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Photo from Stony Brook University Hospital

For the estimated 1.6 million Americans diagnosed with symptomatic tricuspid valve regurgitation each year, a significant advancement in treatment is now available on Long Island. With the launch of the new Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR) Program at the Stony Brook Heart Institute (SBHI), patients at Stony Brook Medicine have access to groundbreaking, minimally invasive therapies.

The heart has four valves — aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid — that control the direction of blood flow. In tricuspid regurgitation (TR), the tricuspid valve’s flaps do not close tightly, allowing blood to leak backward in the heart. Mild cases may cause no symptoms, but others suffer from fatigue, pulsing neck veins, fluid buildup in the abdomen and legs, and irregular, sometimes dangerous, heartbeats. If left untreated, individuals with severe TR can experience heart failure, blood clots, stroke and other organ damage.

In the hands of Stony Brook’s tricuspid valve specialists, the FDA-approved TriClip™ device offers a revolutionary treatment option. Performed under general anesthesia and guided by advanced imaging, the procedure involves placing a catheter through a vein to the heart, where the TriClip™ is precisely placed to bring valve flaps together, reducing backward blood flow. Because the procedure is minimally invasive and avoids open-heart surgery, most patients are up and walking within hours, discharged in one to two days, and back to their regular lives in about a week. Clinical trials published in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that TriClip ™ placement resulted in 87% of patients experiencing a significant reduction in tricuspid regurgitation, compared to less than 5% with medication use alone.

Ahmad Alkhalil, MD, MSc, Director of the Mitral and Tricuspid Interventions at Stony Brook Heart Institute, who performed SBHI’s first TTVR procedure noted, “The tricuspid valve was formerly known as ‘the forgotten valve’ because surgical approaches were too risky and no other treatments were effective for the majority of patients. With our full range of minimally invasive therapies, including tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) and tricuspid transcatheter valve replacement (TTVR), we are proud to be a leader in providing new options for patients on Long Island.”

“We are proud to be at the forefront of bringing new treatment options for symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation,” says Allison McLarty, MD, Interim Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stony Brook Heart Institute and Professor of Surgery, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “Our skilled and dedicated physicians are continuously exploring new and innovative approaches to improve outcomes and the patient experience of people with valve disease.”

“Effective treatment begins with a precise diagnosis. Patients at Stony Brook Heart Institute benefit from a full suite of advanced imaging technologies, including 3D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (TTE and TEE), cardiac MRI, CT angiography, nuclear stress testing and carotid ultrasound. These tools allow SBHI’s specialists to map each patient’s unique valve anatomy and tailor treatment to their needs,” added Smadar Kort, MD, Co-Director of the Valve Program and the Director of Non-Invasive Imaging at Stony Brook Heart Institute. “With multiple advanced imaging and procedural locations across Suffolk County, including Stony Brook, Commack and Riverhead, the Heart Institute ensures patients receive top-tier care close to home.”

“At the core of Stony Brook Heart Institute’s TTVR program is a multidisciplinary team of interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists and advance practice practitioners who collaborate closely to ensure every patient receives seamless, compassionate care,” says Hal Skopicki, MD, PhD, Co-Director of Stony Brook Heart Institute and the Ambassador Charles A. Gargano Chair of Cardiology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “As an academic medical center actively participating in national and international clinical trials, we provide patients with access to emerging valve devices and interventions not yet widely available — offering many the opportunity to avoid open-heart surgery and benefit from the most cutting-edge, patient-centered cardiovascular care available today.”

To contact the Stony Brook Heart Institute, call 631-44HEART or visit heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu. 

About Stony Brook Heart Institute:  

Stony Brook Heart Institute is located within Stony Brook University Hospital as part of Long Island’s premier university-based medical center. The Heart Institute offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The staff includes full-time and community-based, board-certified cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as specially trained anesthesiologists, nurses, advanced practice practitioners, respiratory therapists, surgical technologists, perfusionists, and other support staff. Their combined expertise provides state-of-the-art interventional and surgical capabilities in 24-hour cardiac catheterization labs and surgical suites. And while the Heart Institute clinical staff offers the latest advances in medicine, its physician-scientists are also actively enhancing knowledge of the heart and blood vessels through basic biomedical studies and clinical research.

