The 2023 Healthcare Heroes Editors’ Humanitarian Award
Dr. Augustine Moscatello
Director, Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Westchester Medical Center; Professor & Chair, Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, New York Medical College
Dr. Manoj Abraham
Associate Director of Otolaryngology, MidHudson Regional Hospital, and Founding Partner of Facial, Plastic, Reconstructive & Laser Surgery in Poughkeepsie; past-President, New York Facial Plastic Surgery Society and the Dutchess County Medical Society; Westchester Magazine Healthcare Hero, 2014
If “inspiring” is the first word that comes to mind when thinking about Drs. Augustine Moscatello and Manoj Abraham of WMCHealth, then “brave” must be the second. In September of 2022, these two highly accomplished physicians mounted a medical mission to use their world-class surgical skills to render vital aid to the hapless and war-torn people of Ukraine. After touching down in Krakow, Poland, the two surgeons spent roughly the next 12 hours riding a bus and being cleared by security checkpoints en route to Western Ukraine and Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Clinical Hospital, where the casualties were waiting. During the 10-day mission of mercy, Drs. Moscatello and Abraham evaluated and treated approximately three dozen patients, both civilian and military, most of whom were the victims of gunshots or artillery blasts. The doctors’ days often began at 5 a.m. and ended at 11 p.m., frequently amid the ominous din of emergency alerts and air-raid sirens.
During his career, Dr. Moscatello, has led or participated in more than two dozen medical missions worldwide, ranging from Cuba and Vietnam to Thailand, India, and Ethiopia, while Dr. Abraham is himself a multidecade veteran of international medical missions and survived ethnic violence as a child. The physicians concur that their time in Ukraine was unlike anything they had experienced before.
“The people of Ukraine are being battered by this war. As physicians, we were fortunate to help civilians and military personnel injured in the conflict,” says Dr. Moscatello. “We developed training programs for Ukrainian physicians, so they are familiar with the advanced surgical skills necessary to treat these horrendous injuries. We taught these techniques while we were in Ukraine and are developing a program to bring Ukrainian surgeons to the U.S. for this training.”
At press time, Dr. Moscatello, Dr. Abraham, and their colleagues were scheduled to return to Ukraine in April. Dr. Abraham estimates that the September 2022 mission provided more than $1 million in donated medical supplies and services.
Ellen Bloom, MPH
Director of Community Affairs for NYP Westchester, NYP Westchester Behavioral Health Center, and NYP Hudson Valley Hospital
From a young age, Ellen Bloom was focused on giving back to her community. When she was a teen, she became a candy striper at Bronxville’s Lawrence Hospital, which is now NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester.
“I’ve always been sensitive to the plight of marginalized or victimized individuals. I am empathetic and believe strongly in being an advocate for people whose voices may not be heard or those who need support and guidance in getting basic needs met,” says Bloom.
“I’ve always been sensitive to the plight of marginalized or victimized individuals.”
She has been directing community-outreach programs and implementing regional grassroots initiatives for more than 30 years. A champion for health and wellness, Bloom helped NYP allocate $250,000 to community organizations in 2022.
During the pandemic, she brought hope to her community. Bloom teamed up with Westchester Behavioral Health Center to create virtual programs to address the fear that many students were experiencing due to isolation. Interactive Zoom discussions on anxiety, substance use, and eating disorders were introduced. In 2022, NYP’s team hosted 228 virtual events, which touched 12,000 lives.
Last year, Bloom helped dramatically increase funding for Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP) by establishing sponsorships. The revenue raised was four times the amount generated in 2021. Bloom also was instrumental in coordinating the distribution of nearly 24 tons of food through her work with the nonprofit organization Feeding Westchester.
Always cooking up ideas, Bloom also helped develop Physician in the Kitchen, which invites community members to learn how to cook healthy recipes while working alongside a chef and a physician.
Dr. Caroline DeFilippo
Medical Director for Adult Primary Care and Population Health, Optum
“I treat the people I grew up with, and I love it.”
“I treat the people I grew up with, and I love it,” says Dr. Caroline DeFilippo. A general internist, she practices in Mount Kisco — just 15 minutes from her childhood home in Armonk. But professionally, she’s leagues from where she started. Not only is she a highly respected physician, Dr. DeFilippo also serves as medical director for adult primary care and population health for Optum. Although Dr. DeFilippo is continuously rated as one of the top doctors at Optum for patient satisfaction, she also works to provide all of Optum’s internal medicine and family practice physicians with resources to help patients that have diabetes, mental health issues, and other conditions. Additionally, she strives to head off doctor burnout and helms the Serious Illness Conversation Program, which trains healthcare professionals to have meaningful discussions with patients who face life-threatening conditions. With doctors’ workloads mounting and patients using new channels to call or email questions, Dr. DeFilippo’s extra effort sets a high bar. “That’s the challenge we’re trying to navigate as a profession, to be able to say to patients: ‘We want to be available and support you’ but do it in an efficient way. We need to engage through new channels while keeping our focus on the patients who are in the office, in front of us.” That means a conscious balance between big-picture challenges and one-on-one relationships. For example, DeFilippo calls her patients to discuss every test result and urge them to stick with their health plans. “It’s a way of saying, ‘I’m thinking of you,’” she says. “Face-to-face or not, the phone still has a way of bridging the distance. And people notice.”
