Shout Outs
By Office of the President | Mar 25, 2025
Mission: Patient Safety— Team Downstate Shines at Patient Safety and Quality Fair
We celebrated Patient Safety Week on March 18 in true Downstate fashion—with energy, excellence, and a deep commitment to continuous improvement! Staff, students, and faculty came together to share innovative projects focused on patient safety, process improvement, and quality of care.
Komal Bajaj, M.D., MS-HPEd, energized the event with an inspiring keynote address, drawing on her roles as Chief Quality Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi Medical Center and Medical Director of Sustainability for NYC Health + Hospitals. Throughout the day, speakers led dynamic sessions that sparked thoughtful dialogue and encouraged meaningful collaboration across disciplines.
We extend our gratitude to our phenomenal Downstate leaders and presenters, including Patricia Winston, DNP, MS, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, Interim Chief Executive Officer; Rami Nakeshbandi, M.D., MHA, FACP, Chief Medical Officer; Cynthia Benson, DO, MPH, MBA, Interim Medical Director & Director of Quality, Emergency Department; Jamie Grecco, J.D., Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff; Susan Fraser-McCleary, BSN, RN, LCSW, CCM, Assistant Vice President of Care Coordination; Dilip Nath, DBA, MBA, Assistant Vice President & Deputy Chief Information Officer; Mafuzur Rahman, M.D., FACP, Vice Chairman of Medicine & Chief Medical Information Officer; Adeola Dabiri, MSc, MPA, CPHQ, Assistant Vice President of Regulatory Affairs; Muhammad Islam, MBBS, MPH, Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs, and Paulina Marfo-Boateng, MSN, RN, Chief Experience Officer.
Congratulations to all presenters and prize winners! Your creativity, passion, and dedication are helping shape a stronger culture of safety at Downstate.
Patient Safety & Quality Fair
COM Rising Star’s Research Sheds Light on Shifting Trends in Radiation Oncology
Congratulations to Grace Lu, COM Class of '25, a rising star in medical research and a proud SUNY Downstate medical
student, whose recent study was published in the prestigious International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics.
Grace led a thoughtful and data-driven exploration into the shifting landscape of radiation oncology, uncovering a significant trend: a marked consolidation of practices between 2015 and 2023, with solo providers increasingly joining larger group practices. What sets her research apart is its use of Medicare data—making it one of the first to quantify these workforce changes without relying on traditional survey methods.
Her work contributes essential insights to the field and underscores the power of innovative thinking and evidence-based research.
Congratulations to Grace for this significant accomplishment. We look forward to the continued impact of her scholarship in medicine and beyond.
Bold. Boss. Guyanese.
From left to right Dawn S. Walker, MPA.; Marilyn Fraser, M.D.
Congratulations to Marilyn Fraser, M.D., CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, and Dawn S. Walker, MPA., Vice President of Communications & Marketing, who were honored at the 2025 Caribbean Impact Awards hosted by Schneps Media & Caribbean Life last week. The event brought together a diverse and dynamic group of West Indian and Caribbean honorees whose work spans government, healthcare, education, business, and nonprofit sectors.
Rooted in their proud, shared Guyanese heritage, Dr. Fraser and Ms. Walker were among 37 Caribbean-American changemakers, community-builders, trailblazers, and connectors recognized for their healthcare, advocacy, and communications work.
From championing health equity to shifting narratives, telling stories, and lifting voices, we “Big up,” these “GT Boss Women,” who lead with compassion, heart, and Caribbean flair while underscoring the powerful legacy of Caribbean immigrants in shaping our shared future.
Congratulations to this year’s honorees, and thank you to Caribbean Life for shining a light on the outstanding contributions of Caribbean-American leaders.