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METRO photo

St. Charles Hospital, 200 Belle Terre Rd. Port Jefferson presents Walk Safe with a Doc, a free community walk led by Dr. Brett Silverman, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Specialist, on Wednesday, June 25 at noon.

Dr. Silverman will discuss the importance of walking for overall health and injury prevention and pedestrian safety experts from NYCTS will provide tips for walking safely, before leading the group on a brief 1.5 mile walk.

Walkers are to meet at the hospital’s flagpole outside main entrance. To register, call 631-963-4167.

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METRO photo

AAA projects 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Independence Day holiday period from Saturday, June 28, to Sunday, July 6. This year’s domestic travel forecast is an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year and 7 million more than in 2019.

“Summertime is one of the busiest travel seasons, and July Fourth falling on a Friday creates a long weekend that many are taking advantage of,” said Robert Sinclair of AAA Northeast. “Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week.” 

By car: AAA projects a record 61.6 million people will travel by car, 1.3 million more road travelers and a 2.2% increase compared to last year.

Last July Fourth week, AAA responded to nearly 700,000 emergency roadside assistance calls for issues including dead batteries and flat tires. AAA recommends getting routine vehicle maintenance ahead of your trip and packing an emergency kit. Especially over the busy holiday weekend, AAA urges drivers to watch for stopped vehicles and Slow Down, Move Over for emergency responders.

For travelers renting cars, AAA car rental partner Hertz says Thursday, July 3, is expected to be the busiest day to pick up vehicles.

By air: The number of people traveling by air is also projected to set a record. AAA expects 5.84 million travelers will fly to their destinations, a 1.4% increase over the previous record set last year.

Round-trip domestic flights cost 4% more than last year, according to AAA data on what travelers paid when they booked their July Fourth trips. When booking last-minute flights for summer trips, consider flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday for the best deals.

By other modes: AAA projects 4.78 million people will travel by bus, train or cruise, a 7.4% increase from last year. Cruising is leading this category, particularly at this time of year, when Alaska cruise season is in full swing.

AAA’s Top Independence Day Destinations

The top holiday destinations listed below are based on AAA booking data for the Independence Day travel period. Cruises, beaches and fireworks are the main motivators for travelers heading to these cities. Alaska cruises are in peak season, Florida and Hawaii are in high demand for their resorts and attractions, and New York and Boston host two of the most popular fireworks shows in the nation.

 

DOMESTIC INTERNATIONAL
Orlando, Florida Vancouver, Canada
Seattle Rome
New York City Paris
Anchorage, Alaska London
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Barcelona, Spain
Honolulu Dublin
Denver Amsterdam
Miami Calgary, Canada
Boston Athens, Greece
Atlanta Lisbon, Portugal

 

Best & Worst Times to Drive

Wednesday, July 2, and Sunday, July 6, are expected to be the busiest days on the road, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights. With afternoon hours predicted to be the most congested, drivers are encouraged to hit the road in the morning to avoid the worst anticipated traffic.

Best and Worst Times to Travel by Car
Date Worst Travel Time Best Travel Time
Saturday, June 28 12-5 p.m. Before 10 a.m.
Sunday, June 29 2-4 p.m. Before 11 a.m.
Monday, June 30 2-6 p.m. Before 12 p.m.
Tuesday, July 1 3-6 p.m. Before 2 p.m.
Wednesday, July 2 12-9 p.m. Before 12 p.m.
Thursday, July 3 2-6 p.m. Before 12 p.m.
Friday, July 4 12-7 p.m. Before 12 p.m.
Saturday, July 5 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Before 11 a.m.
Sunday, July 6 12-6 p.m. Before 11 a.m.

SOURCE: INRIX

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing nearly 6.8 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.