Guy Fessenden
Executive Director, CHOICE of NY
“People only listen to celebrities and kooks. I wasn’t famous, so I had to do something odd,” says Guy Fessenden, who ran cross-country from New York to California on a mission to generate awareness for mental illness and eliminate the stigma associated with it.
Determined to honor the strength of his daughter, Suzanne, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, Fessenden managed to win the hearts of local media from coast to coast.
Although he had initially planned to return to his career in technology after his journey, Fessenden ultimately chose a different path. “Running alone for 600 hours allowed me an opportunity to think. Since I wanted to help people like my daughter, I decided to continue this work,” says Fessenden.
That’s when he joined CHOICE of NY, a peer-run, nonprofit, mental-health-advocacy agency based in New Rochelle. At the time, CHOICE served 120 people per month. Today, with Fessenden at the helm, the agency works with more than 3,000 people monthly.
Fessenden says he is honored to be part of an organization that saves lives while restoring people’s dignity and confidence. “Eighty percent of the people we work with have families that have given up on them. Once that happens, they start crashing,” he says.
CHOICE of NY is there to provide a safety net. Beyond case-management services, it offers job training and placement, a wellness center, food pantry, clothing lending service, and more.
A motivational speaker, Fessenden moonlights as a standup comedian who performs regularly. He uses comedy as a tool to connect with people and get his message across.
Dr. Mill Etienne, MPH, FAAN, FAES
Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and Associate Dean for Student Affairs, New York Medical College
Dr. Mill Etienne has accomplished so much in his career, one might suspect the universe had granted him 36-hour days.
Dr. Mill Etienne has accomplished so much in his career, one might suspect the universe had granted him 36-hour days. This busy neurologist is immediate past president of the New York State Neurological Society, chairs the Westchester Medical Center Health Equity Task Force, and is a U.S. Navy captain. He’s also New York Medical College’s vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion and associate dean for student affairs. Ever since the 2020 founding of the college’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias in Medicine, Dr. Etienne has been an outspoken team member. The initiative employs various strategies to raise students’ awareness of healthcare disparities and implicit bias toward marginalized people. One way it demonstrated the disparity in maternal and infant mortality, which disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic communities, was through hosting lectures by the families of women who died during pregnancy. In one case,“[the woman’s partner] felt they’d been judged because they were a young, Black couple,” Dr. Etienne says. The group also outlines how to respond to microaggressions. Rather than call out the offender on platforms such as social media, “you explain how what they said might make some people feel and give them an opportunity to correct that action,” he says.
Dr. Etienne is also an advisor to the Medical Student for a Day program, which invites Black, Hispanic, and other disadvantaged children to visit the medical school, and was keynote speaker at New York’s first Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit, inspiring Black middle and high schoolers to pursue healthcare careers. His aim is to create a better future — by working tirelessly toward it now.
Dr. Sandra Kesh
Physician, Summit / Westmed, Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine
Establishing trust with patients and enabling them to feel as if they’re heard and valued is paramount to Dr. Sandra Kesh. It’s also a key focus of her practice, which serves a large population of medically complicated and vulnerable patients.
“Listening to our patients’ stories, and what matters most to them, is critical. Despite all the recent changes in healthcare, the doctor-patient relationship remains the bedrock of medicine,” says Dr. Kesh, who’s held such positions as vice president, deputy medical director, and chief of population health during her distinguished tenure at Westmed, now part of Summit Health.
During casual discussions, Dr. Kesh notes that patients often raise concerns that have not been addressed. “Visits these days are rushed because there are so many checkboxes doctors have to click. But when you take time to truly understand the patient’s narrative, you’re able to offer the best care,” she says.
Open and engaging, it’s easy to understand how Dr. Kesh makes people feel at ease. Her leadership skills and knowledge of infectious diseases proved essential during the COVID pandemic, when she successfully led Westmed’s response.
