Division Spotlight:
Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine

When Daniel Sterman, MD, joined our faculty in 2014 as director of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, his focus was on further distinguishing a division that already had a long and storied history. The division has been home to the Bellevue Chest Service for more than a century, has been the epicenter for treating pandemics from tuberculosis to Ebola, and continues the legacy of the Nobel Prize-winning research by our leadership of the Cournand laboratory in the NYU Pulmonary Division over the past 50+ years.

The past five years have been remarkably transformative for the division, with robust expansion of programs, significant research discoveries, enhanced fellowships to train the next generation of specialists, and an emphasis on providing the full spectrum of care for patients.

In this first spotlight feature, we look at both the past and the future of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, and talk with three of the division’s faculty members who are engaged in groundbreaking studies: Drs. Anna Nolan, Sam Parnia, and Leopoldo Segal.

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From 1903 through the present

Explore highlights from the history of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine in this issue. Click here to look at the timeline through this issue.

This Issue's Advisors:

Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, MD Associate Director for Education and Faculty Affairs Program Director, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
Renee Williams, MD, MHPE, FACG Program Director, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship

“Career Tips for Residents and Fellows”

• Having a mentor who knows you well and who can give you honest feedback is essential to your career development.

Find a clinical area that you are interested in.

• Early in your career you can explore a variety of opportunities if you have no specific interest. Once you have identified an area of interest, then you should start developing yourself within that niche. You have to be passionate about your area of interest; that will drive a significant portion of your success.

Work hard and give 110% on every rotation and project.

• Others will respect your dedication; this is the beginning of building your reputation with your colleagues and faculty.
• You never know who is observing and a bad reputation can be very difficult to overcome.

Find time to engage in meaningful research or scholarly activity.

• Research projects often impact your future career interests. Remember that there are many domains to scholarship. Research can be clinical, educational, quality improvement, or community service based. These can all be written and submitted for publication.

Networking is extremely important.

• It is key to get to know the faculty at NYU who have the same area of interest as you—but reaching others locally and nationally is even more important. These clinical leaders will be essential in getting you involved as your career grows.
• Getting involved in professional organizations will expand your network beyond your institution. It will also give you a larger platform to showcase your work and can lead to significant leadership opportunities.

Strive to educate yourself and always ask the question “WHY?”

• Read as much as you can; never assume; always strive to be sure of the facts; you can never be too educated.

When deciding on letters of recommendation for fellowship and job applications, choose those who know you well but also, if possible, choose those who are well known by others in your field of interest.

• Be very intentional when choosing letter writers; ask specifically if they can write you a “strong” letter of recommendation. If applying for a fellowship, make sure your application is complete by the deadline to give yourself the highest chances of being invited for an interview. Competitive candidates can miss an opportunity for interview because they do not have a complete application.

Ask your program director, division chief, or mentor to help identify roles for you within NYU, locally, and nationally, that will help advance your career.

• Often all you need is that first committee assignment for others to recognize how talented you are; you will be the first person in their minds for the next project or symposium.

Don’t forget to always keep sight of your work-life balance.

• Being happy outside of work will help ensure that you are very productive and efficient at work.
• Work-life balance is key. Have an activity that you do just because you enjoy it. It makes a difference!

Flashback Photo

The photo above features the Class of 1990-1991 from our Internal Medicine Residency Program. Do you recognize a colleague? Are you in the photo yourself? We’d love to identify all of the alumni in the photo who are still at NYU Langone.

Click on the photo for a closer look. Send your comments and guesses to DOMCommunications@nyumc.org

In Research News

Results from Landmark ISCHEMIA Study Presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2019
In 2012, NYU Grossman School of Medicine received an $84 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to lead one of the largest-ever research studies of its kind—a comparative effectiveness trial that would examine two different strategies for treating ischemic heart disease, the world’s leading cause of death.
     On Saturday, November 16, 2019, our researchers, led by study chair Judith Hochman, MD, announced the results at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2019. The study found that patients with severe but stable heart disease who underwent routine, invasive procedures—such as stent implants or bypass surgery—when compared with patients who received only medications such as aspirin or statins and lifestyle advice, saw no reduction in the rate of occurrence for a group of five events: cardiovascular death, heart attack, hospitalization for unstable angina, hospitalization for heart failure, or resuscitation after cardiac arrest.
     Called ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches), the trial also found no overall difference between the two treatment strategies in the rates of cardiovascular death or heart attack.
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Read the NYU Langone press release
Video: Watch Dr. Hochman explain the study’s primary results

Above photo: from left, Dr. Jeffrey Berger, Dr. Judith Hochman, Dr. Jonathan Newman, Dr. Harmony Reynolds, and Dr. Sripal Bangalore, authors of the ISCHEMIA trial study

More from the AHA Scientific Sessions 2019
Many Adults with Heart Failure at Higher Risk of Death After Surgery: A national analysis led by cardiologist Jeffrey S. Berger, MD, shows a link between death after non–heart-related surgeries and heart failure.