 

 

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Photo from Stony Brook University Hospital

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has been named one of the Top 25 Hospitals in the country for its work pursuing environmental excellence. Based on a rigorous scoring system, this award honors success and performance in a range of sustainability programs including leadership, waste, chemicals, greening the operating room, food, sustainable procurement, energy, water, climate, transportation, and green building. As Practice Greenhealth’s highest honor for the Partner for Change application, this award recognizes the best of the best in health care environmental sustainability.

Additionally, SBUH’s multi-disciplinary efforts on reducing its environmental footprint in various impact areas have resulted in earning the recognition of Circles of Excellence in Chemicals, Sustainable Procurement, Energy, and Green Building. The Circles of Excellence Awards honor the 10 highest-performing hospitals in each area of sustainability impact.

“Our sustainability successes come from many passionate employees working to make our hospital a leader in providing world class healthcare, while ensuring our resources are used efficiently to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Carol Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Hospital. “I’m incredibly proud of the Stony Brook Medicine faculty and staff for their continued dedication and hard work in advancing environmental excellence within healthcare.”

Some of the Hospital’s successes over the last year include:

  • Significant reductions in our use of the anesthetic desflurane
  • Significant reductions in regulated medical waste generation
  • Expansion of our reprocessing and sustainable purchasing programs
  • Reduction in total waste per patient day
  • Expansion of the impact of our Food Farmacy program and our Stony Brook Heights micro-farm that distributes food to food-insecure community members
  • Elimination of the central nitrous oxide system at Ambulatory Surgery Center
  • Several physical plant and capital projects that reduce our energy use, including the very visible Curtain Wall project and less visible infrastructure projects.

Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,700 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada.

To learn more about Stony Brook Medicine’s sustainability efforts, visit stonybrookmedicine.edu/sustainability.

 

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Smile Farms ribbon cutting event at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital on 6/9/25.

In an effort to address food insecurity on Long Island, Catholic Health and Smile Farms, Inc. have expanded their existing partnership, with monetary support from the Proskauer, by introducing a third cooperative food garden at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown. The announcement was kicked off with a ribbon cutting on June 9. Members of the Smithtown Rotary Club were also on hand to install a Peace Pole on the hospital property.

Members of the Smithtown Rotary with the Peace Pole on June 9.

Created to support mental health, the Smile Farms garden, which consists of seven flower beds, will be tended by youth volunteers from the Smile Farms Club at Saint Anthony’s High School in Huntington, as well as volunteers from the Smithtown Youth Bureau and Horizon’s Counseling and Education Center. One of the seven flower beds will also be tended by St. Catherine of Siena Hospital employees. 

Aligning with Catholic Health’s mission in addressing food insecurity, produce from the Smile Farms garden will be donated to local parishes and shelters.

“We are extremely grateful for the meaningful partnership with Smile Farms, Proskauer and all of our community partners,” said St. Catherine of Siena Hospital President Christopher Nelson. “The Smile Farms garden gives volunteers the opportunity to give back to their community, to nuture the garden to life, while also fostering teamwork. For our youth volunteers, as well as our hospital staff, it is a meaningful endeavor to know that the fresh produce that will be grown at St. Catherine’s, will be donated to local parishes in our surrounding communities.”

The first Catholic Heath/Smile Farms garden opened in 2023 at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic in Garden City, followed by a second, larger Mercy Hospital garden in 2024. The produce has been shared with food-insecure individuals at Mercy Hospital’s Family Center, an outpatient clinic for women and children.

“Our collaboration with Catholic Health is special and unique as it affords our Smile Farmers the opportunity to give to others while concurrently giving to themselves. The mental health benefits of gardening are well documented, including decreased anxiety, stress, and depression, and increased creativity, productivity, attention, memory, and self-esteem. We welcome and empower people with all abilities, skills, and experience for a day in the garden to engage with nature and each other. We are grateful to Catholic Health and Proskauer, for helping us serve the community while empowering people with disabilities,” said Smile Farms Managing Director Steve McDermott.

Catholic Health’s multifaceted food insecurity initiative currently offers emergency food “to-go” bags distributed in Catholic Health’s six emergency departments and throughout. Individuals who receive the bags are also provided with direct referrals to community-based organizations to identify resources, such as the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP) for regular access to healthy foods.  

