2024 Gala Honorees
Welcome to the New York Academy of Medicine’s Annual Gala: Better Health, for Life.
This evening, we celebrate our shared commitment to a better healthspan, for everyone. Healthspan is not just years of life lived, but a life enriched by the most possible years of good health. It’s a vision that extends across life, from ensuring safe childbirth to promoting healthy aging for all. Historically, this journey has been inaccessible to many, and NYAM challenges this inequity.
We are deeply grateful for your presence and support tonight. Your dedication fuels NYAM’s mission to remove barriers to better health for all. Here, in our historic home, we have convened visionary health leaders for more than 177 years—building the evidence to improve health for all, in New York City and far beyond.
Tonight’s distinguished honorees have championed this goal. As esteemed experts and accomplished health advocates, their unwavering commitment to leaving no one behind aligns with NYAM’s vision of a world where everyone thrives with an equal opportunity for good health.
We invite you to join us in offering enthusiastic thanks and celebrating our honorees Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg, MD, J. Mario Molina, MD, and Steven Corwin, MD.
These remarkable individuals have made extraordinary contributions to public health and healthcare, inspiring our efforts to improve health at every stage of life.
As individuals, as a city, and as a nation, we must collectively ensure that the path toward optimal health is accessible to all. Your presence here tonight exemplifies this commitment.
With utmost gratitude,
Ann Kurth, PhD, CNM, MPH President,
The
New York Academy of Medicine
Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP Chair, Board of Trustees, The New York Academy of Medicine
WELCOME
Cheryl Wills
Spectrum NY1 Anchor & Author
WELCOME REMARKS
Ann Kurth, PhD, CNM, MPH
President, The New York Academy of Medicine
HEALTH EQUITY CHAMPION
Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg, MD
Former Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
BOLD & BRAVE AWARD
J. Mario Molina, MD
Chairman, United States of Care and Founder, JMM Investments
HEALTHCARE LEGACY AWARD
Steven J. Corwin, MD
President & Chief Executive Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
CLOSING REMARKS
Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP
Chair, Board of Trustees, The New York Academy of Medicine
AWARD 2024
Harlem Hospital made national news when Martin Luther King was stabbed with a letter opener at a book signing in Harlem on September 20TH, 1958. The blade struck King’s upper chest, and Harlem Hospital’s surgical team operated immediately. Two of King’s ribs and part of his breast plate were removed. The team later said of Dr. King’s wounds, “Had Dr. King sneezed or coughed, the weapon would have penetrated the aorta… He was just a sneeze away from death.” Ten days after the stabbing, Dr. King issued a press release, insisting he felt no ill will toward Izola Curry, his attacker. During his recovery, Coretta Scott King presented flowers sent to Dr. King by his well-wishers to the hospital’s children’s ward. King was sent home on October 3RD.
Original photo from the collection of The New York Academy of Medicine Library is being gifted to this evening’s honorees.
Cheryl Wills
Cheryl Wills is an Emmy award-winning journalist for Spectrum News New York 1. As the first African American woman to host a prime-time nightly newscast for the cable network, Cheryl anchors the Emmy-nominated broadcast Live at Ten, weeknights. Cheryl has been with NY1 since its launch in 1992 and is one of the station’s most recognizable journalists for breaking news and special coverage. She is also the talk show host of the weekly public affairs program, In Focus with Cheryl Wills where she interviews the most powerful newsmakers and celebrities in the country.
Cheryl is also the acclaimed author of a series of books about her family’s transition from slavery to freedom in the United States. Die Free: A Heroic Family Tale, The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills, Emancipated: My Family’s Fight for Freedom and EMMA all chronicle her 3x great-grandfather’s heroic service as a member of the United States Colored Troops during The Civil War.
On March 25 TH , 2011, Cheryl Wills made history as the first journalist invited to speak at the United Nations General Assembly Hall for The International Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade which was broadcast live around the world on UNTV.
