The Inside Press, Author at Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk: The Magazines for New and North Castle

Northern Westchester Hospital 2018 Annual Benefit Raises over $1.5 Million

December 18, 2018 by The Inside Press

More than 750 supporters of Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) attended the 2018 Annual Benefit Gala, raising over $1.5 million, which will support the Bruce and Andrea Yablon Cancer Health & Wellness Program, the hospital’s music therapy program, and professional development for clinicians and nurses. The event honored philanthropists Ellen and Kamran Hakim, and physicians Drs. Adina and Jeffrey Keller, and was co-chaired by Jennifer and Jon Klein, Luba and Steve Seidman and Cathy and Adam Brodsky.

“Thanks to the generosity of our community, NWH is able to offer innovative practices, treatments and therapies that move us all toward a healthier future,” said NWH President and CEO Joel Seligman. “We are delighted to honor the Hakims for their long-term, generous support of Northern Westchester Hospital, and the Kellers for their clinical excellence and leadership roles. These couples exemplify the community support, commitment and dedication that enables NWH to provide high quality, patient-centered care to all members of our community.”

The gala’s underwriter was longtime NWH supporter and philanthropist Seema Boesky and the event was sponsored by The Durst Organization, Diamond Properties, Polaner Selections and Intuitive^®, maker of the da Vinci^® Surgical System.

Longtime supporters of NWH, the Hakims have hosted two fundraising galas for the hospital at their Old Salem Farm. The couple are married for 53 years and have lived in Westchester for just as long. They have four children, 12 grandchildren and reside in Chappaqua.

Adina Keller, MD, FACOG, a community-based physician, has dedicated her professional life to women’s health and cancer prevention. Jeffrey Keller, MD, FACS, FAAP, is board certified in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and a Pediatric Otolaryngologist who has devoted his career to taking care of children. The Kellers live in Chappaqua with their two teenage sons.

The Hakim Family: Ellen and Kamran Hakim with 3 of their 12 grandchildren

The Keller Family: Tyler Keller, Dr. Jeffrey Keller, Dr. Adina Keller and Justin Keller

About Northern Westchester Hospital:

Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a member of Northwell Health, provides quality, patient-centered care that is close to home through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. Over 650 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional staff of caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment. NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) National Hospital Quality Measures. Our high-quality standards help to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in the nation. For more information, please visit www.nwhc.net and connect with us on Facebook

About Northwell Health:
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, nearly 700 outpatient facilities and more than 18,500 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 68,000 employees – 16,000-plus nurses and 4,000 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. We’re training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu.

Pete Harckham Celebrates Historic Win

December 2, 2018 by The Inside Press

Pete Harckham celebrates his victory over Senator Terrence Murphy at the Mt. Kisco Holiday Inn on Election Night.

On November 6th, Pete Harckham became the first Democrat elected State Senator in NY SD40 since 1914. According to his campaign, he won by a 3,000 vote margin, a little better than 51% of the vote in a 60% turnout (one of the largest vote counts of any state Senate race) or about 118,000 voters. Murphy conceded after serving the district for two terms. From his campaign: a letter Harckham sent to his supporters…

“Thank you to everyone who made this possible! This is your win! I am honored to have earned the support of voters throughout this district with an overwhelming turnout. Thank you to all the Volunteers, Democratic committees, Indivisibles, Independents, my family, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Robert Kesten and many others.

I want to thank Sen. Murphy for his graciousness yesterday and for his service to our district. I wish him and his family all the best. In Albany, I will work hard to represent everybody, not just those who voted for me. I will be accountable for the words I say, the tone I set and the tenor of the work our office does in the community. We have an ambitious legislative agenda to pass in the first 30 days of 2019, including the Reproductive Health Act, Child Victims Act and Red Flag Bill…

“Our nation is dangerously divided… I believe our diversity is our greatest strength and appreciate the support of African American, Hispanic American, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans our LGBTQ Brothers and sisters–and all Americans throughout the Hudson Valley…”

Francesca Hagadus Win Paves Way to a Less Partisan Town Board

December 2, 2018 by The Inside Press

Francesca Hagadus, a Chappaqua school teacher for 32 years, became the first Democrat in 30 years to win a seat to the Mount Pleasant Town Board. She defeated Anthony Amiano, 24, who was appointed in May to fill a vacancy left by Mark Rubeo who became a judge.

