SOUTH NASSAU - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Administrative Team
- Member of the Officers Team
- President
Dr. Sharma is board certified in toxicology and emergency medicine. He has been the clinical quarterback of Mount Sinai South Nassau's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his guidance, the hospital surged capacity to 500 beds as it cared for more than 1,700 COVID-19 patients over the course of the pandemic. Dr. Sharma obtained his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY, and completed his emergency medicine residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Jacobi/Montefiore Medical Center. He also completed a fellowship in medical toxicology at NYU/Bellevue Medical Center. He holds a Masters in Health Care Administration at George Washington University. Dr. Sharma is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. He is a co-author of journal articles published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine, Academy of Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. Dr. Sharma has also authored chapters published in clinical textbooks, including Rosen's Textbook of Emergency Medicine; 5-Minute Pediatric Emergency Medicine Consult, and Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies. Prior to working at Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Sharma served as the chair of emergency medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip.
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer
- Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs
Dr. Wong joins us from Catholic Health, where he served in multiple leadership roles at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, NY, including Vice President for Patient Safety and Chief Quality Officer, Chair of Internal Medicine and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care. During his time at there, he was responsible for patient quality and safety issues, risk management, and hospital accreditation. Dr. Wong also co-chaired the performance improvement committee and the patient experience committee, as well as many other clinical and quality initiatives. As Chief Medical Officer, he is responsible for the administration of, and liaison with, all medical staff throughout the hospital, employed and attending.
A long-time Nassau County resident, Dr. Wong attended medical school at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he obtained both his MBA and DO degrees, and then completed his internal medicine residency and Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship at the then-Winthrop-University Hospital.
Dr. Hatsis is board-certified in ophthalmology. He holds a B.A. from Fordham University and obtained his medical degree from the University of Bologna in Bologna, Italy. Dr. Hatsis completed his residency in general surgery and ophthalmology at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y. He is a fellow in the American College of Surgeons and is certified in LASIK® and incisional refractive surgery by the American Board of Eye Surgery. Dr. Hatsis is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Stony Brook University.
Job Titles:
- Support Staff Member
- Bariatric Program Manager
With 15 years of experience in Bariatric surgery, Alison has guided patients through their weight loss journey pre-- and post operatively. She also facilitates the support group and loves to help our bariatric patients succeed.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Facilities, Planning & Development
In his role at Mount Sinai South Nassau, Triolo oversees the departments of Design, Development and Construction, as well as property management for our main campus and all off-site facilities. He serves as the architectural and administrative liaison for strategic planning and program development. He also leads master facilities planning for Mount Sinai South Nassau's integrated health care delivery system.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
- Compliance and Privacy Officer
Ann Amato, CPA, MBA, CHC, CHPC, CPC serves as the Compliance & Privacy Officer at Mount Sinai South Nassau, formerly South Nassau Communities Hospital, which she joined in 1997. She oversees all aspects of Internal Audit and Corporate Compliance for the Hospital, Outpatient Departments and Captive PCs.
Ms. Amato is a Certified Public Accountant with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Adelphi University and Master of Business Administration from Molloy College. She received both her Certification in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) and Certification in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) from the Healthcare Compliance Association (HCCA). Ms. Amato received her CPC (Certified Professional Coder) from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and served on the Board of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Metro NY Chapter where she chaired the Compliance and Internal Audit Committee for 10 years. In addition, Ms. Amato was appointed as the Chair of the Compliance Committee for the Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council in 2017.
