Turning Health Administration Classroom Lessons Into Real-World Health Care Impact

Jun 9, 2026 | Featured, School

Titus Kong, MHA

Titus Kong, MHA

Titus Kong, MHA, is an alumnus of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The MHA program prepared him for a career as an Operations Supervisor in Mount Sinai’s Emergency Department.

Mr. Kong started his higher education journey studying Organizational Psychology at Baruch College. He completed his undergraduate degree in 2022 and began looking for Human Resources positions around New York City.

He worked as a line cook, waiter, and server at various restaurants, where he discovered that he enjoyed serving people. Mr. Kong’s next role was at Gentile Retina, an ophthalmology clinic run by the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. He worked there for two years, gaining useful clinical experience. Mr. Kong enjoyed interacting with patients and found that they enjoyed his dedication to providing a positive care experience for them.

“I had a lot of fun interacting with the patients at Gentile Retina. They enjoyed the service and dedication that I provided. It felt fulfilling to address their needs and concerns.”

Mr. Kong wanted to expand his career and began looking into graduate programs. He noticed that the Icahn School of Medicine had an MHA program. He found that this program aligned with what he was looking for professionally. He discovered that some of the doctors he worked with were professors at Mount Sinai, which inspired him to apply. He only applied to the MHA program at the Icahn School of Medicine; he says it was that program or nothing.

Mr. Kong also has a personal connection to The Mount Sinai Hospital—he was born there.

Upon joining the program, Mr. Kong found two courses to be particularly impactful during his studies. The first was Health System Operations and Program Management, taught by Victoria Ellsworth, MHA, who now serves as his advisor. The course provided a comprehensive overview of health care operations across a variety of care settings, including inpatient and ambulatory operations, quality and safety, patient experience, supply chain management, health care facilities, emergency management, and the relationship between operations and finance. The course gave Mr. Kong a practical understanding of how different hospital departments work together, preparing him to coordinate teams and drive operational improvements in a fast-paced emergency care environment.

The second course that had a lasting impact on him was Population Health and Managed Care, taught by Robert Fields, MD, MHA. The course explored the ongoing shift toward population health management and value-based care across the U.S. health care system, examining the clinical, financial, organizational, and analytical strategies required for health care organizations to succeed in an evolving landscape. Through the course, Mr. Kong developed an understanding of health care utilization trends, value-based payment models, risk management, and the importance of delivering high-quality care while maintaining financial sustainability.

He appreciated how the MHA program paired each student with a mentor. His mentor was Maya Ayoubi, MHA, a former member of the Patient Operations Team at Mount Sinai. He was inspired by Ms. Ayoubi’s dedication to improving processes and her advice to him; say yes to everything and to take on challenges to gain experience. Mr. Kong felt that Ms. Ayoubi understood his goals and helped him accomplish them during the program.

He credits David Feldgofel, MHA, Associate Director of the Emergency Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital, as an important mentor during his internship. This relationship has continued as Mr. Feldgofel is now his direct supervisor. Mr. Kong also found the MHA program staff to be helpful during his time as a student.

“The community that Mount Sinai builds is unique compared to other schools. Everyone wants to see you succeed. Faculty help you create connections to people and resources from the Health System to enhance your studies.”

Mr. Kong believes the most valuable part of his experience was learning from professors that are working professionals, often within the Mount Sinai Health System. He appreciated their in-depth knowledge and ability to relate classroom concepts to real-life applications. His training in the MHA program is invaluable in his current role as Operations Supervisor in the Emergency Department, where he regularly applies concepts related to workflow optimization, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.

Flexibility was an important part of the program for Mr. Kong, since he continued his work at Gentile Retina while completing his MHA at Mount Sinai. He was able to finish the program in just one year.

“The Mount Sinai MHA program offers both online and in-person classes. This is extremely helpful for students working full-time. The flexibility here is great compared to other graduate programs.”

Mr. Kong completed the program in 2025 and is now the Operations Supervisor in the Emergency Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital. He heard about the role from Ms. Ellsworth. He began as an intern in the Emergency Department, where he noticed the workflows and processes could use improvement.

