trials and research in new surgical techniques,
innovations in medical therapy, and improvements in early detection. The Appel-Venet Breast Service offers life-saving diagnosis
and treatment, education, screenings, genetic counseling, and
support groups to thousands of women each year.
Gail Fox and Frank DeLuca
Mario Recchia, Wendy Recchia,
Staci Sansolo, Adam Sansolo,
and Samantha Recchia
Manjeet Chadha, MD, and Lee Blumer
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary 15
Alexandra Rose with her daughter
Kingsley, whose eyesight was
saved by gala honoree Dr. Brian
Campolattaro
Alan and Susan Pearce with their
son Austin, founder of The Austin
Pearce Kids’ Ophthalmology Fund
Vocalist Lisa Fischer with Chris
Botti and Leonardo Amuedo
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
Thanks for Giving Ball
“Thanks for Giving”
Ball Garners Funds for
Pediatric Programs
Four hundred and fifty guests joined together
on November 15, 2012, for The New York Eye
and Ear Infirmary’s annual “Thanks for Giving”
ball at Guastavino’s, where Brian Campolattaro,
MD, and Alan Wesely, MD, were honored with
the John Kearney Rodgers Physician of the
Year Award for their work in pediatric ophthalmology. The award presentation was made by
Seymour Fradin, MD, Director, Office of Applied
Technology; Robert Della Rocca, MD, Chief, Ocular
Plastic, Reconstructive & Orbital Surgery and
Surgeon Director; and Paul Sidoti, MD, Director,
Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service and
Residency Program Director, Ophthalmology.
D. McWilliams Kessler, Jeanne Rosenthal,
MD, Judith Kessler, and Donald Lundquist
Following the presentation, a special tribute
was made to Dr. Campolattaro by grateful patient
Jamie Beard and grateful parent Louis Rose of
the Rose Group, who manages Guastavino’s.
The evening’s keynote address was delivered
by The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary's
President and Chief Executive Officer D.
McWilliams Kessler, who highlighted the growing
reputation for excellence of the hospital’s Ear
Institute. Mr. Kessler introduced 17-year-old
Juliet McCarthy, a grateful patient who was fitted
with cochlear implants in first grade and has
now blossomed into a young actor.
David Della Rocca, MD, Sylvie Aljian, MD,
John Aljian, MD, and Jonathan Ascher, MD
Robert Della Rocca, MD,
Brian Campolattaro,
MD, and Paul Sidoti, MD
The gala raised nearly $450,000 to benefit the
hospital’s pediatric programs, and featured a
concert performance by internationally acclaimed
jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, who recently appeared
at Barclays Center with Barbra Streisand.
16 The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
Million-Dollar Gift
Launches New Fund
to Advance Glaucoma
Research Program
The project includes an expansion
of The Moise and Chella Safra
Advanced OCT Laboratory and
the building of new biochemistry
and tissue culture laboratories.
Gustavo De Moraes, MD, and Robert Ritch, MD,
(in striped shirt) with a patient
A
one-million-dollar gift from the Safra Family will
help The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary’s glau-
coma research program establish a special fund in
support of the Infirmary’s Project to Cure Exfoliation
Syndrome (XFS), the world’s leading recognizable
cause of open-angle glaucoma. The program will be
led by Robert Ritch, MD, FACS, FRCOphth, Professor
and Chief of Glaucoma Services; Surgeon Director
and Director of International Training.
This lead gift will establish a special fund in support of the
Infirmary’s Project to Cure Exfoliation Syndrome (XFS), the
world’s leading recognizable cause of open-angle glaucoma. The
strategy for addressing the approach to this disease incorporates ideas and new directions developed at the 19th Annual
Glaucoma Foundation Optic Nerve Rescue and Restoration Think
Tank “Exfoliation Syndrome: Gearing Up for a Cure,” which took
place September 21-22, 2012, in New York. “We now have an
unprecedented opportunity to cure this disease, which is more
severe and has a worse prognosis than ordinary primary openangle glaucoma, and is estimated to affect about 70 million
people worldwide, especially in Northern and Eastern Europe and
throughout the Middle East,” said Dr. Ritch.
The project will focus on enhancing the Infirmary’s glaucoma
research capabilities with expansion of The Moise and Chella
Safra Advanced Ocular Imaging Laboratory by adding a new, stateof-the-art adaptive optics ocular imaging system, along with the
building of a cell and tissue culture laboratory and a biochemistry
and molecular biology laboratory. The funds will also be used to
secure the position of lead researcher Dr. Sung Chul Park and
provide stipends for additional support personnel. With this team
in place, the Infirmary hopes to identify ways to reverse or cure
exfoliation syndrome and exfoliative glaucoma.
