Stony Brook Medicine’s new facility at Smith Haven Mall held its official ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 19, welcoming the completion of the facility’s Phase One of its advanced specialties, which will likely be finished by 2027.
The new facility, which will be the new home to the different advanced specialties that were found on Technology Drive, offers a much more accessible “one-stop shop” for patients.
Maurie McInnis, president of Stony Brook University and overseer of Stony Brook Medicine, spoke at the ceremony, saying Stony Brook Medicine’s new location will be reminding their patients that they are there for them.
“We believe in quality health care that is accessible to all,” McInnis said in her speech. “As a world-renowned medical system and an entrusted flagship university for New York State, it is our duty and our privilege to make it so,” she continued.
Dr. Todd Griffin, vice president for clinical services and vice dean for clinical affairs at Stony Brook Medicine, shared his outlook for the facility’s future, saying, “We eagerly anticipate hosting a health care open house in the near future where our community and patients can explore our beautiful facility and learn more about the services that are available to them.”
Since Smith Haven Mall falls in both the towns of Brookhaven and Smithtown, Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) each spoke during the ceremony.
“You think about life and you wonder, and you ask people in their everyday lives what concerns them,” Romaine said after praising SBU, the hospital and its staff.
“They’re concerned about health, because without health, you don’t have anything else. This facility will do so much good for so many years and for so many people,” he added.
Wehrheim spoke about the renaissance he believes is underway in Smithtown.
“This is an excellent partnership and a huge benefit both to the new residents that will be coming to live in our Town of Smithtown, and also for Stony Brook Medicine,” he said, expressing his gratitude to McInnis.
“We make laws in government, but you folk, you doctors and staff and nurses, actually save lives and that’s what’s important to a community.”
Stony Brook Medicine’s new facility at Smith Haven Mall. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson
When a person plans a trip to the mall, they may imagine buying new clothes, browsing storefronts and eating at the food court. Now they can add a trip to the doctor’s office to their list.
Stony Brook Medicine has opened a new advanced specialty care facility at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. The approximately 170,000-square-foot space, previously occupied by Sears, is now host to a plethora of specialties, offering a “one-stop shop” to patients.
Sharon Meinster, the assistant vice president of facilities planning and design, and Dr. Todd Griffin, vice president for clinical services and vice dean for clinical affairs at Stony Brook Medicine, explained how the new facility would be more accessible for patients than the offices at Technology Drive in Setauket.
The facility will open in multiple phases, likely to be completed by 2027. As their leases end at Technology Drive, the other practices will gradually make their way to Lake Grove.
“What’s great here is that there’s much better public transportation to the mall,” Griffin said. “That was one of the things that we used to hate about tech parks because many of our patients were taking two or three buses to get there.”
The closest bus stop to Technology Drive is at Belle Meade Road, and if the practice was located farther down the park, it could be difficult for a patient to get there, especially in inclement weather such as heat waves or snowstorms.
There will also be an urgent care complex built in the automotive center at the Smith Haven Mall, which will have direct ambulance support to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Since the new location connects to the rest of the mall, the idea of a buzzer system, similar to those found in restaurants, was considered, allowing patients to walk around the mall while they wait, though Griffin does hope to cut down the wait times.
The phase one services, which are currently open and occupy 60,000 out of the 170,000 square feet, include family and preventive medicine, primary and specialty care, pediatrics, diabetes education, genetic counseling, neurology, neuropsychology and pain management.
The facility will help to foster collaboration between the different doctors since they will all be under one roof.
“It’s nice to have sort of the neuro institute people together,” Griffin said, adding, “You have the surgeons and the docs all in the same space, which helps with collaboration.”
“Right now, they’re in two different locations. So when they move here, they’ll be all together,” he added, “and it’s the same thing with our comprehensive pain center.”
Stony Brook Medicine will also continue to build its Commack location, which has been open since 2017. That building sits at around 350,000 square feet and houses around 38 specialties. They aim to open a surgical center as well as an advanced urgent care center by early 2025.
Despite not having many windows, the Lake Grove facility’s lighting and paint job help to create a more welcoming atmosphere. With much more to come from the Stony Brook care facility, it is already offering a fast and easy way for locals to see their doctor and then grab a pretzel on the way out.
