You
& The Power of Partnership: You & Montefiore Einstein
BETTER TOGETHER You &
The Power of Partnership: You &
With Thanks!
Collaboration drives success at Montefiore Einstein—and as a philanthropic partner, you are a catalyst for these achievements. Every contribution you make, whether through time, resources, or advocacy, fuels our mission and accelerates our progress. By empowering care teams, educators, students, alumni, and community members, you help make lifesaving work possible for the families, neighbors, and communities that rely on us. We could not be more grateful.
In the spirit of celebrating partnership, we are pleased to introduce our new publication, “You & ME | Montefiore Einstein,” which highlights the vital role generous friends like you play in our journey—a journey built on the principle that we are better together and that our united efforts amplify our impact.
DRAFT
Indeed, this past year we witnessed the extraordinary power of philanthropy at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. As members of the Class of 2028 crossed the stage to begin their careers in our White Coat Ceremony, they did so free from the burden of medical school tuition thanks to one remarkable woman, Dr. Ruth Gottesman. These promising young people begin this exciting new chapter in their lives with the knowledge that Dr. Gottesman, along with so many of you, are invested in their bright futures.
In this issue, we share stories of partnership in action—from the White Coat Ceremony, to expanding the Community Health Worker Institute and funding a new inpatient children’s psychiatric unit. These contributions and others, at all levels, empower our caregivers to enhance patient lives. We also offer a glimpse of the many events we’re planning throughout the country and shine a light on how just one person can power the success of others.
The challenges we face as an academic medical center and a leader in global medicine are great; so, too, are the triumphs. Your support is integral to navigating them both. Thank you for standing with us so we, together, can stand for human health.
Warmly,
Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD President and CEO, Montefiore Einstein
Montefiore Einstein
Through their generosity and advocacy, a pair of Montefiore Trustees are addressing some of the Bronx population’s most pressing challenges.
A TRANSFORMATIVE GIFT TO BRING CRITICAL PSYCHIATRIC HELP TO BRONX YOUTH
The core of Montefiore’s mission is to meet the unique needs of the Bronx population and, in doing so, improve health outcomes for all. With a pair of recent gifts, Trustees Ron Moelis and David Keidan are helping to foster a culture of philanthropy that will ensure that the community is central to everything Montefiore does for years to come.
Montefiore Trustee David Keidan joined the Board two decades ago because he was attracted to the hospital’s dedication to service. He says it aligned with the Jewish concept of olam—taking action to repair and heal the world. Today, Keidan is focused on another crisis in the Bronx: youth mental health. An estimated 25 inpatient beds currently serve an area that includes 400,000 people under the age of 18.
“I was shocked to learn that a child who is experiencing severe mental issues may have to wait as long as three months to get an available psychiatric bed,” says Keidan. “To me, charitable work, particularly for children, is of prime importance. And I can’t think of anything more horrifying than not being able to get help for a child who has substantial mental
Now, thanks in part to Keidan’s $1 million gift, Montefiore Einstein is set to begin construction on a new, state-of-the-art inpatient facility for children with severe mental illness. According to Keidan, meeting the needs of the Bronx—and being a real a part of it—are what make the organization so special. “That’s the mission,” he says, “and that’s what I love about Montefiore.”
An estimated 25 inpatient beds currently serve an area that includes people under the age of
400,000 18
“I wanted to support this because it really meets the needs of those we serve.” — Ron Moelis
A LANDMARK GIFT CONFRONTS THE GROWING TYPE 2 DIABETES CRISIS
As co-founder and former CEO of the real estate development firm L + M Development Partners, Ron Moelis has always been invested in creating thriving communities. “We do a lot of affordable housing in the Bronx, so I’ve become well aware of the difficulties many people in the borough face, especially around health,” he says. In 2017, Moelis joined the Montefiore Board to invest not only his philanthropy but also his time and personal expertise. “I thought that Montefiore presented a great opportunity to help improve conditions in the Bronx, and I wanted to be an active part of that.”
One of the most urgent health challenges is the burgeoning type 2 diabetes crisis; nearly one million New Yorkers have it and that includes approximately one in every three adults in the Bronx. Despite advances in treatment, many patients struggle to manage the disease. “We know folks in this community face a lot of impediments to their health, whether it’s single parenthood, or two jobs, or housing— whatever it is, it’s very hard to think of your own healthcare at times,” he says.
