Beyond the Expected

Saving lives today and looking for solutions for tomorrow. Facing the biggest healthcare challenge of the past century head-on, feverishly searching for clues and innovations to protect patients and providers today and prevent similar outbreaks in the future. Drawing on past and present evidence, engineering and know-how to make the world a safer place. In the latest podcast in our series Beyond the Expected: The Coronavirus Effect - Research Response, hosted by Interim President Michael Bernstein, we provide three strategic vantage points from experts leading the charge to contain and defeat Covid-19: Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, a hematologist and senior executive of Long Island’s premiere academic medical center; Dr. Lilianne Mujica-Parodi, a biomedical engineer and pioneer in the field of personalized medicine through computational neurodiagnostics, and Dr. Scott Weingart, Department of Emergency Medicine; Chief of the Division of Emergency Critical Care.

Guests:

Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, MACP, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences; Dean, Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM)

A successful teacher, clinician and biomedical researcher, Dr. Kaushansky has performed critical laboratory work leading to significant discoveries in the areas of platelet and stem cell disorders, for which he has received numerous awards. He’s a member of the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Master of the American College of Physicians. Ken will talk about bridging the gap between the laboratory and clinical arena, along with clinical trials we’re conducting to fight COVID-19.

Lilianne Mujica-Parodi, Ph.D., Professor Director of the Laboratory for Computational Neurodiagnostics

Dr. Mujica-Parodi is Director of the Laboratory for Computational Neurodiagnostics and Professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Medicine, as well as Research Staff Scientist and Lecturer in the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her interdisciplinary laboratory integrates the fields of physics, mathematics, engineering and neuroscience in developing cutting-edge neuroimaging tools to study brain-based disorders in humans. She will talk about engineering-driven medicine and share how we’re using the OuraRing to monitor doctors’ health while they’re treating patients.

Scott Weingart, MD, Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine; Chief of the Division of Emergency Critical Care

Dr. Weingart received his medical degree and completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is an attending in and chief of the Division of Emergency Critical Care at Stony Brook Hospital. He is a tenured professor of emergency medicine at Stony Brook Medicine and an adjunct professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is best known for his podcast on Resuscitation and ED Critical Care called the EMCrit Podcast; it currently is downloaded more than 500,000 times per month.

In literally minute-by-minute, life and death situations, healthcare providers around the world are putting their own lives at risk as they answer the call to treat overwhelming numbers of Coronavirus patients. The situation is nowhere more challenging than in New York State, Long Island and here in Stony Brook, where medical professionals have been keeping pace with the surge day by day. On this episode of “Beyond the Expected," hosted by Interim President MIchael Bernstein, Stony Brook University Hospital attending physicians share their personal experiences of being infected by, and recovering from, COVID-19, in this environment, and Stony Brook University Hospital’s Medical Director of Healthcare Epidemiology provides her expert opinions on how to stop the spread among patients and providers. 

Susan Donelan, MD, FSHEA, Medical Director, Healthcare Epidemiology Department; Hospital Epidemiologist; Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases and Medical Director, Regional Training Center, MARO Region

Kimberly Noel, MD MPH, Stony Brook Medicine Telehealth Director; Deputy Chief Medical Information Officer; Patient Centered Medical Home Chief Quality Officer, Family Medicine; Occupational and Employee Health & Wellness Physician; Clinical Assistant Professor of Family, Population & Preventive Medicine

James Vosswinkel, MD, FACS, Chief, Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care; Medical Director, Trauma Center Surgical ICU, Stony Brook Medicine; and Lillian and Leonard Schneider Endowed Professor in Trauma Surgery

James “Voss” Vosswinkel’s specialties include surgical management of injured patients in all aspects of traumatology. That includes management of diseases of the gastrointestinal and endocrine systems; treatment of soft tissue disease; repair of hernias; appendectomy; cholecystectomy; laparoscopic surgery; and pre- and post-operative critical care of adult surgical patients.  Before and during this Coronavirus pandemic, he has been leading efforts to increase our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity; collaborate with medical professionals locally, across the country and globally to share experiences and best practices; and develop innovative ways to treat patients in trauma under unimaginably challenging circumstances.