From left, Allison McLarty, MD, Marc Goldschmidt, MD, Hal Skopicki, MD, PhD. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
In 2010, Stony Brook Heart Institute’s Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program was established on Long Island to implant this life saving device. A VAD, also often called a left ventricular assist device or LVAD, is a surgically implanted, battery powered pump that, by supporting the lower left ventricle (the heart’s main pumping chamber), helps a failing heart to do its job more efficiently. The VAD can be used as an intermediary step before heart transplantation or, in patients who, due to advanced age or medical condition are not transplant candidates, as a long-term “destination” device.
VAD patient Joseph Cerqueira and his wife.
Now 10+ years later, patients, their families and medical staff from the Heart Institute gathered on June 15, to celebrate the anniversary of this life saving heart device and program. (The 10-year event was postponed in 2020 due to Covid-19.)
“Nobody knew when we began putting in heart pumps 13 years ago that they would be this durable and reliable,” says Allison McLarty, MD, Surgical Director of the VAD program. “This amazing device has revolutionized the management of advanced heart failure.”
“For the VAD team, there is the immense reward of seeing these extraordinary individuals return to their homes and families with a much better quality of life,” added Marc Goldschmidt, MD, Director, Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Center and Medical Director, Ventricular Device Program.
“A VAD program at Stony Brook Heart Institute has been a tremendous asset for both the community and the hospital. Patients with the most complex heart conditions have access right here, close to home, to all the state-of-the-art services they need,” said Hal Skopicki, MD, PhD, Co-Director, Stony Brook Heart Institute and Chief of Cardiology.
Among the patients who attended today’s event was Joseph Cerqueira, 63, who received a VAD in 2017 and a heart transplant the following year. Following his surgery, Joseph returned to his work as a corporate chef.
“Everybody went the extra mile to make me comfortable and knowledgeable on how to adapt to every aspect of life with a VAD,” said Cerqueira. “Now my quality of life is perfect. I still get tired and I know my limitations, but besides that I do whatever has to be done.”
Dr. Justice Achonu. Photo by Jeanne Neville/ Stony Brook Medicine
Justice Achonu, MD, an orthopaedic surgery resident at Stony Brook Medicine, is one of four orthopaedic surgeons in the U.S. to be selected for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery’s (ABOS) Resident Advisory Panel. Responsible for providing insight into the resident experience, the panel collaborates with multiple other committees within the ABOS to support the interests of residents throughout the country. His two-year term on the panel begins July 1, 2023.
According to the ABOS, each applicant to the panel is reviewed by at least two ABOS Board members who are all accomplished leaders in their field. Applicants practice in all regions of the country. Dr. Achonu’s panel cohort is the third ever selected by the ABOS. Every year, the panel is tasked with identifying and completing a project that will benefit orthopaedic residents across more than 200 accredited training programs nationwide.
Panelists are encouraged to provide the ABOS with recommendations, several of which have been adopted by the Board, including an official Residency to Retirement Roadmap.
Dr. Achonu received a B.S. in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh in 2015 and graduated from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in 2020. He resides in Holbrook.
Stony Brook’s Department of Orthopaedics provides full-service patient care and sub-specialty resident and faculty training in all areas of Orthopaedics. The department includes a comprehensive Orthopaedic Research Program featuring clinical and laboratory facilities and resources for investigation of molecular, biologic, and biomechanical research topics.
Joel Gonzalez, right, with his wife Amanda, daughter Isabella and son Julian. Photo courtesy Gonzalez
Joel Gonzalez was waking up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. During the day, if he ate too quickly, he felt like food was getting stuck in his throat.
In 2018, Gonzalez, who lives in Coram and is a high school counselor, was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. A small hiatal hernia, in which part of his stomach bulged through an opening in his diaphragm and into his chest, caused the condition.
Gonzalez started taking medications, which helped relieve the symptoms and enabled him to sleep without experiencing discomfort or waking up suddenly.