In response, Moelis recently made a landmark $500,000 gift to pilot a remote monitoring program. The community-based initiative aims to combat treatment inertia by sending real-time patient data to care teams who can more rapidly and effectively help their patients. “I wanted to support this because it really meets the needs of those we serve,” says Moelis, “and because I have real co-investors—I’m putting in the capital, but the institution’s professionals are putting in the real effort.”
Trustee RON MOELIS
Two Bronx residents attend our 2023 Family Diabetes Day event at the Bronx Zoo.
Thanks to a donor match challenge, the College of Medicine’s Giving Day set a fundraising record.
JUST HERE FOR THE PI
3.141592653589...
You’d have to wait a while to hear (or read) a recitation of pi to 1,075 digits. Yet that’s what onlookers did as Mary Lou De Jesus, a member of the Community Health Worker Institute at Montefiore, won this year’s Pi Day competition—part of Einstein’s historic Giving Day. “Mary Lou is the Joey Chestnut [hotdog-eating champion] of the Pi Recitation Contest,” quipped Harris Goldstein, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Scientific Resources and the contest’s emcee.
This year the College of Medicine raised a record $124,000 from 341 individual contributions. Thanks to a matching-gift challenge, Einstein Trustee Buzzy Geduld donated an additional $100,000, while alumni Sten H. Vermund, MD ‘77, PhD, and Pilar Vargas, MD ‘77, PhD, gave $100 for every gift made, adding another $34,100. All told, donors contributed more than $258,000. Funds will benefit a range of Einstein priorities, including its premiere Medical Scientist Training Program.
In the spirit of gratitude for those who support Einstein, our students, faculty, staff, and postdocs wrote thank-you notes to Einstein Board Chair Ruth Gottesman for her transformative gift, which will cover medical students’ tuition and fees in perpetuity.
“There is always a need for philanthropy to help us achieve our mission and support the programs, learning opportunities, and research that make Einstein an exceptional medical school and renowned research institution,” said Yaron Tomer, MD, the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein and Chief Academic Officer at Montefiore Medicine, who remarked that the generosity of Einstein’s donors is “a testament to the special nature of Einstein.”
Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s $2.76 million in funding is enhancing Montefiore’s own commitment to high-quality, evidence-based care in the Bronx.
SEEDING SUCCESS: GRANTS IN ACTION
Montefiore Medical Center’s roots have always run deepest in the Bronx—and with support from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF), those roots are deepening still. In the past two years, MCHF has awarded Montefiore multiple grants aimed at expanding community health services and bolstering training for the nurses who are so integral to providing that care.
Two grants are supporting Montefiore’s Training, Retaining, Advancing, and Integrating Novice Nurses (TRAINN@ME) program to accelerate the readiness of novice nurses in specialty areas. The first grant of $300,000 enabled the development of an enhanced training program, placing new nurses in a supportive, sixmonth residency program. The second grant of $400,000 is expanding this program to include immersive virtual reality technology to enhance the learners’ experience, confidence, and competency. This innovative initiative is expected to augment and diversify Montefiore’s nursing workforce across multiple high-need units.
Two of the grants will support Montefiore’s Bronx Health Collective (BHC), a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers, as well as comprehensive, multi-site homeless healthcare programs. Specifically, $850,000 will fund BHC’s Resiliency Initiative, which promotes family well-being through prenatal, pediatric, mental health, and nutrition care. Another $750,000 will go to BHC’s Terra Firma program to address the medical, legal,
and psychological needs of immigrant children and their families.
MCHF is also supporting the critical work of Montefiore’s Community Health Worker Institute (CHWI), addressing patients' social needs in order to improve health outcomes. A $700,000 award is funding the deployment of CHWs—local residents who help patients access a wide range of social services; awards of an additional $200,000 and $700,000 are funding CHW training and expansion into Westchester County, respectively.