“Mount Sinai is great at providing student opportunities. We receive a lot of emails from faculty with available internships. That’s how I found the role within the Department of Emergency Medicine.”

He was able to help identify the root issues in the Emergency Department and take steps to rectify the problems. Mr. Kong utilized lessons from his MHA courses, particularly related to concepts such as project management and data analysis. He now understands how operational decisions within the Emergency Department fit into larger health system goals, allowing him to approach challenges with both patient outcomes and organizational performance in mind. In addition, he also learned how to partner and communicate with staff in the department, specifically to help them understand why operational changes are necessary and what the positive results will be for them.

Mr. Kong plans to continue working at the Emergency Department and developing his career further at Mount Sinai.

 

Learn more about the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at Mount Sinai

Riding the New Wave of AI in Health Care

Updated on Jun 4, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence, Events, Featured, Research

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the New York Academy of Sciences jointly hosted a conference, “The New Wave of AI in Health Care,” on May 12 and May 13, 2026.

The health care industry has overwhelmingly embraced artificial intelligence (AI) technology in all aspects—clinical, academic, administrative, and more—and with the breakneck speed of progress in this area, it’s little wonder the field is seeing an outpouring of innovation.

But innovation works best when all players collectively work together to create a wave that uplifts everyone.

“There is a real risk of creating silos. Competition, proprietary data, and intellectual property all pull institutions inward,” says Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, CPH, Chair of the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health (AIHH) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“But AI in health care punishes silos: a model trained on one hospital’s patients tends to fail at the next. Building something safe and generalizable forces you to collaborate,” says Dr. Nadkarni.

The speed at which AI developments occur makes it all the more important for everyone involved to convene. On Tuesday, May 12, and Wednesday, May 13, the Icahn School of Medicine and the New York Academy of Sciences jointly hosted a conference, “The New Wave of AI in Health Care.”

Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, CPH, Chair of the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, speaking at the The New Wave of AI in Health Care conference.

Over the two days, attendees gleaned the latest ways AI is being used to rethink health care delivery, clinical workflows, drug discovery, and patient experience and outcomes. More importantly, the event served as an opportunity for networking, creating the foundations for future collaboration. The event attracted clinicians, academics, industry professionals, and news media from around the world, with renowned institutions participating, including Mayo Clinic, Epic, AstraZeneca, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Alexander Charney, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, delivered the closing address during the conference.

“Oftentimes you go to conferences and the real experience is what happens between the talks—the one-on-one conversations you have with everyone,” said Alexander Charney, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of AIHH, during his closing remarks at the event.

The gathering of so many great minds together in one space to collectively ask questions about AI and solve problems in health care is inspiring, said Dr. Charney in his speech.

“At times, I was thinking about how people in the future would look at us today, and how people in the past would look at us today—in this room, dealing with this challenge of our time of how artificial intelligence is going to be used in health care and taking care of people,” he said. “And where I land on how we move forward, is that we should try and make both of those groups of people proud.”

What is this new wave of AI in the health care industry? Dr. Nadkarni, who hosted a keynote session, shares his perspective on the development of the field and his thoughts on the conference. A video recording of his session can also be viewed below.


Session VII: Keynote and Learning Health System. Session includes a fireside chat with former New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi, MD, and a presentation from a member of NIH.

What is this “new wave of AI” we are seeing in health care? What makes it different from other technological waves we’ve seen before?

It’s not the first such wave—AI in medicine goes back to the expert systems of the 1970s and the machine learning wave of the last 15 years. What’s new is large, general-purpose, multimodal models at unprecedented scale. Earlier tools were narrow and brittle; this wave is general and fluent. The same model can read a note, interpret a scan, and reason across both. And it has crossed out of the lab into the clinic, touching the actual practice of medicine. That’s why it feels less like a better tool and more like a genuine shift.

How often do events such as this occur to bring innovators together? What would you say are some of the biggest values of such conferences?

They’re getting more frequent, but the ones that matter are still rare, because the hard part isn’t gathering people, it’s gathering the right mix. The value is putting clinicians, computer scientists, ethicists, regulators, and patients in one room. It separates signal from hype, builds the relationships that later become multisite studies, and forces the hard questions about equity and implementation onto the main stage. Honestly, the hallway conversations matter as much as the talks.