Host:

Interim President Michael Bernstein

About Dr. Fiorella:

Dr. David J. Fiorella, Director of the Stony Brook Cerebrovascular Center, Co-Director of the Stony Brook Cerebrovascular and Comprehensive Stroke Center, and  Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiology joined the Department of Neurosurgery in 2009. Dr. Fiorella is considered a pioneer in the field of neuro-interventional therapies, advancing new devices and techniques for the treatment of Cerebrovascular disease. Dr. Fiorella spearheaded the acquisition of 2 Mobile Stroke units for Stony Brook University Hospital, the first program in Suffolk County. He is the Principle Investigator or Co-PI on numerous national trials evaluating new devices and techniques for the treatment of aneurysms, acute stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. He is a senior member of the Society for Neuro-interventional Surgery (SNIS) and senior associate editor of the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery. Dr. Fiorella has been named amongst the best interventional radiologists/endovascular surgeons in Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors for several years in a row.

About the Episode:

Stony Brook Medicine Mobile Stroke Unit founder, Dr. David Fiorella, is considered a pioneer in the field of neuro-interventional therapies -- advancing new devices and techniques for the treatment of Cerebrovascular disease.

He took that pioneering inspiration one step further in 2019 when he and a team of Stony Brook clinicians and colleagues launched the first two Mobile Stroke Units on Long Island.

These Mobile Stroke Units enable stroke patients to be triaged and treated in the field, wherever the patient is located. Clinicians can administer IV TPa, a medication that minimizes brain injury, at any remote location and then immediately transport the patient to the closest appropriate care facility, where physicians can initiate further care.

In this episode of “Beyond the Expected,” Michael Bernstein talks to Dr. Fiorella about his trajectory as a vascular brain surgeon and what inspired him to pursue the complex initiative of starting a Mobile Stroke Unit program. You’ll also hear heartwarming stories of patient survival, and learn what this groundbreaking program has meant for Long Island stroke care since it launched in April 2019.

Credits:

Thanks to Dr. David Fiorella

Guest Host: Michael Bernstein

Executive Producer: Nicholas Scibetta

Producer: Lauren Sheprow

Art Director: Karen Leibowitz

Assistant Producer: Emily Cappiello

Assistant Producer: Joan Behan-Duncan

Social Media: Meryl Altuch, Casey  Borchick

Podcast photography and YouTube Technician: Dennis Murray

Podcast Director: Jan Diskin-Zimmerman

Engineer/Technical Director: Phil Altiere

Production Manager: Tony Fabrizio

Camera/Lighting Director: Jim Oderwald

Camera: Brian DiLeo

Camera: Greg Klose

Original score: “Mutti Bug” provided by Professor Tom Manuel

Special thanks to the Stony Brook University School of Journalism for use of its podcast studio.

Episode Notes

Across the country and around the world, an increasing number of people are being evaluated and treated online, both physically and emotionally, to help keep them healthy and safe, and stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As words like telehealth and telecounseling become a bigger part of our collective vernacular, find out what Stony Brook University is doing to lead the charge in supporting faculty, staff, students, patients and even healthcare providers with online services. This latest in our ongoing series of podcasts, “The Coronavirus Effect: Telehealth Response,” will look at all that’s happening in this critical realm, who’s benefiting and the challenges ahead.

About the Guests

Cathrine Duffy, Healthier U Director

Kristie Golden, PhD, LMHC, CRC, Associate Director of Operations for Stony Brook Medicine

In her role as Associate Director of Operations for Stony Brook Medicine and a member of the Hospital Administration Executive Staff, Kristie Golden oversees all operating aspects of psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, telehealth and other program areas. She specializes in fostering collaboration between the hospital, ambulatory services/physician practices and the community. She also plays a key role in shaping hospital policy, strategic and operating plans, community interface and budgets. Kristie is spearheading the advancement of telehealth initiatives in the face of addressing COVID-19 safety concerns and personal protection protocol. She’ll share what all that looks like today, the reaction and the results.