Cheryl has been honored numerous times during her 30+ year journalism career from groups like The New York Press Club, The Newswomen’s Club of New York, The Associated Press, and she received a special medal from the United Nations Correspondents Association, personally presented to her by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. City & State Magazine hailed Cheryl as one of New York’s most “remarkable women” and Cheryl is one of the women profiled in the award winning 2020 book: “She is Me: How Women Will Save the World.”
Cheryl is most proud to be the Commander and Lifetime Descendant Member of the New York Chapter of the Sons and Daughters of the United States Colored Troops — a national organization of Civil War descendants who raise awareness about 200,000 black soldiers who bravely served during The Civil War. She is a graduate of the prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
www.CherylWills.com
HONOREES 2024
HEALTH EQUITY CHAMPION
Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg
Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg, an internationally recognized leader in public health and medicine, is co-president of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), an international consortium of national academies of science, medicine and engineering.
Dr. Hamburg also serves as vice-chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and is on the Foreign Affairs Advisory Board to the Secretary of State. Prior to this she was the foreign secretary for the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the president/chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She is the former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Before joining the FDA, Dr. Hamburg was founding vice president and senior scientist at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a foundation dedicated to reducing nuclear, chemical, and biological threats. Previous government positions include assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, health commissioner for New York City, and assistant director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Hamburg earned her B.A. from Harvard College and her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and she completed her medical residency at Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American College of Physicians and is an elected member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Hamburg sits on numerous boards, including the Commonwealth Fund, the Nature Conservancy, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Lasker Foundation, The Broad Institute, The Council on Foreign Relations, Resolve to Save Lives, GAVI Alliance, the Simons Foundation, Ending Pandemics, the American Museum of Natural History, and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. She is also a member of the Harvard University Global Advisory Council, the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, and the World Dementia Council. She is the recipient of multiple honorary degrees and numerous awards. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and other recognitions.
BOLD & BRAVE AWARD
J.
Mario Molina
Dr. J. Mario Molina is a healthcare entrepreneur, endocrinologist and philanthropist, best known for his tenure of over 20 years as chairman and chief executive officer of Molina Healthcare (NYSE: MOH), a Fortune 200 company he and his family founded in the 1980’s. He is currently chairman of the board at United States of Care. He has served on a variety of corporate and non-profit boards including Apollo Medical Holdings, (Nasdaq: AMEH), Care3, Breath Direct, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Aquarium of the Pacific, Homeboy Industries, The Huntington Library, and the Standing Committee of the Osler Library of McGill University. He was founder and president of the Golden Shore Medical Group.
He earned his M.D. from the University of Southern California and performed his internship and residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, endocrinology and metabolism.
In 2016, he was named one of the 50 most influential physician executives by Modern Healthcare, and in 2015 and 2016 he was named one of the 100 most influential people in health care. He was recognized as one of the 25 most influential Latinos in America by Time magazine in 2005.
At Johns Hopkins, Dr. Molina has endowed the Myron L. Weisfeldt Professor in the Osler Medical Residency Program, the J. Mario Molina Chair in the History of Medicine, and the C. David Molina Chair in Medicine.
HEALTHCARE LEGACY AWARD
Steven J. Corwin
Steven J. Corwin, MD, is President & CEO of NewYorkPresbyterian, one of the nation’s largest, most comprehensive healthcare systems, and the only one affiliated with two top-ranked medical schools — Columbia University and Weill Cornell. Under his leadership, NYP has nearly doubled in size and now comprises 48,000 employees/affiliated physicians, 10 hospitals, and 200 community-based clinics/ medical practices. Dr. Corwin champions an organizational culture based on respect, where every team member’s role is valued and considered integral to the delivery of quality care and excellent patient experience. Another major tenet of his leadership is addressing the root causes of health inequity. In 2022 he oversaw the establishment of NewYork-Presbyterian’s Dalio Center for Health Justice, which is committed to improving the health of all patients through research, community investment, advocacy, dialogue, and education.