What does equity in health care AI look like, and how can we deliver the power of those tools to communities who need those solutions the most?

Equity doesn’t happen by default. Models built on well-resourced data tend to work worst for those already underserved. Conferences can help by refusing to treat that as an afterthought, by putting equity on the main stage, connecting innovators with safety-net and global-health partners—our work with the Guyana Ministry of Health is one example—and sharing tools openly so smaller institutions aren’t locked out.

AI’s real promise is scale. A validated model can reach a rural clinic as easily as an academic center, but only if we design for that from the start.

Over the two days of the The New Wave of AI in Health Care conference, speakers and panelists presented research and discussed the latest applications of AI in health care. Tanzeem Choudhury, PhD, from Cornell Tech, spoke in Session X: AI-Human Interactions and gave a presentation titled “The Future of Mental Health and AI – Perspective from Research, Entrepreneurship, and Implementation”.

The conference attracted leaders at the forefront of AI research in biomedical research and health care from around the world. John Halamka, MD, MS, from Mayo Clinic, delivered the opening keynote presentation in Session I: Welcome & State of the Art AI Models in Healthcare titled “Transforming Care Delivery Today—and What Comes Next”.

Representatives from Mount Sinai, including Robert Freeman, DNP, RN, Chief Digital Transformation Officer at the Mount Sinai Health System, spoke about AI innovations at the Health System. He hosted Session V: AI at the Bedside and Session VI: AI at the Bedside (Continued).

Benjamin Glicksberg, PhD, Director of the Center for AI in Children’s Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (second from right) seen in discussion during one of the various networking sessions held in between talks and presentations. These networking opportunities lay the foundation for collaboration between institutions.

Jeremy Hallett, MS, from University of Wisconsin-Madison, presenting during the poster session held at the end of the first day of the conference. The poster session featured research from 20 presenters.
The New Wave of AI in Health Care conference was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of the Icahn School of Medicine and the New York Academy of Sciences. Members of the organizing committee in this photo include, from left to right and back to front, Benjamin Glicksberg, PhD; Girish Nadkarni, MD, MPH; Alexander Charney, MD, PhD; Kelly Morgan, MHA; Ipek Ensari, PhD; Cassie Chartier, PhD; and Melanie Brickman Borchard, PhD, MSc.

What sort of pace should academic health systems like Mount Sinai be adopting for this wave of AI? Should systems like ours be at the forefront and setting directions?

Fast enough to lead, deliberate enough to be safe. Academic systems have the data, the patients, the rigor, and the mandate to generate evidence rather than just byproducts—so yes, we should be at the forefront. Our job is to set the standard and give the field a trustworthy template to follow. Leading here means leading on rigor and equity, not simply being first.

Lastly, in reflecting on Dr. Charney’s closing remarks, what are your thoughts on how the world of the past and the world of the future would think about what we’re doing with AI in health care today?

Clinicians a generation ago would be astonished that a machine can draft a note or read a scan—and probably wary about what it means for the human relationship at the center of medicine.

The future, I think, will judge us not on how clever our models were, but on whether we used them wisely, safely, and fairly, and kept the patient and clinician at the center. Echoing Dr. Charney, my hope is they’ll see this as the moment we chose to augment human care rather than replace it. We’re not just building tools—we’re setting precedents.

Video recordings of all sessions are available and can be viewed at these links

Day 1: Session I Day 1: Session II and III Day 1: Session IV and V Day 1: Session VI and Closing
Day 2: Welcome and Session VII Day 2: Session VIII Day 2: Session IX Day 2: Session X and Closing

MyPath: A New Approach to Improve Women’s Health Through Midlife and Beyond

May 28, 2026 | Featured, Women's Health, Your Health

Women’s health is complex—and it doesn’t often fit neatly into one appointment or one specialty. Many women experience distinct symptoms across life stages. They may wonder what’s going on, or where to turn next. Add the demands of work, family, and everyday life, and women may feel stretched thin and unheard.

“At the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, we offer a unique approach to women’s health called MyPath where care is organized around personalized pathways–integrated, coordinated, and holistic care designed to support your whole body and your whole life. Everything you need is here—guided, connected, and focused on you,” says Anna M. Barbieri, MD, Clinical Strategy Lead at the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness.

