WMCHealth’s Gala 2023 Honors Community Champions, Physician Exemplar and Lifetime Achievement Awardee

Proceeds from the evening at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts June 3 Support New Critical Care Tower at Westchester Medical Center

VALHALLA, N.Y.– Westchester Medical Center Health Network’s (WMCHealth) 2023 Gala saluted the dedicated nurses of WMCHealth’s Critical Care Teams in addition to honoring a community supporter and longtime healthcare providers for service to the hospital network and community.

The evening, at the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts in Katonah on June 3^th, also featured former patient Annabelle Liebert and her father Hugh who performed a duet for the crowd of more than 400 who attended.

The event was in support of the hospital’s new Critical Care Tower. The five-story, 262,000 square-foot facility will provide 128 private, ICU-capable rooms that are more comfortable and will incorporate modern technologies.

Honorees at the event included:

Physician Exemplar Award

Muhammad Choudhury, MD, FACS, Director of Urology at Westchester Medical Center was presented with the Physician Exemplar Award.

Dr. Choudhury is also Chairman of the Department of Urology at New York Medical College. He has had a long and distinguished career at Westchester Medical Center and served as President of the Medical Staff from 2008-2012. Caring for patients for more than 40 years, Dr. Choudhury has been recognized as a Top Doctor by New York Magazine and Castle Connolly on many occasions throughout his career. He has received multiple teaching awards from New York Medical College. He served as secretary of the Board of Directors of the New York Section -American Urological Association from 2005 to 2007, as President-elect from 2007-2008 and as the President from 2008-2009.

He was first appointed in 1981 as an Attending and Section Chief of Urological Cancer in the Department of Urology at Westchester Medical Center. He was appointed Director of Urology Service in 1989.

He was Program Director of the Urology Residency from 2000 to 2009. Dr. Choudhury was the physician honoree of the 29th annual Westchester Medical Center Gala in 2008.

A graduate Sylhet Medical College in Bangladesh in 1972, he immigrated to the United States in 1975. He completed his residency in urology at New York Medical College affiliated hospitals in 1980 and a fellowship in urologic cancer at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, New York in 1981.

Dr. Choudhury is most proud of being involved in training over 100 residents and fellows throughout his career. He is an enthusiastic champion of the global initiatives of the American Urological Association and has worked for the past 20 years to improve the education and training of urologists in Bangladesh. On May 2, 2023 American Urological Association awarded Dr. Choudhury with the prestigious “Gold Headed Cane Award” for his outstanding contribution to the profession of urology and American Urological Association.

John F. Heimerdinger Lifetime of Service Award

Maureen F. Cooney, a Nurse Practitioner in Pain Management at Westchester Medical Center, was awarded the John F. Heimerdinger Lifetime of Service Award. Cooney, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, PMGT-BC, AP-PMN, ACHPN, is also an Associate Professor in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Pace University. She received a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University and Master’s and Undergraduate degrees from Pace University. Dr. Cooney is Board Certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner, and also in Pain Management and Palliative Care. She is the Immediate Past President of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN) and has served in various roles in that organization on a national and local level. Dr. Cooney has authored numerous pain management publications and has lectured extensively, locally, nationally and internationally, on a variety of pain related topics. In 2021, along with Dr. Ann Quinlan-Cowell, she was the co-author of a book entitled Assessment and Multimodal Management of Pain: An Integrative Approach.

Dr. Cooney started her career as a surgical ICU nurse, first at Jacobi Medical Center, and then, in 1983, at Westchester Medical Center. She became an instructor of critical care nursing at WMC in 1987, and continued in that role until 2002 when she assumed her present role as Pain Management Nurse Practitioner. She is the grateful recipient of the generous continuing education and tuition reimbursement benefits at WMC which have offered her great professional satisfaction and career advancement opportunities. She completed a Masters in Adult Nursing/Education, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies as Family Nurse Practitioner, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice with the tuition support of WMC. Dr. Cooney says that one of the best parts of her career at Westchester Medical Center has been the lasting friendships she has forged.

On a personal level, she is the mother of three adult children, Joseph, Meghan, and Patrick, and the grandmother of Olivia, 6-1/2, and Logan 4 months. Her hobbies include gardening, kayaking, hiking, biking, Irish music, and spending fun times with friends and family.

