February 2013 - New York Eye and Ear Infirmary

Seen & Heard
the Official Publication of the Alumni Association of NYEEI
February 2013
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF
THE NEW YORK EYE AND
EAR INFIRMARY
2012 Officers:
RICHARD DELUCA, MD
President
JOHN ALJIAN, MD
SHARON GIESE, MD
MICHAEL PITMAN, MD
Executive Board
MELISSA SIMEON
Alumni Affairs Manager
In this issue:
■ $1M gift will expand
glaucoma research
■ NYEE to renovate
pediatric unit
■ Fundraising updates
■ Ear Institute updates
■ Upcoming events calendar
2013 ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION DUES NOTICE
Mark your calendar:
The 2013 Annual
Alumni Association
Dinner and Award
Presentation will take
place Friday, June 7
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
THE NEW YORK EYE AND EAR
INFIRMARY
Chairman of the Board
SORRELL MATHES
JOSEPH M. COHEN
PETER J. CROWLEY
PETER FRELINGHUYSEN
JOHN M. GILLEN
JEROME R. GOLDSTEIN
SHELDON S. GORDON
STEVEN HOCHBERG
LAWRENCE S. HUNTINGTON
MORTON P. HYMAN
PLINY JEWELL IV
JAMES L. KEMPNER
BARRY A. KONIG
LEIGH LACHMAN, MD
NAVIN C. MEHTA, MD
WILLIAM P. MILLER
EDWARD J. NOWAK
DOTTIE PAYSON
HOPE B. PREMINGER
JOHN SEEDOR, MD
PAUL SIDOTI, MD
JOSEPH R. BURKART, CHAIRMAN
EMERITUS
JUDY ZESIGER,
HONORARY DIRECTOR
President and
Chief Executive Officer
D. MCWILLIAMS KESSLER
Dear Fellow Alumni,
As you may divine from the photo below, The
New York Eye and Ear Infirmary weathered
November’s Hurricane Sandy with relatively
minimal negative effects and with the “can do”
esprit de corps that’s a hallmark of our hospital.
Although the power lines were down for days in
our extended downtown neighborhood below
14th Street, backup generators enabled us to
remain functional, with many staff members
electing to remain in place throughout the
challenging week. We were far less affected by
the storm than our closest hospital neighbors
NYU Langone Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital
Center, both of which remained largely closed to
patients for unprecedented periods of time, and
are still in the process of phased-in recovery.
NYEE surgeries that needed to be cancelled during
the week of the storm were made up by working
subsequent weekends, and we were also able to make
our surgical suite available to grateful physicians
from NYU Langone Medical Center.
We were gratified by the thoughtfulness of our
colleagues at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia
who sent us a uniquely regional 'CARE' package,
pretzels for which Philly is famous. It was
enthusiastically welcomed by NYEE administrators
who worked in the Emergency Operations
Center throughout the week. We also received
support from our “sister institution” – Show
Chwan Memorial Hospital in Taiwan – who
encouraged Mc Kessler to utilize monies for any
hurricane-related expenses from the international
exchange fund Show Chwan established at NYEE
several years ago.
Richard L. DeLuca, MD
President, NYEE Alumni Association
Around table from left: Allan Fine, Ray Gearity, Gary Enriquez, Ralph Lambiasi, Kwok Chang, Charles Figliozzi,
Sonja Tennaro, RN, EdD, and Mc Kessler

NYEE Alumni and Staff In the Spotlight
Million Dollar Gift to
Enhance Glaucoma
Research
NYEE’s glaucoma research program, led by Robert Ritch,
MD, FACS, FRCOphth Professor and Chief of Glaucoma
Services, is benefitting by a recent $1,000,000 gift from
Moise and Chella Safra, which will establish a special fund
in support of the Infirmary’s Project to Cure Exfoliation Syndrome
(XFS), the leading recognizable cause of open-angle glaucoma,
estimated to affect 70 million people. The strategy for addressing
this disease incorporates new directions developed at the 19th
Annual Glaucoma Foundation Optic Nerve Rescue and
Restoration Think Tank “Exfoliation Syndrome: Gearing Up
for a Cure.” The project includes an expansion of The Moise
and Chella Safra Advanced OCT Laboratory and new biochemistry
and tissue culture laboratories. The funds will also be used to
secure the position of lead researcher Dr. Sung Chul Park
and provide stipends for additional support personnel. If you
are interested in providing support to help expand this fund,
please contact NYEE Department of Development &
External Affairs: 212-979-4019.
