Updated on Sep 24, 2026 | Featured, Patient Stories
Karl Hoffman with his surgeon, John Phair, MD
For more than 45 years, Karl Hoffman has dedicated his life to education.
A lifelong New Yorker who was raised in the Bronx and now calls Queens home, he has spent decades shaping young minds—from serving as a science department chair at a local high school to his current role teaching criminology at St. John’s University in Queens. At 77 years old, he’s still doing what he loves most: inspiring students in the classroom.
But earlier this year, while preparing for a knee replacement surgery to relieve years of debilitating arthritis pain, he learned that another, far more serious health issue demanded immediate attention.
He had no symptoms, and so he had no idea that one of the arteries supplying blood to his brain was nearly blocked.
“I felt perfectly fine,” he says. “I was focused on getting my knee replaced so I could get back to walking comfortably again. I never imagined they would find something that could have caused a stroke.”
As part of the routine pre-operative evaluation before his orthopedic surgery with Edward C. Yang, MD, he underwent a vascular examination. The screening revealed a 90 percent blockage in his carotid artery—a potentially life-threatening condition that significantly increases the risk of stroke.
The blockage was caught before it caused a stroke, and the vascular surgery team at Mount Sinai Queens acted quickly. Within weeks, he underwent transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR), a unique and minimally invasive procedure designed to restore blood flow to the brain while reducing the risk of stroke.
“One of the biggest challenges with carotid artery disease is that many patients have no symptoms until they experience a stroke,” says John Phair, MD, Associate Professor of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “The routine pre-operative evaluation gave us the opportunity to detect the blockage early and treat it before it became a life-threatening emergency. TCAR allowed us to provide a less invasive treatment with a quicker recovery, helping him safely return to the life he enjoys.”
Mr. Hoffman underwent the procedure and was home the next day. Just one week later, he was back in the classroom.
“I couldn’t believe how quickly I recovered,” he says. “I was grateful to get back to my students and back to doing what I love.”
With the vascular procedure behind him, he went on to have his long-awaited knee replacement surgery. Once he recovers through physical therapy, he’s looking forward to returning to the activities arthritis had forced him to put on hold—from exploring museums and the New York Botanical Garden with his wife of 51 years to spending another semester in the classroom.
“Stories like Karl’s remind us why routine screenings are so important,” says Christopher Smolock, MD, Professor, Vascular Surgery and Radiology and Chief of Vascular Surgery, Mount Sinai Queens. “Advanced procedures like TCAR allow us to treat severe carotid artery disease before it leads to a stroke, and we’re proud to provide that level of specialized vascular care right here in Queens.”
For Mr. Hoffman, the surgical procedures mean he can focus on what comes next.
“You never know what a routine test might uncover,” he says. “I’m thankful the team found the blockage when they did. Because of them, I’m looking forward to getting back to my family, my students, and the life I love.”
At Mount Sinai Queens, patients have access to innovative vascular care close to home. From advanced diagnostic screenings to minimally invasive procedures like TCAR, our vascular surgery team is helping patients return to the lives they love with expert, compassionate care. To learn more or schedule a consultation with John Phair, MD, or Christopher Smolock, MD, contact Mount Sinai Queens Vascular Surgery at 718-808-7777 for Mount Sinai Doctors-Astoria and 718-520-6100 for Mount Sinai Doctors-Forest Hills.
Updated on Sep 24, 2026 | Featured, Patient Stories, Research
“It has been a game changer,” says Ellen Nissenbaum. “Before the trial, I had seen a major decline in my health over four years.”
It’s that time again. In less than two hours, Ellen Nissenbaum must leave her office in Washington, D.C., where she works for a nonpartisan research and policy institute. She needs to catch the train to New York. There’s the usual rush to finish everything she needs to do and pack up the work she’ll bring with her on the train.
She’s not going for a weekend of visiting friends or touring the town. She’s going to see her cancer doctor and learn whether the clinical trial of a new medicine is continuing to keep her blood cancer in check, and she’s feeling the best she has felt in years.
“When I first started making this trip two years ago, it was harried and tense,” she says. “Now it’s become a routine—and one I actually look forward to doing.”
In fact, she’s excited to see her doctor, John O. Mascarenhas, MD, Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director of the Center of Excellence for Blood Cancers and Myeloid Disorders, and the team at the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center.
“I haven’t seen him in a while, and I look forward to learning about an upcoming change in my treatment,” she says.
If all goes as planned this time, she’ll only need to come to New York for her myeloproliferative neoplasm treatment once a month. That will make her life much easier.