Adam Gonzalez, PhD, Director of Behavioral Health and Founding Director of the Mind-Body Clinical Research Center, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine

Production Credits

Thanks to our extraordinary guests, Cathrine Duffy, Kristie Golden and Adam Gonzalez

Guest Host: Michael Bernstein

Executive Producer: Nicholas Scibetta

Producer: Lauren Sheprow

Art Director: Karen Leibowitz

Assistant producer: Ellen Cooke

Facebook Live and Social Media: Meryl Altuch, Casey Borchick, Veronica Brown

Assistant Producer: Joan Behan-Duncan

YouTube Technician: Dennis Murray

Podcast Director: Jan Diskin-Zimmerman

Engineer/Technical Director: Phil Altiere

Production Manager: Tony Fabrizio

Camera/Lighting Director: Jim Oderwald

Host: Michael Bernstein

Episode Notes:

In this episode of “Beyond the Expected,” Interim President Michael Bernstein delves into what it takes to turn a college campus with 26,000 students and 2,700 faculty members into a virtual learning center the size and scale of which has been neither attempted nor experienced before. Like college campuses across the country, Stony Brook  is rising to the unprecedented challenge of massive-scale remote learning. In fact, virtual classes began here two days ago, on Monday, March 30, following an extended Spring Break. Tune in as “The Coronavirus Effect: Remote Learning Response,” looks at the issues Stony Brook Divisions of Undergraduate Education and Information Technology are addressing to smooth the way for faculty and students in this strange new world.

Guests

Patricia Aceves, Assistant VP, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)

Patricia’s collegiate career began 20+ years ago, building quality online programs for adult learners. As Assistant Vice President for the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), she now leads a team of professionals in the expansion of online undergraduate education, developing policies and procedures around curriculum delivery, educational and multimedia technologies, learning space innovations and student evaluations of teaching. 

Dr. Charles Robbins, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Student Success and Dean of the Undergraduate Colleges

Charlie Robbins is the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Student Success and Dean of the Undergraduate Colleges at Stony Brook University. He is the Executive Director of the University’s Center for Changing Systems of Power. Charlie has led Stony Brook’s efforts to improve graduation rates and quality of the undergraduate academic experience. With his strong passion and experience around students’ physical and psychological well-being; equity, diversity and equality; and public health issues, he has an in-depth perspective to share around the transition to remote learning, all that entails on so many different levels.

Diana Voss, Director of Academic Technology Services, CELT

As Director of Academic Technologies for Stony Brook University’s Center for Excellence in Learning (CELT) and Teaching, Diana and her team (including Undergraduate Student employees) support numerous technology platforms including Blackboard. Adobe Connect, VoiceThread, Digication, Clickers, Echo360 and  Qualtrics.  They are responsible for the function of applications and simulations developed in the Teaching & Learning Lab, and student technology workshops. She also works on internal DoIT teams to improve service management, bolster information security through awareness programs, and increase student employee career competencies.

Production Credits

Thanks to our guests, Patricia Avedes, Charles Robbins, Diana Voss

Guest Host: Michael Bernstein

Executive Producer: Nicholas Scibetta

Producer: Lauren Sheprow

Art Director: Karen Leibowitz

Assistant producer: Ellen Cooke

Assistant producer: Emily Cappiello

Facebook Live and Social Media: Meryl Altuch, Casey Borchick, Veronica Brown

Production assistant: Joan Behan-Duncan

YouTube Technician: Dennis Murray

Podcast Director: Jan Diskin-Zimmerman

Engineer/Technical Director: Phil Altiere

Production Manager: Tony Fabrizio

Camera/Lighting Director: Jim Oderwald

Camera: Brian DiLeo

Editor: Tony Fabrizio

Original score: “Mutti Bug” provided by Professor Tom Manuel

Special thanks to the Stony Brook University School of Journalism for use of its podcast studio.

Stony Brook University Hospital is a part of the Stony Brook University community that upholds the values and ideas of excellence for which Stony Brook has become so well-known. As the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything for the Stony Brook Medicine team, this episode of Beyond the Expected, “The Coronavirus Effect: Medicine Response,” looks at the temporary ‘new normal’ for the team’s faculty, staff and leadership. We will also discuss how they have been called to rise up to the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. These individuals are working tirelessly, together, to stop the spread of this pandemic.