In August 2022, after learning that his hiatal hernia had gotten slightly larger and deciding he didn’t want to continue taking reflux medicine for the rest of his life, he met with Dr. Arif Ahmad, director of the St. Charles and St. Catherine of Siena Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Centers of Excellence, to discuss the possibility of surgery.
Gonzalez was so convinced that the surgery would help and confident in Dr. Ahmad’s experience that he scheduled the procedure during that first meeting. Since his November surgery, which took about an hour, he hasn’t had any GERD symptoms and is not taking any medication for the condition.
Gonzalez said he would “absolutely” recommend the surgical procedure, which became a “simple decision” after consulting with Dr. Ahmad.
Caused by a mechanical problem with a valve at the bottom of the esophagus called the lower esophageal sphincter that allows stomach acid to enter the esophagus, GERD affects over 20% of the population.
Symptoms of GERD vary, which means doctors can and do take a range of approaches to treatment.
Hospitals, including St. Charles, St. Catherine of Siena, Stony Brook and Huntington Hospital, have been ramping up their efforts to evaluate and treat GERD.
Port Jefferson-based St. Charles and Smithtown-based St. Catherine of Siena, both part of the Catholic Health system, have been expanding these services at the Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Centers of Excellence.
“There is a big need” for this increasingly focused effort to help patients dealing with the symptoms of GERD, said Dr. Ahmad.
At St. Charles and St. Catherine, Dr. Ahmad, who has been doing hiatal hernia and GERD-correcting surgery for over 25 years, created the center to ensure that the nurses on the floor, the people who do the testing, and the recovery staff are aware of the specific needs of these patients.
Dr. Ahmad has done presentations for the staff to ensure they have “the highest level of expertise,” he added.
Dr. Ahmad, also the director of the Center of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Mather Hospital, said he could perform surgery, if a patient needs it, at any of the hospitals, depending on a patient’s request.
Stony Brook’s efforts
At the same time, Stony Brook recently created a multidisciplinary Esophageal Center at Stony Brook Medicine, designed to provide a collaborative care model for diagnosing and treating GERD.
The center provides minimally invasive endoscopic treatments as well as surgical options.
Dr. Lionel D’Souza, chief of endoscopy, said the center provides a cohesiveness that “allows an evaluation by a group of people who are experts and can communicate with each other” to provide a patient-specific plan.
Dr. D’Souza suggested people seek medical attention from their primary care physician or gastroenterologist if they experience any of the following conditions: heartburn every day or severe heartburn several times a week, trouble swallowing, food getting stuck in the throat, anemia, blood in the stool or weight loss without another explanation.
Other partners in the Stony Brook GERD Center include Dr. Olga Aroniadis, chief of the division of gastroenterology, Dr. Alexandra Guillaume, director of the gastrointestinal motility center, and Dr. Konstantinos Spaniolas, chief of the division of bariatric, foregut and advanced GI surgery at Stony Brook Medicine and director of Stony Brook’s bariatric and metabolic weight loss center.
“When someone has a lot of excess weight, the chance of developing GERD is a lot higher,” Dr. Spaniolas said. “Sometimes, getting patients through a program to facilitate with weight loss can help [people] avoid GI symptoms, such as heartburn.”
Stony Brook will see patients in different parts of its network and then, depending on the needs, will determine who is best-suited to start their work up and treatment, Dr. Spaniolas added.
While a potential option, surgery is among a host of choices for people who have ongoing heartburn.
Huntington Hospital, meanwhile, will begin offering esophageal motility testing starting in June. Patients can call Northwell Health’s Heartburn and Reflux Center to schedule an appointment.
A team of gastroenterologists, surgeons and dietitians will work with patients at Huntington to determine the cause of GERD and possible treatments, according to Dr. David Purow, chief of gastroenterology.
Soft foods
Those who have surgery return to solid foods gradually.
Marlene Cross, a resident of St. James who struggled with GERD for about a decade, had the procedure in March.
For the first few weeks, she ate primarily liquids, with some protein drinks and puddings. She added Farina and oatmeal to her diet and then could eat flaky fish.
At 83, Cross, who lost sleep because of GERD-induced heartburn, said the surgery was a success.
“I’m not running a marathon, but I’m definitely feeling a lot better,” said Cross, who is a retired teacher’s assistant for special education students.