The Town Supervisor is Carl Fulgenzi and the other Council Members are Laurie Smalley, Thomas Sialiano, and Nicholas J. DiPaolo.

Hagadus, in a statement to Inside Chappaqua, said it is her “aim to provide a mechanism for the Town to feel connected and informed. Town Board decisions should not be partisan. They are for the greater good of the Town with all deserving a seat at the table.”

The Mount Pleasant Board consists of the hamlets of Valhalla, Hawthorne, Thornwood, Pocantico Hills, Briarcliff Manor and a small part of Chappaqua, as well of the villages of Pleasantville and Sleepy Hollow.

Byram Hills High School Senior Wins Prestigious Rising Scientist Award

December 2, 2018 by The Inside Press

on the Use of Avatars for Helping Teens with Autism

Byram Hills High School senior Ellen Amico was honored by the Child Mind Institute and the City University of New York with a 2018 Rising Scientist Award.

Ellen was one of five high school students in the New York metro area to win the award, which is presented to students who “demonstrated extraordinary promise in research in the fields of child and adolescent mental health or pediatric neuroscience.”

Byram Hills High School senior Ellen Amico was one of five New York-area students to win a Rising Scientist Award.

“Each recipient of the Rising Scientist Award shows drive, commitment and vision for the future of mental health and neuroscience,” said Dr. Harold Koplewicz, president of the institute. “At such a young age, these impressive students already have the motivation and the promise to make strides towards changing the way we look at and treat mental health disorders.”

Ellen received the award and a $2,000 scholarship at the On the Shoulders of Giants Scientific Symposium this past October, the institute’s annual celebration of scientific achievement in child and adolescent psychiatry, psychology and developmental neuroscience.

Through the Byram Hills Dr. Robert Pavlica Authentic Science Research Program, Ellen conducted research aimed at improving the ability of people with autism spectrum disorder to recognize emotions. She tested whether computerized avatars are an effective teaching tool in emotion recognition.

“It felt good to be recognized for my work,” Ellen said. “Working with people with autism was a great experience, and I loved it.”

As part of her research, Ellen worked with a mentor at Vanderbilt University, studying teenagers with and without autism. The subjects viewed videos of human faces and computerized avatars.

“Avatars are used a lot in research and treatment for people with autism spectrum disorder, but no one so far has tested to see if avatars are similar enough to humans,” she said.

The research found that “they are similar to humans and they’re a useful tool in cosimulating real-world interactions for people with autism spectrum disorder,” she said. “A real-world interaction can be a source of anxiety, but replacing it on the computer in a virtual way, it’s less anxiety-inducing, and they can practice.”

“Hopefully other researchers can use my study to back up or support their use of avatars in treatments they may create for people with autism spectrum disorder,” she said.

In addition to recognizing the winners for their scientific contributions, the award also honors students for their leadership and extracurricular involvement. The award is given by the institute and the Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Byram Hills High School Inducts 22 Seniors into Cum Laude Society

December 2, 2018 by The Inside Press

Inducted into the Cum Laude Society (L-R front row): Samantha Abbruzzese, Ellen Amico, Abigail Binder, Alan Chang, Zachary Cogan, Rahul Gupta, Tyler Harp, Isabelle Ilan, Elyse Kanner, Emma Lucchino, David McDaniels, (L-R back row): Sydney Nepo, Pietro Perez, Brent Perlman, Lindsey Perlman, Griffen Rakower, Jonah Schwam, Hayley Siegle, Dylan Starker, Nicole Tissot, Zachary Tuzzo and Spencer Weinhoff.

Twenty-two Byram Hills High School seniors were honored for their academic achievement as they were inducted into the Cum Laude Society during a ceremony this past October.

In congratulating the newest members of Cum Laude, Principal Christopher Walsh noted that the requirement for being inducted into the Byram Hills chapter is straightforward: It’s the students who comprise the top 10 percent of the class, based on their weighted GPAs.

“Fairly simple mathematics, but their paths are anything but simple,” he said. “Behind each GPA, there are stories of perseverance, struggle, growth and enlightenment, late-night studying, weekends spent with schoolwork, extra time with teachers after school and many other sacrifices that helped them get here.”