Community Champion Award

The Community Champion Award was presented to Alfred P. Vigorito, Esq., Senior Partner, Vigorito, Barker, Patterson, Nicholas & Porter LLP, specializing in medical malpractice defense.

Mr. Vigorito spent the early part of his law career as a prosecutor, starting as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx District Attorney Mario Merola’s office where he was Supervisor of the Narcotics Bureau, Deputy Chief Public Corruption Unit. He tried more than 60 felony cases in NYS Supreme Court for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of NY. He served as a Special Assistant AUSA from 1986-88 and was part of a joint team with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office prosecuting political corruption and white collar crime with a 100 percent conviction rate.

He later went into private practice where he specialized in medical malpractice defense, starting with the firm of Bower & Gardner, the largest medical negligence defense firm in New York, from 1988-94, starting as an associate, then partner and principal partner. He later joined Bartlett, McDonough, Bastone & Monaghan, LLP in White Plains, N.Y. where he served as equity partner, medical malpractice defense from 1994-2015 before starting the firm of Vigorito, Barker, Patterson, Nicholas & Porter LLP.

Mr. Vigorito graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1973 and earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University, Honors Program in 1975. He received his law degree from Pace University School of Law in 1980. He has been named by Super Lawyers as one of the Top 25 lawyers in Westchester County.

Mr. Vigorito has participated in Grand Rounds Lectures at WMC in Anesthesia, Neurology, Surgery, Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and been on the WMC Invitational Golf Tournament Committee for 10 years. He is a board member of the Children’s Dream Foundation and a parishioner of Basilica of St. John, Stamford, CT. He is married to Sally Vigorito and has two children, Daniel Oliver Vigorito and Juliana Hope Vigorito. He was a Mount Kisco resident for 36 years and currently lives in Stamford, Ct.

Community Champion Honoree

The Critical Care Units Nursing Teams at Westchester Medical Center and Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital were presented with Community Champions award.

WMCHealth recognizes the life-saving work done by the nursing staff of the Intensive Care Units at Westchester Medical Center for this dedication and professionalism. Accepting the award on behalf of these units were:

Emily Mittelstadt; Karlene Henriques (Burn); Akosua Ofori; Meghan Scholl (Cardiac); Kathleen Dwy; Mary Chavez (Trauma); Courtney Lane; Sofy Abrahams (Surgical); Jean Lavin; Megan Johnson (Pediatric); Helen Fox and Froilyn Galdones (Neonatal).

About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with 10 hospitals on eight campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 12,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. The Network has Level I, Level II and Level III trauma centers, the region’s only acute care children’s hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, homecare services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State. Today, WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated healthcare in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org.

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital Names Former Patients as Youth Ambassadors

Ambassadors to Represent Hospitalized Children, and Lead Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital Walk and Family Fun Day

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital ambassadors (L-R) Chase Pultz, Jack Boyle and Camryn Kellam with WMCHealth’s Elissa Chessari

VALHALLA, N.Y. (July 17, 2023) – Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital has named three former patients as its newest youth ambassadors. The children — all of whom underwent successful treatment for severe illnesses at WMCHealth’s Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital — will represent the thousands of seriously ill and injured children served annually by the hospital’s advanced pediatric services.

A signature duty of the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital ambassadors will be to lead the hundreds-strong procession for the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital Walk and Family Fun Day, which will step-off September 24. The event is the largest fundraiser for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and all donations made through the Walk and Family Fun Day will support the hospital’s advanced care services.

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital appointed Camryn Kellam of Fishkill, Chase Pultz of Beacon, and Jack Boyle of Pearl River as hospital ambassadors during a special sashing ceremony at Clover Field in Pomona, NY, prior to a New York Boulders Frontier League baseball game. WMCHealth’s Elissa Chessari, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of WMCHealth’s Northern Region, led the appointment event.

This year’s ambassadors are:

Camryn Kellam – Sickle Cell Disease – Fishkill
Doctors diagnosed 10-year-old Camryn of Fishkill with Sickle Cell Disease three weeks after birth. She has been a subject in one of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s many groundbreaking clinical trials and today, Camryn is doing great with little-to-no signs of Sickle Cell Disease symptoms. She is one of eight children chosen from all over the United States to represent Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for 2023.