For more information about Catholic Health’s behavioral health services, visit https://www.chsli.org/behavioral-health

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Distinguished Professor Arie Kaufman demonstrating two applications in the FlexiCAVE. On the left is a protein volume (inner pivot ~10 degrees, outer pivot ~30 degrees), and on the right side is Submerse application – visualization for extreme weather flooding in urban environments (on a flat FlexiCAVE section). Photo from SBU

Technology Can Be Used in Multiple Areas Including Healthcare, Climate Change, Managing Natural Disasters, Architecture, Urban Planning and Drug Design

Stony Brook University’s Center for Visual Computing has completed construction of the FlexiCAVE—the world’s largest flexible, dynamically reconfigurable high-resolution stereo display facility. Housed on the first floor of the New Computer Science (NCS) building, the FlexiCAVE comprises 40 tiled, high-pixel-density monitors capable of rendering about 83 million pixels, all while physically transforming its shape to support a wide range of scientific and data-driven applications, improving  immersive visualization technology.

“We envisioned a display that would adapt to the data—not the other way around,” said Arie Kaufman, distinguished professor of Computer Science and the principal investigator behind the project. “With FlexiCAVE, we’re enabling researchers to literally shape their workspace to the needs of their analysis.”

Innovative Interaction and Applications

Unlike traditional static visualization walls or even curved displays, the FlexiCAVE is built on a modular architecture with rotatable display columns. The system can seamlessly transition between flat, L-shaped, U-shaped, or semi-circular configurations in real time. These transitions are not only cosmetic.  They directly influence the visualization, the user experience and the type of data interaction enabled.

A custom-built rendering engine powers the design that synchronizes stereo views and dynamically updates visualizations as users physically adjust the screen layout. The team calls this new interaction paradigm —PIVoT, which is an acronym for  Physical Interaction to Virtual Transformation.

“It’s more than a screen. It’s a physical and tangible interface for virtual exploration where users are immersed in the data, and the layout of the FlexiCAVE anchors their sense of whereness, helping them stay oriented as they navigate complex visual spaces,” noted Principal Research Scientist Dr. Saeed Boorboor, co-author of the recently submitted VIS 2025 paper which details the system.

Real-World Applications

Immersive virtual colonoscopy showing on the FlexiCAVE, where radiologists navigate inside the patient’s colon model to locate and analyze polyps (all pivot angles are ~40 degrees). Photo from SBU

The team has already demonstrated real-world applications in many areas including healthcare. For example, virtual colonoscopy shifts the layout from a flat 2D overview of the patient’s colon to a curved immersive 3D endoluminal view (see Figure 2). In medical imaging visualization, radiologists can tangibly move the FlexiCAVE displays to virtually “slice” through brain MRI or abdominal CT scans.

And in situations like in  urban flood simulations, emergency planners can  orient and navigate flooding scenarios spatially by reconfiguring the display (see Figure 1).

In addition, researchers are using FlexiCAVE to experiment with multivariate data visualization, dynamically switching between scatter plots and parallel coordinate plots by physically bending screen segments. This hands-on interaction transforms the way users explore complex datasets. In an early user study, participants preferred the flexibility of the system and reported improved spatial perception over traditional static layouts. Other areas that can be enhanced  include architecture, urban planning, geospatial data, biological systems, drug design, and many others.

Why Now?

As datasets continue to grow in both size and complexity—ranging from volumetric brain scans to climate models—there is a pressing need for immersive tools that allow researchers to explore data from multiple angles and scales. The FlexiCAVE, part of a  growing trend in large high-resolution tiled displays,takes a bold step forward by combining stereoscopy, dynamic curvature, and tangible interaction into one unified system.

With backing from the New York State and Federal agencies, the FlexiCAVE’s development represents years of engineering insight, including customized aluminum framing, inclinometer-equipped hinges, and powerful GPU clusters capable of real-time image updates in a noise-canceling cabinet.