With so much information circulating and “more unknowns than knowns,” it was hard for many to understand the real risks. Dr. Kesh helped ease fears by crafting messaging that was clear and concise. She further shared her expertise through the media, with appearances on CBS’ The Doctors, ABC News, CNBC, and WVOX Westchester, in addition to USA Today. “It was important for me to help keep people calm during a time of chaos,” says Dr. Kesh. In 2020, she was named a Notable LGBTQ Leader/Executive by Crain’s New York Business.
Healthcare Heroes 2023 Editors’ Award for Transformative Leadership
Dr. Robert E. Michler
Surgeon-in-Chief, Montefiore Health System; Chairman of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery and Department of Surgery, Montefiore-Einstein
In a sense, it would be fair to say that Dr. Robert Michler is the new face of cardiac surgery in Westchester County. As director of White Plains Hospital’s state-of-the-art cardiac surgery program, Dr. Michler presides over an elite team that performs a full-suite of world-class cardiac services, including complex cardiac surgery, mitral valve repair surgery, aortic valve and aneurysm surgery, and minimally invasive cardiac surgery. To date, his center has achieved a 30-day survival rate of 100%, far exceeding national quality and performance metrics.
But just who is Dr. Robert E. Michler? A graduate of Harvard University and Dartmouth Medical School, with residencies at Columbia University and Harvard, Dr. Michler was one of the first physicians to perform minimally invasive and robotic surgery in heart patients. His pivotal work in robotics led to FDA approval of this advanced technology for mitral valve repair and coronary artery bypass surgery. The American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation named him a “Mitral Valve Repair Reference Surgeon” for the quality of his work — a distinction held by only a handful of heart surgeons in the U.S. In 2017, Dr. Michler received the Vladimir Borakovsky Prize from the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Health for “his personal contributions to the development of cardiovascular surgery.”
Dr. Michler is also the founder and chairman of Heart Care International, which performs pediatric heart surgery in underserved regions of the world. Since 1994, Heart Care International has treated over 2,000 children with heart disease and has performed heart surgery on more than 1,300 children and young adults in Guatemala, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Peru, and Mexico. He is a highly sought-after health authority who has provided commentary to NBC Nightly News, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
Dr. Marshal Peris
Chief of Spine Surgery, Northern Westchester Hospital
No matter the medical specialty, there’s always someone people dub “the guy.” For orthopedic and spine surgery, that physician is Dr. Marshal Peris, chief of spine surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital. But that’s not the only hat he’s worn at the institution: From 2011 to 2018, he was a trustee and the hospital’s president of medical staff, overseeing the creation of a new ER and six operating rooms. Currently, he is on the Clinical Governance Committee of Optum, the healthcare company under which he practices, and a member of its Clinical Consistency group. “We’re creating algorithms for taking care of certain patient problems,” he says. “In my specialty, how do you take care of someone with lower-back pain? What’s the first step in treating them, and then, what do you do if there’s no improvement after several weeks?”
As part of One World Surgery, Dr. Peris assisted in 180 consultations and 24 surgeries in Honduras.
Previously, Dr. Peris was vice president of CareMount Medical, a company Optum recently acquired. Under his watch, CareMount flourished, growing from 70 to 650 healthcare professionals. In his very limited spare time, Dr. Peris, former president of the Westchester County Medical Society, advocates legislation to help doctors practice affordably and is a passionate volunteer. As part of an organization called One World Surgery, he traveled to Honduras and assisted in 180 consultations and 24 surgeries. Closer to home, he participates in the Westchester County Medical Society’s annual community activity commemorating 9/11. “One year we worked on a farm in Yorktown; another year we cleaned up a garden outside the community center in Port Chester,” he says. Such down-to-earth efforts exemplify the giving spirit of a true healer.
Sharon Herl
Principal, Elizabeth Seton Children’s School
All school principals aim to provide their students with an excellent education and the chance to bond with peers. For Sharon Herl, however, this task is uniquely challenging. She is the principal of Elizabeth Seton Children’s School in Yonkers, which is located on the site of Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center, a facility that serves children with multiple complex medical needs. Yet, through hard work, innovation, and tenacious advocacy, Herl has created a remarkable learning environment. In her 30-plus years as principal, she has enhanced the offerings for the school’s nearly 135 children, all of whom are long-term residents of the center. She oversaw the expansion of the school’s half-day preschool to a full-day program and eliminated a stressful midday break for older students.
Under Herl’s leadership, Elizabeth Seton Children’s School has been a School of Excellence for 15 consecutive years.
Nor has Herl overlooked the frailest children, who need high-tech medical help, including respiratory and life-sustaining equipment. “They have their classrooms in the same part of the building where they live,” says Herl, who had to lobby the New York State Education Department directly for that special arrangement. But Herl also emphasizes a warm and inclusive atmosphere, celebrating all religious holidays, along with proms and graduation ceremonies. No wonder the school has been named a School of Excellence by the National Association of Special Education Teachers for 15 consecutive years. During COVID, Herl helped introduce remote learning and later, small-group instruction. “We were able to bring back a limited number of staff, then over time, everyone came back,” she says. “The children’s faces totally changed when they saw their teachers and therapists again. You could see that recognition of ‘I remember you! I’ve really missed you!’”
