Montefiore Einstein Department of Medicine

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects an estimated 11.7 million Americans, according to the American Lung Association. As with many chronic illnesses, COPD is highly prevalent among Montefiore Health System's patients in the Bronx. It’s also tricky to diagnose. The only way to confirm a patient’s respiratory symptoms are caused by COPD is a spirometry test, which must be performed at a patient’s baseline, before symptoms become acute. Many patients with COPD don’t know they have it, and this is doubly true in the Bronx, where social barriers to care mean many people are less likely to visit the doctor regularly. All of this increases the likelihood that COPD patients in communities such as those served by Montefiore Einstein end up in the hospital with severe cough, shortness of breath, and other serious symptoms. In July 2023, pulmonologists in the Department of Medicine led by Sarah Sungurlu, DO, began collaborating with Montefiore Einstein’s Transitional Care Excellence (TCE) team, led by Katherine Di Palo, PharmD, MBA, MS. Together, they use an inpatient hospital stay as an opportunity to make sure these vulnerable patients get the ongoing care they need to stay healthy—and that they don’t end up back in the hospital. Read more about how we're improving outcomes for COPD patients: https://lnkd.in/gyB92PwD

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Magazine’s Fall/Winter issue details the 20-year history of our Division of General Internal Medicine, which is celebrating its anniversary in 2024. It has grown into a thriving hub within Montefiore Health System that includes 75 faculty and 50 staff members who care for patients across six locations and conduct leading-edge research in HIV, addiction medicine and substance abuse, hepatitis C, obesity, high blood pressure, COVID-19, chronic pain, and more. It's also home to the largest addiction medicine fellowship program in the country, with an incoming class of six fellows set to start next year in this much needed subspecialty. Read about DGIM’s remarkable rise and steadfast commitment to underserved communities in the Bronx and beyond: bit.ly/3VySdvP

Join our mission-driven team at Montefiore Health System. The Department of Medicine is looking for LPNs for our ambulatory practice sites. Be part of a supportive and engaged community of healthcare professionals dedicated to providing excellent and equitable care. See open positions: https://bit.ly/3B2fKOD and register for our interview day on Tuesday, December 3: https://bit.ly/494Tyjr

In the early 2000s, our Albert Einstein College of Medicine faculty member Jonathan Shuter, MD, who has dedicated his career to caring for patients with HIV, started noticing something he found deeply disturbing: many of his patients smoked. “We started seeing patients dying not from pneumonias and other HIV-associated infections, but lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes. That really struck me,” says Dr. Shuter, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Collaborating with Alyson Moadel, PhD, a behavioral psychologist at Montefiore Health System, they developed Positively Smoke Free, an intervention to promote smoking cessation that was designed especially for HIV-positive patients. It’s being studied in locations throughout the U.S. as well as in Kenya where, when used in combination with bupropion, it helped 38.9 percent of patients quit smoking, as opposed to 6.6 percent in a control group. In recognition of the #GreatAmericanSmokeout today, we’re drawing attention to Dr. Shuter's and Dr. Moadel's work to improve the health of patients in the Bronx and beyond. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gC5tR-xD Pictured here, Dr. Shuter (second from right) with collaborators in Nairobi, Kenya.

Montefiore AIDS Center, one of New York’s largest HIV prevention and treatment programs, has been awarded a $1 million, five-year grant from the New York State Department of Health aimed at reducing health disparities in rates of HIV transmission in women of color. Funding will support engagement of approximately 200 women of color in the Bronx, ages 16 and up, by offering HIV testing, sexual and reproductive health workshops, mental health and supportive services as well as employment readiness opportunities, including vocational counseling, interview preparation, clothing vouchers and referrals to childcare resources. “Comprehensive healthcare for women of color is essential to break the cycle of HIV transmission in our communities,” said Barry Zingman, MD, medical director of the Montefiore AIDS Center, professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and clinical director, infectious diseases, at the Moses division of Montefiore Health System. “With this funding, we are building upon decades of our team’s experience in HIV counseling, testing, linkages to care, patient education and outreach work. These strategies were chosen because we’ve successfully used many of them to engage and empower historically stigmatized individuals to take control of their health and wellbeing.” This funding allows Montefiore to employ a dedicated community health worker (a trained local expert) and support other Montefiore AIDS Center staff in screening for social determinants of health, including conditions that people are born into, work and live in, that impact health outcomes such as housing, transportation, and education. With the goals of preventing HIV infections, streamlining HIV treatment within three days of a positive test, and connecting patients to support services, Montefiore aims to provide affirming and supportive care that will in turn reduce disparities throughout the Bronx. We're so proud of this important work being led by our faculty in the Department of Medicine at Montefiore Einstein!