Looking Ahead

While the current version requires manual adjustment of the display columns—a design challenge acknowledged by the team—future updates may introduce motorized column rotation for ease of use. The research group is also exploring new applications in collaborative analytics and adaptable visualization workflows.

“We hope FlexiCAVE becomes a blueprint for the next generation of immersive environments—not only here at Stony Brook, but also globally,” said Professor Kaufman.

 

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Mather Hospital
Harshini Devi Sobhan. Photo from Mather Hospital

Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson has expanded its Graduate Medical Education program with the addition of a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency program, starting on July 1, 2025. The Pharmacy Residency is a 12-month program that “aims to cultivate clinical, operational and leadership skills in pharmacists, all while delivering high-quality pharmaceutical care to patients,” according to a press release.

As licensed pharmacists the residents will participate in activities designed to deepen their knowledge of regulatory compliance, pharmacotherapy, medication safety, antibiotic stewardship, committee participation, and key pharmacy initiatives. The program provides residents with the opportunity to advance and strengthen their professional development, emerge as skilled practitioners, and prepare for PGY2 specialty training and board certification. 

“Our Pharmacy Department has long been dedicated to delivering exceptional, patient-centered care. Through the establishment of the pharmacy residency program, we reaffirm our commitment to preparing pharmacists to uphold elevated standards of practice,” read the release.

Allison Nicole Pollina. Photo from Mather Hospital

Program Director Maricelle Monteagudo-Chu, PharmD, said the pharmacy residents will be an invaluable addition to the team. “They will be entrusted with managing patients with complex disease states, a responsibility that requires a higher level of critical thinking and advanced clinical knowledge. They will also actively collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes, ensure the safe and effective use of medications, and advance excellence in pharmaceutical care,” she said.

To kick off the inaugural year, the first two residents will be Allison Nicole Pollina and Harshini Devi Sobhan, who both completed their Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and Touro College of Pharmacy, respectively. Sobhan also received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from City University of New York, York College and a Master of Science in Health Sciences and Public Health from Touro University Worldwide.

Mather Hospital’s Graduate Medical Residency Program was established in 2014 to address a growing shortage of physicians in our community and an increasing demand for primary care physicians. The program now includes more than 110 residents in Internal Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Integrated Interventional Radiology, Psychiatry, and Transitional Year as well as fellowships in Gastroenterology and Hematology Oncology. 

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Legislator Steve Englebright, left, congratulates Corey Fischer, center, along with Suffolk County Legislator and Minority Leader Jason Richberg. Photo from Legislator Englebright’s office

Corey Fischer knows what it’s like to be bullied by peers and to lose a close friend. However, these experiences haven’t overshadowed his ability to help others.

Fischer, along with other impressive teenagers from Suffolk County, was recognized by County Executive Ed Romaine (R) and all 18 County Legislators at an event at the H. Lee Dennison Building on Monday, May 12. Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) chose the Ward Melville High School senior to be recognized at the special event.

“We get a chance to see the future at an event like this, and the future looks pretty good,” Englebright said.

When the now 18-year-old was bullied in elementary school, he met Jackson, a boy from Port Jefferson Station, while playing the video game Fortnite online. Soon, they exchanged phone numbers and talked on the phone every day. Jackson battled acute myelogenous leukemia, but despite his diagnosis, he was a strong individual who gave Fischer wise advice and tips whenever the subject of bullying came up.

Jackson beat cancer, but a year later, he relapsed. After a bone marrow transplant, he suffered from Grafts vs. Host Disease. Tragically, Jackson succumbed to the disease at the age of 12.

To remember Jackson, Fischer has honored him by assembling and donating comfort baskets to oncology ward patients at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, where Jackson was treated. Fischer used grant money and his own to create the packages brimming with special items for patients, such as comfort socks, fidget spinners, coloring books, cards and more. He also founded the Jackson Initiative, which inspired his classmates to join him in creating cards and assembling the baskets.

Currently, Fischer is working with two doctors on a project that he conceptualized, focusing on patients’ mental health. When implemented, children can choose from an assortment of Emotion Cards to place on a whiteboard in their room to make it easier to communicate their feelings to healthcare practitioners.

