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Business Wire
3 days ago
- Health
- Business Wire
Northwell Health's Dr. Barbara Anne Eberhard Awarded the American Academy of Pediatrics the James T. Cassidy Award
MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For her dedication to research and leadership in pediatric rheumatology, Northwell Health's Cohen Children's Medical Center rheumatologist and Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research scientist Barbara Anne Eberhard, MD, has been awarded with the James T. Cassidy Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Dr. Eberhard has spent her two-decade-long career working clinically and as a mentor to other physican-scientists within the Department of Pediatrics at Cohen Children's, while conducting research at the Feinstein Institutes. She specializes in studying and treating children with rheumatologic conditions, including arthritis, vasculitis, dermatomyositis and lupus. The Cassidy Award is given to members who have made significant contribution to the field, according to the AAP. 'Our young patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and its related conditions deserve better, more effective therapies to help them to live healthier, happier, lives.' said Dr. Eberhard. 'Being recognized with the James T. Cassidy Award is a tremendous honor that reinforces my passion to continue my research and help train future leaders in the field of pediatric rheumatology.' As the director of Northwell Health's Pediatric Lupus Clinic, Dr. Eberhard oversees the care of over 200 young lupus patients. Her commitment to improving pediatric rheumatology extends to her significant contributions to the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA). Serving as past chair of CARRA's lupus subcommittee (2008-2015), she was instrumental in developing a world-renowned pediatric lupus clinical database, now encompassing data from more than 900 patients. Dr. Eberhard's work with CARRA also includes establishing consensus treatment guidelines for biologics in various autoimmune diseases and generating data demonstrating positive patient outcomes. Her research career boasts over 70 published papers and more than 50 abstracts. Dedicated to fostering the next generation of rheumatologists, she has mentored over 20 clinical research fellows and junior faculty and co-founded the ACR/CARRA Mentoring Interest Group (AMIGO), which connects budding physician-researchers with mentors based on shared research interests. 'Dr. Eberhard is a leader in the field of pediatric rheumatology and is very deserving of this award,' said Annemarie Stroustrup Smith, MD, PhD, senior vice president of the pediatrics service line and chair of the department of pediatrics at Cohen Children's and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. 'Her dedication to advancing research, educating young physician-scientists and fostering collaboration across institutions is inspirational. She is helping to pave the way for a brighter future for children with rheumatologic conditions.' The AAP Section on Rheumatology James T. Cassidy Award was established in 2001 to recognize a member for outstanding achievement in pediatric rheumatology. Those must be a members in good standing of the AAP section on rheumatology and meet one of several qualifications, including education, history of successfully training pediatric rheumatology fellows, and providing contributions to the field of pediatric rheumatology through research, publications and/or legislation. In 2023, Dr. Eberhard was awarded top honors by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP). The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit and follow us on LinkedIn.


New York Times
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Do You Need to Drink Electrolytes?
There is a large, growing and very competitive market for electrolyte powders, drinks and tablets. In 2024 the electrolyte drink market was valued around $38 billion. The products are designed to be consumed before, during and after exercise — and manufacturers claim they'll optimize your hydration, health and performance. There are even options to supplement your daily hydration, whether or not you are exercising. But do you really need to replenish the electrolytes lost in your sweat? And are sports drinks, electrolyte powders and salty supplements actually the best way to do it? What do electrolytes do? Electrolytes are minerals — such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium — that carry an electrical charge that influences how water moves in your body. 'They help maintain the fluid balance,' explained Dr. Amy West, a sports medicine physician at Northwell Health. They help move fluid into and out of your cells and regulate blood pressure, heart rhythm, muscle and nerve function. While they're found in supplements and sports drinks, they're also in the foods we eat every day. 'When we talk about potassium, it's in a banana,' said Heidi Skolnik, a nutritionist at the Hospital for Special Surgery. 