“Our care pathways address transitions such as emotional health, sleep, energy, gynecologic health, and other layers of health that cannot be addressed in a single visit,” she adds.

“MyPath supports women through life’s transitions with clarity and empathy,” says Joanne L. Stone, MD, physician-scientist and Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“Each pathway brings together the right specialists at the right time, so your care feels intentional—not overwhelming,” she adds.

The first pathway focuses on one of the most important chapters of women’s health: the midlife transition, featuring perimenopause and menopause.

MyPath Balance 40+: Support for the Midlife Years

Midlife can bring hormonal shifts, sleep disruption, weight gain, stress, and new health concerns. MyPath Balance 40+ is a six-month, personalized care experience created to help women age 40 and over feel stronger, healthier, and more in control of their well-being.

Patients will receive coordinated support for:

  • Hormonal and metabolic health, including weight management
  • Heart and bone health
  • Sleep, mood, and stress
  • Pelvic and sexual health
  • Nutrition, movement, and overall vitality

“Your care unfolds step by step—starting with a comprehensive evaluation, followed by personalized treatment and ongoing support. So you always know what’s happening and why,” says Francesco Callipari, MD, Medical Director at the new Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, and Assistant Clinical Professor and Vice Chair of Operations, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“This approach is different because it’s not rushed, not fragmented, and because it’s designed around how women actually live,” he adds.

Looking Ahead

Additional MyPath programs will include MyPath Moms, MyPath Surgical Recovery, MyPath Healthspan, and MyPath Vitality 60+, each supporting women through different life stages.

Learn more about MyPath Balance 40+
Learn more about the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women’s Health and Wellness
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Public Health Research Day 2026 Showcases Student Innovation, Collaboration, and Career Inspiration at Mount Sinai

Updated on May 28, 2026 | Featured, Research, School

A photo of winners Saarim Qureshi, MPH, Annum Jaffer, MPH, Tina Chen, MPH, and Program Director Dania Valvi, MPH, PhD, MPH

From left: Winners Saarim Qureshi, MPH, Annum Jaffer, MPH, Tina Chen, MPH, and Program Director Dania Valvi, MPH, PhD, MPH

Public Health Research Day, hosted by the Graduate Program in Public Health, recently celebrated student research from the master’s programs in the Department of Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

The event, held Thursday, May 21, began with two keynote speakers who are both alumni of Mount Sinai. The first was Hannah Thompson, MD, MPH, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and physician at the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health. Dr. Thompson specializes in occupational medicine and care for patients in the World Trade Center Health Program. She earned her Master of Public Health through Mount Sinai’s MD/MPH training pathway.

The second keynote speaker was Kshitij Sachdev, MS, a graduate of the Master of Science in Epidemiology program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is currently pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Iowa. His academic and research interests focus on epidemiology, environmental health, and population-based public health research, with experience contributing to interdisciplinary studies on environmental exposures and disease risk.

In his address, Dr. Thompson told the students that her MPH training gave her insight into public health, policy, and environmental medicine, which are all areas not included in her medical education. She also mentioned that working in public health provides a strong sense of purpose that is inspiring.

Mr. Sachdev explained how his training in the Master of Science in Epidemiology program prepared him to advance to a PhD program. He also emphasized the importance of networking in this industry and reminded the students that Mount Sinai is a great place to make connections. Students were able to ask both speakers questions about their experiences.

An image of Tina Chen, MPH, discussing her presentation

Tina Chen, MPH, discusses her presentation

The students then moved on to their lightning round presentations. Each student had two minutes to present a high-level overview of their research to our faculty, their peers, and prospective students. Faculty members scored the students based on criteria about the presentations.

The next stage of the event featured students presenting their research on posters in the Annenberg lobby. Other students, prospective students, and members of the Mount Sinai community gathered to see what our students created. There were lively discussions as participating students proudly explained their work.

“My professor, Mayaan Yitshak-Sade, taught me how pollution negatively impacts health outcomes over time if not addressed. This encouraged me to learn more about this and to help others understand the long-term health effects of pollution,” said Bahra Aldolapour, a Master of Science in Epidemiology student.

