News and Events

Fidget spinners may be the latest must-have kids' toy, but claims that the gizmos help students pay attention aren't backed by science, experts say. Some retailers market the devices as a way to help kids with anxiety, autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) keep themselves calm and focused in the classroom. The claims likely are based on small-scale studies that show kids with ADHD pay better attention if they are allowed to fidget, said Dr. Matthew Lorber, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "They actually perform better because it indirectly forces the brain to work harder to focus on the task at hand," Lorber said.

NYMC Faculty: Matthew Lorber, M.D., M.P.A., clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences

The race for the Mount Pleasant Town Board is heating up as three Republicans are seeking the party’s nomination for two council seats while a Democrat recently announced he was entering the fray. In recent years, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and New York Medical College has expanded its facilities and North 60 would be “a project that’s not only good for Mount Pleasant, it’s good for the area,” Smalley said. “I think we’re on the precipice of something really good here in Mount Pleasant. We’re moving forward,” she said. 

Bending the Arc, Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos’s documentary about doctors working in a rural Haitian village, will serve as the opening film at the 3rd annual Greenwich International Film Festival, which runs from June 1-4 in Greenwich, Conn.  The film will screen on June 2, followed by a Town Hall Panel Q&A moderated by Barbara Pierce Bush with Ophelia Dahl (Partners in Health), writer/producer Cori Stern, Joia Mukherjee (Partners in Health) and Rifat Latifi  M.D. from Westchester Medical Center, discussing the state of global healthcare.

NYMC Faculty: Rifat Latifi, M.D., professor of surgery 

NYMC Faculty: 

Kira A. Geraci-Ciardullo, M.D., M.P.H., adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics
Andrew W. Grose, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery
Howard J. Luks, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery
Daniel Zelazny, M.D.,  assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery
Jeremy Mangion, M.D., instructor of orthopaedic surgery
John Galeno, M.D., assistant professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery
David E. Asprinio, M.D., professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Richard Magill, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery
Damon DelBello, M.D., assistant professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery

While most kids at 16 are learning how to drive and worried about what to wear to prom, Stephanie Gallagher of Pompton Plains NJ is going through menopause and worried about her fertility.

NYMC Faculty: Kutluk Oktay, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, cell biology and anatomy, medicine  and pathology

The Heart and Vascular Institute, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), recently celebrated the opening of its first Long Island practice, which brings cardiac care to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients living in the area.

NYMC Faculty: Julio A. Panza, M.D., professor of medicine

Westchester Medical Center
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center
Calvary Hospital

Most people consider maternal mental health to be synonymous with postpartum depression. However, there are many other similar disorders, collectively described as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). One such disorder is postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder. While PTSD as a whole used to be characterized as an anxiety disorder in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), it is now in a new chapter in DSM-V titled “Trauma- and Stress-Related Disorders.” 

NYMC Faculty: Ami S. Baxi M.D., instructor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences

Westchester Institute for Human Development

Homeopathy has a very rich history here in the U.S. The oldest medical organization in the U.S. is the American Institute of Homeopathy, which predates the formation of the AMA by several years and is still active today. At its peak in the late 1800s, there were 22 homeopathic medical schools and over 100 homeopathic hospitals. The Albany Homeopathic Hospital once stood on North Pearl Street. It later moved to the current location of Albany Memorial Hospital, which was originally a homeopathic hospital, before it eventually became an allopathic hospital. My grandfather graduated as an M.D. from New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1928. By the mid-1930s, the school dropped its homeopathic designation and became New York Medical College, which now resides in Valhalla, N.Y.

Three accomplished professionals in different sectors share a commitment to improving the lives of those they touch with their spirited community leadership. The three – Mae Carpenter, John Giocobbe and Steven Zelicoff – were honored by United Hebrew of New Rochelle on May 10th at the organization’s Sixth Annual Community Service Awards, which recognized their advocacy and commitment to developing programs, services, and medical procedures that enrich the lives of seniors on United Hebrew’s campus and beyond.

NYMC Faculty: Steven B. Zelicof, M.D., Ph.D., professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery and clinical assistant professor of medicine

Lior Raz-Farley, senior at Ossining High School, was mentored by Jana Veliskova, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, obstetrics and gynecology and neurology, and Libor Velíšek, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, pediatrics, and neurology

The Business Council of Westchester announced its 2017 class of Rising Stars, a diverse and  highly talented group representing an impressive array of professions. The winners will be honored on June 15 during an evening reception at 800 Westchester Avenue in Rye Brook. The Rising Stars program is modeled after the national business recognition program “40 under 40.” Rising Stars honorees were chosen based on professional and/or entrepreneurial accomplishments, professional and/or business affiliations, and demonstrated leadership skills.

The 2017 Rising Stars: Katharine Yamulla, director of the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center

The YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester in collaboration with the Women’s Research and Education Fund (WREF) will hold the 9^th annual In the Company of Women on Friday, May 12 at the DoubleTree in Tarrytown. This year’s honorees will be Millie Hernandez-Becker, president and CEO of Skyqueen Enterprises and Dr. Jin Li, neurologist with Westchester Medical Center. Keynote speaker for the occasion is Lauren Leader-Chivèe, co-founder and CEO of All in Together, a nonprofit campaign dedicated to engaging American women in politics and civic action. The highly-acclaimed event will draw over 500 diverse and successful women (and a few good men!) from across Westchester County and beyond.

NYMC faculty: Jin Li, M.D., Ph.D., clinical associate professor of neurology

Richard French speaks with Dr. Edward Halperin, the Chancellor and CEO of New York Medical College about the effects the Obamacare repeal will have on hospitals and patients in our area.