Chase Pultz – Infectious Disease and Neurosurgery – Beacon
Chase, 9, of Beacon was admitted to WMCHealth’s MidHudson Regional Hospital with a severe sinus infection. Within three days, the infection had traveled to Chase’s brain, and he was transferred to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital for advanced care. Neurosurgery and other procedures ensued, requiring Chase to spend the next 30 days recovering at the hospital. Today, Chase is thriving.

Jack Boyle – Neurosurgery – Pearl River
15-year-old Jack of Pearl River was playing basketball with his brother when he developed a headache and collapsed. An ambulance rushed him to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, where pediatric care experts discovered a tangle of ruptured blood vessels. Jack needed multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation, but today Jack is doing great! He is an honor roll student, an avid outdoor sportsman and member of the cross county, winter track and golf teams.

For more information about the Go the Distance Walk and Family Fun Day, visit https://wmchealthgiving.org/

WMCHealth Announces the Launch of Its Center for Women’s Health Equity

VALHALLA, N.Y. – Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) has announced the launch of its Center for Women’s Health Equity, a new care program that will address the social, economic, cultural and racial determinants of health that can result in increased maternal morbidity and mortality among women across the Hudson Valley. Supported by a $750,000 New York State grant secured by New York State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and with the support of New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the members of the New York State Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul, the WMCHealth Center for Women’s Health Equity has locations at Westchester Medical Center in Westchester County and another at HealthAlliance Hospital in Ulster County.

The Center for Women’s Health Equity will be the first program of its kind based in New York State’s Hudson Valley region, and will have an initial aim of reducing the leading causes of death among pregnant women by integrating specialists in maternal-fetal medicine, whose expertise is the care of complex medical problems affecting pregnant women, with its heart and vascular program clinicians to take a more proactive and holistic view of elevated risk factors among women, particularly those of color.

“WMCHealth’s vital mission is to provide the highest-quality care for all residents of the Hudson Valley, and we expect the Center for Women’s Health Equity to help improve outcomes for the women WMCHealth serves,” said Michael D. Israel, President and CEO, WMCHealth. “We expect the Center for Women’s Health Equity to be a model for other health networks across the country to follow, and would like to thank our New York State representatives for having the foresight to make such a significant investment in this important program.”

“We are addressing one of the greatest challenges that exists in public health today – the socioeconomic and racial determinants of health that results in the premature death of women of color across the Hudson Valley” said Sean Tedjarati, MD, MPH, MBA, Director of Obstetrics/Gynecology at Westchester Medical Center. “By bringing together and integrating all of these necessary services, we aim to eliminate clinical silos and bridge the gaps that will help empower patients and community partners while improving care and saving lives.”

A New York State Health Emergency
Addressing maternal mortality is an urgent health risk particularly in the United States, where in 2021 the mortality rate was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births*, more than 10 times the estimated rates of some other high-income countries**, driven largely by significant disparities in health outcomes experienced by minority women. The situation is especially dire in New York State, where Black, non-Hispanic women are up to five times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than White non-Hispanic women.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins: “I’m proud to support WMCHealth’s Center for Women’s Health Equity in its mission to reduce health disparities among women in our region. It is crucial that we address the socioeconomic and racial impacts on healthcare that contribute disproportionately to the premature deaths of pregnant women of color. This Center will have a major impact on women’s healthcare disparities in the Hudson Valley as it works to improve outcomes, save lives, and create a more equitable healthcare system. With the $750,000 State grant, New York is taking a significant step towards closing these gaps, underscoring our unwavering commitment to high quality healthcare for all women.”

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Chair of the NYS Assembly Committee on Health
“As the new Health Chair of the New York State Assembly one of my top priorities is addressing maternal mortality. I commend Westchester Medical Center on the launch of its new Center for Women’s Health Equity, and am very pleased to have secured the initial funding. Implementing innovative programs which directly address the issues expectant mothers face, including socio-economic determinants, is critical to improving maternal birth and overall health outcomes. I look forward to the future success of the new Center for Women’s Health and appreciate its important focus on this critical public health emergency. Women shouldn’t have to worry about dying when they get pregnant.”

