MSSNY Leadership

MSSNY LEADERSHIP

Meet MSSNY’s Physician Leaders

MSSNY PRESIDENT

Internist Parag Mehta, MD, was elected as 196th President of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) on May 21, 2022. Dr. Mehta is the Senior Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine and the Chief Medical Information Officer, Interim Chief Medical Officer at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (NYPBMH). In addition, he is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

A graduate of NHL Medical College in Ahmedabad, India, Dr. Mehta did his residency in Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Care, and Integrative and Holistic Medicine. He has taken courses in Health Information Technology from Cornell University and Artificial Intelligence from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Dr. Mehta has served as Governor of the New York American College of Physicians and President of the Medical Society of County of Kings. He received numerous awards for his extraordinary contributions to advocacy, education, quality, research, and policy. He has been included in Castle Connelly’s Top Doctors list for many years and has been recognized as a power player in Healthcare by amNew York/PoliticsNY in 2021. He is an astute clinician, an excellent educator, and an inspirational leader. As a Wellness Champion, he promotes the importance of mindfulness, gratitude, and forgiveness. As CMIO, he is cognizant of the burden of EMR and continuously works on improving usability and clinical decision support.

He will succeed Dr. Joe Sellers, and as the 196th President of MSSNY, he strives to work with principles addressing harmony, wellness, equity, and enabling members with knowledge. He plans to achieve that goal by creating appropriate programs, products, and services.

Dr. Art Fougner, Chair of the Board of Trustees and past president of MSSNY, quotes Henry Kissinger – “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been. I have come to know that Dr. Parag Mehta is that leader.”

Dr. Mehta lives in Nassau County with his wife, Isha Mehta, MD, Chief of Gynecology at Elmhurst Hospital, and founder of “A Stitch in Time,” an organization that treats gynecological conditions at no cost to women around the world. They have two daughters, Ruju, an engineer, and Setu, a recent graduate of Harvard College who plans to study medicine.

CHAIR, MSSNY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Manhattan physician Malcolm D. Reid, MD, MPP took office as Chair of the Medical Society of the State of New York’s (MSSNY) Board of Trustees in April, 2022. He served as MSSNY President from 2016 to 2017. Dr. Reid is the site-chairman of the department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at Mt. Sinai Morningside and Mt. Sinai West. He also served as an Associate Medical Director at St. Luke’s Hospital and Roosevelt Hospital.

A 1982 cum laude graduate of Fordham University, Dr. Reid simultaneously earned his medical degree and master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University in 1987. He received his preliminary medicine internship training at Winthrop University Hospital on Long Island and did his residency training in rehabilitation medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident. He also received his board certification from the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Reid is particularly dedicated to medical education. He has served as a member of his hospital’s continuing medical education committee and is an Associate Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Additionally, he served as a Governor’s appointee to the NYS Hospital Review and Planning Council.

Dr. Reid has demonstrated his dedication to issues concerning organized medicine by serving as president of both the New York County Medical Society and the Manhattan Central Branch of the National Medical Association. Additionally, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the New York County Medical Society. A MSSNY Councilor for four years, Dr. Reid also co-chaired MSSNY’s federal candidate evaluation subcommittee, and vice-chaired both its communication and membership committees. He is also a member of the National Medical Association, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the New York Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Reid’s honors include the Distinguished Community Physician Award from the One Hundred Black Men, Inc. of NYC and selection as one of the Fifty Most Outstanding National Medical Fellowship Scholars in 1997. In 1996, he was inducted into the Mount Vernon High School Hall of Fame for his scholarly and athletic accomplishments. Dr. Reid was also selected as one of the top doctors in his field by Castle Connolly from 2012 – 2017 and 2019.

Dr. Reid and his wife, Emily, have three grown children: Malcolm Jr., Maya, and Matthew. Dr. Reid and his wife live in Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County.