At Dr. Corwin’s direction, NYP is embracing the transformative power of technology to reduce the burden of human disease, alleviate the administrative load on caregivers and unlocking the potential of Artificial Intelligence to detect diseases in their infancy and identify health issues before they escalate. NYP is deploying AI models to uncover cardiovascular diseases and acute inpatient conditions, and extending it across various other medical specialties. A cardiologist and internist, Dr. Corwin is a past chair and current board member of the Healthcare Association of New York State and the Greater New York Hospital Association, and he has been elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
HONOREES 1995–2023
2023
Michael Sneed
Terry T. Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN
Peggy Shepard
2022
Darren Walker
Hip Hop Public Health
2019
Robert F. Smith
Cynthia Germanotta
Harlem Capital
2018
Freda C. Lewis-Hall, MD, DFAPA
Ruth Watson Lubic, RN, CNM, EdD
ProPublica and NPR
2017
Jo Ivey Boufford, MD
Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH
Richard N. Merkin, MD
2016
John Catsimatidis
Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD
2015
Norman H. Volk
Paul Steely White
Derek Yach
2014
Jeremiah A. Barondess, MD
eCaring
Thomas Q. Morris, MD
2013
John J. Connolly, EdD
Ray E. López
2012
Thomas L. Harrison, LHD
Jack and Susan Rudin
2011
Marcel Van Ooyen
William C. Weldon
2010
Aetna
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
2009
Kraft
Bernard Poussot
Elias A. Zerhouni, MD
2008
Peter Piot, MD, PhD
Mehmood Khan, MD
David B. Snow, Jr.
2007
Joseph M. Feczko, MD
James W. Fordyce
Bob Wright
2006
Edward J. Ludwig
Judith Rodin
2005
Katie Couric
Paul E. Farmer, MD, PhD
Edward Lewis
John C. Whitehead
2004
Joseph M. Hogan
Anthony S. Fauci, MD
Daniel Libeskind
David H. Koch
2003
Robert E. Rubin
Dean R. O’Hare
Alfred Sommer, MD, MHS
2002
Paul Greengard, PhD
Eric R. Kandel, MD
Charles R. Lee
William J. McDonough
2001
Leroy E. Hood, MD, PhD
Arnold J. Levine, PhD
Paul M. Montrone
2000
Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD
Henry A. McKinnell, PhD
Robert B. Shapiro
1999
C. Michael Armstrong
Donald A. B. Lindberg, MD
Mark L. Nelson
1998
Raymond V. Gilmartin
David D. Ho, MD
Elizabeth Taylor
1997
David A. Hamburg, MD
Evelyn H. Lauder
1996
Martin Cherkasky, MD
Harry P. Kamen
1995
Saul J. Farber, MD
Mathilde Krim, PhD
NYAM is a leading voice for innovation in public health. Throughout our 177-year history, we have uniquely championed bold changes to the systems that perpetuate health inequities and keep all communities from achieving good health.
Our work spans all the generations and phases of life. We want people to be their healthiest, from a safe birth through aging well. We call this “healthspan.” By focusing on disparities and advancing health equity along the life journey, we are enhancing the quality of life lived, and ensuring a longer healthspan for all.
Tonight, we honor the tireless efforts of individuals and organizations dedicated to improving public and community health, enhancing patient outcomes, and fostering innovation in healthcare and medical education. We are thrilled for you to join us in celebrating our ongoing efforts and the exceptional healthcare leaders who embody NYAM’s mission.