In the coming year, the WMCHealth Center for Women’s Health Equity will expand to include preventative oncological support to address increased risk of breast and gynecological cancers with an emphasis on cervical cancer, which still imposes a high burden on Black and Hispanic populations.

The program is accessible today in Westchester County at 19 Bradhurst Avenue in Hawthorne or by calling 914.493.2080 and in Ulster County at 373 Broadway Avenue in Kingston or by calling 845.303.1132. For additional information, visit WMCHealth.org/Womens-Health-Equity

Gene’s Story: My First Choice

“I support Good Sam – and I hope you will too. Their healthcare teams deliver professional, excellent, compassionate care, and the hospital is well equipped to safely provide the services our community needs.”

Good Samaritan was Gene Cortes’ first choice when he needed surgery. Even though COVID-19 was in news headlines, he said that our staff took every possible precaution to reduce virus transmission, and he felt completely safe here. Gene believes that high-quality local healthcare is more important than ever, and he is grateful to have Good Samaritan close to home.

Before relocating to Florida, Gene Cortes was a former member of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, owner of International Collision and New City resident.

Join Gene and show your gratitude at Give.WMCHealth.org/GSH.

Share your story at InfoBSCH@wmhealth.org.

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What Is a Gift Annuity?

A charitable gift annuity is an excellent way to support WMCHealth and receive lifetime income for you and/or loved ones. It is a contract between you and WMCHealth Foundation. After you transfer cash, marketable securities, or other assets, WMCHealth agrees to pay a guaranteed fixed income each year to one or two individuals for their lifetime. Once the annuitants have passed, any remaining funds will go to support a hospital and/or program of your choice.

Benefits of a Gift Annuity

There are many benefits for a gift annuity for you and loved ones.

The guaranteed payments are fixed and paid for the rest of the lives of you and/or others whom you name as the annuitant(s).

You receive a generous income tax deduction in the year your gift annuity is created.

The annuity is backed by WMCHealth Foundation’s entire assets, not just by the property contributed.

A portion of each payment is considered a tax-free return of the gift during the life expectancy of the annuitant(s). After that, the payments are considered entirely taxable income.

If you donate a capital gain asset such as stock to fund the annuity, a portion of your capital gain is ratably spread and paid over your life expectancy, if you are an annuitant.

The income from a gift annuity may begin immediately or may be deferred until a future year. Deferred annuities are often planned for children or grandchildren, and they leverage much higher rates of payment.

The residual of your gift annuity completely escapes probate and estate tax.

Most importantly, the residual of your gift annuity remains a legacy gift for WMCHealth and may be designated to support one or more WMCHealth programs and services.

Gift Annuities Attractive During High Inflation.

Since payments from a gift annuity are fixed and backed by the entire assets of WMCHealth, they offer security during uncertain economic times, including during a high inflationary period. The gift annuity payments do not rise or fall with stock market values.

Contact Us!

We are eager to answer your questions and offer personalized illustrations to you of the potential income and tax benefits with no obligation. Please contact Susan Gerry at 914-493-6304 or Susan.Gerry@wmchealth.org for more information.

Please consider a charitable gift annuity as an outstanding way to help you and loved ones, and for leaving a legacy supporting the important mission of WMCHealth!

New Opportunities for Gift Annuities.

As of January 1, 2023, two recent developments offer increased benefits for gift annuities.

First, the payout rates for gift annuites have increased. Please contact Susan Gerry at 914-493-6304 or Susan.Gerry@wmchealth.org to explore your charitable gift annuity rate(s).

Second, a new law permits tax-free rollovers for those age 70.5 years and older from his or her IRA to fund a charitable gift annuity. This rollover is available for one year only, at your choice, and for a maximum of $50,000. The gift annuity created by this IRA rollover (also known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD) can only make payments to the IRA owner and/or his/her spouse. The QCD for a gift annuity will also count towards your annual required minimum distribution (RMD). While the QCD for a gift annuity does not permit an income tax charitable deduction, there will be no income tax owed on the rollover to fund the annuity.