Buxton Microsurgical
Center Creates
International Program
Stephanie Muylaert, MD; Celso Tello, MD; Maria Paz Manriques Salazar,
MD; and Alina Mihaela Neacsu, MD
The Jorge N. Buxton, MD Center for Microsurgical Education
recently expanded its academic program by offering
a fellowship to a promising researcher from Latin America.
Celso Tello, MD, glaucoma specialist and author/
co-author of more than 285 medical and scientific papers,
created a competition among ophthalmologists in his
homeland, Ecuador, to identify a physician making a
significant contribution to medicine through outstanding
research. The prize is a fully-paid trip enabling the physician
to study with us for several months. Recently awarded to
Maria Paz Manriques Salazar, MD (pictured here in
green scrubs) this observership opportunity is enabling Dr.
Salazar to gain valuable first-hand experience in our stateof-the-art
facilities and ultimately bring 'best practices’ to
her own patients in Latin America.
New Director of
Medical Education
We welcome Ana Limjoco, formerly Ophthalmology
Residency Program Coordinator, as NYEE’s New Director
of Medical Education for the Department of Ophthalmology.
Replacing her as Residency Program Coordinator is Julie
Velez, who previously worked for the Department as
Assistant Residency Program Coordinator and Certified
Ophthalmic Technician. These positions have been appointed
following the departure of Joni Grandin, who is moving
to Colorado. As Dr. Joseph Walsh says, Ms. Grandin has
been “a real star” working with all members of the department,
especially ophthalmology residents with whom she had a
special bond, helping to identify problems and to find solutions
and logical options. She will be greatly missed for her skills,
as well as her friendship and sense of irony.
We Mourn the Passing...
Dr. Thomas E. Kellie recently passed away. Dr. Kellie
practiced in Brooklyn for many years and was a member of
NYEE’s ophthalmology staff from 1981 to 1992. He was
awarded his MD from Glasgow University in 1957, where
he also completed ophthalmology residency in 1959. From
1961 to 1962, he was an attending at St. John Ophthalmic
Hospital in Jerusalem, and again, with his wife, he spent
several months working there upon his retirement. For his
service he was made Knight in the Ancient and Venerable
Order of the St. John Eye Hospital of Jerusalem. We extend
our collective condolences to Dr. Kellie’s wife Helen and
his children….Dr. Herve M. Byron died recently at age
82. Dr. Byron was known for pioneering a refinement of
the implantation of intraocular lenses that dramatically
changed the quality of life for cataract patients starting in
the 1960s. He was also highly regarded for helping hundreds
of patients who could not afford to pay, both in his practice
and in his travel missions around the world. Dr. Byron graduated
from Cornell University in 1951 and attended New York
Medical College, graduating in 1964. He is survived by his
wife Bryn, and his five children.
Kudos to Dr. McNally
Lois M. McNally, MD is joining the staff of the State
University of New York Downstate Medical Center as Program
Director, Director of Medical Student Education and
Director of Ophthalmic Pathology. During Dr. McNally’s
20+ years at NYEE she has served as Director of Medical
Student Education; Clinical Director, Comprehensive Eye
Clinic; consultant for Ophthalmic Pathology; and member of
the Ophthalmology Faculty Practice and Executive Committee
for the Department of Ophthalmology. We express appreciation
for all these services Dr. McNally has performed, and wish
her good fortune in her new venture.

NYEE Launches Campaign to
Renovate Pediatric Unit
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary recently kicked off
a $2 million campaign to renovate our pediatric unit. To
date, more than $250,000 has been raised to make the
entire 9th floor more family- and staff-friendly, including
new waiting areas for children and adults, play room and
in-patient areas. This renovation has been necessitated
by the fact that the Infirmary is serving the medical
needs of a growing number of children, who now comprise
nearly thirty percent of our patient population. In Pediatric
Ophthalmology, we maintain the region's only pediatric
glaucoma clinic and comprehensive retina center, with
expertise in treating retinoblastoma and genetic eye
disorders. In Pediatric Otolaryngology, we excel in procedures
ranging from ear tubes and tonsillectomies to complicated
cochlear implantation, repair of cleft lip and palate and
airway disorders. Among the individuals and foundations
supporting this initiative to date are Stimson Schantz,
MD ($10,000), The Bodman Foundation ($10,000), and
many grateful patients who responded to our 2012 end of
year appeal. If you would like to make a donation on
behalf of this effort, please contact the Office of Development
& External Affairs: 212-979-4019.

Dr. Edward J. Shin
Named Chair of
Otolaryngology/Head
& Neck Surgery
Edward J. Shin, MD, has been
named professor and chair of NYEE’s
Department of Otolaryngology/
Head & Neck Surgery and Affiliated
Hospitals of New York Medical College.