Prior to joining South Nassau, Ms. Amato was Director of Internal Audit for Staff Builders Home Health Care from 1992 to 1997 and Senior Auditor & Assistant Tax Specialist at KPMG from 1998 to 1992.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chairman
- Member of the Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Athanasios Smyrlis, MD, FACC Interventional and Clinical Cardiology Board-certified in cardiology, interventional cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and internal medicine, and specializing in invasive cardiology, Dr. Smyrlis was fellowship-trained in interventional cardiology at Winthrop University Hospital (SUNY, Stony Brook, N.Y.). He completed cardiovascular disease training at the Western CT Health Network (Yale School of Medicine, CT) where he served as Chair of the hospital's Quality Improvement Committee. He received advanced CHF and heart transplant training at Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr. Smyrlis earned his medical degree from the University of Ioannina Medical School, Greece, where he ranked in the top one percent of his class. He completed his internal medicine residency at the Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. His areas of interest include coronary artery disease, angioplasty, percutaneous coronary intervention, peripheral vascular disease and peripheral intervention cardiac arrhythmias, heart valve disease and trans-catheter valve replacement, cardiomyopathy and heart failure management.
Job Titles:
- Bariatric Surgeon
- Board Certified General Surgeon
Dr. Simenhoff is a board certified general surgeon and specialist in minimally invasive bariatric surgery. He completed general surgery residency at Mount Sinai in New York followed by fellowship at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital in California. He is excited to be back in New York to help patients navigate their weight loss journeys and manage their medical related issues. He uses laparoscopic and robotic techniques to perform gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and to treat a variety of conditions including gastrointestinal reflux, hernia repair and gallbladder disease.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Dr. Charles Thompson has practiced Bariatric Surgery since 2013 and joined Mount Sinai as a Bariatric Surgeon in 2022. After completing his undergraduate studies at Morehouse College, Dr. Thompson earned his medical degree from Howard University. He then completed his internship and residency in General Surgery at Howard, where he served as Chief Resident during his final year. To finish his training, Dr. Thompson moved to Cleveland Clinic Florida for his fellowship in Bariatrics & Minimally Invasive Surgery. With his board certification by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Thompson's interests include treatment of obesity and studying the disparity in health outcomes in the bariatric community.
In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Thompson is part of the core faculty of the Mount Sinai South Nassau General Surgery Residency Program. He is also a Board Member of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Foundation and holds fellowship status in the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Under the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Thompson also serves as an EPA Champion/Liaison.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Public Affairs and Development
Ms. Sanneman oversees the planning, implementation and synchronization of strategic communications and development programs that combined drive the positive reputation and philanthropic support of Mount Sinai South Nassau's services and programs. She coordinates the hospital's strategic communications and public messaging in collaboration with stakeholders and community advocates, including the news media, civic leaders, elected officials, government leaders, hospital volunteers and auxiliary. Ms. Sanneman utilizes this organic, coordinated communications plan to drive the vitality and success of the hospital's annual and long-term development plans, which includes direct giving, annual giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, bequests, grants, and fundraising events. In addition, she directs the hospital's award-winning Truth in Medicine quarterly public health poll and an array of other essential community health efforts, including the Vaxmobile, the region's first mobile (COVID-19) vaccination bus. Ms. Sanneman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Siena College and a Master of Public Administration in public and nonprofit management and policy from New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Job Titles:
- RD, CDCES, Bariatric Dietitian
As a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and Bariatric Dietitian, Danielle has helped thousands of patients reach their weight and wellness goals through dietary and lifestyle changes. She teaches simple strategies for long term weight loss success.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chairman
- Member of the Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Surgeon
- Bariatric Surgeon, Medical Director
- Medical Director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Program at Mount Sinai South Nassau 's Center for Digestive Health
Dr. Vohra is the Medical Director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Program at Mount Sinai South Nassau's Center for Digestive Health. He completed his medical education in India and his postdoctoral training at New York University Medical Center. He has also served as Assistant Professor in Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Vohra is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Laparoscopic Surgeons.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Secretary
Dr. Godshall completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at Smith College in Northampton, MA. She earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA where she was honored by induction into the AOA Honor Medical Society. She completed her internship and residency training in General Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Following completion of this training program, she completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. During her fellowship, she gained extensive expertise in a wide variety of Bariatric procedures. Her training has given her expertise in both laparoscopic and robotic surgery.