About the Guests

Carol A. Gomes

Dr. Joshua D. Miller

Dr. Josh Miller is Assistant Dean for Clinical Integration and Medical Director of Diabetes Care at Stony Brook Medicine. He is dual-certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology & Metabolism in the Department of Medicine. Living with type 1 diabetes for more than 20 years, Josh brings vast experience and empathy as he helps people with diabetes conquer the challenges of living with the disease. With most resources squarely centered now on emergency response for the COVID-19 pandemic, Josh is currently also running operations at the newly opened drive through testing site for our community members, located on the university campus. He’s mobilizing, organizing and directing hospital staff in this challenging process and instructing them on how to remain safe while administering swab tests. Josh’s background and strong interest in population health is an asset in this critical new role and he will share details on what’s happening at our new testing facility in the P-lot parking area and why it’s important. 

In this episode of Beyond the Expected, “The Coronavirus Effect: Campus Response,” Interim President Michael Alan Bernstein talks to three Stony Brook University administrators who are deep in the trenches of emergency management operations; communications and risk management; healthcare guidance and delivery; and mitigation of the spread of the fast moving pandemic disease COVID-19.

Production Credits

Thanks to our extraordinary panel of Stony Brook administrators, including Marisa Bisiani, Larry Zacarese and Rick Gatteau. 

Special thanks to the Stony Brook University School of Journalism for use of its podcast studio.

In this episode of Beyond the Expected -- “The Coronavirus Effect” -- Interim President Michael Alan Bernstein has gathered the diverse expertise of three Stony Brook University faculty who can discuss many of the different impacts our campus community is feeling related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. From health and wellness, clinical, economic, and an historical perspective, what does COVID-19 mean to us at this moment in time and how can we thrive through this trying pandemic turned public health crisis.

About the guests:

Stacey Finkelstein, PhD, is an associate professor of marketing at the Stony Brook University College of Business. With her research expertise and focus on marketing strategies, consumer behavior and consumer judgement as well as consumer insights, Stacey will address the Coronavirus effect and impact of panic on consumer purchasing decisions and purchasing trends. She is currently on the Editorial Review Board (ERB) of the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, the Journal of Consumer Affairs, and Appetite and earned her PhD, from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. She joins this podcast remotely from her home in the New York State designated COVID-19 containment zone in New Rochelle, NY.

Sharon Nachman MD, is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital and Associate Dean for Research in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. Dr. Nachman is an international leader in the area of pediatric infectious diseases and the treatment of children with AIDS, flu and measles. She has been the principal investigator of more than 30 clinical trials of promising medicines for patients treated at Stony Brook University Hospital. These include international trials in areas such as new vaccines, Lyme disease, and AIDS. She also directs the Maternal Child HIV/AIDS Program.

Nancy Tomes, Ph.D., is a researcher, SUNY Distinguished History Professor and Stony Brook University Senate President. Nancy joins this podcast to share her expertise of the history of Pandemics and American healthcare. She has researched historic epidemics like HIV AIDS and the Spanish Flu and what we can learn from these previous occurrences. Professor Tomes has taught at the University since 1978 and describes her own work as being focused on the intersection between expert knowledge and popular understandings of the body and disease. She is a multiple award-winning author of four books. While she enjoys research, Professor Tomes teaches undergraduate and graduate students with survey courses in American history along with more specialized courses on the history of disease and the evolution of the American mental hospital  in historical perspective.

Production Credits

Thanks to our extraordinary panel of experts: Associate Professor Stacey Finkelstein, Dr. Sharon Nachman, and SUNY Distinguished History Professor Nancy Tomes.

Guest Host: Michael Bernstein

Funded by a grant from the New York Community Trust Equity Fund, “We Are Still Here! Be Counted in 2020! Indigenous Suffolk 2020 Census Project” was created for the purpose of coordinating and maximizing local efforts to ensure that Suffolk County’s Native American community is not undercounted. In this episode of “Beyond the Expected,” Michael Bernstein talks to Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare’s Dr. Carolyn Peabody and her student Meesha Johnson about a groundbreaking project they are spearheading on to ensure all indigenous Long Islanders are counted.