A photo of Justice-Keith Little, MHA

Justice-Keith Little, MHA, stands beside his presentation

Trang Dao, a Master of Public Health student, recommends taking advantage of connection opportunities at Mount Sinai.

“Get out there and speak to faculty while you’re a student. Your interests matter, and you never know who you could end up working with on research,” she said. “For example, I was able to utilize data from Mount Sinai for my research about cultural barriers to cervical care screening among East and Southeast Asian women in the U.S. There are so many opportunities for cross collaboration at Mount Sinai.”

“I’m sad that the program is nearly over. Working with my cohort and the faculty at Mount Sinai has been incredible. My time here has inspired me to continue expanding access to care for ALS patients, and I look forward to staying involved in this community,” said Justice-Keith Little, a Master of Health Administration student.

The day ended with faculty giving out awards to students based on their presentation scores. The winners included:

  • Best Abstract: Tina Chen, MPH
  • Best Online Oral Presentation: Annum Jaffer, MPH
  • Best In-Person Poster Presentation: Saarim Qureshi, MPH
Learn more about the master’s programs in the Department of Public Health

Training the Next Generation of Change-Makers in Nursing

Updated on May 26, 2026 | Featured, Nursing

2025 TRAIN Program leadership, speakers, staff, and fellows, from left: Bevin Cohen, PhD, MS, MPH, RN, FAAN; Kavita Rampertaap, MSN, RN, CPON; Tiffany Goldwire, MA, CHES; Selamawit Gebrezghi, MSN, FNP-c; Keisha Burrell, MSN, FP-BC; Joseph E. Ravenell, MD; Nickisha Mortimer, DNP, PMHNP; Tanmaiyee Vaddepati, MSN, MPH; Kimberly Souffront, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAHA, FAAN; and Crystal Tucker, DNP, PMH-RN-BC.

Hypertension remains a significant public health challenge and a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although clinical trials have identified effective interventions to improve hypertension outcomes, translation of findings remains uneven.

In 2023, the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation (CNRI) at Mount Sinai launched a novel program to address this disconnect. The third cohort of Translational Research And Implementation Science for Nurses (TRAIN) Program fellows will join Mount Sinai in May.

“The TRAIN Program is the first of its kind in the United States,” says Kimberly Souffront, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAHA, FAAN, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Equity Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Associate Director of the CNRI. “TRAIN offers a fellowship opportunity to Doctor of Nursing Practice students from historically underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds to develop expertise in translating evidence into clinical practice.”

The 12-week, summer boot camp-style initiative is supported by a five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health.

“The TRAIN program is built around two core components,” says Bevin Cohen, PhD, MS, MPH, RN, FAAN, Director of the CNRI. “TRAIN fellows are paired with researchers in the field to gain hands-on experience and personalized mentorship in the fields of health disparities, hypertension, and other topics central to the NHLBI mission. The approach helps to develop skills for working in translational research teams. Simultaneously, TRAIN fellows participate in a rich, structured curriculum designed around the principles and methods of translational research, implementation science, and interdisciplinary teamwork.”

TRAIN fellows travel to Mount Sinai from across the country to take part in the program, which features nationally renowned guest speakers who are clinician-scientists in the fields of nursing, medicine, social work, and psychology, along with DNP-prepared leaders who bring expertise in health care operations and quality. Meet the five fellows from the second cohort in 2025.

Keisha Burrell, MSN, FNP-BC

Keisha Burrell, MSN, FNP-BC, is an Air Force reservist and a family nurse practitioner at SUNY University of Buffalo, where her goal is to advance mental care for all communities. “The TRAIN program gave me a much better appreciation for how research and clinical practice go hand in hand,” she says. “In nursing school, I shied away from research. As my nursing practice matured, I wanted to strengthen that area to be better able to bring the latest nursing knowledge to the frontline.”

Throughout Ms. Burrell’s fellowship, she worked with Milla Arabadjian, PhD, FNP-BC, RN, Assistant Professor, Department of Foundations of Medicine at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, to​ conduct a series of one-on-one interviews with Black men at risk for hypertension and their partners to identify interpersonal factors that impacted cardiovascular health promotion. She deepened her research involvement by observing an institutional review board, sharing insights via a podcast, and presenting a poster abstract at the Eastern Nursing Research Society’s 38th Annual Scientific Sessions.

