Mount Sinai Health System Names New Chair of Neurology

Newswise — NEW YORK – May 7, 2015 /Press Release/ –– Renowned neurologist Barbara G. Vickrey, MD, MPH, has been named System Chair for the Department of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, with her new role to begin on Oct. 1, 2015. Dr. Vickrey specializes in translating clinical evidence into improvements in routine medical practice that improve patients’ health. Her wide-ranging accomplishments include demonstrating that collaboration among healthcare systems, community organizations and caregivers can improve quality of care and outcomes for dementia patients. She also designed healthcare delivery innovations ranging from better control of post-stroke risk factors in underserved populations to new ways to care for veterans with Parkinson's disease. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Vickrey to the Mount Sinai Health System, knowing that she brings unique expertise to the Department of Neurology,” said Mount Sinai President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth L. Davis, MD. “She will be a tremendous mentor for the next generation of neurologists and health policymakers here in line with our goal of providing superior care to all.” In terms of national leadership, Dr. Vickrey was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in 2011, one of the highest honors in academic medicine. She also leads a five-year, stroke prevention/intervention research program in health disparities funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). She serves on the Science Committee of the American Academy of Neurology and is Vice President of the American Neurological Association. “Dr. Vickrey’s outstanding research dovetails with efforts throughout the Mount Sinai Health System and presents exciting opportunities for collaborative research across our academic departments,” said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Her contribution will go beyond Neurology as she enlivens collaborations with Population Health Science and Policy, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, the Mount Sinai Institute of Technology and the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Science,” said Dr. Charney, also President for Academic Affairs for the Health System Dr. Vickrey has served for 25 years on the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is Professor of Neurology and Director of the departmental Health Services Research Program. She is also Associate Director for Research at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center. Dr. Vickrey earned her MD degree at Duke University School of Medicine and her MPH at the UCLA School of Public Health. She completed postgraduate clinical training in medicine and neurology at the University of Washington in Seattle, and then research fellowships in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at UCLA and the RAND/UCLA Center for Health Policy Study. About the Mount Sinai Health SystemThe Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven member hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services—from community‐based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care. The System includes approximately 6,600 primary and specialty care physicians, 12‐minority‐owned free‐standing ambulatory surgery centers, over 45 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, as well as 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. ###