New York, NY, Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE AWARDS TWO 2025-2027 JEREMIAH A. BARONDESS FELLOWSHIPS IN THE CLINICAL TRANSACTION
Dr. Jessica Lichter is an Assistant Professor and academic hospitalist at Elmhurst Hospital, part of the New York City Health + Hospital public health system located in the Borough of Queens, an affiliate of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Dr. Shyam Sundaresh is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), in collaboration with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), is pleased to announce that the 2025-2027 Jeremiah A. Barondess Fellowship in the Clinical Transaction is awarded to Dr. Jessica Lichter and Dr. Shyam Sundaresh.
Jessica Lichter, MD, is a hospitalist at Elmhurst Hospital, NYC Health + Hospitals, (Mount Sinai Affiliate), who plans to further develop and evaluate an innovative simulation platform that she developed, ChatMD, to improve communication skills related to code status discussions in the hospital setting and to enhance humanistic care among internal medicine residents.
Shyam Sundaresh, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital who plans to implement, evaluate, and disseminate the use of Brief Direct Observation of clinical encounters to provide feedback to internal medicine residents on their communication skills for patients with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, in the ambulatory care, general internal medicine setting.
The ACGME and NYAM will recognize Drs. Lichter and Sundaresh at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference, to be held in Nashville, Tennessee from February 20th to 22nd.
The Barondess Fellowship is awarded to junior faculty members in internal medicine to enhance medical students’ and residents’ training in the clinical transaction, a fundamental element of clinical care. The two-year, $50,000 fellowship aims to improve the patient experience by innovating and strengthening the critical skills that characterize the clinical transaction, including communicating with patients, conducting the physical exam, and applying clinical reasoning.
“Preparing clinicians to enhance their communication skills, a crucial element of the clinical partnership between providers and patients could not be more critical toward advancing better health for all,” said NYAM President Ann Kurth, PhD, CNM, MPH.
“Effective communication is a critical element of patient care. It builds trust and strengthens the bond between patient and physician. The ACGME is delighted to recognize Drs. Lichter and Sundaresh, and we look forward to the outcomes of their projects,” said ACGME President and CEO Debra Weinstein, MD.
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“My current research focuses on harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance physicians' communication skills, particularly around end-of-life care. I am deeply honored to receive the Barondess Fellowship to pursue this work, and view it as both an opportunity and responsibility to create an AI that strengthens our humanity as physicians rather than diminishes it,” said Dr. Jessica Lichter.
Dr. Lichter is an assistant professor and an academic hospitalist at Elmhurst Hospital, an affiliate of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is a trained simulation specialist and completed a fellowship in medical simulation at the NYC Health + Hospitals Simulation Center. She completed residency in internal medicine at New York University and medical school at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Prior to her medical career, Dr. Lichter obtained a master's degree in neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego and a bachelor's degree from Duke University. Her current research focuses on using conversational artificial intelligence to enhance communication skills among clinicians.
“We face a growing shortage of mental health care. Even more concerning, is that many who need mental health care the most are disproportionately affected by this shortage. By training Internal Medicine residents in mental health care, we can help bridge this gap. I am incredibly grateful to NYAM and the ACGME for awarding me the Barondess Fellowship, providing an opportunity to address this critical educational need,” said Shyam Sundaresh, MD.
Dr. Sundaresh is currently an Assistant Professor at the Mount Sinai Internal Medicine Residency Program. He graduated medical school at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and trained at an Internal Medicine Primary Care Residency at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Before a career in medicine, Dr. Sundaresh completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Northwestern University. He then became a music teacher for people with special needs. This work inspired his eventual focus in communication skills and mental health within primary care.
About The New York Academy of Medicine
The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) is a leading voice for innovation in population health. Throughout its 178-year history, NYAM has uniquely championed bold changes to the systems that perpetuate health inequities and keep all communities from achieving good health. Today, this work includes innovative research, programs, and policy initiatives that distinctively value community input for maximum impact. Combined with NYAM’s trusted programming and historic Library, and with the support of nearly 2,000 esteemed Fellows and Members, NYAM’s impact as a health leader continues. To learn more, visit www.nyam.org and follow @NYAMNYC on social media.
About the ACGME
The ACGME is a private, non-profit, professional organization responsible for the accreditation of approximately 13,393 residency and fellowship programs and 905 institutions that sponsor these programs in the United States. Residency and fellowship programs educate approximately 162,644 resident and fellow physicians in 146 specialties and subspecialties. The ACGME's Mission is to improve health care and population health by assessing and enhancing the quality of resident and fellow physicians' education through advancements in accreditation and education.
Attachments
Connor Bellis The New York Academy of Medicine (212) 419-3645 cbellis@nyam.org Susan Holub Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education 312-755-5066 sholub@acgme.org