Cross urged others who might benefit from surgery to “see a specialist and ask questions and do it” if the doctor recommends it. “The younger you do it, the better.”
Block the Sun, Not the Fun event hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Skin Cancer Screenings were held at Stony Brook Dermatology Associates and at the Smith Haven Mall Center Court ( 5/13/23).
Block the Sun, Not the Fun event hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Skin Cancer Screenings were held at Stony Brook Dermatology Associates and at the Smith Haven Mall Center Court ( 5/13/23).
Block the Sun, Not the Fun event hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Skin Cancer Screenings were held at Stony Brook Dermatology Associates and at the Smith Haven Mall Center Court ( 5/13/23).
Block the Sun, Not the Fun event hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Skin Cancer Screenings were held at Stony Brook Dermatology Associates and at the Smith Haven Mall Center Court ( 5/13/23).
Block the Sun, Not the Fun event hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Skin Cancer Screenings were held at Stony Brook Dermatology Associates and at the Smith Haven Mall Center Court ( 5/13/23).
Block the Sun, Not the Fun event hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Skin Cancer Screenings were held at Stony Brook Dermatology Associates and at the Smith Haven Mall Center Court ( 5/13/23).
Block the Sun, Not the Fun event hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Skin Cancer Screenings were held at Stony Brook Dermatology Associates and at the Smith Haven Mall Center Court ( 5/13/23).
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. with 1 in 5 people being diagnosed with it in their lifetime. May is designated as National Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness Month and with summer right around the corner, it’s important to know how to keep your family sun-safe during outdoor activities. This past Saturday, May 13, families across Long Island attended Block the Sun, Not the Fun hosted by Stony Brook Cancer Center at Smith Haven Mall.
The interactive, fun, and educational event featured family fun opportunities presented by Healthcare and Community Partners and Stony Brook’s Wolfie mascot aimed at promoting sun safety and teaching the community about preventing skin cancer. Before the mall event, Stony Brook Cancer Center and Stony Brook Dermatology Associates hosted free skin cancer screenings for nearly hundred individuals and Dr. Tara Huston, Director of the Melanoma Disease Management Team at Stony Brook Medicine, led an educational program for patients about melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Vermont State Police identified Dr. Mark Funt, a Setauket resident and Stony Brook Medicine doctor, as the man who died in a snowmobile crash in Cavendish, Vermont, Friday, March 10.
Funt, 74, was operating a snowmobile along Main Street in Cavendish when it crashed. The doctor suffered fatal injuries. The incident is currently under investigation.
According to the obituary submitted by his family, “He was doing what he loved most — spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren.”
Before Funt joined Stony Brook University, he attended The Emory University School of Medicine and was assistant professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, according to the Stony Brook Medicine website. Dr. Todd Griffin, vice dean for Clinical Affairs and vice president for Clinical Services at Stony Brook Medicine, said Dr. Martin Stone, founding chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recruited Funt in 1978 to be the chief of Gynecology and to start the Residency Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In 1982, Funt founded Stony Brook Gynecology and Obstetrics. According to the Stony Brook Medicine website, he would lecture across the country and won numerous awards, including Attending of the Year. He also was recognized for his outstanding patient care.
Griffin described Funt as “a dedicated physician and beloved member of the Stony Brook Medicine family.”
“I had the pleasure of knowing him both personally and professionally for the past 30 years,” Griffin said.
The doctor added that the residency program Funt help founded will be graduating its 162nd resident this year.
“He had a tremendous impact on women’s health for Long Island,” Griffin said. “We are truly saddened by this tragedy, and extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and patients.”
Funt was named The Village Times Man of the Year in Sports in 1996 for his work in generating more than $100,000 in private contributions for a football stadium at Ward Melville High School. He also was in charge of assembling of the 15-member committee to work on the fundraising campaign.
Mary Barter, Three Village school district superintendent at the time, said, “Dr. Funt’s efforts have given a wonderful benefit to the school district and the children of our community.”
