New York, NY– May 7, 2024: NYC Health + Hospitals today celebrated its Doctors’ Day and the 26 doctors recognized for their outstanding patient care. This year, for the first time, NYC Health + Hospitals is honoring three physicians at their new Gotham Health Centers of Excellence, which provide Long COVID services, as well as primary care services. The doctors were nominated by their facility’s Chief Medical Officer to qualify for the achievement. This year’s honorees include pediatricians, primary care doctors, emergency department physicians, an oncologist, a pathologist, a neurologist, an HIV specialist, an optometrist, and others. They come from a diverse array of nations such as Ukraine, Nigeria, China, Burma, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Haiti, India, and Pakistan. Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Machelle Allen joined staff at The View at Battery Park to recognize outstanding doctors in the nation’s largest municipal health system. Biographies of the 26 doctors recognized in this year’s event are available here.
Dr. Gail T. Prado, one of this year’s Doctors Day awardees, in the lab at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull
Honorees include the following:
Dr. Sara Rostanski has led the Department of Neurology’s stroke program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue since 2018. Under her leadership, the program developed a neuro-ICU for complex stroke patients as well as an advanced outpatient clinic – two of the advances that have made Bellevue the only NYC Health + Hospitals facility, and one of the few public hospitals in the country, certified by The Joint Commission as a comprehensive stroke center.
“My goal was to build a world-class stroke center at Bellevue,” said Dr. Rostanski. “Flash forward six years, and after a lot of hard work with a dedicated multidisciplinary team and a tremendously supportive hospital administration, we obtained The Joint Commission certification. It was a validation of the high-quality stroke care we provide at Bellevue for patients throughout the health system.”
Dr. Cheryl Smith has been one of New York City’s most dedicated HIV doctors for more than 30 years – not only serving the medical needs of those with HIV but advocating for critical social supports and helping lead the state’s education and prevention efforts. Since 2014, she has brought that expertise to NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Sydenham. At Sydenham, she has about 150 HIV patients and virtually all are on antiretroviral therapy that keeps viral loads undetectable for most. Since 2008, Dr. Smith has also been an associate medical director at the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute, where she founded and directs a program that uses digital technology to improve education and communication about HIV and epidemics.
“[Caring for patients with HIV] was just something that my heart gravitated to,” said Dr. Smith. Now that patients mostly have their viral loads suppressed, her focus the focus of care has largely shifted from patients’ physical health to the hardships they face beyond their disease, like housing. “The psycho-social determinants of health are tremendously important in every disease but they are particularly and critically important with HIV.”
Dr. Boris Mashalov helped develop an adolescent clinic in his role as an attending physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx. It addresses issues like sexual health including pregnancy, mental health, and weight management. Among his proudest accomplishments is the successful implementation of the Adolescent Immunization Project, which resulted in 90 percent of North Central Bronx adolescent patients being fully immunized— roughly double the national average of 45 percent.
“The whole vision of our adolescent clinic at the beginning is to make it like a home — a safe harbor,” said Dr. Mashalov. “Many of our adolescent patients might not share with their parents when they’re in trouble, so we want to be a place where you always can come to us. If you’re available and you’re there for them, they start trusting you.”
Dr. Polina Gilchyonok, one of this year’s Doctors Day awardees, speaking to a resident at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur skilled nursing facility
Here is the full list of NYC Health + Hospitals Doctors’ Day 2024 Award recipients:
BRONX
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Belvis
Winifred O. Egbuna, MD
Attending Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania
Teresa Polito, MD
Attending Physician, Pediatrics
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Tremont
Wilmer J. Petite, MD
Attending Physician, Cardiology
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
Robert Faillace, MD
Chief of Medicine
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
Muhammad Waseem, MBBS, MS, CHSE-A, FAAP, FACEP, FAHA, FSSH
Attending Physician, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
Boris M. Mashalov, MD
Attending Physician, Pediatrics
Dr. Julia Mai, one of this year’s Doctors Day awardees, conducting an eye exam at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Cumberland
BROOKLYN
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Broadway
Abimbola Oduguwa, MD
Attending Physician, Pediatrics
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Cumberland
Julia Mai, OD, FAAO
Optometrist
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, East New York
Maqsoodur Rahman, MD
Attending Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
Selwena R. Brewster, MD, MBA
Associate Chief Medical Officer
NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney
Lisel M. Hope, MD, MPH, FACE
Attending Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
Eleonora Akker, DO, FACP
Director of Medical Education
Program Director of Transitional Year
Associate Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull
Gail T. Prado, MD
Attending Physician, Pathology
MANHATTAN
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
Sara K. Rostanski, MD
Associate Chief of Neurology
NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter
Prem C. Srivastava, MD
Attending Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler
Nazma A. Hossain, MD
Attending Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Gouverneur
Fontine Zhang, MD
Attending Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Sydenham
Cheryl A. Smith, MD
Attending Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur
Polina Gilchyonok, MD
Chief of Service, Subacute Rehabilitation
NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
Umesh Paudel, MD
Chief, Division of Neonatology
NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan
Mahrukh Bamji, MD
Chair of Pediatrics
Dr. Umesh Paudel, one of this year’s Doctors Day awardees, caring for a neonatal patient at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
QUEENS
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Roosevelt
Ei Khine Moe, MD
Primary Care Physician
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Barbara M. Dilos, DO
Director of Anesthesia
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
William X. Li, MD, M.Sc
Director of Radiation Oncology
CITYWIDE
NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services
Jean Liautaud, MD, CCHP
Assistant Chief of Service, Medicine
NYC Health + Hospitals/Simulation Center
Zachary A. Blankenship, MD
Clinical Education Director