She is a General and Bariatric surgeon. She is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
A graduate of University of California- Santa Barbara, Dr. Sommer completed his general surgery training at Boston University Medical Center in Boston, MA.. Following completion of his general surgery training, Dr. Sommer completed a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic, Bariatric and Robotic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ under the guise of world renowned surgeon Garth H Ballantyne, MD, who he later joined as a partner in his Advanced Laparoscopic, Bariatric and Robotic practice. Dr. Sommer then went on to create the first Bariatric program in Southeastern Connecticut. He is the Chief of Bariatric Surgery at St. Francis Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, and Hudson Valley Hospital Center.
Dr. Sommer has performed thousands of bariatric procedures including Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, revision surgery, and balloons. He also has an extensive advanced laparoscopic background performing laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery (Nissen/Toupet fundoplication), Hiatal hernia repair, abdominal wall hernias, colon surgery, small intestine surgery, gallbladder removal for gallbladder disease, spleen removal, and other advanced laparoscopic procedures.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
A specialist in both coronary and peripheral interventional procedures, Dr. Freeman has been active in research on stenting in acute myocardial infarction as well as peripheral arterial interventions. A graduate of New York Medical College, Dr. Freeman has served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. Prior to coming to Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Freeman also served as Director of North Shore University Hospital's (NSUH) cardiac care unit and medical Director of its cardiology ACLS training program. Dr. Freeman was also the Program Director of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program at NSUH in Manhasset. He served on the board of the American Heart Association, Long Island Region, and is a clinical council member of the American Heart Association. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology as well as the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Quality and Regulatory Affairs
- Vice President, Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs
As Vice President for Quality and Regulatory Affairs, Ms. Phillips in collaboration with the Chief Medical Officer, is responsible for developing strategies to facilitate best practices that support the delivery of high-quality care and services throughout the Hospital. Ms. Phillips has over 25 years' experience in Nursing Leadership and Quality Management. She oversees Performance Improvement, Regulatory Affairs, and Emergency Preparedness. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and a Master of Science in Public Health from Columbia University and maintains professional certification as a Healthcare Quality Professional.
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Dr. Chiao is a board certified bariatric and general surgeon from the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Chiao completed his internship and residency in general surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he developed a profound interest in minimally invasive techniques in all aspects of surgery, especially bariatrics. Following his general surgery training, Dr. Chiao completed his fellowship in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he performed over 400 operations under the mentorship of Dr. Anita Courcoulas, a renown bariatric surgeon. He has attended the Worldwide Meeting of the Clinical Robotic Surgery Association in Chicago, the Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship Fundamentals Conference in Sedona, Arizona, and SAGES Flexible Endoscopy Course for Minimally Invasive Fellows in San Diego, California.
Dr. Chiao holds memberships and certificates in the American College of Surgeons, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery, Clinical Robotic Surgical Association, and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President
- Finance
- Assistant Vice President of Finance
As Assistant Vice President of Finance, Clark supervises the day-to-day functions of the Accounting and Finance departments. Areas of responsibility include payroll, budgeting, financial planning, reimbursement, accounts payable and general accounting. She is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Administrative Team
- Adjunct Professor of Journalism at New York University
- Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Development
Mr. Calderone is responsible for directing the development of Mount Sinai South Nassau's corporate communication strategy and the formulation of a development plan to enhance the hospital's philanthropic mission within its community service area. He serves as the hospital's primary spokesperson on various public issues and corporate communications. His oversight includes direction of hospital publications, including periodicals, journals, press releases, advertisements and other communication tools which effectively communicate hospitals plans and issues. As the hospital's lead development administrator, he develops personal and business relationships with philanthropic organizations and individuals designed to enhance direct giving, fundraising, grants and other related events.