ISCHEMIA-CKD Trial: Sripal Bangalore, MD, principal investigator, shows that advanced chronic kidney disease patients treated with invasive heart procedures show no reduction in rate of cardiac events

Awards & Honors

Mark Pochapin, MD, Named Master Clinician at Dean’s Honors Day;
Elected President of the American College of Gastroenterology
Each year at Dean’s Honors Day, Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO, names three esteemed faculty members “Masters,” for epitomizing both high achievement and personal and professional qualities worthy of aspiration. Mark Pochapin, MD, the Sholtz/Leeds Professor of Gastroenterology, director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and vice chair, Department of Medicine, was this year’s Master Clinician.
        Dr. Pochapin was also recently elected 2019–2020 President of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), a national medical organization representing more than 14,000 clinical gastroenterologists and other specialists in digestive diseases. In this position, Dr. Pochapin will direct ACG’s programs, which include continuing medical education in the clinical, scientific, and patient-related skills of gastroenterology; activities involving national and state medical affairs; health policy issues; and clinical investigation.
(Shown above are this year’s Masters honorees, from left: Dr. Hannah Klein, Master Scientist; Dr. Rafael Rivera, Master Educator; and Dr. Mark Pochapin, Master Clinician.)

Infectious Diseases Society of America Honors NYU Langone Faculty
Six faculty members from the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology—Drs. Jeffrey Greene, Eddie Louie, Melanie Maslow, Sapna Mehta, Michael Phillips, and Scott Weisenberg—have been elected IDSA Fellows by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Board of Directors. Fellowship in the Society is a recognition of, and honor conferred upon, those who have achieved professional excellence in the field of infectious diseases. As an IDSA Fellow, they are entitled to use the initials FIDSA. This distinction indicates they have progressed beyond the hard work associated with earning a doctoral level degree. FIDSA is the Society's way of identifying leaders within its ranks.

Gold Humanism Honor Society Recognizes Residents and Fellows Who Raise the Bar in Compassionate Care
Integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy, and service. These qualities are the cornerstone of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), and those for which a group of exceptional residents and fellows were celebrated at an induction ceremony held on Tuesday, October 15. Among the 24 inductees were internal medicine residents Simone Blaser, MD; Milna Rufin, MD; Annie Varnum, MD, MPH; and Kevin Yip, MBBS; Pulmonary & Critical Care fellows Andrew Demaio, MD, and Alexis Sharpe, MD; and Gastroenterology fellow Matthew McNeill, MD.

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Kenneth Berkowitz, MD, associate professor of Medicine (Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine) and Population Health has been named Interim Executive Director for the National Center for Ethics in Health Care (NCEHC), which is the VA’s authoritative resource for addressing the complex ethical issues that arise in patient care, health care management, and research. The NCEHC was recently awarded the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities 2019 Cornerstone Award, the society’s highest honor given to an institution for outstanding and enduring contributions that have deeply enriched and helped shape the direction of the fields of bioethics and the medical humanities.

Dr. Hyung (Harry) Cho was recognized by two prestigious under-40 lists: Modern Healthcare Emerging Leaders and Becker’s Healthcare Rising Stars. Dr. Cho is the Chief Value Officer, AVP of NYC Health + Hospitals and a practicing hospitalist physician at Bellevue. His work focuses on the intersection of overuse and patient safety, and he aims to eliminate unnecessary testing and treatment that cause physical and financial harm for patients.

Recent Events & Conferences

DIMOND Reception
The Department of Internal Medicine’s Organization for Nurturing Diversity (DIMOND) hosted its annual autumn reception on October 10, 2019. The DIMOND initiative was established over 15 years ago by Dr. Fritz Francois, CMO of NYU Langone Health, with the goal of fostering an inclusive environment within the Department. This initiative has been strongly supported by Dr. Steven Abramson, Chair of the Department of Medicine and Vice Dean for Education, Faculty and Academic Affairs. This special event included leadership within the Department of Medicine, faculty, and graduate medical trainees representing multiple divisions. DIMOND hosts two events during the academic year to allow faculty and housestaff to meet not only each other, but also to interact with senior leaders in a social environment. Dr. Christian Torres, a current Chief Resident, discussed the positive impact DIMOND had on his medical training here at NYU. Dr. Renee Williams, Chair of the DIMOND Executive Board, hopes that events such as these will promote future collaborations, mentorship, and networks for members within our Department.

Adult Congenital Heart Disease Conference Brings Together Experts and Families
Over the weekend of September 20-21, 2019, the NYU Langone Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program—the only program in New York State accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association—hosted a first of its kind, two-day event for clinicians and patients. On Friday, September 20, over 100 clinicians from throughout the region gathered at NYU Langone’s main Manhattan campus to participate in an interdisciplinary CME conference. Presentations ranged across the spectrum of ACHD care, including a review of the new guidelines released in 2018, novel surgical and interventional congenital cardiology techniques, advanced imaging updates, and collaborative strategies with hepatology and reproductive health.
          On Saturday, September 21, in collaboration with partners at the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), NYU Langone’s ACHD Program invited patients and their families to join our clinicians for a session entitled Advances in Congenital Heart Disease. More than 100 attendees attended a series of lectures from multidisciplinary specialists, with patients and family members contributing as featured speakers.

Top photo: Dr. Dan Halpern, medical director of the ACHD Program, with CME conference keynote speaker Dr. Karen Stout, of Seattle Children's Hospital.
Bottom photo: Staff from NYU Langone's ACHD Program at the event. From left, Arianna Gonzalez, cardiology nurse practitioner; Lexvallerie Dasilva, medical secretary; Doralee Minier, program manager; and Jodi Feinberg, ACHD nurse practitioner.

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