MSSNY PRESIDENT – ELECT

Paul A. Pipia, MD was elected President-Elect of the Medical Society of the State of New York on May 21. A board-certified physician, he is Chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as the Deputy Medical Director of the Nassau County Medical Center.

Dr. Pipia received a Bachelor of Science degree in General Science as well as a Master of Science in Chemistry from Fordham University and received his Doctor of Medicine from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He completed his internship in the Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital and his residency at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Howard Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU. He was Chief Resident at Bellevue Hospital, the Manhattan Veterans Administration and Rusk Institute First Floor. He also holds an additional certification in the area of Sports Medicine.

Active since 1984, Dr. Pipia has been a delegate representing New York at the American Medical Association (AMA)’s annual meeting since 1986 through the Medical Student Section, the Resident Physician Section, the Young Physician Section and the Physician Section. Dr. Pipia is a Fellow of the Downstate Medical Center Sports Medicine Program, Past President, and member of The Nassau County Medical Society and Past President of The Nassau Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Pipia has served as the MSSNY PAC Vice-Chair from 2012-2014, the Chair of the Federal Legislation Committee from 2008-2010, the Chair of State Legislation Committee from 2010-present and Councilor for Nassau County from 2015–2021.

Dr. Pipia is a Board Member of the Nassau County Department of Health since September of 2011 and has also served as a board member at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, the NYS Board of Massage Therapy, and in various positions within the Nassau Health Care Corporation.

In conjunction with his extraordinary contributions to the medical profession, Dr. Pipia has also volunteered his time as a board member of the “Sea Legs” program and has been an advocate for The Muscular Dystrophy Association since 1980.

Dr. Pipia resides with his family in Syosset, Long Island.

MSSNY VICE – PRESIDENT

Loch Sheldrake gastroenterologist Jerome Craig Cohen, MD, Vice President of the Medical Society of the State of New York. Dr Cohen previously served as Speaker of MSSNY and Trustee of MSSNY. His responsibilities included overseeing the policy-making business of the state’s principal professional organization for physicians as well as emceeing its official events, such as MSSNY’s annual Legislative Forum in Albany.

Dr. Cohen earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School and completed both his internship and residency training at Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago. He did further research with a fellowship in gastroenterology at Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University. Dr. Cohen is board-certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association.

Dr. Cohen treated patients in Binghamton from 1984 to 2015. Since 2015, he has been treating patients in Cooperstown for Bassett Healthcare Network, where he serves as a Senior Attending Gastroenterologist. Dr. Cohen is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cooperstown campus of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Cohen’s dedicated efforts on behalf of organized medicine have included serving as president of the Broome County Medical Society, MSSNY Councilor for five years, MSSNY HOD delegate for 30 years and member of MSSNY’s delegation to the AMA for the past 22 years. He is a past Chair of the AMA’s Council on Constitution and Bylaws.

He is particularly concerned about New York State’s looming healthcare access crisis and has, therefore, worked on and chaired the MSSNY/MLMIC (Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company) Medical Liability Defense Board. He is now an active member of MSSNY’s physician advocacy and state candidate evaluation committees. Dr. Cohen is also a Bio-Terrorism First Responder volunteer.
Dr. Cohen and his wife Elaine V. Drelich, DDS, live in Loch Sheldrake, New York.

MSSNY TREASURER

Dr. Mark J. Adams was elected Treasurer of the Medical Society of the State of New York on May 21. A fellowship trained board-certified Radiologist, he is Professor of Clinical Imaging Sciences at University of Rochester Medical Center.

A graduate of Lehigh University, Dr. Adams received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He completed an internship in surgery at Barnes Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, a radiology residency at Rochester General Hospital, and a fellowship at the University of Rochester. He is certified by both the American Board of Radiology and the National Board of Medical Examiners.

In addition, Dr. Adams received an MBA from the William E. Simon School of Business and Administration at University of Rochester.