In addition to his professional responsibilities, Mr. Calderone also serves as an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University. During his tenure as a reporter at Newsday, he was a member of a Newsday team that won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Senior Vice President
- Member of Healthcare Financial Management Association
As Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Pohlman is responsible for the overall financial management of Mount Sinai South Nassau and manages its financial reporting and related internal controls. He directs financial planning related to growth, financing, and associated issues. Mr. Pohlman also coordinates all relationships with auditors, third-party reimbursement agents, managed care companies, investment bankers, and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
Mr. Pohlman joins Mount Sinai South Nassau after nearly two decades at Catholic Health Services of Long Island (CHS), where he provided steady leadership and sound economic and financial insight. His most recent role was Chief Operating Officer for CHS's St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown. Previously, he had served as St. Catherine's Vice President of Finance and Administration. During his tenure, Mr. Pohlman also served as CHS's Regional Vice President of Finance, coordinating the financial operations of three acute care hospitals and two skilled nursing facilities in Suffolk County.
Mr. Pohlman is a member of Healthcare Financial Management Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a 1995 graduate of Fordham University and also holds a Master's of Business Administration from Molloy College.
Job Titles:
- Immediate past Chairman
- Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Physician Services Dr. Kugler began his role at Mount Sinai South Nassau (MSSN) in 2001 as an Emergency Medicine physician. He was appointed Clinical Chair for the Department of Emergency Medicine in 2004. From 2007 to 2009, Dr. Kugler served as the Chief Medical Officer, resuming his role as Clinical Chair thereafter until 2020, at which point he maintained a close relationship with us working as a liaison for the Mount Sinai Network team. We are pleased to have Dr. Kugler return to our administrative team as we continue to grow our health care delivery system here at MSSN.
Dr. Kugler obtained his bachelor's degree at Duke University, his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a master's in healthcare management from Harvard University. Dr. Kugler's clinical training includes an internship in General Surgery (National Naval Medical Center-Bethesda) and an Emergency Medicine Residency (NYU-North Shore University), where he was a Chief Resident. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Human Resources and Business Development
As the Vice President for Human Resources & Business Development, Mr. Yedvab is responsible for all recruitment and retention activities, employee relations, employee benefit and recognition programs, employee health, volunteers and cultural initiatives. He also enhances relationships with our physicians and other providers; grows new physician relationships; and develops innovative programs, strategies and partnerships. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and earned a Master of Health Administration from Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Support Staff Member
- Director of Bariatric Services
Judy began her 20 years+ career in bariatrics providing clinical care in the inpatient and outpatient setting and as a first assist in the operating room. Her passion in working with the bariatric patients continues as a bariatric director, overseeing program development and obtaining bariatric program accreditation.
Dr. Austin brings over 20 years of clinical and management experience. She is responsible for establishing processes and systems that ensure the provision of outstanding patient services across all aspects of the oncology service line, clinical research, outpatient infusion, and genetic counseling. She is responsible for leading and developing strategies for the service line and serves in a dyad partnership with physicians and department leaders in the development of effective business plans for expanding services.
Dr. Austin holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization in Public Education from University of Phoenix, Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Chamberlain University and maintains professional certifications in Advanced Nurse Executive and Executive Nursing Practice.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Administration and Chief Clinical Integration Officer
Mr. Long brings over 20 years of clinical and administrative experience to his position at Mount Sinai South Nassau. Among his responsibilities will be administrative oversight of building the hospital's key service lines. Mr. Long holds a Bachelors of Arts in Health Science and a Master of Arts in Physical Therapy from Touro College. He also successfully completed the Academy for Healthcare Leadership Advancement program offered at Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Support Staff Member
- Data Registry Manager
Kim has worked with bariatric patients since 2014 as a medical assistant and data registrar. She currently focuses on patient follow-up and is the Data Registry Clinical Reviewer.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Operations
As Vice President, Operations, Righter brings many years of medical administrative experience. She oversees the hospital's wound care program, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation therapy programs, orthopedic service line, radiology services and laboratory services. She holds a BSN from Adelphi's School of Nursing and an MBA from Dowling College.