'When you eat a pretzel, there's sodium on it.' As you sweat, you lose both fluid and electrolytes and if you lose enough fluid, you can become dehydrated. The volume of blood in your body drops and 'your heart has to pump harder to get the same amount of blood circulating,' Ms. Skolnik said. Do you really need to replace them? When you lose an exceptionally large quantity of water and electrolytes, as you might if you're having a serious bout of diarrhea, you need to replace both. In those situations, doctors often recommend a rehydration solution like Pedialyte, which typically has more sodium and potassium than your average sports drink. But experts say you probably don't need to reach for a sports drink during your regular workouts. Even if those workouts are strenuous or happen in hotter weather, drinking water when you're thirsty is enough to keep you hydrated. The sugar and carbohydrates found in many sports drinks certainly may help competitive athletes maintain their energy, but the electrolytes have little impact. In the 1990s, standard medical advice recommended sodium-rich drinks for athletes during any exercise that lasted more than an hour. But more recent research has found that even as you lose sodium through sweat and urine, your body maintains the concentration of sodium in your blood. In several small studies athletes didn't tend to report a performance difference between working out with water and electrolyte-infused drinks, even after five hours of running in 86-degree heat. It's been well-established for at least a decade that electrolytes don't do much for performance, said Ricardo Da Costa, an associate professor in sports dietetics at Monash University in Australia. 'But the marketing strategies from the sports drinks companies are more potent than the researchers.' 'Everybody thinks that they need to replace lost electrolytes right away,' said Tamara Hew-Butler, a sports medicine scientist at Wayne State University. 'You don't. You will make it up generally in your meals.' Most of the time, you are fine just drinking water when you're thirsty. If you're spending hours outside in the heat for several days and start feeling dehydration symptoms, like lightheadedness, you might reach for a sports drink or supplement, especially if you aren't getting enough electrolytes in your diet, said Robert Kenefick, a professor of biomedical and nutritional sciences at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. In rare cases, you can have too much fluid but not enough sodium in your blood, a condition called hyponatremia, which can cause nausea, fatigue and, in the most severe cases, seizures or death. It's more likely to happen if you have certain medical conditions such as heart, liver or kidney problems. For athletes, it can happen if they drink so much fluid before, during and after long workouts that it dilutes the electrolytes in your blood. However, most sports drinks don't contain enough sodium to prevent it, said Dr. Da Costa. Is There a Downside? Aside from the cost, experts say there's little downside to consuming electrolyte drinks. As long as you're otherwise healthy, they do not have enough electrolytes to overload your system (called hypernatremia), Dr. Kenefick said. And the sweet taste could motivate you to hydrate. Like most supplements, however, electrolyte products are not well regulated and can even be contaminated, Dr. Hew-Butler said. In 2015, she and her team found unsafe levels of arsenic in Muscle Milk and Gatorade powders that had been provided to college athletes. The athletes showed no signs of having been harmed by the exposure. You won't see 'arsenic' on a supplement label, but you should check for the amount of sugar in the drinks, which can be almost as high as some sodas. As you are reading the label, Dr. Kenefick cautioned buyers to be skeptical of what it promises. 'The beverage market is very competitive and everyone's looking for an edge,' he said. 'A lot of the beverages that are out there are using electrolytes as a marketing tool.' Emma Yasinski is a freelance science journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Undark and more.


Business Wire
7 days ago
- Health
- Business Wire
Feinstein Institutes Researchers Find COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Offer Significant Protection for Cancer Patients
BUSINESS WIRE)--Approximately 81 percent of the U.S. population received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and now, researchers from Northwell Health's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research found that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots provide important protection against severe COVID-19 illness with hospitalization for people living with cancer. The retrospective cohort study, published today in JAMA Oncology, observed over 70,000 patients across four U.S. health systems — including Northwell — and examined the effectiveness of both the monovalent (original) and bivalent (updated) COVID-19 boosters. They found that both boosters significantly reduced COVID-19 hospitalizations. 'COVID-19 vaccines can offer another layer of protection for individuals navigating cancer treatment,' said James M. Crawford, MD, PhD, professor in the Institute of Health System Sciences at the Feinstein Institutes and co-PI of the study. 'This research provides critical information for doctors and patients making decisions about COVID-19 vaccination, especially for vulnerable groups.' The study showed that the both the monovalent and bivalent boosters reduced hospitalizations for whom by nearly 30 percent. While these boosters were effective, the study also revealed a concerning trend: booster uptake among cancer patients was lower than expected, with 69 percent receiving the monovalent booster and only 38 percent receiving the bivalent booster. 'Dr. Crawford and his team's research provides vital knowledge that could help protect the health and well-being of immunocompromised people, like those living with cancer,' said Ping Wang, MD, professor and chief scientific officer and senior vice president at the Feinstein Institutes. 'This study highlights the value of vaccination, particularly for those most vulnerable to serious illnesses.' The study also compared the effectiveness of the boosters in cancer patients to their effectiveness in people without compromised immune systems. While the percentage reduction in hospitalizations was similar between the two groups, the number of people who needed to be vaccinated to prevent a single hospitalization was much smaller for cancer patients. About the Feinstein Institutes The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit and follow us on LinkedIn.


