Inside General Internal Medicine

May & June 2025



News & insights from across the Division of General Internal Medicine - send your latest research and faculty/staff updates to proudtobegim@med.cornell.edu.

The 8th Annual Primary Care and Hospital Medicine Innovations Symposium was a great success, bringing together students, faculty and staff from Weill Cornell Medicine. Dean Harrington and Dr. Myles Wolf, Chair of Medicine, opened the event with warm welcomes.

For over eight years, the Primary Care Innovation program has proudly supported more than 50 faculty, resident, fellow and medical student projects. This year’s symposium carried that legacy forward, highlighting a dynamic range of work in research, quality improvement and educational innovation, each showcased through compelling research posters. 

Seed grant awardees Drs. Ro-Jay Reid, Alice Tang and Alim Esemenli presented projects that spanned diverse areas of healthcare. Their research focused on topics such as the impact of race and social risk factors on stroke outcomes, a master coach program designed to promote cultural change through feedback and a unique gastronomy teaching initiative aimed at pediatric patients and their caregivers.

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A Decade of Impact in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

The Annual Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) Poster Symposium and Grand Rounds brought together institutional leaders, clinicians, researchers and staff across all disciplines to celebrate the impactful and collaborative advancement in sustainable patient care for over a decade.

The symposium was supported through the co-sponsorship of the Quality Improvement Academy (QIA) – Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Nursing and the Physician Organization’s Division of Quality and Patient Safety, highlighting 40 quality improvement projects from 15 Departments across the institution, NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. 

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Dr. Arnab Ghosh Named Emerging Health Leader and Awarded National Disaster Fellowship

Dr. Arnab Ghosh has been selected as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar. The program, part of the National Academy of Medicine, provides opportunities for future healthcare leaders to collaborate with its members and other selected Scholars, addressing persistent challenges and driving transformative change. Read more

Dr. Ghosh was also accepted to a national fellowship in disaster management by the University of Washington. The program is called IDEEAL (Investigations in Disasters and Emergencies: Advancing Applied Learning in Disaster Research Response), which works with climate and health scientists nationally and internationally to build robust scientific inquiry during and after natural disaster experiences.

Dr. Justin Choi Appointed as Editorial Fellow for JAMA Internal Medicine

Dr. Justin Choi has been selected as an Editorial Fellow for JAMA Internal Medicine. Dr. Choi will be a key member of the JAMA Internal Medicine Editorial team and is excited to gain substantial experience in all core elements of serving as an editor at a high-impact medical journal. 

Dr. Choi has contributed to medical education through studies on team dynamics, diagnostic safety and cognitive bias in clinical reasoning. His work emphasizes improving communication and decision-making within hospital teams to enhance patient outcomes.

GIM Members Join Staff Equity and Inclusion Council

We are proud to share that Smitha Dvorak, Practice Administrator, and Michael Dicpinigaitis, Research Assistant have been inducted into the Staff Equity and Inclusion Council. We look forward to their leadership in advancing meaningful change and strengthening our community’s commitment!

Celebrating Inclusion and Belonging at Weill Cornell Medicine

Organized through the Department of Staff and Organizational Development, Cornell Center for Health Equity (CCHEq) participated in the institution-wide Inclusion and Belonging Fair to demonstrate its support for diversity and inclusion. The fair featured "Intersectionality in Focus: Understanding, Engaging, Connecting", an initiative by the Staff Equity and Inclusion Council (SEIC) and "Weill Cornell Belong," emphasizing the importance of belonging, led by an Employee Resource Group.

Highlighting a Clinician's Guide to Distorted Discourse and Infodemic Management

Dr. David Scales was invited as a Tisdale Grand Rounds speaker at the University of Vermont, where he presented on distorted discourse in healthcare, emphasizing physicians’ roles in addressing conflicting health behaviors. The talk drew over 100 attendees from the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Vermont.

Dr. Scales also spoke at the global launch of the WHO’s Ethical Guidance on Social Listening in Infodemic Management, highlighting its significance as the first ethical framework in this emerging field. The virtual event attracted around 1,000 global participants.

Exploring Ethics and Human Rights in Neurotechnology for Disorders of Consciousness

Dr. Ezra Gabbay recently spoke at the Lund University in Sweden on the ethical and human rights dimensions of using neurotechnology, such as brain-computer interfaces and deep brain stimulation for patients in minimally conscious states. Dr. Gabbay emphasized the importance of a human-rights-based approach, advocating for informed consent, equitable access and safeguards against misuse, while also highlighting the potential of these tools to restore personal agency and reintegrate patients into society. The talk, attended by about 30 clinicians, philosophers, neuroscientists, legal experts and members of the Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics, was part of a session that also featured Dr. Jonathan Andrew from the Geneva Academy.

Empowering Home Health Aides: Insights from Heart Failure Research

Dr. Madeline Sterling presented her study, “Implementation of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial with Home Health Aides Caring for Adults with Heart Failure: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Engagement” at the Academy Health Annual Research Meeting on the research funded by NIH on home health aides (HHAs) caring for adults with heart failure. Dr. Sterling shared the findings of the study on recruiting and retaining HHAs and how the heart failure training course was well received. 

Cornell Chronicle: Health Care Cooperatives Could Hold Key to Easing Caregiver Shortage

Home care cooperatives may be the key to alleviating the shortage of paid caregivers for older Americans, according to a new study co-authored by Senior Associate Dean for Outreach and Sponsored Research Ariel Avgar and Dr. Madeline Sterling. The study suggested that home care cooperatives could help address the shortage of paid caregivers for older Americans. These cooperatives, which are owned and operated by the caregivers themselves, offer better job satisfaction, support and compensation compared to traditional care services. This leads to lower turnover rates and higher job retention.

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Health Digest: When You Put Castor Oil In Your Belly Button, This Is What Happens

Dr. Zachary Mulvihill highlighted the potential benefits of applying castor oil to the belly button. He explained that it can stimulate the digestive system, alleviating issues such as bloating, constipation and indigestion. Additionally, castor oil may enhance fertility by nourishing reproductive organs and regulating hormones. It is also effective for skin hydration, preventing dryness and irritation around the navel area. Dr. Mulvihill mentioned that castor oil might aid in detoxifying the liver and bowels, though further research is needed to confirm this benefit.

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MedPage Today: Why Ask The Question If The Answer Won't Help?

Dr. Fred Pelzman discussed the importance of improving patient care within the patient-centered medical home. He shared the need for enhanced care coordination among healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive patient care, preventive healthcare to improve patient outcomes and a plan to improve Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems to prevent information loss and for better patient follow-up processes.

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The New Yorker: What To Make of Biden's Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Dr. Dhruv Khullar shared President Biden’s recent prostate cancer diagnosis and explained why it wasn’t detected earlier. PSA testing, a common but debated screening method, is often discouraged for older men. Biden’s last known test was in 2014. His cancer is hormone-sensitive and treatable, highlighting both the importance of medical transparency and continued research.

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DOWNTOWN Magazine: HER Story, Women Shaping The Future

Drs. Dina Gad and Iris Navarro Millan were featured in the story of inspiring women sharing their stories. Dr. Gad mentioned that she attributes her success to hard work, self-belief, values reproductive rights as central to equality and finds joy in the simple beauty of life. Dr. Millan shared that her advice to young women is to embrace learning from every experience and believes that achieving equity requires research, policy change, engagement and workforce diversification with compassion and love.

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