NYMC Leadership: Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor and chief executive officer

The new concourse was specially designed to connect Westchester Medical Center with the 280,000-square-foot Ambulatory Care Pavilion, which is currently under construction on WMC's Valhalla campus. The eight-story Ambulatory Care Pavilion is the largest healthcare construction project in Westchester County since the construction of Westchester Medical Center’s main tower in 1977, and is slated for completion in 2018.

NYMC Affiliate: Westchester Medical Center

The YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester in collaboration with the Women’s Research and Education Fund (WREF) will hold the 9th annual In the Company of Women on Friday, May 12 at the DoubleTree in Tarrytown. This year’s honorees will include Dr. Jin Li, neurologist with Westchester Medical Center clinical associate professor of neurology at New York Medical College. The highly-acclaimed event will draw over 500 diverse and successful women (and a few good men!) from across Westchester County and beyond. Dr. Jin Li was selected as an honoree for being one of the trailblazers in the field of neurology and as such is a magnificent role model for young women. In addition to her duties as a neurologist, she finds time to maintain involvement in the Chinese American Society and the Huaxia Chinese School. In her everyday life and in her vocation, Dr. Li shows her “smarts” and sincerely deserves this award as “Health & Wellness Champion.”

NYMC faculty: Jin Li, M.D., Ph.D., clinical associate professor of neurology

Whether you’re a first-time mom or a seasoned pro, breastfeeding is a tough gig. Especially when the periods between feedings decrease and you feel like you’re nursing constantly…like every 15 minutes constantly. Here’s what you need to know about those out-of-the-ordinary (yet perfectly ordinary) cluster feedings. Newborns typically nurse every 2 to 3 hours, but sometimes they change their feeding patterns to more frequent guzzling (with a side of fussiness thrown in). Also known as bunch feeding, this can be super frustrating for moms who suddenly feel like they’re nursing all the time. “It seems to happen most often during the first few weeks of breastfeeding (because the milk supply may be more erratic) and then again around three months, but it can also occur later,” explains Jeffrey L. Brown, MD and clinical professor of pediatrics at New York Medical College. And while many moms experience cluster feedings in the evenings, it can also happen at any time of the day. Cluster feeding is totally normal, say experts. The reasons why this happens are unclear (it could be due to growth spurts, increasing mom’s milk supply or babies just wanting more attention), but there’s usually no need for parents to be concerned or to supplement with formula. Your baby is one smart (and adorable) cookie who instinctively knows how much milk she needs—listen to her and feed her as often as she wants. Dr. Brown weighs in: “Cluster feeding is a common occurrence. Medical warning signs would be if the baby appears ill, has a weak suck or cry, or is not gaining weight properly. These suggest that she may not be getting enough calories.” Got that? You’re doing nothing wrong, but speak to your pediatrician if you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms. 

NYMC faculty: Jeffrey L. Brown, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics

While other teens are planning for prom, Stephanie Gallagher is fighting a disease that threatens her future ability to have children. Thrown into premature menopause, Gallagher, 16, suffered an auto-immune disease in which antibodies attacked her ovaries. Doctors say she has lost more than half her egg follicles over the past few months. Dr. Kutluk Oktay removed two-thirds of the outer layer of Gallagher’s right ovary, where microscopic eggs are stored. The tissue will be cut into pieces and frozen until she’s an adult and ready to become a mom — and then transplanted back. “I’ve always loved kids. I definitely want to have kids when I’m older,” said Gallagher, who lives in Pompton Plains, NJ. A high-school junior, she plans to become a nurse or child psychologist. While ovarian tissue is frozen for women with cancer before they undergo chemotherapy, Gallagher’s surgery is a first for anyone in the midst of autoimmune ovarian failure, Oktay said. Normally, young women are diagnosed with the disease after all their eggs have been destroyed. “You never catch it when it’s happening because it happens really fast — in a matter of months,” said Oktay, who is also a New York Medical College professor and pioneered ovary-freezing and transplantation.

NYMC faculty: Kutluk Oktay, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, cell biology and anatomy, medicine  and pathology

According to the American Cancer Society, pediatric cancers are different than what normally develops in adults. They include Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Brain tumors and unique solid tumors such as Neuroblastoma, Wilms Tumor and sarcomas are also common.

"PCF has been instrumental in providing critical grant support over the past quarter of a century to help raise the cure rate in pediatric cancer from approximately 50-60 percent to 85-90 percent today," says Dr. Mitchell S. Cairo, professor of pediatrics, medicine, pathology, microbiology and immunology, and cell biology and anatomy and New York Medical College and chief of pediatric hematology, oncology and stem cell transplantation at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

NYMC faculty: Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., professor of pediatrics, medicine, pathology, microbiology and immunology, and cell biology and anatomy

It is one of the worst pronouncements a person can hear from a doctor — that  you’ve got cancer — now imagine that diagnosis is for a child. "PCF has been instrumental in providing critical grant support over the past quarter of a century to help raise the cure rate in pediatric cancer from approximately 50-60 percent to 85-90 percent today," says Dr. Mitchell S. Cairo, Chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Maria Fareri. The group has raised more than $500,000 towards research for hospitals that include Maria Fareri, New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer at NYU Langone Medical Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Feinstein Institute of Medical Research Northwell Health and University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital. Dr. Cairo describes PCF as instrumental in providing millions of dollars in critical grant support to raise the cure rate. "Major accomplishments over the past 40 years have occurred in pediatric(cancers)," says Cairo. ALL, NHL, HL, Wilms Tumor among others." He cites emotional support for family members as another important factor in the process.

NYMC Faculty: Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., professor of pediatrics, medicine, pathology, microbiology and immunology, and cell biology and anatomy