New York Post
16-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Beloved Long Island surgeon known for ‘serenading patients' collapses and dies after triathlon: ‘All around great guy'
A beloved Long Island orthopedic surgeon known for 'serenading patients' with music between procedures tragically died Sunday after he collapsed during a local triathlon he competed in every year. Dr. Peter Sultan, a renowned orthopedic surgeon at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, died suddenly at the age of 54 while participating in the Jamesport Triathlon, an annual event sponsored by the hospital, leaving his colleagues and family stunned and heartbroken. 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Peter Sultan, a respected and compassionate physician whose dedication to patient care, medical excellence, and community well-being left a lasting impact on all who knew him,' Northwell Health said in a statement. 5 Photo of Dr. Peter Sultan standing in front of a Gold Beacon Award banner. Facebook/Peter Sultan 'Dr. Sultan was not only a skilled and trusted member of the medical community, but also a mentor, colleague, and friend to many. His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched throughout his distinguished career. He will be greatly missed.' The father of two, who was an avid athlete and had trained ahead of the multi-sport endurance race, was known for lifting the spirits of his patients and their families with his outgoing personality and his affinity for music throughout his 20-year career. 5 Sultan was remembered as an avid athlete who trained ahead of the triathlon. Facebook/Peter Sultan The Westhampton man, a skilled pianist, reportedly found joy in performing concerts in the hospital lobby – often in his scrubs – serenading patients during impromptu performances with his musical partner, Jerome Foster Lewis, and easing the nerves of their family members after surgeries. 'The unexpected concerts gave them the uplift they needed,' said Lewis, a patient experience specialist at PBMC, the Riverhead Local reported. 'It was a joy for us too. It was uplifting and gave us the strength we needed. He would always say, 'Medicine cures the body, but music cures the soul. People saw the analytical side of him. I got to see the artist. It was a side of him I'm so grateful I got to experience.' 5 Sultan was known for serenading patients with his music. Facebook/Peter Sultan Lisa Hubbard, administrative director of orthopedic services, said the usually bustling hospital has been left eerily quiet since Sultan's sudden death. 'I've never seen it like this before,' she told the outlet, adding how the pair joined the medical facility at the same time in 2005. 'Everyone loved Dr. Sultan. Everyone is reeling from this loss.' 5 He was awarded the hospital's Physican of the Year award in 2012. Facebook/Peter Sultan The Harvard Medical grad spent nine years as chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, according to his LinkedIn. His unwavering dedication also earned him a reputation as one of New York's top hip and knee replacement surgeons, and in 2012, he was honored with the hospital's Physician of the Year award. 'Orthopedics really is the service that changed this hospital,' PMBC Executive Director Amy Loeb said. 5 He was a graduate of Harvard Medical School. Facebook/Peter Sultan 'He took a chance on us as a hospital and as a community and really built the hospital, and started to turn the reputation of the hospital around. Patient by patient, he changed lives. Thanks to his joint replacement practice, thousands of people are able to move and walk and dance and enjoy their families. 'He was so committed to his practice, to his patients, to the hospital — just an all around great guy.' A prayer service will be held Thursday at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead at 11 a.m.


CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
Former Long Island sleep center worker who put cameras in bathrooms offered probation, no jail time
A former Long Island sleep center worker pleaded guilty Tuesday to secretly recording co-workers and patients, including a child, while they were using bathrooms at a Northwell Health facility. The judge offered him probation with no jail time. Sanjai Syamaprasad, a father from Brooklyn, installed Velcro dots in nine bathrooms at the Northwell Sleep Disorders and STARS Rehabilitation Center where he worked in Manhasset, and used the dots to position a spy camera disguised as a smoke detector in places where it could record the shower and toilet, prosecutors said. Northwell fired Syamaprasad last year after he was caught watching the videos at work, and alerted law enforcement. Prosecutors seized more than 300 videos that recorded body parts of hundreds of people, but based on who they could identify, they were only able to bring charges involving five victims, including a child. Syamaprasad pleaded guilty to unlawful surveillance and evidence tampering. Judge Meryl Berkowitz offered five years probation and sex offender registration, but no jail time, citing Syamaprasad's remorse and completion of a program. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly had recommended one to three years behind bars for each count. "This case deserved jail time," she said. "It's not a one-off. It's not one time, one night he did this. It was night after night after night, victim after victim after victim." Donnelly says the plea deal sends the wrong message. "This was a massive, massive violation of people's privacy and rights," she said. After the hearing, Syamaprasad bolted out of the courthouse, refusing to answer questions. "It's just very ironic how he can film people sitting on the toilet and in the showers, and then he puts a mask and a hat on and runs out covering his face," former sleep center employee Brenda Pellettieri said. Pellettieri is one of potentially hundreds of victims whose private bathroom moments were secretly recorded. Victims are now part of class action lawsuits against both Syamaprasad and Northwell Health. "It's really destroyed my faith in humanity. You don't trust people," Pellettieri said. "My firm has spoken personally to hundreds and hundreds of victims, and I know they're going to be extremely disappointed that he's not going to be serving any jail time," said John Rubenstein, an attorney with German Rubenstein LLP. Sentencing will be formalized on Sept. 15, when all sides will have an opportunity to speak.