Myeloproliferative neoplasms are a group of rare blood cancers where the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. About 20,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center in New York is widely recognized as a global leader in the research and treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms.
These blood cancers generally develop after age 50. They are chronic conditions that people can manage and live with for a long time if treated properly. However, some of these conditions can be more aggressive and develop into acute leukemia.
On the train
The train ride gives Ms. Nissenbaum a chance to settle in. It’s quiet, and she can work as the train speeds through Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey toward Penn Station in New York. Then, she will spend the night in a hotel in Manhattan and take the subway to The Mount Sinai Hospital the next morning for her infusion therapy.
“I’ve made this trip so many times that I feel completely comfortable with it now,” she says.
She believes the clinical trial is literally making the difference between life and death.
“It has been a game changer. Before the trial, I had seen a major decline in my health over four years,” she says. “Now, because of this treatment, I have been fortunate that my cancer hasn’t made me sick or limited my life. I’m especially looking forward to seeing my test results tomorrow.”
“Ellen is a pioneer in cancer research,” says her doctor, John O. Mascarenhas, MD.
She often gets the lab results before the medical team does through her Mount Sinai MyChart app on her phone.
“I love seeing that. The infusion is keeping my platelets at normal levels. That’s something I hadn’t seen in 25 years,” she says.
Participation in the trial also helps cover her hotel, transportation, and meals. Without that support, she says participating would be extremely difficult for her—and impossible for many others.
Fortunately, her doctor referred her to Dr. Mascarenhas, who is an expert in myeloproliferative neoplasms. She had been with Mount Sinai for a few years when Dr. Mascarenhas presented the opportunity to her, and they made a decision to pursue this trial based on her disease features and her personal goals.
“The trial comes with costs in many ways, but those are nothing compared with what I’ve gained from being part of it and from being cared for by this incredible team,” she says.
Ms. Nissenbaum was the first person enrolled in the trial at Mount Sinai. She takes pride in knowing that the team has learned a great deal from her participation, and she hopes that knowledge will benefit others.
“I tease Dr. Mascarenhas that I’m his ‘guinea pig,’” she says.
“Ellen is a pioneer in cancer research as she was one of the very first patients in the world to receive a first-in-human immunotherapeutic for her myeloproliferative neoplasm,” says Dr. Mascarenhas. “She approached this trial and her disease with courage and a desire to be an active participant in the process. I admire her. We have been thrilled by the clinical response and the hope for disease modification in a chronic progressive hematologic malignancy.”
The next day
“Early Thursday morning, I wake up in New York City and head to Mount Sinai, where I’m warmly greeted by the nurses who have had my back for two and a half years,” she says.
“When I first started, I was terrified of needles, and infusions were traumatic,” she says. “The nurses listened, understood, and found ways to make the experience tolerable. Their compassion changed everything for me.”
She’s probably sat in every chair in the infusion center, and she even has a few favorites. About once a month, she brings the staff homemade chocolate-chip banana bread.
“It feels like such a small gesture for everything they do, but they seem to love it,” she says.
“When I first started, I was terrified of needles, and infusions were traumatic,” says Ms. Nissenbaum. “The nurses listened, understood, and found ways to make the experience tolerable. Their compassion changed everything for me.”
Heading home
After a half day at Tisch Cancer Center, she is ready to head home to Washington. These days, she’s excited about the possibility of coming less often while still being closely monitored remotely.
“It’s wonderful news—and another reminder of how fortunate I am to be on this trial and to have this remarkable team beside me,” she says.
Ellen Nissenbaum is part of a phase 1 (NCT05936359) open-label multicenter study with Incyte Corporation of INCA033989 administered as monotherapy or in combination with ruxolitinib in participants with myeloproliferative neoplasms with John O. Mascarenhas, MD, Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director of the Center of Excellence for Blood Cancers and Myeloid Disorders, and a member of Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center.
Updated on Aug 28, 2026 | Featured, Patient Stories
Scott Mellis, MD, PhD, has lived with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 20 years under the care of doctors at The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai. It has not always been easy.
He has one message for anyone diagnosed with the chronic condition: “Be hopeful, recognize that you can have a good and productive life despite the MS.”
For him, that has meant a successful career as a medical researcher and, more recently, an active life in retirement dedicated to his lifelong passion for birdwatching and stargazing and committed to expanding opportunities for others like him living with MS or other disabilities. This includes a project to make it easier for others to obtain special equipment so they can continue to enjoy hobbies such as observing nature and the stars.