Dr. Kanner oversees and directs electrophysiology operations in Mount Sinai South Nassau's state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Lab. He cares for patients with a variety of cardiac rhythm disorders and congestive heart failure, with medications, pacemakers, defibrillators, and the latest in advanced cardiac ablation techniques. He received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and medical degree from the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at SUNY Buffalo. He completed his medical residency and specialty training in cardiovascular disease at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and thereafter received advanced fellowship training in clinical cardiac electrophysiology at the renowned Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Massachusetts. Before joining Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Kanner served as an attending physician in the section of cardiac electrophysiology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. Dr. Kanner is active in several national and local professional societies.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Secretary
- Member of the Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Ms. Pfeiffer brings over 25 years of clinical and management experience in Nursing to Mount Sinai South Nassau's Patient Care Services department. She collaborates with all disciplines throughout the organization to improve nursing practice and maintain the highest quality of patient care delivery. Focusing on the future of nursing, her objective is advances in practice and applying those practice principles to the organization. She holds a Master's of Science in Nursing and holds certifications as a Nurse Executive and in Critical Care Nursing.
Dr. Flugman is board-certified in ophthalmology. He holds a B.A. from Hofstra University and obtained his medical degree from Autonomous University of Guadalajara in Mexico. Dr. Flugman completed his residency in ophthalmology at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y. He is a fellow in the American Academy of ophthalmlogy, the American College of Surgeons, and is a member of the Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Dr. Flugman is a clinical instructor of Ophthalmology at Stony Brook University, is a clinical instructor for the residents in the Department of Family Medicine at South Nassau and also serves as the Police Surgeon for the Rockville Centre and Garden City Police departments.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President, Human Resources
Ms. Golden brings more than 20 years of experience in Human Resources Management in the Healthcare field. She is responsible for the daily operations of the Human Resources department - recruitment, retention, benefits, education, and employee relations, with oversight to Employee Health, Volunteers and Cultural Initiatives. Her focus for Human Resources is to meet the changing needs of the organization and the employees that it serves. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Organizational Management and a Master's degree in Management - Human Resources.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President, Enterprise Applications, Information Services
As the Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Applications, Ms. Micheels oversees the support of software applications that the revenue cycle, finance, human resources, payroll, time and attendance, and supply chain departments rely on for their daily operations. Included in these applications, are Employee Space and Requisition Centre, providing Mount Sinai South Nassau employees efficient access to their data, and self-service ordering of supplies to support outstanding patient care.
An information technology leadership professional with over 25 years of experience, Ms. Micheels has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Spanish from King's College.
Job Titles:
- Director, Non - Invasive Cardiology and Cardiac MRI
Board-certified in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine, echocardiography and nuclear cardiology, Dr. Sood completed his residency in internal medicine at New York-Methodist Hospital, affiliate via NY Presbyterian Health Care System and the Weill Cornell Heart Center, Park Slope, Brooklyn, where he was also fellowship-trained in cardiovascular disease. He additionally served as chief cardiac fellow. He completed his doctorate of medicine from Saba University School of Medicine, Saba, Netherlands Antilles and also earned a masters degree in hyperbaric medicine. He also completed an advanced imaging research fellowship with level 3 training in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Prior to joining the faculty at Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Sood was in private practice.
Dr. Sood specializes in cardiovascular disease and internal medicine. His focus has been on various inpatient clinical services and he also enjoys many aspects of cardiac and critical care medicine and teaching. Dr Sood has also helped advance the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging program at our hospital. He has strong interests in clinical medicine, teaching, advanced cardiac imaging as well as travel medicine.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
One of the nation's leading ophthalmic laser and microsurgeons, Dr. Saffra is known for his expertise in diseases of the retina and vitreous, diabetic eye disease and macular degeneration. Dr. Saffra is board-certified in ophthalmology. He holds a B.A. from Yeshiva University and obtained his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y. Dr. Saffra completed his residency in internal medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and his residency in ophthalmology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y. He completed a fellowship in medical and surgical diseases of the retina and vitreous at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Additional training in neuro-ophthalmology was completed at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. He is a fellow in the American College of Surgeons, American Academy of Ophthalmology; a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists, the New York Society for Clinical Ophthalmology, the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society; and an associate member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Saffra is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine; and a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Saffra is on the editorial board of the Journal of Neuroparisitology, and is a reviewer for several other journals. He is actively involved in research, has ongoing protocols and over 25 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He has been listed 13 times each in Castle Connolly's Top Doctors guide and New York Magazine's "Best Doctors" issue.
