Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai

05/28/2026

Melissa Aldridge, PhD, MBA, is a leading expert in understanding how health care financing and private equity investment are reshaping care for older adults.

In the latest GeriPal episode, Dr. Aldridge joins a thoughtful discussion on the growing role of private equity in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) and assisted living facilities—and what these changes could mean for quality, access, and the future of aging services.

Her expertise brings much-needed attention to the intersection of policy, economics, and care for older adults.

🎧 Listen to the episode:

Two retired luminaries in geriatrics join us today to share their personal experiences: John Burton on CCRCs, and Bill Applegate on ALFs.

05/21/2026

Helen M. Fernandez, MD, MPH continues to be a leading voice in shaping the future of geriatrics education. From mentoring the next generation of clinicians to advancing national conversations about the identity and future of geriatric medicine, her work is helping define what it means to care for older adults in today’s health care landscape.

Be sure to listen to Dr. Fernandez on the latest GeriPal episode discussing the evolving role of geriatricians and read her newest publication in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society - JAGS.

🎧 Listen to the episode: https://geripal.org/search-for-geriatrician-identity-mary-tinetti-helen-fernandez-jerry-gurwitz-ken-covinsky/
📖 Read the article: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.70513

On this week's podcast we discuss the Search for Geriatrician Identity with guests Mary Tinetti, Helen Fernandez, Jerry Gurwitz, and Ken Covinsky.

05/13/2026

Please join us in congratulating our outstanding nursing award recipients for 2026! 🎉

🏆 Huiqian Han, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, received a Nursing Excellence Award for Mount Sinai Downtown–Union Square
🏆 Maria Penafiel, AGPCNP, received a Nursing Excellence Award for Mount Sinai Morningside
🏆 Siobhan Sundel, DNP, GNP-BC, ANP, received the Nursing Leadership Award for Mount Sinai Morningside

These honors recognize their exceptional dedication to patient care, leadership, and commitment to advancing geriatrics and palliative medicine across the Mount Sinai Health System. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and grateful for the compassion and expertise they bring to our patients and teams every day.

05/11/2026

Congratulations to Veronica Rivera, MD, on being named the 2026 Clinician of the Year by the American Geriatrics Society—one of the field’s highest honors recognizing excellence in the care of older adults.

Dr. Rivera is widely recognized for her compassionate, patient-centered approach to geriatric care and her unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of older adults. Through her leadership in clinical care, education, and mentorship, she continues to advance the field of geriatrics while making a meaningful impact on patients, families, and trainees alike.

This national recognition reflects Dr. Rivera’s outstanding dedication to excellence in medicine and the future of aging care.

05/11/2026

Congratulations to our Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai MSTAR Student, Hannah Huang, who presented "What Matters Most: Older Adults Prioritizing Life Prolongation Before Palliative Radiation Therapy Have Better Post-Treatment Outcomes" during ! Her co-authors are Vanessa Jimenez, MPH, and Kavita Dharmarajan, MD, MS.

05/09/2026

As we wrap up , we have one more session for you this morning. Join us to learn more about Tackling Taboos in Aging!

05/08/2026

Join us at 9:30am and 2:30pm as members of our department discuss dementia distress and palliative radiation therapy!

05/08/2026

- We have several more poster presentations for you this morning, many of them are from our MSTAR students!

05/07/2026

- We are proud to present the following posters during this evening's poster session. Stop by to learn more about our work!

05/07/2026

We are delighted to kick off with two presentations from members of our department. If you're attending in DC, be sure to check them out!