And in an effort to better serve the healthcare needs of New York City’s homeless population, MCHF recently awarded more than $160,000 to help fund the NYC Homeless Healthcare Fellowship. Most physicians receive little formal training in homeless healthcare and have few opportunities to learn from seasoned providers. Montefiore’s program addresses this gap. Today, six of the eight graduates from the Montefiore program continue to practice at the location where they received their training.
Staff at Montefiore’s Bronx Health Collective serve children and families residing in the South Bronx, as well as those living in New York City’s shelter system.
10 GIFTS THAT TRANSFORM
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George Wu, MD/PhD ’76, and his wife, Cathy Wu, PhD, began their training at Einstein nearly 50 years ago. They recently came back to make a landmark gift that will endow a directorship for the College’s Medical Scientist Training Program.
A GIFT SIX DECADES IN THE MAKING
For the last 60 years, the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Einstein—one of the first in the nation—has been nurturing the next generation of elite physician-scientists. During that time, the program’s more than 500 illustrious alumni have consistently broken new ground in medicine, publishing 21,000 papers and serving as critical bridges between research and clinical care at academic medical centers, research institutes, the NIH, and pharmaceutical companies around the world.
George Wu, MD/PhD ’76, is one of those alumni. In 2023, he and Cathy, who was a postdoctoral fellow at Einstein, made a foundational gift to endow the MSTP directorship and support numerous student-focused initiatives. Their inspiration stemmed, they said, from what Einstein gave to them: a singular education in how to succeed in the translational work that has defined their careers, and a tight-knit, global network of former Einstein classmates, post-docs, and students who have enriched their lives in countless ways.
Now, the Wus hope their contribution will benefit Einstein’s 124 MD/PhD students as they chart their own path in medicine. For Myles Akabas, MD/ PhD ’83, Director of MSTP and a graduate of the program himself, the Wus are paying it forward for the next generation: “This gift will help MSTP do what it does best—train students to become preeminent doctors who not only see patients but also observe the clinical features of their diseases and develop experiments to test new theories. For this, we are so grateful.”
You can read more about the Wus’ remarkable journey by visiting our website at einsteinmed.edu/alumni.
Forty years after he graduated from Einstein’s Medical Scientist Training Program, George Wu, MD/PhD ’76, and his wife, Cathy Wu, PhD, returned to make a significant investment in the future of the physician-scientist.
PEOPLE POWERING PEOPLE
Claudia P. Castiblanco, MD, Director of Montefiore’s Uveitis Service and Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, is passing on her passion and proficiency to help the next generation of doctors see their patients more clearly.
AN EDUCATOR WITH VISION
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Claudia P. Castiblanco, MD, came to the United States with her family in 1989. While at Iona University, she got a job as a file clerk at a medical practice of internists and pulmonologists—a formative experience for the would-be doctor. kind of care that I witnessed and the conversations they would have after hours in terms of diagnosis and treatment plans. They became my role models and motivated me to pursue this career,” remembers Dr. Castiblanco.
The Power of Mentorship
Today, Dr. Castiblanco serves not only as a physician but also as an educator—roles she bears with pride. “One of the strengths of our department is the amount of emphasis we place on resident training and resident well-being. We’re super invested in making sure they have the tools and the support that they need to thrive,” she says. Dr. Castiblanco lectures regularly for ophthalmology residents, as well as for the pediatric and adult rheumatology teams. In the clinic, she primarily works with first-, second-, and third-year residents.
“Many of the patients that we see together are either newly diagnosed or have had the condition for years. So, if they come across a uveitis patient in their private practice, they’re not necessarily going to say, ‘Oh my god, I don’t know what to do.’ No, they’re going to say, ‘Actually, I’ve seen this before.’” For her teaching excellence, Dr. Castiblanco has won the Outstanding Clinical Instructor Award twice—first in 2020 and again in 2023.
The Power of Representation
Breaking down barriers to care is particularly important for the conditions Dr. Castiblanco treats. “Uveitis can be a very challenging disease. If it’s not recognized early, if it’s not managed properly, and if patients don’t stay on top of it, it can lead to blindness,” she says. “When I was younger in charge of going with family members to the doctor, and that’s when I realized that there was a demand for Latino physicians.”