HealthAlliance Hospital Gala 2023 Supports Cancer Infusion Center and Oncology Support Program

Esteemed physicians Elias Lader, MD, Somsak Bhitiyaku, MD and O+ Festival honored May 5 at Diamond Mills in Saugerties

KINGSTON, N.Y. (May 10, 2023) – The HealthAlliance Hospital Gala was held on Friday, May 5^th at Diamond Mills in Saugerties, successfully providing support for the hospital’s cancer infusion center and oncology support program.

More than 250 people were in attendance, including many of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network’s (WMCHealth) esteemed physicians, founder of the O+ Festival, and members of the greater Kingston community. The gala also featured a number of moving speakers, some recounting powerful personal stories of how HealthAlliance Hospital’s infusion provided them with life saving care.

Additionally, the hospital presented awards recognizing a number of community leaders and medical professionals who have made a positive impact on the Kingston region. A full list of honorees and gala sponsors can be found below.

Exceptional Honorees
2023 HealthAlliance Hospital Gala honorees:

Ellis Lader, MD – Dr. Lader has had a long and distinguished career serving the Kingston community, where he began practicing in the 1980s. He is currently Director, Division of Cardiology, HealthAlliance Hospital.
Somsak Bhitiyaku, MD – Dr. Bhitiyakul practiced internal medicine and nephrology for over 50 years. Dr. Bhitiyakul founded the first dialysis unit in Ulster County in 1977 and served as its Medical Director for 34 years. He also served as President of the Medical Staff at the former Kingston Hospital as well as Chief of Medicine there and the former Benedictine Hospital, as well as President of the Mid-Hudson Society of Internal Medicine.
Joe Concra/O+ Festival – The O+ Festival was established in 2010 in Kingston by a small group of artist-activists. The effort helps to provide healthcare to creative professionals. Joe Concra is an O+ Festival co-founder.

HealthAlliance Hospital Gala Sponsors

Leadership Sponsors: Dr. and Mrs. Somsak Bhitiyakul.; HealthAlliance Medical Staff and Medical Associates HV.
Honoree Sponsors: Bruderhof Communities and Ulster Savings Bank.
Patron Sponsors: Darlene Bover, Gateway Hudson Valley, The Rothlein Family, Sholes & Miller, PLLC, SVN Deegan-Collins Commercial Realty and Ulster Federal Credit Union.
Event Underwriters: Hudson Valley Hospice, Rondout Savings Bank and Turner Construction Company.

New HealthAlliance Hospital
In December, the newly reimagined HealthAlliance Hospital opened after a $113M expansion and enhancement project that included a new, two-story, 79,000-square-foot building adjoining the hospital’s legacy structure and a full renovation of 48,000 square feet of the previous hospital environment.

View photos from the gala here.

About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with nine hospitals on seven campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 13,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. The Network has Level I (adult and pediatric), Level II and Level III trauma centers, the region’s only acute care children’s hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, home-care services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State. Today, WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated health care in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org or follow WMCHealth on Facebook.com/WMCHealth or Instagram.com/WMCHealth.

Good Samaritan Hospital Honors Hatzoloh EMS of Rockland County at its 36th Annual Spring Ball

Good Samaritan Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, honored Hatzoloh EMS of Rockland County at its 36th Annual Spring Ball on April 23. Hatzoloh was presented with the Good Samaritan Hospital Medal of Honor. This distinguished award is given once a year to an individual or organization that demonstrates exceptional commitment to the wellbeing of the community.

At the gala, $410,000 was raised to support Good Samaritan’s Surgical Services Department. CEO of Hatzoloh of Rockland, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Golding said, “On behalf of our more than 200 Hatzoloh volunteer EMTs and paramedics, I would like to thank Good Samaritan Hospital for selecting us to receive this award. It is an honor to be recognized for our service to our neighbors throughout the county.”

Also at the Spring Ball, Michael L. Schwartz, MD, Chief of Surgical Services at Good Samaritan Hospital, received the hospital’s Medical Excellence Award. A new community service award, given posthumously to Harold J. Peterson, was introduced. Peterson was Chair of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation from 2015 to 2022. The Spring Ball was hosted by The Good Samaritan Hospital’s philanthropic arm. To support advances in healthcare at Good Samaritan Hospital, please click here or call 845.368.5151.