In December 2012, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary participated in the 15th annual University of Sao Paulo Ophthalmology
Congress, one of the largest medical conferences in Brazil, with
approximately 3,000 attendees. There, Glaucoma Services
Associate Director Jeffrey Liebmann, MD, delivered the keynote
address, The Coming Glaucoma Epidemic, in which he cited
the expanding role of the Infirmary in international glaucoma
education and research. In February 2013 Dr. Ritch served as
keynote speaker and spoke about exfoliation syndrome at the
Africa Ophthalmology Forum organized in Lagos by the Nigerian
Glaucoma Society.
Continuum 17
Picket Family Demonstrates Strong
Commitment to Continuum Hospitals
Members of the
Picket family enjoying
a family celebration
N
ew Yorkers Joel I. Picket and his son,
David Picket, are dedicated to helping
the city they love, whether it’s by developing
and constructing buildings through their fourthgeneration, family-owned real estate firm,
Gotham Organization, or by helping some of
the city’s most vital institutions—its hospitals.
The Pickets are making a tremendous impact on patient care at
the Continuum hospitals through the Picket Family Foundation,
whose board includes Joel’s daughter Allison Fehrenbaker.
“I find hospitals to be fascinating places. We used to
build a lot of hospitals, and they are really like total cities.
There’s so much going on there, from the social activity of
taking care of people to the operational aspects,” noted
Joel Picket, who is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of Gotham Organization, where David Picket serves as
President. “I always wanted to get involved in a hospital
from the inside to see how it operates.”
Both Pickets are members of the Continuum Health Partners
Board of Trustees, on which Joel Picket serves as Vice Chair.
A longtime supporter of the hospitals, Joel Picket recently
extended his generosity with gifts to underwrite the purchase
of a Leica surgical microscope for the Divisions of Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery at Beth Israel and St. Luke’s and
Roosevelt Hospitals; a gift to Beth Israel’s annual fund; and
a gift to support the Feedback Monitor Initiative at St. Luke’s
and Roosevelt.
“I always wanted to get involved
in a hospital from the inside to
see how it operates.”
The Feedback Monitor module will allow St. Luke’s and Roosevelt
Hospitals to add real-time scrutinizing capabilities for monitoring
feedback from their patients. The software helps hospitals
capture their patient complaints and feedback and transform
them into useful, actionable data. In this way, the staff can
resolve issues quickly and improve care as well as patient
satisfaction scores. “The Feedback Monitor is the standard
for hospitals that are best in class for patient satisfaction,”
said Margaret Mancuso, Chief Patient Experience Officer, adding
that the program should be up and running by late summer.
“This will be a tremendous asset to our patient relations.”
“The surgical microscope is a valuable piece of equipment for
the microsurgery techniques we use in breast reconstructive
surgery,” said William Samson, MD, Associate Chief of Plastic
Surgery at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals and Director of
the Plastic Surgery Clinic at Beth Israel. “All of the members of
the team are grateful to the Pickets for this gift. Most important,
our patients will benefit by receiving this most advanced reconstructive surgery."
The Picket Family Foundation supports everything from universities to the arts, and Joel Picket said that he hopes his recent
gifts to Continuum will help further the mission of the hospitals.
“I’m always looking for the best place for money to go—where
it can do the most good—and these seemed like a couple of
good places,” he said.
18 Continuum
Trustee Gives to
Enhance Care at
Continuum Hospitals
“Our hospitals are major resources
for the communities we serve, and I
am pleased to provide philanthropic
support to further our mission.”
their skills on the latest technological developments and for
physicians-in-training who are developing their skills, particularly
in critical care and emergency medicine.
James Neary
W
hether it’s responding to patient feedback
or training physicians in the latest technol-
ogy, the hospitals of Continuum Health Partners are
continually striving to ensure the highest quality of
care for their patients. To further that aim, Continuum
Trustee James Neary has given $150,000 over the
past two years to support several important projects
“In medical education, it is important to be able to teach and
learn in a realistic, risk-free environment,” said Hassan Khouli,
MD, Director of Critical Care and the Simulation Lab at St. Luke’s
and Roosevelt Hospitals. “We are grateful to Mr. Neary for his
gift, which helps us continue to create an environment in which
we can test new procedures for safety, evaluate competence, and
provide skills training for physicians and nurses—all extremely
valuable tools in medical training.”
“Our hospitals are major resources for the communities we
serve,” Mr. Neary said. “I am proud to serve on the Continuum
board and pleased to provide philanthropic support to further
our mission.”
at the hospitals.