Crystal Tucker, DNP, PMH-RN-BC

Crystal Tucker, DNP, PMH-RN-BC, is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlote, North Carolina. Paired with mentor Billy A. Caceres, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, FPCNA, Associate Professor at the Columbia School of Nursing,  Ms. Tucker focused on a systematic literature review examining non-pharmacological interventions for hypertension in people living with serious mental illness—a project that she continues to work on with Dr. Caceres post-fellowship. “TRAIN was truly life changing to me personally and professionally,” Ms. Tucker says. “I hadn’t met any PhD-prepared nurse scientists, let alone any of color, so that was very inspirational. It also helped me see I can improve the health of more than one person at a time. For example, it can be hard for patients living with schizophrenia to get the help they need because of their symptoms, and some are reluctant to take medications. As a DNP working with a nurse scientist, we are finding ways to build a bridge where there’s a gap like this to find alternative approaches to improve the health of this community.”

Tanmaiyee Vaddepati, MSN, MPH

Tanmaiyee Vaddepati, MSN, MPH, practices in a medical-surgical unit at UMass Memorial Health, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her fellowship project involved equitable, primary care-integrated long COVID care for adults in New York City.

“Some research findings might not translate in an acute setting the same way they do in a community health setting,” Ms. Vaddepati says. “TRAIN helped us to focus on our role as DNPs to both identify available research and make it applicable within our own practice settings.”

“It was also really interesting to hear the different perspectives of fellows from across the country,” Ms. Vaddepati says. “Each of us had something unique to share that made for a rich collective learning experience. The other fellows have shared so much knowledge that I wouldn’t necessarily gain at the bedside or in a classroom.”

Nickisha Mortimer, DNP, PMHNP

Nickisha Mortimer, DNP, PMHNP, is a hospice clinical liaison for VNS Health. Her mentor was Ruth Masterson Creber, PhD, MSc, RN, FAAN, FAHA, the Mary Crawford Professor of Nursing and Director of the Center for Community-Engaged Health Informatics and Data Science at Columbia University’s School of Nursing. Ms. Mortimer had the opportunity to participate in Dr. Creber’s NHLBI-sponsored study “IMPROVE: Cardiac Care.”

“I didn’t come into the program seeing myself as a researcher at all,” Ms. Mortimer says. “So, this was an amazing opportunity, particularly as a student, to actively learn from the best of the best.”

She became involved in conducting reflexive interviews and analyzing how patient-reported outcomes inform clinical decision making. “I came to more deeply understand the importance of language, emotion, and environment in shaping how patients interpret health information,” she says. “The experience also revealed the symbiotic relationship between those doing the research and the DNP. I absolutely came away with more tools and knowledge that make me a far better provider.”

Selamawit Gebrezghi, MSN, FNP-c,

Selamawit Gebrezghi, MSN, FNP-c, is an Emergency Nurse Practitioner with Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa, California. As a TRAIN fellow, she contributed to a study of follow-up services for sexual assault survivors led by Jessica Draughon Moret, PhD, RN, Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis. She described her experience as one of the most transformative of her nursing career.

“I entered the fellowship wanting to understand how evidence becomes action,” Ms. Gebrezghi says. “While I engaged with research, I was never taught how to critically evaluate evidence, synthesize findings, or understand how implementation strategies can facilitate or hinder equitable outcomes. TRAIN provided me with that understanding and a completely new scientific framework that I would not have accessed without this opportunity. Translational research and implementation science are fields that have traditionally felt out of reach for clinicians from disadvantaged backgrounds like mine that have limited access to academic resources and professional networks.”

Ms. Gebrezghi echoed the sentiments of the other fellows, saying, “TRAIN didn’t just advance my career. It expanded my capacity to lead change locally and globally. It showed me that nurses are not only vital to health care, they are capable of transforming it.”

