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New York (September 13, 2017) —The New York Academy of Medicine announced today its 2017-18 Fellow Ambassadors, chosen from the Academy’s prestigious membership of more than 2,000 experts across the fields affecting health. The six new Ambassadors join a growing contingent of Fellow Ambassadors who provide health expertise to the media.

This new group of experts joins the Academy’s growing roster of spokespersons who are all leaders in their fields and available to provide insights on current events, new research and critical health issues through local and national media Op-Eds, blogs, and comment on breaking health news. To see the full list of Fellow Ambassadors and their areas of expertise visit: https://nyam.org/fellows/fellows-ambassador-program/ 

The Fellow Ambassadors Program was established in 2015 to increase the visibility of the expertise within the Academy Fellowship, direct engagement of Fellows with the research and policy staff of the Academy, and provide the public with access to the wealth of Academy’s Fellows’ knowledge. The program offers several ambassador positions each year through a competitive application process open to the Academy’s Fellows.  

“Within the first few days of my leadership at The New York Academy of Medicine, I’m reminded that the Academy ‘s membership includes some of the most talented health experts and leaders in the nation and world,” said Academy President, Judith A. Salerno, MD, MS. “The Fellow Ambassadors program provides a platform for sharing that expertise so that all can benefit from their learning.”

The Ambassadors were selected by the Academy based on their interest and ability as spokespersons for their field of expertise, as well as for their ability to address broad-ranging current issues including Academy priority areas of urban health, prevention, healthy aging, and health disparities. 

The Academy is pleased to announce the 2017-18 Fellow Ambassadors:

A. Reese Abright, MD
Professor of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Services Elmhurst Hospital
Director, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Fellowship Training Program in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Elmhurst Hospital
Expertise: Assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders and treatment in children, adolescents and adults, and psychiatric education and training

Scott Breidbart, MD, MBA, FAAP
Chief Medical Officer, Solera Health
Expertise: managed care, population health, health care costs, and vaccinations

Tina Maschi, PhD, LCSW, ACSW
Associate Professor
Fordham University
Expertise: health of older adults, elder abuse and trauma, and health of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals

Joseph Masci, MD, FACP
Director, Department of Medicine 
Elmhurst Hospital Center
Professor of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Expertise: infectious disease, emergency preparedness, bio-terrorism and HIV/AIDS

Brian Keith McNeil, MD, FACS
Vice-Chair and Residency Program Director, Department of Urology
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Expertise: treatment of urologic malignancies, access to care, community engagement

Allison Squires, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor, Rory Meyers College of Nursing
New York University
Expertise: immigrant health and access to care, language barriers in health care services, and nursing workforce issues

For more information about the new Fellow Ambassadors, their areas of expertise, as well as the previous Fellow Ambassador classes, visit www.nyam.org/fellows/fellows-ambassador-program/

To connect with a Fellow Ambassador, contact Gina Ravosa, Academy director of marketing and communications at (212) 822-7285 or gravosa@nyam.org.

About The New York Academy of Medicine
The New York Academy of Medicine advances solutions that promote the health and well-being of people in cities worldwide. 

Established in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine continues to address the health challenges facing New York City and the world’s rapidly growing urban populations. We accomplish this through our Institute for Urban Health, home of interdisciplinary research, evaluation, policy and program initiatives; our world class historical medical library and its public programming in history, the humanities and the arts; and our Fellows program, a network of more than 2,000 experts elected by their peers from across the professions affecting health. Our current priorities are healthy aging, disease prevention, and eliminating health disparities. 

About The New York Academy of Medicine Fellows
The Academy’s prestigious Fellows program, the foundation on which the Academy was established in 1847, includes more than 2,000 individuals, elected by their peers, from across the professions affecting health. Working collaboratively across disciplines and specialties, in a tradition of honor and service, the Fellows are organized into 18 diverse sections and workgroups that address clinical and population health issues facing individuals and communities in New York City and cities around the world.