Most recently, Mr. Neary directed $20,000 of his gift to sponsor
a year-end direct mail challenge for the annual fund at Beth Israel
and St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals. The annual fund comprises unrestricted gifts of general support for the hospitals.
The challenge helped the hospitals increase year-end annual
gifts by 47%.
Mr. Neary’s giving also will help support the surgical resident
research fund at Beth Israel, providing funding for innovative
investigations that help surgeons in training further their understanding of the surgical discipline. Robust research opportunities
are critical to attracting the best residents and interns in surgery,
which is a particularly competitive training tract.
Another portion of Mr. Neary’s gift will support the Simulation
Training Center at Roosevelt Hospital. This key training site is
invaluable—both for established physicians who wish to hone
Hassan Khouli, MD, demonstrates the use of a
virtual simulator manikin
Continuum 19
Continuum Cancer
Centers Launch
www.CancerTeam.com
Founding Chairman Emeritus
Morton P. Hyman Helps to
Spread the (Digital) Word
Chris and Morton P. Hyman
“C
ontinuum Cancer Centers feature some of the
most widely respected oncology programs in the
nation and are renowned for delivering high-quality,
multidisciplinary care that treats the whole person,
not just the disease,” said Morton P. Hyman, Founding
Chairman Emeritus of the Boards of Continuum Health
Partners, Beth Israel Medical Center, and St. Luke’s
and Roosevelt Hospitals. “I’m grateful to them for the
care they provided to me and proud to help promote
these remarkable programs.” Mr. Hyman made a generous gift of $100,000 in support of a new marketing
campaign for Continuum Cancer Centers of New York
(CCCNY), specifically an online component that takes
the campaign to a larger audience.
“As one of the premier programs at Continuum, we have been
eager to raise awareness of CCCNY, positioning it as a place where
the entire range of cancer care—from prevention and screening to diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and follow-up
care—is available” said Kathleen Kearns, Senior Vice President,
Development and External Affairs at Continuum Health Partners.
Louis B. Harrison, MD, Physician-in-Chief, Continuum Cancer
Centers of New York, continued, “We envisioned a campaign
with digital components in addition to traditional marketing, and
“One of our goals is to engage and
establish a connection with people
before they are diagnosed with cancer,”
said Louis B. Harrison, MD.
we’re very grateful for Mr. Hyman’s generosity in helping to support
this important initiative.” Mr. Hyman joined the Beth Israel Board of
Trustees in 1973, becoming its Chairman in 1985, and his support
of the marketing campaign is but the latest in a long line of generous gifts to Continuum hospitals.
A cornerstone of the
campaign, which began
in late fall 2011 and
continues through
2013, is the microsite,
www.CancerTeam.com.
This site features cancer
prevention tips, genetic
factors, and screening
recommendations, as
well as information on
Continuum’s cancer team, treatment options, and extensive
supportive services. In conjunction with the microsite, a mobile
application will allow users to get on-the-go recommendations
about dietary and other choices that can reduce the risk of cancer.
The campaign also includes advertising at bus shelters and
subway stops around the Continuum hospitals, print ads in
The New York Times, and radio ads—both on regular radio and
streaming radio online.
“One of our goals is to engage and establish a connection with
people before they are diagnosed with cancer. For that reason, the
campaign covers education, prevention, screening, and outcomes,”
Dr. Harrison said. “We want to position CCCNY as your partner every
step of the way, so we’re presenting the full spectrum of services,
from prevention to treatment to life after cancer.”
20 Continuum
20
The CCCNY 2012 Golf Classic Event Committee: Jeffrey Lipsitz, Daniel Rozzi, Louis B. Harrison, MD, Michael
Lagana, George Paxos, Thomas S. Murphy, and Munir Ghesani, MD. (Not pictured: Gary Levy and David B. Murphy)
CONTINUUM HEALTH PARTNERS
Ninth Annual Golf Classic
Golfers Raise Funds for CCCNY
Celebrating its ninth anniversary, the Continuum Cancer Centers
of New York Golf Classic drew 120 golfers to Alpine Country
Club in Demarest, NJ, on October 1, 2012, and raised more than
$330,000 for cancer programs. Since its inception in 2004, the
event has generated more than $3.2 million for research, education, and patient care.
In addition to a great day on the links, guests enjoyed breakfast,
cocktails, a dinner featuring Charles Gibson of ABC News, an
auction, and the annual Closest-to-the-Pin Chipping Contest. Louis
B. Harrison, MD, Clinical Director, Continuum Cancer Centers of
New York, served as event chair, and sponsors included Crestview
Partners; the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation; Emilio
Lama; the Lipsitz Family; Metropolitan Jewish Health System; New
York Radiology Partners; Thomas Murphy, Sr.; U.S. Information
Systems, Inc.; and Martha and Alex Wallau.
