Phillip Capozzi, M.D., Library Hosts College History Celebration and Exhibit Dedication
Donated by Second-Generation Alumnus, Dr. Jay Tartell, the Exhibit Honors the Enduring Legacy of NYMC and Metropolitan Hospital
In the normally hush Phillip Capozzi, M.D., Library, there was a sense of excitement and pride in the rear reading room on September 12, as the ribbon was cut to officially dedicate "The Origins of Metropolitan Hospital: NYMC Hospital Affiliate Since 1875." The permanent exhibit donated by Jay Tartell, M.D. '82, fourth from left, and Deborah Tartell, second from right, in memory of Paul Tartell, M.D. '52, Dr. Jay Tartell’s father who completed his clinical rotations at Metropolitan when it was located on Roosevelt Island, celebrates the close relationship between New York Medical College (NYMC) and NYC Health + Hospitals / Metropolitan. Metropolitan’s first predecessor opened on Ward’s Island in 1875, and the affiliation between NYMC and Metropolitan remains the longest-running uninterrupted affiliation between a medical school and a municipal hospital in the United States. The dedication was especially meaningful as it coincided with NYMC’s 165th anniversary and Metropolitan’s sesquicentennial celebration, underscoring the deep and intertwined histories of the two institutions.
Alongside the illustrious written history of NYMC and Met, are items collected by Dr. Jay Tartell throughout the years as a labor of love. The treasures include: an 1828 check from the City of New York for the purchase of Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island); a ca. 1872–1875 map of Greater New York City featuring Blackwell’s and Ward’s Islands’ blueprints of the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, ca. 1839; an 1862 Currier & Ives color lithograph, “Blackwell’s Island, East River”; ephemera related to investigative journalist Nellie Bly’s groundbreaking exposé on asylum conditions; photographs of Metropolitan Hospital and its medical staff from the late 19th and early 20th centuries; and a plethora of other historical mementos.
“I thank Dr. Tartell and his family for believing in truthful history. I thank you for curating this collection and bringing it home to NYMC,” said Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., second from left, chancellor and chief executive officer as well as an ardent historian, in his opening remarks. He outlined the many pioneering firsts of the institutions and their enduring dedication to caring for all patients in need.
“To date, we see the commitment of NYMC and Metropolitan hospital represented by the service to the indigent and the underrepresented,” Anitha Srinivasan, M.D., M.P.H., left, chief medical officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan and associate professor of surgery, NYMC. “One of my favorite stories is that Dr. Paul Tartell was in the last class to take the ferry across the East River to reach our Metropolitan Hospital campus, which at that time was on Roosevelt Island. Such desire to learn and serve is still seen among your students. I thank NYMC and all the faculty for keeping this relationship alive.”
On behalf of the student Medistorian Society, Sumaita Mahmood, third from left, SOM Class of 2026 and president of the Medistorian Society, spoke on the importance of continuing the relevance of history to M.D. students today. “Through our archivist sessions with Nicholas Webb, student-run journal clubs, and historical discussions, we seek to remind ourselves that medicine is not only science but story. It is not only innovation but inheritance,” she said. “By grounding ourselves in history, we hope to cultivate the kind of physician who is not just competent in knowledge but wise in judgement.”
Nicholas Webb, MSIS, right, archivist and digital preservation librarian who curated the display with Dr. Tartell, said, “In my professional opinion as an archivist and historian, the history of NYC Health + Hospitals and its predecessor the New York City Department of Hospitals is one of the most important parts of New York City’s health care history, and yet it’s one of the most under-studied and under-documented. The chance to be responsible for the history of one of the most significant of the NYC Health + Hospitals was an exciting prospect.” His presentation showed how the history of medicine in New York is the history of New York and the influence NYMC and Metropolitan Hospital had in the region’s growth, identity, and progress in health care.
Dr. Tartell shared his interest in history and dedicated the Metropolitan exhibit in memory of his father. “Having experienced the benefits of history in my own life, I wanted to bring the value of this material into the lives of students at this institution. Our students are among the brightest and best, and they will benefit greatly from this access. Most importantly, they will be able to pass those benefits on to their patients.”
The event closed with a reading by Patricia Curtin, fourth from right, SOM Class of 2028 and member of the NYMC Poetry Club, of the first three stanzas of William Cullen Bryant's "The Ages" which was published in the 1821 first edition of Bryant's poems that Dr. Tartell donated to the Library rare book room.
Dr. Tartell has been a generous and loyal supporter of NYMC history. His donations can be seen throughout campus in the College archives, the Capozzi Library historical collections and permanent exhibits and include a painting of Willam Cullen Bryant by Ferinand Danton; 19th century microscopes that were awarded to NYMC students as academic prizes; a collection of original books by William Cullen Bryant; and a first edition of William Cullen Bryant’s Poems (1821), among many other significant historical items.