Obituary prepared by the Funt family
Mark Ian Funt died tragically in a snowmobiling accident on Friday, March 10, in Vermont. He was doing what he loved most — spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Mark was born Aug. 21, 1948, in New York City. The oldest of four children born to Harold and Lila Funt, he took on a leadership role at a young age.
He ran on the track team at Syosset High School, graduating in 1966. His exemplary grades earned him a seat at Emory University. Mark stayed in Atlanta to attend Emory University School of Medicine, graduating in 1973. He completed his medical internship at New York University. Mark returned to Atlanta where he completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology, serving as chief resident 1976-77.
He accepted a position as assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Two years later, Mark moved to Setauket and was elemental in founding the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stony Brook University in 1979. He served as associate professor and chairman of the OB-GYN residency program at SUNY Stony Brook. He is credited with delivering the first baby at the newly opened hospital. In 1982, Mark established his private practice in Setauket, while continuing to train residents at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Mark was a vibrant individual, typically with a smile on his face and an optimistic outlook on life. Many people looked up to him as a mentor and father figure, often seeking his guidance and advice. When the local high school was in need of a new athletic stadium, Mark spearheaded the project. He was recognized as the 1996 Man of the Year in Sports by The Village Times.
His greatest joy in life was spending time with his family and friends. Mark was a U.S. Coast Guard licensed boat captain and spent many wonderful days fishing with his three sons. He enjoyed spending time on the golf course with his wife Mary and friends. Mark’s greatest joy was entertaining his grandchildren, who all lovingly referred to him as “Poppy.” The outpouring of love from the community has been overwhelming and is a testament to the incredible man that he was. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Mark is survived by his wife, Mary; mother Lila; brother David (Jody); sisters Syma (Bob) and Nancy (Dan); sons Seth (Elizabeth), Jared (Sarah) and Jordan (Holly); and eight grandchildren. Mark’s father Harold preceded him in death.
Stony Brook Medicine’s Cardio-Oncology program is the first on Long Island to be recognized as an IC-OS Center of Excellence and awarded an IC-OS Gold Medal by the International Cardio-Oncology Society (IC-OS).
An IC-OS Center of Excellence is a program within a healthcare institution that is assembled to supply an exceptionally high concentration of expertise and related resources centered on a particular area of medicine, delivering associated care in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary fashion to afford the best patient outcomes possible.
The gold medal designation recognizes a commitment to multidisciplinary patient care, research and publications relevant to cardio-oncology, educational program, quality improvement, program building and cardio-oncology committee involvement.
According to the IC-OS, cancer and cardiovascular disease are the two most common causes of death and disease worldwide. The incidence of both cancer and cardiovascular disease increases with age. Stony Brook’s Cardio-Oncology Program is co-directed by Michelle Bloom, MD, (cardiology) and Lea Baer, MD, (breast oncology), with state-of-the-art cardiac imaging directed by Smadar Kort, MD, and just added cardio-oncologist Kristine Yang, MD.
Stony Brook is the only program in the region to have a team of IC-OS-certified cardio-oncologists who closely observe and care for patients with cancer who have an existing cardiovascular (CV) condition or who may be at risk for developing a CV-related problem during or after the start of cancer treatment.
The number of people battling significant symptoms from the flu and respiratory syncytial virus has been coming down since its peak in January, as these infections have run their course.
“This year, we experienced the most severe flu and RSV waves in decades, and our COVID wave wasn’t small either,” said Sean Clouston, associate professor of Public Health at Stony Brook University.
The number of these illnesses was high as people no longer wore masks in places like schools and after people experienced lower-than-usual illnesses in the months before the mask mandate was lifted, creating fertile ground for viruses to spread.
“The most likely reason that the current flu and RSV seasons have improved is that we have had such a bad season earlier on that we have hit a natural ceiling on the ability for these diseases to successfully infect more people,” Clouston said in an email.
As for COVID-19, the numbers of people who have developed significant illnesses has continued to decline as well, through a combination of the natural immunity people have after their bodies successfully fought off the infection and from the protection offered by the vaccine and boosters.
Doctors added that the vaccine and natural immunity hasn’t prevented people from getting infected, but they have helped people avoid severe and potentially life-threatening symptoms.
