NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Launches Global Health Institute Focusing on Research and Education
Dec 01, 2017
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst today announced the launch of its Global Health Institute. Led by infectious disease specialist Joseph R. Masci, MD, the Global Health Institute at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst will support and advance groundbreaking research, grow existing relationships with community and global partners, host educational events for the community, and help improve clinical and patient experiences. To kick off its launch, the Global Health Institute at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst hosted the first HIV Global Health Summit today, bringing together local experts and representatives from Ethiopia and Russia to discuss the status of HIV/AIDS locally and internationally and to share best practices.
“NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst serves the most ethnically and linguistically diverse community in the United States, which makes the addition of the Global Health Institute a natural fit for our hospital,” said Israel Rocha, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. “Dr. Masci’s leadership and expertise in global infectious diseases will elevate the work of this Institute.”
The Global Health Institute at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst will optimize existing funding and seek new sources of grant funding to conduct clinical research to advance new treatments, in such areas as HIV and tuberculosis management, and generate innovative care protocols to treat global health conditions in response to disease trends experienced globally and reflected locally, by the hospital’s diverse community. The Institute will be a resource for the local community by partnering with other providers, business owners, and other stakeholders to gain a better understanding of local health concerns and how they can be addressed.
(L-R) Maurice Policar, MD, Chief of Infectious Diseases, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, Jennifer Reese, MD, Chief Resident, Icahn School of Medicine at Mr. Sinai, Joseph Masci, MD, Director, Global Health Institute, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, Nadia Solomon, MA, Medical Student, St. George’s University School of Medicine.
“At NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, we are fortunate to have strong international partnerships that allow our work to reach far beyond the borders of Queens,” said Joseph R. Masci, MD, Executive Director & Founding Chair of the Global Health Institute at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. “I look forward to expanding upon the good work we’ve already done and identifying new ways to push the mark.”
Two clinical fellows will be selected to assist Dr. Masci in shaping the Global Health Institute’s work. The hospital’s Infectious Diseases and Medicine Departments will also contribute to its efforts. In addition, medical students will have an opportunity to contribute and learn.
Kickoff Event
Marking its launch and coinciding with World AIDS Day, the Global Health Institute hosted this morning an international summit, “An End to HIV: A Global Health Perspective.” Presentations focused on HIV in the United States, Russia, and Ethiopia, with international speakers presenting remotely live, including Dr. Olga Leonova from Russia and Dr. Seife Feleke from Ethiopia. Dr. Jennifer Reese, chief resident of the Department of Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, and Nadia Solomon, medical student, presented on HIV developments in New York City, other parts of the United States, and other countries, and Dr. Maurice Policar, chief of Infectious Diseases, presented on the NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst HIV Clinic. Dr. Masci moderated the morning program, for which registration reached capacity weeks before the event.
The Institute’s next program, already in the planning stages, will focus on the impact of global warming on health.
To learn more about the Global Health Institute at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, visit /elmhurst/globalhealthinstitute/ or call 718-334-3446.