Build resilient, sustainable communities that can withstand climate change
Eradicate systemic biases in healthcare
Develop evidence-based strategies to support a more equitable healthspan Your
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2024
Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP | Chair
President, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
John Damonti, MSW | Vice-Chair
Retired President, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation
Retired Vice President, Corporate Philanthropy & Patient Assistance, Bristol Myers Squibb Company
Gil Addo
SVP, Specialty Care Solutions, CVS Health
Nesa Amamoo
Partner, Real Estate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Charles N. Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc
Herman Robert Fox Dean, New York University College of Dentistry
Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Senior Vice President & Chief Nurse Executive, NYC Health + Hospitals
Martine Ferland
Retired Chief Executive Officer, Mercer
Retired Vice Chair, Marsh McLennan
Jim Flynn, MS | Board Chair Emeritus
Managing Partner, Deerfield Management Company, LP
Elsa-Grace V. Giardina, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, FACP
Professor of Medicine, Irving Medical Center, Columbia University
Professor of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University
Director, Center for Women’s Health in Cardiology, Columbia University
Barbara A. Green, PhD | Ex officio*
Senior Vice President, Office of the President, Greater New York Hospital Association
*Representative of the Committee on Admissions and Membership
Leslie A. Hayes, MD, FAAP | Ex officio
Deputy Commissioner, Divison of Family & Child Health, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Ann Kurth, PhD, CNM, MPH
President, The New York Academy of Medicine
Dennis A. Mitchell, DDS, MPH
Senior Advisor to the President on Inclusion and Belonging, Columbia University
Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement, Columbia University
Professor of Dental Medicine, Irving Medical Center, Columbia University
Jacqueline Moline, MD
Vice President, Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, Northwell Health
Chair, Occupational Medicine, North Shore University Hospital
Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN
Chief Nurse Executive and SVP, Cardiac Services, Mount Sinai Health System
Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD
System Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Montefiore Health System
Executive Director, Montefiore Medical Group
Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, MACP
President, National Hispanic Health Foundation
Marie-Laure Romney, MD, MBA
Senior VP and COO, NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital
Janis Smith-Gomez, MBA
Retired Vice President, Global Brand Experience, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices
Paul P. Tanico, JD
Managing Principal, CastleRock Management
Jannine Versi, MBA
Co-Founder and CEO, Elektra Health
Tonya Walker, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer, Employee Health, Netflix
Mark S. Weiss
Executive Vice Chairman, Cushman & Wakefield
NYAM BOARD CHAIR
Wayne J. Riley
Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, is the 17 TH president of the Brooklyn-based SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, where he also holds tenured professorships in internal medicine, health policy, and management. Dr. Riley joined the NYAM Board of Trustees in 2017 and was elected Chair in October 2020. Prior to joining SUNY Downstate in 2017, Dr. Riley served as clinical professor of medicine and adjunct professor of health policy and management at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and its School of Medicine. Before that, Dr. Riley served from 2007 to 2013 with distinction as the 10th president, chief executive officer, and professor of medicine at historic Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. An academic and primary care general internist, Dr. Riley has more than 25 years of progressively senior executive-level management, policy, and leadership experiences in academic medicine, patient care, research administration, academic health center administration, healthcare management, health policy, biotechnology, the corporate sector, government service, advocacy, and organized medicine.
NYAM PRESIDENT
Ann Kurth
Ann Kurth, PhD, RN, CNM, MPH, President of The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), is a leader with a lifelong passion to improve health for all.
Dr. Kurth is the first epidemiologist president in NYAM’s 177year history of advancing healthier and longer lives for everyone.
Dr. Kurth previously served as Dean of the Yale School of Nursing, and Professor, epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale School of Public Health.
Dr. Kurth’s research has focused on HIV, reproductive health, and health system strengthening, in the context of pandemics, climate change and other stresses. Her science has been funded by the NIH, Gates Foundation, UNAIDS, CDC, HRSA, and others, for studies in the US and internationally. Dr. Kurth has published over 250 peerreviewed articles, chapters, and monographs. She served on the US Preventive Services Task Force which sets screening guidelines for the US, and she currently co-chairs the National Academy of Medicine Board on Global Health, and the Age-Friendly NYC Commission; and is a member of Governor Hochul’s NYS Commission on the Future of Health Care. Dr. Kurth is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine, of the American Academy of Nursing, and of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
CONTRIBUTORS 2024
Special thanks to our sponsors and supporters.