An active member of MSSNY since 2000, Dr. Adams served as the 7th District Councilor from 2011-2017. He currently serves as Commissioner of the Medical Education Committee, Vice Chair of the Legislative and Physician Advocacy Executive Committee, and member of the Collective Negotiation and Implementation Committee and the Nominating Committee. He also serves on the Investment Committee of MSSNY Board of Trustees.

Dr. Adams is a New York Alternate Delegate to the American Medical Association and an active member of the Monroe County Medical Society, which he served as President in 2010.

As an active member in several radiological societies, Dr. Adams served on the Council Steering Committee of the American College of Radiology; President of the New York State Radiological Society; and President of the Rochester Roentgen Ray Society.

In 2012, Dr. Adams received the JACR Award for Recognition of Exceptional Manuscript Review from the American College of Radiology. He has been a Reviewer for the American Journal of Radiology since 1997.

An active member of his community, he currently serves in the ServNY Monroe County Medical Corps and the New York State CMS Carrier Advisory Committee.

MSSNY SECRETARY

Dr. Howard H. Huang was elected Secretary of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) on May 21st. Dr. Huang is fellowship trained and board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) with added qualification in Pain Medicine and is in practice at North Country Orthopaedic Group, P.C. in Watertown, NY, now part of Carthage Area Hospital, Carthage, NY.

Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Huang received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School. He completed both his internship in medicine and residency in PM&R at Harvard Medical School.

A long-standing active member of MSSNY, Dr. Huang previously has served as the Commissioner of Socio-Medical Economics, 5th District Councilor, and 5th District President.

Dr. Huang is a New York Delegate to the American Medical Association and an active member of the Medical Society of Jefferson County, for which he has previously served as President.

Dr. Huang previously served as President of the Medical Staff and as a member of the Board of Trustees at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, NY.

MSSNY ASSISTANT TREASURER

Frank Dowling, MD (They/Them/Theirs) was elected Assistant Treasurer of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) on May 21st. A graduate of Harvard College, Dr. Dowling received both their medical degree and their residency training from SUNY at Stony Brook School of Medicine. Since 2004, they have served as Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine. Prior to that appointment, they were Clinical Assistant Professor from 1993-2004.

Board certified in both Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Dr. Dowling has an outpatient private practice in Garden City and Islandia that focuses on treating victims of trauma and disaster, emergency responders and healthcare professionals and their families. They also treat patients with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders. In addition to their private practice, Dr. Dowling serves as Medical Advisor to the Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance (POPPA), an independent, confidential, non-departmental voluntary assistance program for the NYPD.

An active member of MSSNY, Dr. Dowling has served as Commissioner for Science and Public Health, co-chair of the Addiction and Psychiatric Medicine Committee, chair of the Task Force on Alcohol and Health and vice chair of the Committee on Bioterror and Emergency Preparedness. In addition, they serve on the Advisory Committee and as faculty for the Veteran’s Mental Health Training Initiative, a collaborative effort by MSSNY, NYSPA and NASW-NY to train NY practitioners to assist warriors and veterans with post-traumatic stress and TBI.

When the ISTOP law was under consideration in Albany, Dr. Dowling—working with MSSNY staff—was instrumental in helping a MSSNY led coalition obtain the right for a designee to assist a physician with mandated PMP lookups. They currently serve on the AMA’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee and Pain Management and Substance Use Task Force and on MSSNY’s Committee on Physician Wellness and Resilience. With MSSNY physician leadership and staff, they are a driving force behind the development of MSSNY’s P2P (peer to peer) support program, where volunteer peer support physicians are trained to assist their siblings in medicine with work and personal stress They previously worked with the MSSNY/OASAS Planning Committee that developed a 3-hour CME program on pain management and opioid abuse, which is available free to MSSNY members to meet the New York State mandated CME requirement.
As a member of the New York Delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA), Dr. Dowling has collaborated with others to update AMA policies in several public health areas, including psychiatric and substance use disorders, access to care issues, preservation pf medically necessary care for patients with chronic pain, LGBTQ health issues and societal and healthcare inequities.