Dr. Shin has served as Acting Chair
since 2011, and since joining NYEE
in 2007, has served as Director of
Otolaryngology Resident Education,
director of the ENT clinics, and attending
physician in the Faculty Practice. “Dr. Shin will be instrumental
in advancing the clinical, research, and educational initiatives
that make the Infirmary a most valued and respected member
of the hospital network,” says Mark S. Persky, MD, physicianin-chief
of the Otolaryngology/ Head & Neck Surgery Service
Line for Continuum Health Partners. Dr. Shin’s clinical interests
include head and neck cancer, endocrine salivary gland disease,
and sinus disease. He graduated from the University of Virginia
with a BA in biology with high distinction, and from Stanford
School of Medicine, completed internship in general surgery
and residency in otolaryngology at the University of California
Medical Center, and received a master’s degree in clinical
research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. After residency,
Dr. Shin served as assistant professor of otolaryngology at
Mount Sinai Medical Center and regional director of the
Department of Otolaryngology of Queens and Elmhurst Medical
Centers. He is the recipient of honors and awards from
Stanford School of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
and NYEE, including Teacher of the Year. He is a fellow of the
American College of Surgeons and author of numerous peerreviewed
articles, abstracts and book chapters, and is a national
presenter. We are fortunate to have Dr. Shin with his academic
and administrative accomplishments, as well as his dedication
to maintaining NYEE’s outstanding level of clinical care in
Otolaryngology and tradition of leadership in the education of
future generations of Otolaryngologists.
Fundraising Highlights
Aryeh Pollack, MD, made a $5,000 donation to our Surgical
Suite initiative to name The Aryeh Pollack, MD Physician Staff
Lounge Dining Alcove...The Derfner Foundation contributed
a $100,000 grant to NYEE’s New York Center for the
Advancement of Breast Reconstruction in honor of Dr.
Rachel Wellner...The Ambrose Monell Foundation
renewed its $100,000 grant for the second consecutive year
to celebrate the work of Dr. Douglas Buxton and The Jorge
N. Buxton MD Center for Microsurgical Education... The
Marrus Family Foundation made a $100,000 gift and The
Lowenstein Foundation made a $25,000 grant in support
of ophthalmology research led by Dr. Richard Rosen...Carl
Zeiss Meditec has provided a letter of intent to provide
$72,000 in support of online Continuing Medical Education...
Before recently passing away, grateful patient Martin
Richards made a $10,000 gift in support of research being
conducted by Richard Rosen, MD...At the request of Robert
Della Rocca, MD, St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital transferred
to NYEE a $22,000 grant made by the Geraldine Violet
Foundation in support of our work in retinal oxymetry.
National Eye Institute
Study Site
NYEE has been selected as a clinical trial site by the Diabetic
Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) to conduct
“Comparative Effectiveness Study of Intravitreal Aflibercept,
Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema”
to be led by retina vitreous specialist Ronald Gentile, MD.
DRCR.net is a National Eye Institute-funded collaboration
dedicated to aid multicenter clinical research of diabetesrelated
eye disease. The research will compare the efficacy
and safety of three of the most widely used anti-VEGF
agents–drugs that bind to and block the activity of vascular
endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that occurs naturally
in the body, and is released when tissue needs oxygen. Overexpression
of VEGF can cause vascular disease in the retina.
“This new research is especially important because all three
agents have never gone head-to-head in such a study before,”
says Dr. Gentile. “Some of these agents are lower cost and may
require fewer treatments. This could substantially affect
worldwide practice patterns for treatment of the leading cause
of vision loss in diabetics.”
Recent ENT Publications
Recent publications made by members of NYEE’s Department
of Otolaryngology include:
■ Jennifer Collins, MD. The Incidence of Systemic Allergic
Reaction during Subcutaneous and Cluster Immunotherapy: A
Retrospective Chart Review. Abstract, Poster Presentation:
AAAAI Annual Mtg, February 2013.
■ Nancy King, MD. Study: Quality of Life after Bilateral
Cochlear Implantation: A Newly Developed Comprehensive
Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (CCIQ), Submitted to
Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery for publication.
September 2012.
■ Edward Shin, MD. Leg Compartment Syndrome after Fibula
Free Flap. Berzofsky, C.; Mashkevich, G.; Shin, E.; Otolaryngology
Head and Neck Surgery 2012 Sept. 4 [Epub ahead of print]
No abstract available.

