As partner at one of the oldest law firms in New York City and the state of New York, Peter Frelinghuysen, Esq., has earned an esteemed reputation in many aspects of the legal profession. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI), a New York Medical College affiliate, he has served both institutions with his visionary leadership, integrity and experience.
Throughout his years on the NYEEI Board of Directors, which he joined in 1985 and began chairing in 1997, Mr. Frelinghuysen has been actively engaged in all aspects of supporting the Infirmary’s rich heritage and its mission to provide high quality patient care, community outreach, graduate and continuing medical education and scientific research. In 1999 and 2010 he received the Infirmary’s United Hospital Fund’s Distinguished Trustee Award, and in 2003 he received the Margaret Loeb Kempner Humanitarian Award for his devotion to the field of health care.
During Mr. Frelinghuysen’s tenure as its chairman, the Infirmary has flourished, rebuilding or securing new space and successfully expanding its state-of-the-art operating rooms, Bendheim Family Retinal Center, Jorge N. Buxton, M.D., Microsurgical Education Center, Laser Center, the Ear Institute and The Shelly and Steven Einhorn Clinical Research Center.
A staunch proponent of medical education, Mr. Frelinghuysen has introduced a wide variety of new programs and initiatives. In 2001, he helped create the new Microsurgical Education Center at NYEEI, a teaching facility uniquely equipped to offer surgeons the opportunity to practice and refine complex microsurgical techniques. In 2003, Mr. Frelinghuysen was instrumental in the creation of the Comprehensive Retina Center, a technologically advanced treatment and research facility created to enhance patient care and professional education. He has been exceptionally supportive of the College’s affiliation with the Infirmary, a relationship that dates back to the nineteenth century, lending his support to initiatives related to resident and fellow education, medical student rotations, research support and academic faculty appointments.
Mr. Frelinghuysen is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School. He serves on the boards of many civic and cultural institutions. He is a trustee of The Achelis Foundation, The Bodman Foundation, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and a former trustee of the Buckley School and the Spoleto Festival USA. He is Vice Chairman of the Board of Continuum Health Partners, Inc., Beth Israel Medical Center and Long Island College Hospital. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is a member of the Board of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He is also a former trustee and current advisor for the New York Horticultural Society.