ADVOCATES FOR ALL
Kerianne & James Flynn, MS
ADVOCATES FOR HOPE
ADVOCATES FOR PROGRESS
Anonymous
J. Mario Molina, MD
Gil Addo
ADVOCATES FOR DREAMS
Nesa Amamoo
Bristol Myers Squibb
Columbia University
School of Nursing
Cushman & Wakefield
Martine Ferland
The John A. Hartford Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
Ann Kurth, PhD, CNM, MPH
Mount Sinai
RiverSpring Living
Janis Smith-Gomez, MBA
The Weeks Lerman Group
Lily Zhou
CONTRIBUTORS
AARP New York
Gina Akopyan
ASP Global
Big Apple Events AV
Rita Charon
Andrea Choi
Barry & Bobbi Coller
Lesmah Fraser
Barbara A. Green
Kathryn T. Hall
Healthfirst
Leslie Henshaw
IPRO
Johnson & Johnson
KoHop Ventures
Danielle Laraque-Arena
Linda C. Lombardi
Margaret Rafferty & Timothy O'Connor
Medtronic
The Mitchell J. Blutt and Margo
Krody Blutt Family Foundation
Regina Olasin
PPM Restoration
Quest Diagnostics
The Raskin Family Foundation
Gina Ravosa
Wayne J. Riley
SCAN Health Plan
Anthony Shih
Andrea Sonenberg
Sterling Affair
United Hospital Fund of New York
Visual Print Solutions
Arthur & Sally Webb
Marketa Wills
David & Geri Wolf
Mary Woolley
Yiye Zhang
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NewYork-Presbyterian joins the New York Academy of Medicine in honoring
Steven J. Corwin, MD President and Chief Executive Officer
NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital
In honor of our esteemed leader
Steve Corwin, MD, and industry champion
Peggy Hamburg, MD
of engineering the extraordinary
At Quest Diagnostics, we believe in the value of foresight, the power of prediction, and, above all, the impact of information. That’s why Quest provides the cutting-edge diagnostics, life-changing data, and integrated services necessary to optimize health.
QuestDiagnostics.com Quest Diagnostics is pleased to support NYAM 2024 Annual Gala.
Mount Sinai
N ur s e s
C re a t in g
E xc e ll e nc e
Tog e t h e r
When nur s e s a re emp owe red t o flouri s h as p rofe ss i o n a ls ,
ma ke de c i s i o n s at t h e bed s id e, a n d i n fluence their wo rki n g
e nvi ro nme nt , nur s e s n ot o n ly g row as p rofe ss i o n a l s an d
lea d er s, but p at i e nt s recei ve b ett er c a re a n d o u t c ome s .
With teamwork , knowledge, and critic al judgment , Mount Sinai nurs es take pride in creating excellence together.
L ea rn mo re a t m ou n t s inai .o rg /nurs i n g
Hearty Congratulations to NYAM on its Gala 2024: Better Heath, For Life. and to its Honorees Peggy Hamburg, Steve Corwin, and Mario Molina!
Continue to Boldly Lead and Champion Efforts to Ensure a Long Healthspan for All!
Janis Smith-Gomez & Todd Gomez
IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE
2024 NYAM ANNUAL GALA
CONGRATULATIONS TO TONIGHT’S HONOREES
Montefiore Einstein is proud to support the New York Academy of Medicine to continue to bring awareness in advancing public health.
We congratulate all of the honorees.
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The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) is a leading voice for innovation in public health. Throughout its 177-year history, NYAM has uniquely championed bold changes to the systems that perpetuate health inequities and keep all communities from achieving good health. Today, this work includes innovative research, programs, and policy initiatives that distinctively value community input for maximum impact. Combined with NYAM’s trusted programming and historic Library, and with the support of nearly 2,000 esteemed Fellows and Members, NYAM’s impact as a health leader continues.
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