Learn more about Mount Sinai's Center for Nursing Research and Innovation

Stroke Patient Saved by Quick Clot Retrieval Using Minimally Invasive Procedure

Updated on May 27, 2026 | Featured

A group portrait showing: Yohannes Melaku, MD, center, Critical Care Physician, is back to work after experiencing a stroke while visiting his patients in the Mount Sinai South Nassau Intensive Care Unit. He is joined by his neurologycare team, from left, Joseph Merims, RN, Interventional Radiology; Jonathan Sisti, MD, Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgeon; M. Travis Caton, Jr., MD, Interventional Neuroradiologist; and Robert Croes, RN, Assistant Nurse Manager, Interventional Radiology.

Yohannes Melaku, MD, center, Critical Care Physician, is back to work after experiencing a stroke while visiting his patients in the Mount Sinai South Nassau Intensive Care Unit. He is joined by his neurology care team, from left, Joseph Merims, RN, Interventional Radiology; Jonathan Sisti, MD, Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgeon; M. Travis Caton Jr., MD, Interventional Neuroradiologist; and Robert Croes, RN, Assistant Nurse Manager, Interventional Radiology.

One Friday last October began like any other for Yohannes Melaku, MD, 54. The Mount Sinai intensivist and nephrologist was visiting his patients in the hospital’s ICU when a sudden wave of nausea hit him. As he walked to the restroom, his left leg felt unusually heavy.

“My left leg was dragging like I was dragging a heavy rock,” he recalled. “While I was in the bathroom, the heaviness in my left leg got worse…I was shuffling. I thought it was something transient and that it would pass, but my leg felt heavier and heavier. Then I knew this must be serious.”

As he began feeling “cloudy,” he said he yanked on the emergency pull cord to call for help. ICU personnel pounded on the restroom door and then unlocked it to render aid to their colleague, rushing him to the Emergency Department.

A CT and MRI confirmed the diagnosis: a stroke in the right carotid artery caused by a blood clot. That day, Dr. Melaku had become one of the nearly 700,000 Americans to experience a stroke each year.

Within minutes, doctors rushed him to the hospital’s Radiology Department, where M. Travis Caton Jr., MD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sina and an interventional neuroradiologist, and Jonathan Sisti, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and a cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgeon at the Mount Sinai Cerebrovascular Center, performed a thrombectomy. During the minimally invasive procedure, they guided a catheter equipped with a specialized tool through Dr. Melaku’s blood vessels to remove the clot and restore blood flow to his brain, reducing the risk of permanent tissue damage or death.

“He had a complete occlusion of his right internal carotid artery, which normally provides blood flow to 40-45 percent of the brain,” said Dr. Sisti. “Historically, that diagnosis—without thrombectomy—carries a mortality rate between 40-60 percent.”

After recovering from the stroke, Dr. Melaku is back in the ICU—this time, not as a patient, but as a medical provider with a new outlook on illness, patient care, and life.

“The time from the start of symptoms to intervention is extremely important,” he said. “As soon as the procedure was over, I regained all my function. I am 100 percent and have no residual weakness. If I had not gotten care in time, I would have been clinically disabled. It would have been disastrous.”

Alan Wong, DO, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Mount Sinai South Nassau, echoed Dr. Melaku’s assessment.

“Behind every neurological diagnosis is a patient whose life has changed in an instant,” Dr. Wong said. “Expanding our services allows us to bring cutting-edge treatments and multidisciplinary expertise together to deliver the highest level of care.”

While Dr. Melaku’s medical training helped him to promptly recognize the seriousness of his symptoms, he said physicians can become desensitized to seeing illness through daily exposure and feel invulnerable.

“As physicians, we think of ourselves as invincible. Sickness is someone else’s problem,” he said. “It could happen to anyone—irrespective of your identity as a physician.”

The stroke also helped him to realize the importance of demonstrating compassion toward patients.

“The doctors followed up with me to see how I was,” he said. “I realized personally that the idea of connecting with patients means a lot.”

Since the stroke, Dr. Melaku is maintaining tighter control of his blood pressure. Besides that, he has taken his exercise routine up a notch, dropped a few pounds, and cut down on salt.

“I’m probably one of the luckiest persons in the world,” he said. “The doctors and nurses really impressed me. They are highly skilled and very caring…This experience helped me appreciate the power of modern medicine.”