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Inside General Internal Medicine
July & August 2025
News & insights from across the Division of General Internal Medicine - send your latest research and faculty/staff updates to Saie Kim.
| | | Leadership Transition Updates | | |
After a decade of transformative leadership, Dr. Monika Safford transitioned from her role as Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine (GIM) at Weill Cornell Medicine to become the Division’s Director of Research. During her tenure, Dr. Safford integrated the Department’s Ambulatory Internal Medicine and Hospital Medicine Divisions and built a vibrant research program by recruiting and developing 16 independent investigators. In her new role, she will focus on expanding the Division’s research portfolio and supporting early-career faculty and trainees.
Dr. Judy Tung assumed the position of Chief of the Division. A master clinician and educator, Dr. Tung has a distinguished record of leadership across clinical, academic and administrative domains. Known for her commitment to mentorship and faculty development, she brings strategic vision and institutional insight that will guide the Division to continue thriving and innovating.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Fred Pelzman, has taken on the role of Chief of the Section of Ambulatory Internal Medicine effective Sept. 1, 2025. Dr. Pelzman succeeds Dr. Judy Tung, who was recently named Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine.
We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Maya Hogg, has been named Chief of the Section of Hospital Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (NYP-WMC), effective Aug. 1, 2025. Dr. Hogg succeeds Dr. Margaret “Molly” McNairy, who leaves this fall for another opportunity.
| | Introducing Here's What We Know Campaign | |
Share Your Story: Research Into Real Impact
Weill Cornell Medicine’s newly launched Here’s What We Know (HWWK) campaign aims to demonstrate to our patients, the general public and policymakers the immense value of research both on clinical care and the impact on the community. HWWK covers clinical trial opportunities, vaccine developments, real-life patient stories and podcasts.
Watch Dean Harrington’s video on LinkedIn to learn why HWWK matters and how you can get involved.
We’re seeking:
- Research Stories – WCM discoveries that led to trials or treatments
- Patient Stories – Experiences from those involved in clinical trials
For research, clinical trials and patient stories, please share with Saie Kim.
| | Showcasing Excellence: GIM Summer Internship Final Presentations | | |
The Division’s summer internship program concluded with an inspiring final presentation, showcasing the incredible work of over 15 dedicated student interns. Throughout the summer, students collaborated closely with faculty mentors in our Division exploring variety of research areas and clinical projects that examined real-world challenges in internal medicine.
During the internship, students participated in weekly lunch and learns, and the research faculty presented a variety of topics, ranging from cancer education, diabetes prevention, rheumatology, health inequities, family-centered care, home health care and qualitative research methods.
| |  | Their final presentations were a testament to their hard work, curiosity and growth, offering innovative insights. The event not only celebrated their achievements but also highlighted the role of mentorship and experiential learning in shaping the next generation of medical professionals. | GIM Faculty and Summer Interns | | |
Uniting New York City Health Leaders to Transform Substance Use Disorder and Pain Care
Dr. Amanda Ramsdell, who leads Substance Use Disorder (SUD) systems efforts at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH), collaborated with colleagues from Mount Sinai and Northwell to implement local system changes that support expanded access to low-barrier SUD care, including co-hosting this symposium.
Over 70 professionals from NewYork Presbyterian-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Mount Sinai Health System, Northwell Health and the NYC DOHMH gathered for Innovation in Harmony: Sharing Solutions to Improve Substance Use Disorder and Pain Care, a cross-system symposium. Attendees from addiction medicine, internal medicine, social work and palliative care fields joined discussions on institutional initiatives, implementation strategies and scalable solutions. The symposium, part of NYC DOHMH’s CDC-funded OD2A project, also fostered cross-system partnerships and future collaboration.
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Dr. Laura Pinheiro Appointed as Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement at Meyer Cancer Center
Dr. Laura Pinheiro has joined Dr. Erica Phillips in co-leading the Meyer Cancer Center (MCC) Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE). In this role, Dr. Pinheiro will lead an in-depth analysis of the MCC catchment area and facilitate a discussion on aligning our efforts with national standards.
