Mount Sinai South Nassau will rally support for its next chapter of cardiovascular services at its annual “Soiree Under the Stars,” with this year’s gala benefitting the hospital’s “Bringing Heart Home” campaign.
The campaign supports the expansion of the Oceanside hospital’s cardiovascular services, including the introduction of advanced cardiac surgical services and adult open-heart surgery for residents of the South Shore. The expansion also includes plans to grow the hospital’s Interventional Cardiology program with a Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab and a new CT-Angiography Lab.
The Nov. 7 event will take place at The Lannin in Eisenhower Park beginning at 6:30 p.m. and will feature an extended cocktail hour, music, dancing and a mentalist. News 12 anchors and media personalities Erin Colton and Joe Arena will serve as masters of ceremonies.
This year’s honoree is Steven Gold, a Hewlett Harbor resident, longtime Mount Sinai South Nassau Advisory Board member and longtime hospital benefactor. Gold has served on the hospital’s advisory board since 2011 and has held leadership roles including Development Committee chair and co-chair of the Soiree.
“Steven Gold is one of our longest serving volunteer board members, and he has been a supporter of the hospital for decades,” Dr. Joshua Kugler, Mount Sinai South Nassau’s interim president, said. “Anytime we need something, he is there. He embodies the South Nassau spirit.”
Gold is known for his leadership of Gold Pure Food Products, commonly known as Gold’s Horseradish, a family business founded by his grandparents. He served as president until its sale in 2015.
His support of Mount Sinai South Nassau has continued throughout his career and retirement. In addition to his advisory board service, Gold has helped lead the Soiree, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to support clinical facilities, services and medical technology. He also serves on the board of SIBSPlace, a Mount Sinai program that helps children who have siblings suffering from devastating illnesses.
Tony Cancellieri, co-chair of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Advisory Board and a member of the Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, said Gold’s longstanding involvement reflects his commitment to health care in the community.
“His benevolence and generosity show a true commitment to advancing health care on the South Shore,” Cancellieri said.
The gala will also recognize two members of the hospital’s medical and nursing teams.
Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, chair of the Department of Medicine, chief of Infectious Diseases and hospital epidemiologist, will receive the Mary Pearson Award. The award, named for the hospital’s founding administrator, recognizes an individual whose efforts and contributions significantly advance the hospital’s commitment to the community.
Glatt has served as chair of the Department of Medicine and chief of Infectious Diseases since 2015. He oversees the department’s administrative, academic and clinical activities and works with hospital departments and nursing and pharmacy leadership. He also oversees the hospital’s Infectious Diseases Society of America Designated Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Stewardship.
During the pandemic, Glatt served as the hospital’s lead expert, helping guide initiatives including the use of monoclonal antibodies, vaccine distribution and the launch of Mount Sinai’s Vaxmobile. He is also a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, an ordained rabbi, serving as Assistant to the Rabbi at the Young Israel of Woodmere synagogue.
“Dr. Glatt’s clinical acumen has been key to Mount Sinai South Nassau’s advancements in patient safety, quality, infection prevention, and antibiotic administration and the multiple awards the hospital has received for patient safety and the quality of care,” Dr. Alan Wong, chief medical officer, said. “We are grateful for his leadership.”
Nydia White, a registered nurse and director of Nursing in the Department of Medicine, will receive the Cupola Award. Established in 2015, the award honors a hospital employee who goes beyond their duties and demonstrates the hospital’s mission of excellence in health care.
White has spent her entire 22-year nursing career at Mount Sinai South Nassau, much of it in critical care services. During the most intense periods of the pandemic, she helped lead critical care nurses through the demands of caring for patients under extraordinary circumstances.
She now oversees nursing for the surgical and intensive care units, focusing on patient-centered critical care, quality improvement, accountability and professional development.
“As the hospital launches its advanced cardiac surgery program, we will rely on Ms. White’s leadership in critical care so that our patients achieve optimal outcomes,” said Margaret Pfeiffer, a nurse, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. “We are grateful that she has been a member of our team for more than 20 years and are so proud of her work.”
The gala will also include a special posthumous award for the family of the late Wayne Lipton, a longtime Mount Sinai South Nassau board member who co-chaired the event for many years.
The hospital expects its advanced cardiac and open-heart surgery program to launch later this year. The program will be overseen by surgeons and clinical leaders from the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in Manhattan, with surgeons traveling to Oceanside to perform advanced cardiac procedures.
The hospital’s existing cardiac services include emergency balloon angioplasty. Mount Sinai South Nassau officials noted that they complete the procedure in an average of 58-minutes, compared with the national door-to-balloon benchmark of 90-minutes. Its Cardiac Catheterization Lab has also received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence.
Unlike a traditional sit-down dinner, this year’s Soiree will feature an extended cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, seafood, beef, international dishes and a kosher food station. Guests will be able to enjoy a DJ, dancing and a mentalist while mingling with hospital supporters, staff, board members and administrators.
For more information about tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Development Office at (516) 377-5360.