Dr. Dowling received the American Psychiatric Association’s Bruno Limo Award in 2003 for “outstanding contributions to the care and understanding of victims of disaster” for their work with emergency services personnel after the World Trade Center attacks in 2001. In addition, Dr. Dowling received a Long Island Healthcare Heroes Award from Long Island Business News for their work in support of veterans and others with chronic psychiatric illnesses. In 2015, they were awarded MSSNY’s Charles D. Sherman Award for their support of medical students. They are a co-author of Disaster Psychiatry: Readiness, Evaluation, and Treatment, a textbook intended to prepare psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to respond to disasters and mass casualty events.

Dr. Dowling lives in Oakdale, NY with their spouse Theresa, children Frank, Finn and Charlie Robin.

MSSNY ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Joshua M. Cohen, MD, MPH, FAHS was elected Assistant Secretary of the Medical Society of the State of New York on May 21st. Dr. Cohen is Chief Medical Officer at Braeburn, Inc., leading efforts in support of the company’s mission to fight the opioid crisis.

A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Cohen received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed his neurology residency at Columbia University’s Neurological Institute. Additionally, he received a Master of Public Health from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. He completed his headache fellowship at The Headache Institute and a mini-fellowship in pediatric headache at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Board certified in both Neurology and Headache Medicine, he was chosen as a Super Doctors® in 2013, a New York Rising Stars™ in 2014 and a Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors™ in 2015.

An active member of organized medicine for over 20 years, Dr. Cohen currently serves as MSSNY’s Commissioner for Science and Public Health, and previously served as President and Chairman of the Board of the New York County Medical Society. He has served the American Medical Association in a variety of leadership positions, including Chair of the Medical Student Section and Delegate to the House of Delegates as a member of the New York State Delegation. Dr. Cohen has worked extensively with non-profits dedicated to improving public health. Since 2013, he has served on the Board of Directors of the American Medical Association Foundation and served as President of the Foundation 2017-2018. He was a founding Board member of the Nan Lightstone Foundation, whose mission is to support research and public education on infectious diseases. He served a two-year term as Chair for Trevor Project NextGen, supporting that organization’s work to provide suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to LGBTQ+ youth. Additionally, he was founder of Adolescents in Medicine at New York University, a program which encourages minority adolescents to pursue careers in healthcare fields, and he is also a former Albert Schweitzer Fellow.

Dr. Cohen has published original research and book chapters on headache disorders, with a research focus on patients with difficult-to-treat migraine.
He is the recipient of multiple awards and accolades, including the American Medical Association Young Physicians Section Community Service Award, the American Headache Society (AHS)/Merck US Human Health Scholarship Award, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Harvard University Derek Bok Center Teaching Award.

Dr. Cohen lives in Manhattan with his son Leo and two dogs, Snax and Treatz.

MSSNY Past President Joseph R Sellers MD FAAP FACP

MSSNY IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP, became Past President of the Medical Society of the State of New York. Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Sellers is the Physician Executive leading the Bassett Medical Group based in Cooperstown, New York.

Originally from Buffalo, Dr. Sellers earned his BA degree from the University of Rochester and his MD degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency Program at the Albany Medical Center. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.

An attending physician in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY and the Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Dr. Sellers is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he has served as a primary care clerkship preceptor for over twenty years.

Dr. Sellers has served medical missions in Haiti and Kenya and is a volunteer physician with the Boy Scouts of America. Dr. Sellers has been a trustee of the Cobleskill Regional Hospital for the past 20 years and served for 22 years on the Schoharie County Board of Health.

An active member of organized medicine since 1990, Dr. Sellers previously served MSSNY as President, President-Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Secretary. He served as MSSNY’s Third District Councilor from 2004-2010, and Third District President from 1998-2004. Additionally, he served as Chair of MSSNY’s Political Action Committee from 2010 to 2019. He was president of the Schoharie County Medical Society from 1990-1994.