Fischer will head to college later this year and is planning to enter the field of psychiatry.

“With his extraordinary compassion for his fellow human beings, career success will certainly be part of his future,” Englebright said at the May 12th event. “For being an inspiration to all ages, Corey Fischer is Legislative District 5’s Youth Award recipient for 2025.”

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Northwell Health’s Michael Dowling (left) and Dr. John D’Angelo. Photo by Lee Weissman/Northwell Health

Northwell Health has announced that after serving as Northwell’s first president and chief executive officer for more than 23 years, Michael J. Dowling will step down effective October 1, 2025 and transition to the role of CEO Emeritus, where he will serve in an advisory capacity, supporting the advancement of key public health initiatives, and focusing on teaching and writing, according to a press release on May 14.

Dowling’s transition marks the end of an extraordinary tenure characterized by significant growth, industry innovation, and a steadfast commitment to enhancing health for all. Over the past two decades, his visionary leadership has transformed Northwell from a network of Long Island-based hospitals into one of the nation’s ten largest health systems, renowned for its clinical, academic, and research excellence. Under his leadership, Northwell became New York State’s first integrated health system in 1992 and now includes 28 hospitals across New York and Connecticut, employing 104,000 individuals, with over 14,000 affiliated physicians, 1,000 care locations, and a comprehensive network of home care, rehabilitation, and end-of-life services.

As president and CEO of Northwell, Michael Dowling spearheaded the system’s remarkable expansion, championing investments in research, leading to the growth of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and positioning Northwell at the forefront of bioelectronic medicine. His dedication to innovative medical education through the Zucker School of Medicine, the Hofstra-Northwell School of Nursing, and Northwell’s Center for Learning and Innovation has cultivated the next generation of health care professionals.

Additionally,  Dowling has taken a leadership role in addressing gun violence, the leading cause of death among children in the United States, recognizing it as a critical health care issue. He has mobilized over 60 health care CEOs nationwide to support gun violence prevention. For 18 consecutive years, he has been named to Modern Healthcare magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare,” achieving the magazine’s #1 ranking in 2022.

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Above, Dr. John D’Angelo will succeed Dowling in the fall.

After an extensive nationwide search, and confirmed in a unanimous vote, Northwell’s Board of Trustees has appointed John D’Angelo, MD, who currently serves as executive vice president of the health system’s central region, to succeed Dowling as president and CEO in October. Dr. D’Angelo began his more than 25-year tenure at Northwell as an emergency medicine physician at Glen Cove Hospital before advancing into health system-wide clinical and administrative leadership roles.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to lead Northwell through a period of unprecedented growth and clinical transformation that has enabled our team members to make a meaningful difference and improve the lives of the tens of millions of patients and families who we’ve cared for over the last 25 years,” said Dowling in the release.

“In Dr. D’Angelo, the Board of Trustees has selected a tremendous leader who will lead Northwell to greater heights. John is someone who understands and champions Northwell’s unique and differentiated culture and his clinical and operational acumen coupled with skills as a decisive and collaborative leader will enable Northwell to raise the bar on the quality of care we deliver to the communities we serve in New York and Connecticut. I look forward to partnering with Dr. D’Angelo in the coming months to help ensure a seamless transition to what will be an exciting new chapter in the 33-year history of Northwell,” he added.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected to succeed Michael Dowling as Northwell President and CEO. I am committed to build on his unparalleled legacy and vision that grew Northwell from a Long Island-based health system into a regional and national health care leader,” said Dr. D’Angelo. “Health care is a calling. Every minute of every day, we have an opportunity to change someone’s life for the better, and I look forward to leading our more than 100,000 team members who contribute to this critically important mission. Together, we will continue advancing better health for all.”

As president of Northwell’s central region, Dr. D’Angelo leads a dynamic health care network serving 2.8 million residents in western Nassau County and Queens, a network that includes six hospitals, over 270 ambulatory practice locations, and a dedicated team of 24,000 employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. D’Angelo was at the forefront, orchestrating Northwell’s operational response and later becoming Chief of Integrated Operations, charged with streamlining system operations in the post-pandemic era.