Julia Arnsten, MD, MS, did not have her sights set on leading a new division when she joined the faculty at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1998. She was laser-focused on her research into health disparities, including why some patients choose to follow their doctor’s advice and take medications as prescribed, while others don’t. But she had a vision of how a division of general internal medicine could break down silos and bring together faculty focused on research, education, and clinical care to support everyone’s best interests. Twenty years after she was named founding division chief of Montefiore Einstein’s Division of General Internal Medicine, she remains at the division’s helm, serving as a mentor to many faculty and trainees who have gone on to national leadership roles, including Chinazo Cunningham, MD, commissioner of the New York State Office of Addiction and Support Services, and Hillary Kunins, MD, director of Behavioral Health Services and Mental Health for the city of San Francisco. Dr. Arnsten’s advice for those seeking leadership roles in academic medicine or anywhere: “If you're not more excited by the successes of the people you're leading than you are by your own achievements, then it's not fun.” Read more insights from her 20 years as division chief: https://lnkd.in/gdNRraHY

Liise-anne Pirofski, MD, chief of the division of infectious diseases, was recently one of two faculty members from across Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine to have the honor of presenting at the annual Presidential Lecture on the Albert Einstein College of Medicine campus. Dr. Pirofski’s talk detailed how in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic, she made a professional and intellectual leap: always a researcher at the bench, she pivoted to meet the needs of the moment and turned her attention to clinical research, examining the effects of convalescent plasma on patients’ recovery from infection with SARS-CoV2. Her co-presenter was Kartik Chandran, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, who gave a talk on a companion topic on his lab’s work studying a number of emerging viruses to understand how they infect host cells, and find ways to stop them. The Presidential Lecture honors Montefiore Einstein faculty who are at the forefront of biomedical research. Speakers are selected by Dr. Philip Ozuah, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, and Dr. Yaron Tomer, dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Kudos to Dr. Pirofski on this prestigious honor!

In 2004, Montefiore Health System founded its division of general internal medicine, with the goal of advancing research, enhancing consistency and rigor in educating trainees, and better supporting clinicians. Twenty years later, the division has surpassed even the loftiest expectations of success. “It excels at every dimension of the Montefiore Einstein mission—clinical care, research, education, community engagement, health equity, improving access, you name it,” said Philip Ozuah, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine. “The division of general internal medicine can be held up as a model for the rest of the institution.” Dr. Ozuah spoke at a special celebration held at the New York Botanical Garden on Tuesday, September 17, to mark the division’s 20th anniversary. As he pointed out, the division’s metrics, particularly its NIH funding, speaks to its remarkable past two decades. Its researchers have received over $400 million in NIH funding to date, averaging between $20 million and $30 million annually. This has been the engine behind many practice-changing discoveries, particularly in the areas of HIV care and addiction medicine, among others. Add to this 40,000 patients seen at four clinical training sites, three residency programs, as well as scores of alumni, many of whom have gone on to prominent leadership roles throughout the country, and you get a picture of division’s breadth and influence. What the numbers don’t reveal is the familial bond among its members, as evidenced by the 250 current and former associates who came to the garden to mark the anniversary. That spirit is due in large measure to the leadership style of Julia Arnsten, MD, who has led the division as its chief for all 20 years of its existence. “I don't recall one meeting with Julia where she asked anything for herself,” said Yaron Tomer, MD, dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “It was always for the division, the faculty, the residents."

We are excited to announce that Jeremy Ziring, MD, has joined the Department of Medicine as associate director for ambulatory quality improvement. Jeremy is a general internist who is passionate about using data analytics and population health tools to improve the quality of care for patients in the Bronx. He will join our department’s quality improvement leadership team, which includes Sharon Rikin, MD, MS, director of ambulatory quality improvement, and Sarah Baron, MD, MS, director of inpatient quality improvement. The team focuses on high priority initiatives and education around making care more effective, equitable and efficient for both patients and providers. He will also care for patients at the Montefiore Health System Comprehensive Health Care Center. After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in biological sciences, Jeremy attended NYU School of Medicine, and completed his residency in Primary Care/Social Internal Medicine at Montefiore. Prior to medical school, he worked for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and NYC Health + Hospitals’ Office of Population Health. Welcome Jeremy!

Sarah Tupchong, MD, in her second-year at Montefiore Health System's Moses-Weiler Internal Medicine Residency Program, fell in love with musical theater at an early age and trained as a classical vocalist before becoming a physician. So when a musical about the invention of penicillin and antimicrobial resistance put out a call for healthcare professionals to audition for the chorus for an off-Broadway run, it was an opportunity tailor-made for her. Called Lifeline, the show started out as a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and opened off-Broadway on September 3. “I’m the only resident and the only person from Montefiore Einstein,” Sarah says of the experience. “Luckily, I was scheduled for a month of clinic and my program has been very supportive!” She continues, “Performing is the artistic expression of the human condition and requires an emotional connection with your character, the music, and the audience. Practicing medicine also requires empathy.” We’re so proud of Sarah and all our exceptional and multitalented internal medicine residents. “This feels like the culmination of all my experiences performing over the years,” she says. “Along with being a doctor, performing off-Broadway is truly a dream come true!”