Dr. Patel started her education in 2003 at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated with a major in Biomedical Engineering. She achieved her medical training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and completed her general surgery residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she developed a profound interest in robotic and minimally invasive surgery.
After completing her residency, Dr. Patel found her next opportunity on the eastern side of the States. She trained as a fellow at the Magee Women's Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the oldest training programs in the field of bariatric surgery. During this fellowship she focused on robotic, minimally-invasive, and bariatric surgery and has performed several bariatric and revisional surgeries. She has published several articles in the field of surgery, including a book chapter on Acute and Long-term Complications of Bariatric Surgery.
Dr. Patel is American Board of Surgery certified as well with the daVinci System for Robotic Surgery. Additionally, she is an active member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President, Cardiac Services
Peter previously served as the administrative director of the cardiology service line at Mount Sinai South Nassau for almost 15 years and is responsible for the oversight and expansion of cardiology services within our hospital and the communities we serve. He is a volunteer for the American Heart Association as national Chairman of the Systems of Care Subcommittee and as a member of the national Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee. He is a board certified health care executive and fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Heart Association.
Job Titles:
- Director of Echocardiography
Dr. Stevens-Cohen is board-certified in cardiology, internal medicine, nuclear cardiology and echocardiography. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and obtained a medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she also completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology. She is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography. Her focus has been on noninvasive imaging and inpatient cardiology management.
Job Titles:
- Director of Ophthalmology
Dr. Nauheim is board-certified in ophthalmology. He specializes in diseases of the cornea and infectious diseases of the eye. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has published numerous scientific papers on diseases of the cornea and defects of the external eye. He is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Stony Brook School of Medicine, and is on teaching faculty at North Shore/LIJ Department of Ophthalmology and Nassau University Medical Center. Dr. Nauheim earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Hofstra University and a medical degree from SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine. He was fellowship-trained in cornea and external eye disease at the Eye and Ear Institute of Pittsburgh. Dr. Nauheim has been named a top doctor by U.S. News & World Report, Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. and Consumers' Research Council of America.
Dr. Felte completed his Bachelor of Science with honors at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Dr. Felte completed his post-baccalaureate pre-medicine education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. He stayed in the Philadelphia area to finish his medical education at the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. His love for general surgery lead him to residency at Christiana Care, a high surgical volume health system in Newark, Delaware. It was there that Dr. Felte developed his passion for minimally invasive surgery, and in particular bariatric surgery. He completed his training in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a fellow in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship Program.
Dr. Felte received his robotic certification as a resident with a concentration in hernia repair. This was further expanded on during fellowship to include robotic procedures specific to bariatric and minimally invasive surgery. He has multiple publications and national presentations in both general surgery and bariatric surgery, including the sleeve gastrectomy and post bariatric surgery pain control. Dr. Felte is currently an active member of the American College of Surgeons, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.
Having joined the New York Bariatric Group practice in 2020, Dr. Felte will utilize his experiences and patient centered team approach to help you achieve your weight-loss goals.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Professor of Family Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine
- Vice President, Medical Education
Dr. Sandowski is a Professor of Family Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and the VP for Medical Education at Mount Sinai South Nassau (MSSN). He also serves as the Residency Director at the ISMMS South Nassau Family Medicine Program. He graduated cum laude from the Technion Faculty of Medicine in Israel. After completing his family medicine residency at South Nassau Communities Hospital and a faculty development fellowship at the State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn (SUNY Brooklyn), he served as Medical Director of SUNY Brooklyn's Family Medicine center. Dr. Sandowski subsequently returned to South Nassau to serve in his educational roles noted, as well as Associate Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and DIO for the hospital. He oversees medical student education, resident and fellowship medical education (GME), and continuing medical education (CME) for Mount Sinai South Nassau. Dr. Sandowski has served as a commission member of the NY State Academy of Family Physicians' Leadership Commission and as Vice Chair of their Education Commission. He has published several articles and book chapters, co-edited the textbook Primary Care, and has presented regionally and nationally. He has also served as a reviewer for the journal American Family Physician. Dr. Sandowski is board certified in family medicine and adolescent medicine.