The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
Ear Institute, Program Updates
Program evaluation
We are committed to continually seeking, assessing and utilizing
the most current scientific developments, techniques, protocols
and technology available to serve our patients and their families.
In the past, both continuous quality improvement (CQI) and
total quality management (TQM) have been used for improvement
in the Ear Institute and in other American Healthcare
Organizations. In 2012, the Institute started implementing “Lean”
as a performance improvement methodology, based on the Toyota
“Kaizen” Production System model. Lean is a proven strategy for
analyzing current process and creating and implementing a more
efficient and patient centric future state. Lean’s methodology is
bottom up, empowering the providers of service, at all levels, to
reflect upon and improve their work. Our healthcare providers
are the essential ingredient of this continuous process improvement
culture. We believe that, by embracing “Lean” methods, we
will produce meaningful cost and quality improvement and the
right process will ultimately deliver the right results.
Staffing
The Supervisor of the Cochlear Implant Program has been given
increased responsibility to include supervision of our Pediatric
Audiology Program. The newly titled, “Supervisor of Audiology”
now coordinates all activities of Pediatric Audiology and the
Cochlear Implant Program. Megan Kuhlmey, MS, CCC-A,
now has the responsibility for quality of work produced by Institute
audiologists. She supervises a well-trained, highly motivated,
professional staff that effectively performs the tasks required to
meet the Institute’s mission and goals. Our professional staff continues
to be encouraged to undertake applied and clinical research, attend
conferences and seminars, and participate in educational activities.
The Institute employs a full time Education Specialist who sees
100% of all newly identified hearing impaired children (and their
families) and cochlear implant children. In addition, our Educator
makes at least 60 site visits to schools in and out of the community.
The Institute also employs a part time Social Worker who provides
counseling and guidance to patients and families who are trying
to accept a diagnosis of “permanent” hearing loss.
Numbers of patients
In the past year, the Ear Institute has served our pediatric hearing
impaired patients and their families in numbers that we are truly
proud of, including:
■ The program provided 2,591 hearing tests to children 3
years and under and to children of all ages with hearing
impairment.
■ There are at least 5-10 newly identified hearing impaired
children identified each week.
■ 1905 cochlear implant “mappings” were performed of
which there were 63 initial stimulations of children under 7
years old and 233 initial stimulations for cochlear implants
for patients 7 years and older.
■ Approximately 1190 children, from birth to three years,
received services through our Early Intervention Program.
■ Infants and young children had their hearing assessed
using the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response Evaluation.
These evaluations were performed at the Ear Institute and,
with the child under sedation, in our Operating Rooms.
■ Highly trained speech language pathologists performed
evaluations and provided hearing habilitation in over 200
therapy sessions.

Seen & Heard
the Official Publication of the Alumni Association of NYEEI
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
310 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003
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Upcoming Events Calendar
■ ASCRS Winter Update February 14-18, 2013 – Aventura, FL
■ Retinal Pharmacotherapy Update 2013: A Comprehensive Review for Retinal Specialists
Feb - Sept, 2013 multiple dates – multiple locations
■ 36th Annual Macula Society Meeting February 27-March 2, 2013 – Dana Point, CA
■ American Glaucoma Society 23rd Annual Meeting February 28-March 3, 2013 – San Francisco, CA
■ International Vision Expo & Conference East March 14-17, 2013 – New York, NY
■ OKAP Exam March 30, 2013 – New York, NY
■ The 4th World Congress on Controversies in Ophthalmology April 4-7, 2013 – Budapest, Hungary
■ American Assn for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus AAPOS 39th Annual Meeting April 3-7, 2013 – Boston, MA
■ American Head & Neck Society Annual Meeting April 10-11, 2013 – Orlando, FL
■ Combined Otolaryngological Spring Meetings (COSM) 2013 April 10-14, 2103 – Orlando, FL
■ American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery April 11-16, 2013 – New York, NY
■ DMEK vs. DSAEK: Is Thinner Better? April 13, 2013 – NYEE
■ ASCRS Symposium & Congress April 19- 23, 2013 – San Francisco, CA
■ ARVO (Assn for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology) 2013 May 5-9, 2013 – Seattle, WA
■ NYEE Resident Research Day May 17, 2013 – NYEE
■ Intro to Phacoemulsification & IOL Implants for 2nd Yr Residents May 18, 2013 – NYEE
■ OSN Kiawah Eye 2013 May 30 - June 2, 2013 – Kiawah Is., SC
To place any news or announcements in future issues, please contact Melissa Simeon,Alumni Affairs Manager
212-979-4019 msimeon@nyee.edu.