“All these people who run around saying, ‘My vaccine isn’t working because I got reinfected,’ are missing the point,” said Dr. Bettina Fries, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Medicine. “It is working. It doesn’t protect you from infection, but [it does prevent] a bad outcome.”
Indeed, during the most recent COVID surge during the winter, Fries said the hospital continued to care for patients, most of whom recovered.
Vaccine timing
Amid discussions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health organizations throughout the state and country about the timing of future booster shots, local health care providers indicated the increasing likelihood of an annual COVID booster.
Fries said we will get to an annual vaccination for COVID, adding, “It’s the same as we see with the flu.”
In general, people aren’t rushing off to get an updated COVID booster.
“To maximize the protective value of the vaccine while minimizing the number of vaccines you use, people should likely get the vaccine two weeks before they anticipate heavy exposure,” Clouston said.
For most people, that would mean getting the shot in early November to prepare for larger indoor gatherings, like Thanksgiving and the December holidays.
In a recent article in the journal Lancet, researchers conducted an extensive analysis of COVID reinfection rates.
The study dealt only with those people who had not had any vaccinations and addressed the effectiveness of natural immunity from preventing infections and from the worst symptoms of the disease.
Prior infections in general didn’t prevent people from getting reinfected, but it does “protect you from getting a really bad disease and dying,” Fries said.
Long COVID
Even with the number of people contracting COVID declining, the overall population of people battling symptoms of long COVID, which can still include anything from loss of smell and taste to chronic fatigue, continues to increase.
“There’s a plethora of symptoms of long COVID,” Fries said. “We’ll have to figure out how to classify this and hopefully come up with better therapy. Right now, we can only symptomatically treat these patients.”
Dr. Sritha Rajupet, director of the Stony Brook Medicine Post-COVID Clinic, explained in an email that some patients who have lost their sense of smell or have a distorted sense of taste have tried a process called a stellate ganglion block “after several case reports and early research have shown that it could be helpful.”
In such a procedure, doctors inject a local anesthetic on either side of the voice box into the neck. Rajupet said that “additional research and clinical trials still have to be performed.”
Newborns and COVID
As for children infected with COVID soon after birth, doctors suggested that the impact has been manageable.
“The great majority of young children who contract COVID do quite well and recover fully,” Dr. Susan Walker, pediatrician with Stony Brook Children’s Services, explained in an email. “The impact on their development from having actually experienced COVID illness is minimal.”
Children hospitalized with more significant illness from COVID might experience temporary developmental regression which is common in children hospitalized for any reason. The developmental impact seems more tied to social isolation.
“Children born during the pandemic spent their first years of life rarely seeing adults or children other than those in their immediate family,” Walker said. “The result is that many of these kids became excessively stranger anxious and timid around others.”
The lost social opportunities, the pediatrician said, resulted in delays in the personal/social domain of development. She added, “The good news is that kids are resilient and, in time, with appropriate social stimulation, [these children] should be able to regroup and catch up developmentally.”
Previously invisible to most of the public, the infectious disease team at Stony Brook Medicine took center stage from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 through today as area residents have battled COVID-19 and other diseases.
With a peak of over 500 people hospitalized at Stony Brook University Hospital with COVID-19 in 2020, the combination of Drs. Bettina Fries, Susan Donelan and Sharon Nachman provided best practices to protect hospital staff and patients, gathered information about the developing virus and communicated through the media with a public desperate for information.
Working with teams of other dedicated health care professionals, these infectious disease doctors helped treat and save numerous patients.
TBR News Media is pleased to name Fries, Donelan and Nachman as People of the Year for 2022.
“Stony Brook Hospital got all kinds of kudos during the height of the pandemic,” said Dr. Jonathan Buscaglia, chief medical officer at Stony Brook University Hospital. “When you’re going through a hurricane crisis, you need somebody who has a clue about hurricanes to lead you. Those people were our leaders.”
At the time, the team of infectious disease doctors impressed their colleagues not only with their effectiveness, but also with their tireless work.
“When COVID happened, it was a calling” for these infectious disease experts, Buscaglia said.
In the beginning of the disease, little was known about the most effective treatment, which meant doctors from several departments came together to create a standard protocol.