Louis B. Harrison, MD, Ilene
Harrison, RN, and Charles Gibson
Team Continuum Marks a
Milestone with its Support
Each holiday season, Team Continuum makes dreams come true
for pediatric patients at the Continuum hospitals with gift cards
for toys. With a mission to help cancer patients and their families,
the organization has donated more than $1 million to Beth Israel
Medical Center and St. Luke’s and Roosevelt
Hospitals. This past year marked the fifth
anniversary of the Team Continuum Center
for Hematologic Malignancies at Roosevelt,
which was established with their support in
2007, as well as their fifth year of grants
to Continuum’s Cancer Supportive Services
program.
A big part of the cancer battle for patients is
what Letty Simon, Chief Operating Officer of
Team Continuum, calls the “here and now.”
The organization currently funds two key
staff members who help patients navigate
their illness. Oncology social worker Nancy
Bourque, LCS, OSW-C, offers patients crucial one-on-one, practical,
and emotional support and Michelle Weisberger, MS, RD, an oncology dietician, develops customized eating plans with each patient
that take into account the type of chemotherapy being used.
A holiday visit to Beth
Israel by representatives
of Team Continuum
Huntington Portrait Unveiled
Continuum 21
21
Portrait Honors Chairman
Emeritus for His Four Decades
of Service
More than 75 guests gathered in Roosevelt Hospital’s
main lobby on September 13, 2012, for a special reception
recognizing Continuum Health Partners Chairman Emeritus
Lawrence S. Huntington and to witness the unveiling of
Mr. Huntington’s portrait.
Stanley Brezenoff, President and CEO of Continuum Health
Partners; Steven Hochberg, Chairman of the Board of
Continuum Health Partners; and Frank J. Cracolici, President
of St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, all spoke glowingly
of Mr. Huntington’s more than four decades of service to the
hospitals. Also on hand was Everett Raymond Kinstler, the
artist who painted Mr. Huntington’s portrait.
Lawrence S. and
Caroline Huntington
CONTINUUM HEALTH PARTNERS
Center for Health and Healing
Back Row: Marsha Handel, Ben Kliger, MD, Martin Arron, MD, William Sarnoff, Stanley
Brezenoff, and Steven Hochberg; Front Row: Robert S. Gotlin, DO, Martin Ehrlich, MD,
Helen Volonakis, Woodson C. Merrell, MD, Harris M. Nagler, MD, and Gail F. Donovan
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for
Expanded Center
More than 100 guests gathered on January 9, 2013, for a
ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the expansion of the
Continuum Center for Health and Healing (CCHH), located at
245 Fifth Avenue at 28th Street.
The centerpiece of the new space is an 1,800-square-foot,
state-of-the-art, medically supervised gym. Expanded services
include a Medical Fitness Program, integrative cardiology,
podiatry, chiropractic care, occupational therapy, kinesiology,
and homeopathy.
The Medical Fitness Program brings together physical rehabilitation and fitness training to help individuals—both able-bodied
and those with pre-existing medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, and hypertension—regain and maintain optimal health.
John Starks and Robert S. Gotlin, DO. Starks is a patient
of Dr. Gotlin’s and a retired NBA basketball player who spent
eight seasons with the New York Knicks.
“The mission of the fitness program is to integrate exercise and
fitness with disease and injury prevention and disease management—the hallmarks of integrative medicine,” said Robert S.
Gotlin, DO, director of the Medical Fitness Program and Director
of Orthopedic and Sports Rehabilitation at Beth Israel. “Our goal
is total well-being for mind and body.”
The expansion was launched with a founding grant of $1.3
million from an anonymous donor and builds upon the integrative
primary care and specialty practices that have been features of
the Center since it opened in 2000.
“Our new Center is an amazing resource for New York City
and the nation, as a model of the most comprehensive
integrative care imaginable for patients and their families,”
remarked Woodson C. Merrell, MD, Founder and Executive
Director of CCHH, and Chairman of the Department of
Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel.
Continuum Health Partners
Development Department
555 West 57th Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Summer 2013
Development Committee of
the Board of Trustees
Steven Hochberg
Morton P. Hyman
Committee Co-Chairs
Members
Patricia Balsamini
Frank J. Cracolici
Martin M. Feuer, MD
Kathleen Kearns
Edwin A. Levy
Eugene Mercy, Jr.
Morgan Miller
Alan Mirken
Alice Netter
Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute Celebrates Opening
Robert G. Newman, MD
Whitney Stevens