Before this role, Dr. D’Angelo was the senior vice president of Northwell’s Emergency Medicine service line, where he managed 18 emergency departments and a network of 60+ urgent care centers, serving 1.5 million patients annually. With nearly three decades of experience as an emergency medicine physician, Dr. D’Angelo possesses a deep understanding of clinical care delivery, quality, process improvement, and operational management.

“The Northwell Board of Trustees is enormously grateful for Michael Dowling’s extraordinary tenure, and we are delighted to name Dr. D’Angelo as our next CEO,” said Board Chair Margaret Crotty. “Dr. D’Angelo is an experienced administrator, leading a region that itself would rank among the country’s largest health systems. He is a trusted mentor for so many Northwell leaders; a respected manager who inspires his team to consistently drive results; and a strategic leader who deploys technology toward the best health outcomes. John clearly stood out among an impressive slate as the best person to bring Northwell into a new era of care.”

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Photo courtesy of CDC
Stony Brook Children’s Hospital infectious diseases expert urges vigilance
Dr. Andrew Handel. Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Tick Bite Data Tracker shows that emergency department visits for tick bites have increased in May. 

Children have the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the United States. Specifically, the age group most at risk is children aged 5 to 9 years old. Children are particularly vulnerable to tick bites because they often play in areas where ticks are prevalent.

According to the CSC, early signs and symptoms for most tick-related illnesses include a rash, fever and chills general ill feeling, hacheade, joint pain, muscle pain and stiff neck. If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious long-term complications, including heart problems, neurological issues, and chronic arthritis. 

The CDC estimates that nearly 500,000 people will contract Lyme disease this year, from just a single tick bite. A newly published study in the Journal of Medical Entomology provides critical insights into the emergence of babesiosis in the Mid-Atlantic region. Babesiosis can be more severe than Lyme disease, and can become a life-threatening disease for the elderly. 

“Ticks can spread disease. Not all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick. The vast majority of tick bites do not result in any infection or other disease,” said Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and physician at the Stony Brook Regional Tick-Borne Disease Center in Hampton Bays, the first and only dedicated tick clinic in the Northeast. 

“However, as tick bites and tickborne diseases become more common, it’s important to learn how to prevent a tick bite, how to remove a tick and stay safe year-round. Increased tick activity as the weather warms also means increased risk of tickborne diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Also, an odd phenomenon known as an ‘alpha-gal allergy’ may develop after a lone star tick bite, leading to an allergy to red meat,” he said.

Dr. Handel shares a multi-pronged strategy to stay tick-free:

■ Wear light-colored, long-sleeve shirts and pants to make ticks more identifiable.

■ Tuck your pants into your socks so the ticks don’t have access to your skin.

■ Use 20-30% DEET insect repellent.

■ Perform routine tick checks when coming from the outdoors or nightly tick checks.

■ Check unexpected and common places on your body for ticks. Ticks love to hide in the beltline, behind the ears, hairline, and in skin folds. 

■ If outdoors for an extensive time, consider treating clothes with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact. 

■ Put your clothes in the dryer for 10 minutes on high heat to kill any ticks.

Handel adds that anyone bitten by a tick should save the tick for identification.

“Do remove a tick if it is attached. The only safe method is to use a tweezer and firmly grasp the tick right at the base of the skin, where its head is burrowed. Then pull directly away from the skin, without twisting. Once off, place the tick in a sealed bag. Then you can bring it to your clinician to examine and see if they can identify it and know what symptoms may develop into possible infections. We often hear of people using petroleum jelly or matches to kill the tick while it is attached to the skin. This is not effective and may cause much more harm to the skin,” he said.

A tick typically needs to be attached for at least 36 hours before Lyme disease becomes a concern. In those cases, a medical provider may prescribe a single dose of doxycycline to prevent infection.

“If you are bitten by a tick, don’t panic,” Handel said. “The majority of tick bites do not lead to an infection and we have effective antibiotics for preventing or treating these infections.”

This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Focus on Health supplement on May 22, 2025.

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