For much of his adult life, Dr. Mellis, had no serious health concerns. But he experienced a dramatic change after he slipped and fell during the winter of 2005, and a few months later his left-hand fingers “felt like they were moving through molasses” while playing the guitar. A friend suggested he see a neurologist, and after an MRI, he was told he has MS.
“I was 51 years old when the diagnosis was made. A bit of a shock,” he recalls.
Soon after, he attended a Keystone Symposia on MS, a scientific conference that brings together researchers and clinicians to share advances in research and treatment. As a trained rheumatologist and immunologist whose medical career focused on treatments that could be helpful to people, he found the conference beneficial for understanding MS. Health care professionals he met there strongly recommended The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis. Aaron Miller, MD, the Center’s Medical Director, has been “my neurologist and counselor for 20 years,” he says.
“The sheer beauty of nature and birds, the awesomeness of celestial objects, provides a lot of comfort. People with MS have a lot of challenges, and a few moments of awe and wonder can really bring a lot of joy to one’s life.” — Scott Mellis, MD, PhD
How and when to disclose your MS to others is one of the first decisions people newly diagnosed have to encounter. Dr. Mellis kept his condition private for about a year. “I was fortunate to have a wonderfully supportive wife and family, and eventually I told my kids,” he says.
At Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown, New York, where Mellis headed the Department of Translational Medicine, he initially did not disclose his condition. But within a year “I became the guy riding around the office in the mobility scooter,” he recalls.
Colleagues were very supportive, and he was able to continue his leadership position researching and developing new drugs. Determined to not allow his progressive MS to hinder his career, he continued to work at Regeneron for another 15 years after his diagnosis.
Since retiring in early 2026, Dr. Mellis has pursued a mix of medically related work and his lifelong passions for birdwatching and stargazing. He was selected earlier this year to serve on the engagement coordination team of the International Progressive MS Alliance, a consortium of organizations from countries around the world that support MS research. In June, he traveled to Milan, Italy, for his first in-person meeting with the team, comprised of individuals who can share perspectives on living with MS and help advise the Alliance on deciding research priorities.
With his secondary progressive MS, he had to give up his favorite pastimes of cycling and playing tennis and squash.
“Once I developed MS, my new action sport became filling the bird feeder,” he says. “I liked to watch the birds at the feeder and started setting up binoculars to get a close-up view and try to take photographs of birds at the feeders.”
But he noticed that as his MS progressed, it became increasingly difficult to hold a pair of binoculars, or carry a tripod with a spotting scope that birders use, or set up a telescope to look at the stars.
Motivated to pursue his birdwatching and stargazing passions, he began to tinker at home with a parallelogram mount, an apparatus that uses a swing arm to position binoculars or a small telescope in front of your eyes and hold them there hands-free. “You can sit comfortably and enjoy a beautiful view of nature or the night sky,” he says.
Friends at the Audubon Society and the Westchester Amateur Astronomers club, two organizations he has long been active in were quick to help. For participants in the National MS Society’s Westchester Walk last May, the team set up six optic stations, a combination of binoculars and spotting scopes on parallelogram mounts as well as larger telescopes. “For people living with disability to be able to use these tools is really transformative” he says.
To share his knowledge and experience adapting equipment to appreciate nature, Dr. Mellis created an initiative called the Boundless Skies Alliance, and he is developing a website for people with MS or other disabilities to learn more about how to obtain and use readily available equipment to make these hobbies accessible. (Those seeking more information can contact him at sjmellis@gmail.com.)
“The sheer beauty of nature and birds, the awesomeness of celestial objects, provides a lot of comfort,” he says. “People with MS have a lot of challenges and a few moments of awe and wonder can really bring a lot of joy to one’s life.”
By Kenneth Bandler, a multiple sclerosis patient, advocate, and member of The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis Advisory Board.
Updated on Sep 23, 2026 | Featured, Patient Stories
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.”
Updated on Mar 18, 2026 | Cancer, Ear Nose Throat, Featured, Head and Neck, Patient Stories, Your Health
Actor Jay Russell, Courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse
Actors often call on their own experiences when developing a character for the stage. But few have the depth of understanding that 21-year head and neck cancer survivor Jay Russell brings to the role of Caesar Rodney in the musical 1776, playing at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, from Wednesday, April 1, to Saturday, May 2.
The Tony Award-winning show portrays the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Rodney, a delegate to the Continental Congress, struggled with his own cancer that affected his face throughout this period and eventually died of the disease. In what was arguably his most influential act, he cast a decisive vote for independence.