To be effective, notes Dr. Castiblanco, patients with uveitis need to be seen—literally and figuratively. “There’s definitely a change when you speak to someone in their own language,” she says. “You see the change in their expression. They can communicate their hopes and fears when maybe before they would just nod and say, ‘Yes, I understand,’ when they didn’t. To be able to be that bridge I said I wanted to be in my personal statement for med school means a lot to me.”
It undoubtably means a lot to her patients, too.
Philanthropy helps provide physicians like Dr. Castiblanco protected time to teach Einstein students the science and practice of medicine.
EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE MAIN EVENTS | 2024
Across the country, Montefiore Einstein brought our community together at events throughout the year to celebrate our collective achievements, honor philanthropic partners, share insights from groundbreaking discoveries, and cultivate new and existing relationships. We are grateful to all who joined us for a luncheon, round of golf, game of bridge, or sip of wine, and hope to see you at one of the many gatherings planned for the year ahead.
In March, Montefiore Einstein leadership, supporters, and friends left the cold behind for Palm Beach, Florida, where a series of events showcased some of the organization’s most eminent experts and offered a glimpse into the institution’s ambitious plans for the future. Back in New York, more than 250 supporters gathered for the Einstein Women’s Division’s 70th Anniversary Spirit of Achievement Luncheon in May, which raised a record $760,000 for groundbreaking research. This year’s honorees included Betsy C. Herold, MD, the Harold and Muriel Block Chair in Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and Einstein Trustee Carol B. Einiger.
Many of us also came together for some healthy competition. In June, golfers teed off at the 26th Montefiore Einstein Golf Tournament benefiting the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein. The event raised thousands of dollars to support services for our youngest patients. Meanwhile, bridge, canasta, shopping, and the science of weight management were all on the table at the Einstein Women’s Division’s Cards for a Cause benefit at the Harmonie Club in New York City in September. In total, attendees raised $75,000 to advance scientific discovery. That same month, more than 180 aspiring oenophiles came together at the Wine Tasting Benefit for a special pairing: an exclusive discussion on new research from the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a masterclass in wines of the Southern Hemisphere.
In October, medical student Trevor Barker ’27 spoke to Einstein’s most ardent supporters at the Dean’s Society Reception—honoring individuals who give $1,500 or more—about the gift of paying it forward: “My classmates and I will someday sit in the seats that you’re sitting in now, with the privilege of giving back the love and generosity you have already shown us.”
And in one of the final events of the year, with moving testimonials, a gorgeous venue, and—most importantly—more than 600 of our supporters, the 2024 Montefiore Einstein Gala this past November was once again a resounding success. Held at the iconic New York Botanical Garden, the sold-out event highlighted the institution’s incredible advancements during the past year, including the transformational gift from Einstein Board Chair Ruth L. Gottesman, EdD, which will provide free tuition in perpetuity for all MD students.
Photos (right): 2024 annual Spirit of Achievement Luncheon and Albert Einstein College of Medicine Women’s Division past honorees Eleanor Roosevelt, Billie Jean King, and Bob Hope
EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
IT’S A DATE
MONTEFIORE EINSTEIN IN FLORIDA
Time: 11:30am Location: The Colony, Palm Beach
Join faculty in Palm Beach to hear some of the latest news out of Montefiore Einstein.
EINSTEIN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: SAN FRANCISCO
Time: 11:00am Location: Private Residence
Connect with Einstein alumni, parents, and friends in the area.
71 st SPIRIT OF ACHIEVEMENT LUNCHEON
Time: 11:30am Location: The Rainbow Room, New York, NY
Celebrate Einstein and our honorees at the Women’s Division’s signature fundraising event.
27 th ANNUAL MONTEFIORE EINSTEIN GOLF TOURNAMENT
Time: 12:00pm Location: Winged Foot Country Club
Play 18 holes on a world-class course and support the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Einstein.
To attend any of these events, or learn more about how you can support them, please contact us at events@montefiore.org or 718.920.6656.
What’s On Your Mind?
We plan to launch a new donor digital salon series to give friends like you an opportunity to learn about the most pressing questions in medicine from Montefiore Einstein experts. Each salon will feature a researcher or clinician discussing what matters to you most. Have topic ideas to share? Please let us know at: tinyurl.com/MontefioreEinsteinQuestions.