Jolie Sutter, LCSW-R
Social Worker, NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Cancer Center
It takes a special person to work with people who were recently diagnosed with cancer and are about to undergo treatment. Social worker Jolie Sutter is certainly ideal for the role. When meeting newcomers to the NYP Westchester Cancer Center, she strives to get to know the person rather than the patient.
As an amputee, Sutter has lots of experience as a patient. “I know how I like to be treated. As a patient, I’m not always treated to the standard of excellence that I set for myself as a healthcare professional,” she says.
Rather than solely focusing on mental health and social needs, Sutter is proudly involved in all aspects of patient well-being. “The words ‘cancer,’ ‘chemotherapy,’ and ‘radiation’ create all kinds of intense feelings. Getting to know patients from a personal standpoint and being part of their journeys is my honor,” says Sutter.
Although she has personally undergone multiple surgeries, Sutter’s dedication to her patients always trumps her own medical issues. Every day, she arrives to work, often on crutches, armed with a smile and eager to make a difference.
“Jolie is truly the unifying link for everyone here at our cancer center and is an indispensable and special member of our team,” says her colleague, Dr. Nancy Mills.
“You would think sadness is the prevailing emotion here, but it’s not. My goal is to elicit smiles and laughter from my patients and rarely, if ever, do my team and I fail,” says Sutter.
Kimrita Louise Hill
Certified Peer Specialist/Supervisor, CHOICE of NY
Hill educates colleagues and the community on how to effectively and compassionately work with those who are mentally ill.
Most people have scars from childhood, but Kimrita Louise Hill’s scars run much deeper than most. Before being called into her current career, Hill received quite a hard-knocks education from being homeless and time spent in mental hospitals and jail.
It’s no wonder that Hill’s life was consumed by darkness. During her childhood, she endured various forms of abuse, which eventually led to drug use, sex work, violence to herself and others, and even losing custody of her children. In a final act of desperation, Hill attempted suicide. But rather than let the past determine her future, Hill decided it was time to rise from the ashes of her hapless existence.
When Hill joined a women’s group at St. Vincent’s Hospital, she connected with Louise Ellis, LCSW-R, who encouraged her to become a peer specialist.
At CHOICE of NY, a peer-run, nonprofit advocacy agency, Hill works with people who are mentally ill. Since Hill was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, she can provide unique compassion and support to those whom society too often lets slip into oblivion.
A regular speaker at the Westchester Police Academy, Hill educates colleagues and the community on how to effectively and compassionately work with those who are mentally ill. She also educates police officers, detectives, first responders, federal agents, and other groups.
Although Hill still hears voices and experiences powerful episodes of guilt, the light always eclipses the darkness. She has been sober 19 years; she is also a mother, grandmother, and perhaps most of all, an unforgettable inspiration.
Dr. Claudia Felberg
Medical Director and Internal and Pulmonary Medicine Physician, Scarsdale Medical Group; Section Chief, Pulmonology, White Plains Hospital; Vice President, Medical Staff, White Plains Hospital
Dr. Claudia Felberg’s role in managing patient health goes well beyond the parameters of a traditional doctor-patient relationship. During a long and illustrious career that has included more than 80,000 patient appointments, she’s made lasting connections and has been alongside many of her patients as they celebrated milestone events.
“For me, taking care of patients is like taking care of my family. Every single patient who comes to my office becomes a friend. We talk about the good and the bad,” says Dr. Felberg. She’s also there to comfort them as they navigate life-threatening illnesses.
“Dr. Felberg took care of me during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even on her days off, she asked me to stay in touch with her. I always tell her that I am breathing today because of her,” says one of her patients.
“I find the time because I want to,” says Dr. Felberg, “because medicine is not just about doing a physical exam or trying to find out what hurts. It’s about understanding the whole person.”
During the pandemic, Dr. Felberg helped establish an outdoor COVID-19 testing center at Scarsdale Medical Group. She was also instrumental in helping those who struggled with persistent respiratory issues. In addition, Dr. Felberg connected many Westchester-based people with the lifesaving medical care they so desperately needed.
“Dr. Felberg is what all physicians should aspire to be,” says Dr. Michael Palumbo, EVP & Chief Medical Officer of White Plains Hospital. “She is dedicated to her patients, respected by her colleagues, and incredibly passionate about her profession. She has contributed so much to the health of our community.”