The actor’s cancer journey began in 2004, when he discovered a lump in his neck. Doctors at what was then called Beth Israel Medical Center took a biopsy, which showed squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer that can arise in the head and neck region. It had started in his right tonsil, then spread to the lymph nodes in his neck. Treatment included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Due to the location of the tumor, Mr. Russell used a feeding tube, which led to a 40-pound weight loss.
“I’m an actor. I take direction well, so I did everything they said to do,” he says. He was back at work about 11 months after the start of treatment. “They took excellent care of me.”
The treatment was successful, and more than two decades later he remains cancer-free. (And in that time, the hospital became Mount Sinai Beth Israel, which closed in 2025.)
“There’s some asymmetry to my face and I sometimes have difficulty swallowing, but my speaking and singing voice came through unscathed,” says Mr. Russell, who has since performed on- and off-Broadway, on national tours and regional theatres, and on film and television.
We know less about Caesar Rodney’s medical story back in the 18th century. There was no effective treatment for his cancer at that time, though reports indicate that a doctor operated on his nose, leaving him disfigured. According to reports, he rarely went out in public without a green scarf covering part of his face.
But he didn’t let his illness stand in his way. Mr. Rodney served as an officer in the Delaware militia, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and governor of Delaware. His history-making moment came when the Continental Congress was voting on whether to declare independence from Britain. At that point, Mr. Rodney was in Dover, Delaware. The other two Delaware delegates were at an impasse in Philadelphia; one delegate was against declaring independence, the other for it. They needed someone to break the tie and get a “yes” vote from Delaware.
Mr. Russell (back row, fourth from right) with the cast of the musical 1776. Photo credited to Rebecca J Michelson.
In the film version of 1776, Mr. Rodney was back home recuperating from his disease; the film portrays him as a frail, elderly man. But the historical record suggests that he was in his late 40s, pragmatic, and back in Dover dealing with the Delaware militia. So, a bit of a different story is told in 1776.
“I imagine our director wanted to cast someone who had strength and resilience,” says Mr. Russell.
In real life and in the show, as soon as he received the message that he was needed urgently, Mr. Rodney jumped on a horse and rode 18 hours through a torrential storm to Philadelphia. He arrived muddy, exhausted, and eager to cast his vote to cut ties with Britain.
Mr. Russell says his personal experience overcoming adversity helps him understand what it was like for the historical figure.
“No matter how strong, resilient, and admirable Rodney was, he was in great pain and discomfort having this untreatable cancer on his face,” he says. “I will certainly use my own memories of the pain, the treatment, and the experience that I had in portraying Rodney.”
That’s not the only lesson Mr. Russell brings to his portrayal of the historical figure.
“Rodney’s diagnosis led him to understand how precious time was and how he had to use every moment,” says Mr. Russell. The politician used that moment to help bring independence to the 13 colonies. The actor brings it to share that important story on stage.
Besides being the 250th anniversary of 1776, Mr. Russell believes the musical’s revival is extremely timely. “This show celebrates the core of what made us a country, and how differing viewpoints can unite and come together for the common good,” he says.
Mar 6, 2026 | Featured, Patient Stories, Your Health
When Jessica Rodriguez, 55, experienced sudden, severe jaw pain one evening, she assumed it was related to recent dental work. But as the pain worsened overnight, she trusted her instincts and sought emergency care—a decision that saved her life.
At Mount Sinai Queens, Ms. Rodriguez was treated by Jonathan L. Murphy, MD, an interventional cardiologist, who quickly identified that she was having a severe heart attack, despite her initial symptoms being subtle. Additional testing revealed a 100 percent blockage in her right coronary artery, and Dr. Murphy immediately performed a life-saving stent procedure to restore blood flow to her heart.
Jonathan L. Murphy, MD. Click here to make an appointment.
“Heart attacks don’t always present as chest pain, especially in women,” says Dr. Murphy. “Symptoms like jaw pain, back pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath can be warning signs and should never be ignored.”
Thanks to rapid diagnosis and treatment, Ms. Rodriguez recovered quickly and returned home within a day. She has since made lifestyle changes to support her heart health, including increasing physical activity, improving her diet, and working to quit smoking, while also learning about her family history of heart disease.
Dr. Murphy emphasizes the importance of self-monitoring and self-advocacy. “If something doesn’t feel right, listen to your body and seek care,” he says. “Acting early can save your life.”
Ms. Rodriguez, a Queens resident, now shares her story to encourage others—especially women—to take symptoms seriously.
“I almost talked myself out of getting help,” she says. “Trusting myself made all the difference.”
