Inside General Internal Medicine

September & October 2025



News & insights from across the Division of General Internal Medicine - send your latest research and faculty/staff updates to Saie Kim.

As a first-generation Cuban American, Dr. Christopher Gonzalez’s cultural background has profoundly shaped his approach to health equity and research. Growing up navigating two cultures and now serving patients at a predominantly Latino Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), he is deeply attuned to the social and structural factors that impact Latino communities. His research is driven by community values and a commitment to ensure that interventions are not only informed by data but by the lived experiences of the people they are meant to serve.

Dr. Gonzalez’s work focuses on adapting diabetes prevention programs to reflect cultural strengths and realities. For example, values like familismo can boost engagement and accountability among Latino men, while cultural expectations around gender and work can pose barriers to participation. By understanding these dynamics, his team can tailor interventions that resonate with participants’ lives. Through implementation science, Dr. Gonzalez also works to bridge the gap between research and practice by developing strategies that make preventive care more effective and accessible within FQHCs where the need is greatest.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate cultural pride and resilience but also to reflect on the ongoing work of advancing equity. It is a personal reminder of his family’s journey and the sacrifices that opened the doors to his career. Professionally, it is a call to elevate Latino voices in science and medicine, not just as subjects of research but as leaders and innovators. “It is about ensuring our communities are seen, heard and empowered to shape the solutions,” said Dr. Gonzalez. 

Navigating Women's Health with Integrative Medicine

Dr. Michelle Loy shared her expertise on integrative health and lifestyle medicine for women across various life stages on Back to Health podcast. In this episode, she emphasized the importance of evidence-based care in promoting holistic wellness, highlighting how preventive strategies and personalized approaches can support women as they navigate physical and emotional changes over time. She provided insights into preventive care and how integrative medicine can help guide these changes as women age.

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Exploring Medicaid and Pediatric Subspecialty Utilization Trends

During our Division’s Weekly Research Seminar, Mangala Rajan presented her study titled “Trend in Subspecialty Utilization among Medicaid and Commercially Insured Children in New York City". The study aims to determine whether integrating pediatric subspecialty practices influenced Medicaid utilization, while exploring how these patterns vary across racial and ethnic groups.

Using data from the pediatric registry, she analyzed data on 15,206 children and 76,000+ subspecialty visits. The results suggested that Medicaid use fell during the public health emergency, rebounded and rose 53% post-integration, indicating improved access.

Caring for Caregivers: Arthritis and Functional Limitations Among Home Health Care Workers

Home health care aides face significantly higher rates of arthritis and functional disability compared to health care aides working in hospitals or long-term care facilities, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The study raises critical concerns about how the demands of home care work are affecting the health of caregivers, especially considering that more families are relying on home health care.

This research was led by Dr. Shelbie Turner from the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine in collaboration with Dr. Madeline Sterling and Michael Dicpinigaitis in the Division of General Internal Medicine.

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Empowering Communities One Backpack at a Time

Smitha Dvorak and Michael Dicpinigaitis, active members of the Staff Equity and Inclusion Council (SEIC), along with Vanessa Dudley, a former SEIC member and fellow SEIC colleagues, led a highly impactful Backpack Drive to support students in need across New York City. With generous support from the Weill Cornell Medicine community, the SEIC team collected and packed an impressive 258 backpacks filled with essential school supplies. These donations were distributed to teachers and administrators at PS 20 Anna Silver and Hyde Charter School, helping students to have a successful academic year.

Advancing Cancer Prevention: HPV Vaccine Acceptability Among Arab-American Young Adults

Dr. Alia Komsany presented her research poster at the 18th American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities titled: “HPV Vaccine Acceptability and Cancer Prevention Behaviors Among Arab American Young Adults (18–26): A Mixed Methods Study.”

Under the guidance of Drs. Erica Phillips, Laura Pinheiro and Perla Chebli (NYU Langone Health’s Department of Population Health) conducted this first-of-its-kind mixed-methods study, exploring HPV vaccine acceptability among Arab American young adults. The research found that vaccination decisions were shaped by factors such as family, medical mistrust, cultural identity and developmental timing, including the tendency to delay vaccination until marriage. 

CoachMe(d): Advancing Medical Education Through AI

Dr. Alice Tang presented a poster on CoachMe(d) at the AMA ChangeMed Conference in Chicago. Developed through a multi-institutional innovation grant, this AI-powered coaching app supports Master Adaptive Learners across the educational continuum. It teaches how to create SMART goals and action plans, while enabling asynchronous coaching to foster accountability and real-time support between sessions.



Dr. Tang’s research poster highlighted the importance of integrating the app into existing coaching programs to boost adoption and the effectiveness of SMS push notifications in enhancing engagement.

Understanding Your Health by the Numbers

As part of the Weill Cornell Medicine Wellness Series at Hudson Park Library, Dr. Maya Hogg led an engaging Know Your Numbers session. Dr. Hogg shared insights into key wellness indicators such as pre-diabetes risk scores, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, helping attendees make sense of the numbers that shape their overall health.

The discussion emphasized how early awareness and regular monitoring can lead to better management of chronic conditions through your primary care doctor appointments.

Neurology Advisor: Hurricane Sandy Linked to Higher Heart Disease Risk

A study in JAMA Network Open found that older adults in areas flooded by Hurricane Sandy had a 5% higher risk of cardiovascular disease over five years. Researchers analyzed data from 121,000 Medicare recipients in the tri-state area and linked flooding to increased heart failure. Dr. Arnab Ghosh, who led the study, said it “lays the groundwork to show that hurricanes can have long-term impacts on health.”

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Home Health Care News: Home Health Agencies on Edge of 'Telehealth Cliff' as Government Shutdown Looms

Home health agencies are facing a potential crisis as telehealth flexibilities, critical for serving Medicare patients remotely, could expire with a looming government shutdown. These virtual visit allowances have helped offset clinician shortages and reach patients in rural or underserved areas. Dr. Madeline Sterling warned that losing these tools would slow care delivery, increase administrative burdens and reduce patient referrals, calling it a “telehealth policy cliff.”

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