The NYC catchment area encompasses more than six million residents and is one of the most linguistically and ethnically diverse regions in the United States and beyond. MCC will collaborate with community partners to develop and share evidence-based treatments and policies to reduce the cancer burden locally and beyond.
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Hurricane Sandy Linked to Lasting Heart Disease Risk in Elderly
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and NYU found a 5% higher heart disease risk among elderly New Jersey residents in flood-affected areas, lasting up to five years. Heart failure was highest in low-income, underserved communities with limited care access. Dr. Arnab Ghosh, who led the research, emphasized the need to understand the long-term health effects of climate-amplified disasters on vulnerable populations and called for disaster preparedness frameworks to include chronic disease management and localized health system resilience.
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Key Updates on Women's Health Screening and Treatment
Dr. Alexandra King recently shared revised innovative screening guidelines for women’s health, including cervical cancer, breast cancer, bacterial vaginosis (BV) and menopause, incorporating the latest research and updates from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to improve care for women at every stage of life.
Read more
| | Pictured left to right: Drs. Judy Tung, Alexandra King, Laura Werle | |
Elevating Early Careers: Hospital Medicine Clinical Scholars Program Highlights
The Hospital Medicine Clinical Scholars Program (CSP) in the Division, a renowned faculty-led initiative with an outstanding 97% retention rate, is excited to welcome its largest-ever cohort for 2025-2026, with 11 new clinical scholars joining the program.
Recently highlighted during a Medicine Grand Rounds, Dr. Alice Tang, Assistant Chief for Hospital Medicine Education, Co-Director of the Clinical Scholars Program, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, along with Dr. Justin Choi, Co-Director of the Clinical Scholars Program and Assistant Professor of Medicine, shared the transformative impact of the program. They emphasized the need to change faculty development for early-career hospitalists.
Recruitment is now rolling for the 2026–2027 cohort—learn more here.
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| | Pictured left to right: Drs. Justin Choi and Alice Tang | |
Advancing Heart Failure Care: Integrating Home Health Care
Drs. Madeline Sterling and Lisa Kern, emphasized in a recent viewpoint the importance of integrating home health care into the learning health system (LHS) to strengthen care delivered to patients with heart failure. Though LHS gathers data throughout the entire care process and leverages it to optimize treatments in real time, integration with home health care services remains underdeveloped.
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| | Celebrating Excellence and Recognition | | | | | Among this year’s Excellence in Medical Education Awards recipients, Dr. Andrea Card was awarded the Distinction in Medical Student Advising, and Dr. Cecilia E.W. Nicol was recognized for her contributions to the Ambulatory Care Clerkship. Both faculty members have made outstanding contributions to the institution’s educational mission and have helped create an exceptional experience for medical students. | | Commendation for Exemplary Service to the Medicine Clerkship | | Pictured left to right: Drs. Kevin Bachrach, Amanda Ceravolo, Ezra Gabbay, Elaine Gee, Sydney Katz and Karlen Ulubabyan | | We’re proud to recognize Drs. Kevin Bachrach, Amanda Ceravolo, Ezra Gabbay, Elaine Gee, Sydney Katz and Karlen Ulubabyan, who have dedicated over 10 hours of their time this past year to teaching during the Internal Medicine Clerkship. Their work as lecturers, tutor group leaders and on-call responsibilities using a formative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) facilitators has helped provide our students with an exceptional learning experience. | | Capstone Excellence Award Recognition | | Pictured left to right:
Ryan Brinda and Huiqi Chen | | |
Ryan Brinda, Huiqi Chen, Chuyan Huang and Jiahe Zhang, students in the Master of Science in Health Policy and Economics program at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Population Health Sciences, were honored with the Excellent Capstone Presentation award. Their work involved creating articles for the PALS website, showcasing their commitment to delivering accessible health communication.
“Throughout this journey, your expertise, encouragement, and thoughtful feedback, from PubMed training to refining each Reusable Knowledge Objects (RKOs), were instrumental in shaping our work”, Huiqi shared. This award not only celebrates the team's achievement but also highlights the invaluable mentorship from our Division that guided them, underscoring how MedExplain and PALS continue to inspire after the capstone project.
| | Mentoring Academy Council Awards for Mentoring Excellence | | | | | |
Drs. Monika Safford and Alice Tang have been selected as the recipients of the MAC Award for Mentoring Excellence in education. The award celebrates faculty excellence in the mentorship of students, trainees and/or other faculty in: Care, Discover, Teach.
