National Doctors’ Day

On March 30, hospitals across the country will recognize National Doctors’ Day, a time to celebrate the compassionate care our doctors give to patients. This year, the Upstate Foundation’s Grateful Patient and Family program will celebrate its 14th National Doctors’ Day. A letter was sent to patients informing them of National Doctors’ Day and offering them an opportunity to honor their health care provider with a note of thanks. The tributes are delivered to each doctor, nurse and other health care professionals along with a certificate of appreciation.

Eileen Pezzi, vice president for development at the Upstate Medical University noted, “This day is a special opportunity to thank the dedicated physicians who serve our community, and go above and beyond to make our health and wellness their top priority. We are grateful for the patients and their families who choose to acknowledge their doctor for the exceptional care they received in the past year.”

A few of tributes received

A tribute for Dr. Stephen Blakely: “Dr. Blakely is a kind and gentle spirit who cares about my well-being. When I see or speak to him I feel reassured that everything is ok and I have confidence that he will find answers to anything that might be unusual. Thanks Dr. Blakely. You are a great doctor.”

A tribute for Dr. Monica Morgan: “I am thankful for all the time you spent reviewing my long medical history and patiently explaining the HBO treatment recommended for me. Your kindness and clear explanations were done in such a way that my brother and I were able to easily understand the process. We took up a good deal of your time with my medical history review and questions but we left with a clear understanding of the treatment process and appreciation for your caring attitude towards me.”

 

A tribute for many practitioners and departments: “I was in a hit & run accident and life flighted to Upstate. The care I received from the minute I got there was absolutely amazing. They helped me when I needed it most and did it with kindness and compassion. The ER was so overfilled and I am sure it is a hard job for them. But they made me feel like I mattered and that they were there to help me and that says a lot for a crowded ER. There was not one bad experience that I had while I was there. I was transferred to Amb. Surg and the staff there was just as amazing. 7th and 5th floor took care of me just as if I was their family. Thank you it means a lot to me."

2025 Practitioners recognized with patient tributes


Odai Abdalla, MBBS
Basel Abuzuaiter, MD
Patrick Adcock, MD
Rinki Agarwal, MD
Jamal Ahmed, MD
Sumera Ahmed, MD
Komal Akhtar, MD
Stephen Albanese, MD
Emily Albert, MD, MPH
Jeffrey Albright, MD, MBA, FACS, FASCRS
Matthew Aloi, NP
Samuel Alpert, MD
Traian Anghel, MD
Michael Archer, DO, FACS
Edgardo Arrazola, MD
Emil Azer, MD
Harish Babu, MD, PhD
Meghan Baier, CNM
Ryah Baker
Gajan Balakumar, MD
Saverio Barbera, MD
Margaret Barner, RN
Maha Bayya, MD
Janice Beaman, LM, CNM
Eric Beck, MBBCH
Christina Bennett, MD
William Berkery, MD
Miriam Bernstein, MD
Justin Bertrand, MD
Stephen Blakely, MD
Adam Blanden, MD, PhD
Sara Bourdages, MD
Gennady Bratslavsky, MD
Jay Brenner, MD
Mitchell Brodey, MD
W. Douglas Bunn, MD
Devin Burke, MD
Timothy Byler, MD
Kristina Byrne, DO
Jennifer Campoli, DO
Elsa Capria, NP
Robert Carhart, Jr., MD
Cassondra Carroll, RN
Ashley Cary, PA
Tinatin Chabrashvili, MD, PhD
Bradley Chandler, NP
Brian Changlai, Jr., MD
Larry Charlamb, MD
Mark Charlamb, MD
Debanik Chaudhuri, MD
Ankur Chawla, MD
Philip Chebaya, MD
Tingyin Chee, MD, MPA
Stephen Ciaccio, DO
Devon Cobane, RN
Ryan Connolly, PA
Robert Cooney, MD
Michael Costanza, MD
Erin Cottrill, RN
Timothy Damron, MD
Minh-nhut Dang, MD
Jared Deck, MD
Kiran Devaraj, MD
Raechel Devine, NP
Mashaal Dhir, MD, FACS
Alexandra Dimmer, MD
Linda ME Dinu, NP
Callistus Ditah, MD
Jeffrey Dorrity, MD
Anuradha Duleep, MD
Sakshi Dutta, MD
Andrea Dvorak, MD
Matthew Egan, MD, FACC
Sherif Elwan, MD
Valerie Erwin, LPN
Christopher Felter, NP
Michael Fischi, MD
Vincent Frechette, MD
Qasim Gadiwalla, MD
Preethi Ganapathy, MD, PhD

 


