A Message from President Riley

By Office of the President | Oct 6, 2026

Brooklyn Shows Up!

Dear Downstate Community,

Rain forced a quick change of plans for our fifth Community Healthy Lifestyle Fair, but it did not keep Brooklyn away. Volunteers, clinicians, and community partners moved the fair indoors, and nearly 500 people came together for a day of health information, activities, and connection. I am grateful to everyone who made that welcome possible.

A few days later, 184 prospective students and guests came to our Fall Open House. They explored nursing, diagnostic medical sonography, physician assistant studies, public health, and graduate programs. They also met the faculty, staff, and students who bring those programs to life. Downstate offers something special to people choosing where to study: an education at Brooklyn’s only academic medical center, where clinical care, research, public health, and service to our neighbors are part of the same community. Our new Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in Clinical Leadership and Practice Innovation adds another path for experienced nurses ready to lead change.

This issue shows what education and expertise can become. The new Eric Davis Myers Lifespan Program will help families navigate care for loved ones with neurodisabilities from childhood into adulthood. Our emergency physicians are examining how to better serve patients affected by migration. Dr. Stephen Waite and his colleagues are asking why lung nodules are missed on CT scans and where AI may help. At the hospital, a separate AI pilot is exploring how clinicians might spend more of a visit listening to patients.

You will also meet Dr. Jason C. Vladescu, a 2026 CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award honoree. He is one of four co-founders of a center that serves children whose needs go beyond what a traditional classroom can provide. As the School of Health Professions celebrates its 60th anniversary, its faculty and students are putting that same spirit of service to work: teaching emergency skills on campus and helping children at P.S. 235 carry their backpacks more safely. Our Employee Assistance Program made room for another important conversation, giving employees who care for family members a chance to talk about the demands they manage alongside their work.

I’m pleased to introduce a new Bulletin feature focused on our staff. It will give us a chance to meet colleagues across Downstate, learn about their work, and recognize the care they bring to this place every day. I hope you’ll take a moment to get to know the people whose contributions may not always be visible.

Our colleagues are working toward a more caring and equitable Brooklyn, and their stories fill this issue. I hope you’ll read them with the same pride and hope I feel for what we can do next.