The infectious disease faculty “contributed significantly” to develop these practices, said Dr. Vincent Yang, chair of Medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine at SBU.
Dr. Bettina Fries. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Dr. Bettina Fries, the chief who served on the front lines
Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Medicine, Fries is a “nationally if not world-renowned physician scientist,” Buscaglia said.
As with her colleagues, Fries works directly with sick residents.
Fries “100% served on the front lines to care for all the hospitalized patients with COVID,” said Buscaglia, which included working seven days a week for weeks on end. She guided her staff and helped other physicians.
Early on, Fries was also “instrumental in getting a manufacturer of face masks to donate a significant number to the hospital,” Yang said. This was a key part of the personal protective equipment that had been scarce during the unsettled early part of the pandemic.
Yang described her as “highly motivated, energetic and forward thinking” and believes she is a “wonderful leader” who is detail oriented. Fries provides clear expectations for people who work for her and is an avid educator, Yang added.
As an expert in using monoclonal antibodies to treat various bacterial infections, Fries helped direct an effective therapy using these antibodies for COVID patients, according to Yang.
Fries and her team were also involved in consulting on patients, not just for COVID but also for secondary infections, Yang said.
Connie Kraft, emergency manager in the Emergency Management Office at SBUH, described Fries as “very personable” and appreciates how she studies scientific data to crunch the numbers.
Dr. Susan Donelan. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Dr. Susan Donelan, a ‘hero’ who lost sleep to help patients
Donelan, who earned her bachelor of science degree from SBU, is medical director of Healthcare Epidemiology at Stony
Brook Medicine.
In addition to caring for patients, Donelan also worked to avoid the spread of COVID at the hospital, reducing the risk to staff and to Long Islanders who came to the hospital for other medical needs.
“We don’t want patients coming in without COVID getting it while they’re here,” Buscaglia said. “It takes a special person to guide the rest of us.”
The hospital established a forward triage effort, which provided an initial assessment of COVID patients outside the hospital.
Kraft appreciated Donelan’s commitment to safety throughout the halls of the hospital.
“If you’re somebody who is walking down the corridor and your mask is hanging off your face, [Donelan] didn’t care who you are. She’s going to stop you and say, ‘Hey, pull your mask up,’” Kraft said.
As a subject-matter expert, Donelan was “our hero,” Kraft added.
Specializing in the latest treatments and symptoms, Donelan also helps faculty and staff with medical questions.
When Kraft’s grandson was sick, she asked Donelan for advice.
“She was right there, giving me support,” Kraft said, which gave “everybody a sense of calm.”
A tireless worker, Donelan often appeared on Zoom calls even during her time off.
She “doesn’t stop thinking about ways to help patients,” Buscaglia said. She “literally loses sleep about it.”
Dr. Sharon Nachman. Photo by Stony Brook Medicine
Dr. Sharon Nachman, active in front of the camera and behind the scenes
Nachman, who earned her medical degree at SBU, is chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s.
Often visible during her appearances on local broadcast news channels and in numerous local publications, including TBR News Media, Nachman is committed to ensuring the public receives accurate information.
“Giving people information about why it’s important to wear masks, wash their hands and get vaccinated, those are the things that affect the community,” said Dr. Carolyn Milana, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Stony Brook Children’s.
Even though Nachman is a pediatrician and works at the children’s hospital, she, like so many other doctors, helps wherever it is needed, which in the early days included caring for adults.
Nachman was “instrumental from the adult and pediatric perspective making sure we had the latest and updated information about how to treat those patients,” Milana said. “She and her team were out there [checking] on all the patients to make sure they were all cared for the same.”
In addition to helping to get COVID vaccine trials up and running at Stony Brook, she has been active in trials to treat monkeypox.
Milana appreciates Nachman’s approach to children and their parents.
“She’s super friendly with kids,” Milana said. “She’ll tell you the facts as they are. She’s straightforward with parents. She wants them to have all the information they need to make the right decisions.”
Funt, 74, was operating a snowmobile along Main Street in Cavendish when it crashed. The doctor suffered fatal injuries. The incident is currently under investigation.
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