Phillip Gary, MD
Safia Ghazle, RN
Krishna Ghimire, MD
Natasha Ginzburg, MD
George Gluz, MD
Kristina Go, MD
Grahame Gould, MD, FAANS
Juan Grafton, NP
Stephen Graziano, MD
Matthew Grier, DO
Roseanna Guzman-Curtis, MD, MPH
Heidi Gwilt, MPAS, PA-C
Seung Shin Hahn, MD
Waleed Hamam, MD
Elizabeth Harausz, MD, MPH
Moustafa Hassan, MD
Ali Hazama, MD
Joseph Heath, DO
Sang Hwa Himchak, MD
Robert Hingre, MD
Shernaz Hurlong, DO
Maria Iannolo, MD
Rahila Iftikhar, MBBS
Joseph Jacob, MD, MCR
Sanober Jamali, MD
Sarosh Janjua, MBBS
Brian Johnson, MD
HeeRak Kang, MD
Denise Karsten, RN, MSN – CNS, DC
Andrea Kaszycki, NP
Kristin Kelly, MD
Ali Khan, MD
Hafiz Khan, MD
Nayla Khoury, MD
Isaac Kim, MD
Elizabeth Kinsley
Kayla Kneule, NP
Danielle Kochen, MD
Hani Kozman, MD
Emily Krebs, NP
Michael Kuhn, MD
Mackenzie LaForce, RN
William Lavelle, MD
Thomas Lavoie, MD
Jenna Leubner, NP
Kristen Lewis, RN
Taryn Lindquist, NP, MSN
William Linsky, PhD, DNP, MS, FNP, CWS
Jon Loftus, MD
Stephanie Loveless, FNP-BC
Myron Luthringer, MD
Sherradyn Mack, PA
Bhaskara Reddy Madhira, MBBS
Bader Madoukh, MD
Fadi Makhlouf, MD
Dragos Manta, MD
Leah Marinelli, NP
Mehdi Marvasti, MD
Jennifer Marziale, MD
Mark Marzouk, MD, FACS
Gail McDonald, RN
Corey McGraw, MD
Monica McKnight, RN
Radhika Mehta, MD
Jenny Meyer, MD
Mina Michael, MD
Dragos Mihaila, MD
Martina Milcevic, MD
Jonathan Miller, MD
Michael Mix, MD
Saeed Mohammad, MD
Sakti Pada Mookherjee, MD
Janelle Morse, RN
Anthony Mortelliti, MD
Demetrio Munoz, MD
Stefanija Murgoska, PA
Digant Nanavati
Akifa Nazim, MBBS
Hom Neupane, MD
Samantha Neuser, RN
Dmitriy Nikolavsky, MD
Adeokunbo Obayemi, MD

 


Cierra Omlor, PA
John Palmieri, RN
Deevyashali Parekh, MBBS
Charles Perla, MD
Bernard Poiesz, MD
Marek Polomsky, MD
Rachel Putnam, MD
Eusha abdul Raffay, MD
Kristin Ramella, NP
Merima Ramovic-Zobic, DO
Bushra Atta Ur Rehman, MBBS
Jennifer Richmond, NP
Kevin Rosenberg, MD
John Roufaiel, MD
Kimberly Rouselle, RN
Allison Roy, MD
Jamie Ryan, RN
Jesse Ryan, MD
Peter Sadowitz, MD
Cierra Saiff, RN
Ai Sakonju, MD
Muhammad Sarwar, MD, FASE
Julia Schmutz, MD
Gwendolyn Schultz, MD
Dawn Scott, PA-C
Kathryn Scott, MD
Matthew Scuderi, MD
Rahul Seth, DO
Kevin Setter, MD
Oleg Shapiro, MD
Al-Aman Shaukat, MBBS
Palma Shaw, MD, FACS, RPVI
Sydney Sheldon, RN
Robert Sherman, MD
Jody Sima, MD
Brittany Simone, DO
Inderpreet Singh, MD
Kelita Singh, MD
Jason Sloane, MD
Heidi Smileuske, BSN, RN, CCTC
Garrett Smith, MD
Wilford Smith
Zafer Soultan, MD
Melissa Spencer, PA
Stephen Spitzer, MD
Courtney Stevenson, RN
Matthew Sullivan, MD
Mike Sun, MD
Karna Sura, MD
Robert Swan, MD
Joshua Sweet, MD
Richard Tallarico, MD
Zachary Telgheder, MD
Margaret Terzolo, PA
Reeba Thankachan, MS, FNP-C
Daniel Thomas, MD, MPH
Kylee Thomas, RN
Crystal Turo
Adaora Udekwu, MD
Joseph Valentino, MD
Scott Van Valkenburg, MD
Thomas Vandermeer, MD, FACS
Dona Varghese, MBBS
Michael Vertino, MD
Carolyn Walker, NP
Maria Walker, MSN, NP
Kyrsten Wallace, MD
Jason Wallen, MD, MBA, FACS, FCCP
Kerry Walsh, PT, DPT, GCS, CEEAA
Theresa Waters, DO, FACC
Thomas Weidman, MD
Andrew Weinberg, DO
Scott Wiener, MD
Anna Wu, MD
Rajeev Yalamanchili, MD
Eufrosina Young, MD
Yifan Zheng, MD
Mishaal Zia, MBBS
Jennifer Zuccaro, MD
Lauren Zumpano, NP