Job Titles:
- Surgeon
- Bariatric Surgeon
Top NYC bariatric surgeon Dr. Garber completed his general surgery training at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He went on to complete one of the first advanced laparoscopic surgery fellowships in the country at the The George Washington University Medical Center with world famous laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Sackier. Dr. Garber then trained with Dr. Alan Wittgrove (known for operating on singer Carnie Wilson) mastering the laparoscopic gastric bypass procedure for obesity.
Dr. Garber helped develop the single incision Lap-Band and sleeve gastrectomy techniques and teaches other weight loss surgeons around the country this virtually scarless technique which he helped develop. Dr. Garber was the only surgeon on Long Island listed in New York Magazine as one of the top laparoscopic obesity surgeons in the New York area and has been nominated by Castle Connolly as one the top surgeons in the US for over 6 years. He performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass and the first single incision Lap-Band and Sleeve Gastrectomy on Long Island.
Dr. Garber serves on the medical advisory board of obesityhelp.com.
Sherry Megalla, MD, FACC, FASE Noninvasive Cardiologist Dr. Megalla is a noninvasive cardiologist and is board-certified in cardiology, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography and vascular ultrasound. She earned a medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefore Medical Center. She was fellowship-trained in cardiology at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center/Montefiore Medical Center, as well. She is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography. Most recently, she served as an Assistant Professor of Cardiology at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and as the Director of Congestive Heart Failure at the Coumadin Clinic and Cardiology Research Division.
Dr. Spencer Holover received his General Surgery training at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ. He then completed a Minimally Invasive Bariatric Fellowship with pioneering Bariatric surgeon, Dr. Phil Schauer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. While at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Holover held the academic appointment of Clinical Professor of Surgery, performed cutting edge research, gave presentations at major national meetings, and helped train future and actively practicing surgeons. Dr. Holover is one of the earliest surgeons in the world to perform Sleeve Gastrectomy. In addition, he published one of the earliest articles ever written on the Sleeve Gastrectomy. The article appeared in a leading laparoscopic-bariatric journal, Surgical Endoscopy.
As Chief Nursing Officer, Ms. Conklin is responsible for the planning, coordination and delivery of quality nursing care to patients in the hospital and ensuring that exemplary practice standards are met throughout our organization, wherever nursing care is delivered.
Ms. Conklin holds degrees from Molloy College, Walden University and Dartmouth College and maintains professional certification as a Nurse Executive and Nurse Informaticist.
Ms. Conklin holds memberships in the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), Sigma Theta Tau International and was named a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Dr. Bragin is board-certified in ophthalmology. He holds a B.A. from SUNY at Stony Brook University and obtained his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Evanston, IL. Dr. Bragin completed his residency in general surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and his ophthalmology residency at St. Vincent's Medical Center in New York. He specializes in cataract and refractive surgery.
Job Titles:
- Government & COVID - 19 Testing
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
Dr. Park is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine, Adult Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology, and Vascular Interpretation. He obtained his medical degree from Hallym University College of Medicine in South Korea with high honors Dr. Park completed residency training in Internal Medicine at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York, an affiliate of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He completed a fellowship in congestive heart failure at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York, New York and a cardiovascular disease fellowship at Mount Sinai-Brooklyn Hospital Center in Brooklyn, New York where he served as Chief Fellow.