The award recognizes excellence as a lasting mentor-mentee relationship that offers career guidance, personal support, and contributes meaningfully to the mentee’s growth and success.
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Collaborating for Impact: REGARDS-MI Researchers Unite to Reduce Health Disparities
50 researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Duke University came together for the annual Summer Institute of the NIH-funded study, REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke - Myocardial Infarction (REGARDS-MI). The gathering sparked vibrant discussions around ongoing research, fresh insights into cardiovascular disease and the complex ways social determinants of health influence outcomes across diverse populations. Attendees planned new initiatives and deepened collaborations, reinforcing the study’s key role in advancing equitable stroke prevention and care.
Numerous Weill Cornell Medicine students and fellows attended the meeting, which provided excellent training opportunities. If you are interested in developing a study with this team, please contact Vanessa Dudley.
| | REGARDS-MI Summer Research Institute | | Invited Talks and Presentations | |
Highlighting the Transformative Power of Mid-Clerkship Coaching
Dr. Bryan Leppert presented "Turning Mid-Clerkship Feedback into Mid-Clerkship Coaching: Using Mid-Clerkship Feedback to Foster Growth through Coaching" at Academic Internal Medicine Week 2025 in New Orleans. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, Dr. Leppert illustrated how coaching conversations can better support medical students’ development during clinical training. He also emphasized a growing movement toward enhancing the quality of medical education, where feedback is less about judgment and more about empowering students to thrive within and beyond the clerkship setting.
| | | Quality Improvement Academy Celebrating 10th Anniversary | |
The Quality Improvement Academy is thrilled to mark its 10th year of training physicians, nurses and advanced practice providers to become strategically vital leaders in systems and healthcare improvement! For this year's class, 20 participants from the Departments of Medicine, Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics and NewYork-Presbyterian Nursing joined the QIA network. From our Division of General Internal Medicine, Drs. Aliza Cook, Kirsten Homma and Jennifer Huang are proud additions to the QIA community.
Open recruitment for the Class of 2027 begins in October. If you're passionate about contributing to a growing community dedicated to quality improvement, please see more details here.
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Verywell Health: What Happens to Your Body on the Watermelon Diet
The watermelon diet, a TikTok trend promoting weight loss by eating only watermelon for 2–7 days, may seem harmless, but it poses serious health risks. Registered dietitian Shonali Soans warns it's unsustainable and dangerous, especially for those with insulin resistance, mental health issues or recovering from surgery. Side effects include malnutrition, dehydration, digestive issues and hormonal imbalances. Restrictive diets like this can also damage your relationship with food and disrupt natural hunger cues.
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Prevention: What Is Supplementing Stacking - And Is It Risky?
Dr. Zachary Mulvihill noted that many patients are concerned about taking multiple vitamins and minerals at once. It's a common worry, as combining supplements without proper guidance can lead to unintended effects. Understanding how supplements interact is essential for protecting your health.
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Rouzier V, Reif LK, Riche RC, Bajo MJ, Hilaire G, Devieux JG, Bang H, Abrams EJ, Deschamps MM, Schackman BR, Pape JW, Fitzgerald DW, McNairy ML. FANMI ("My Family"): A Randomized Trial of Community Cohort Care for Adolescent Girls and Young Women Living with HIV in Haiti. AIDS Behav. 2025 Aug 23
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Madeline R. Sterling, Lisa M. Kern, Margaret V. McDonald, Jonathan N. Tobin, Alicia I. Arbaje, Crystal W. Cené, Christine D. Jones, Michael Dicpinigaitis, Michelle Shum, Kathryn H. Bowles, Envisioning Home Health as a Critical Component of Learning Health Systems to Improve Evidence-Based Care in Heart Failure, JACC: Advances, 2025
Explore the latest publications from our GIM faculty.
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