MSSNY SPEAKER

Internist William Latreille, MD, was elected as Speaker of the Medical Society of the State of New York on May 21st. He will continue to play an active role in the outpatient medical practice at the University of Vermont Health Network, Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, New York and will continue his internal medicine practice in Malone and at the Indian Health Center in Hogansburg, New York.

A graduate of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, Dr. Latreille earned his medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. He received his first and second years of Internal Medicine residency training at the University of Missouri Medical Center in Columbia, Missouri and finished his residency training at the Robert Packer Hospital/Guthrie Clinic in Syre, Pennsylvania. He is board certified in Internal Medicine.

Dr. Latreille is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a specialist in adult and adolescent medicine. He has been designated as a Senior Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to perform flight physical examinations and issue aviation medical certificates for class 1, 2 and 3 pilots.

Dr. Latreille served as 4th District Councilor for eight years and 4th District President for four years. He created, and continues to chair, the Lake Placid Retreat—now in its 23rd year—that is held each January for MSSNY districts 3 and 4. He was appointed to the MSSNY Board of Trustees in 2012 and served as Board Chairman for 2015-16.

In addition to his activities at MSSNY, Dr. Latreille is a member of the American Medical Association (AMA) and a member of the NY Delegation to the AMA. He is also a member and past president of the Franklin County Medical Society.

MSSNY VICE – SPEAKER

Maria A. Basile, MD was elected Vice Speaker of the Medical Society of the State of New York on May 21. Dr. Basile is President and CEO of PQL Communications Inc, a Health Affairs consultancy firm on Long Island, founded during the pandemic to inspire physicians to communicate with authenticity so that they can lead with effectiveness and love. Prior to starting this company, Dr Basile was Chief Medical Officer at US Family Health Plan-St. Vincent’s (a TRICARE Prime Option) in New York City. She served as the senior clinical leader of this 13,000 member health plan from July 2019-April 2021, overseeing and guiding the Plan’s Quality Management Department, providing medical guidance to the restructuring of the Population Health Division through the development of evidence-based Care Management models, and supervising the transformation of two downstate New York primary care practices to adopt telemedicine platforms and convert to electronic medical records at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Basile is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family, Community, and Population Medicine, and will be joining the full-time faculty at Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine in July as the Deputy Division Head of the Division of Medicine in Society and the Associate Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics, where she teaches medical school and graduate-level courses in Literature and Medicine. A physician-poet, she is author of Minimally Invasive: poems from a life in surgery, (2010) and New, Not New: 15 Things I’d Like to Know When I See You After Quarantine (2020). Her poems and articles have been published in Journal of the American Medical Association, Touch: The Journal of Healing, and The Pharos. She is also the author of Seven Hallmarks for Outstanding Physician Leaders (2022).

From 2012-2019, Dr. Basile served as Assistant Vice President, Medical Affairs at Mather Hospital – Northwell Health, where her responsibilities included professional credentialing, physician engagement, medical staff quality improvement, and leadership development.

Prior to transitioning to Hospital Administration, Dr. Basile was a Colorectal Surgeon in private practice. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, and is Board Certified in Health Care Quality Assurance, with specialty certification as a Physician Advisor. Dr. Basile has lectured nationally on physician wellness and resilience, medical ethics, and practice transformation.

A cum laude graduate of Georgetown University, Dr. Basile earned her Medical Degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She completed a General Surgery residency at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia and a Colon and Rectal Surgery residency at St Vincent’s Medical Center in Erie, PA. She is a graduate of the United Hospital Fund/Greater NY Hospital Association’s Clinical Quality Fellowship Program and received a Master’s in Business Administration from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.

An active member of MSSNY, Dr. Basile currently serves as the Commissioner of Communications and previously served as Suffolk County Councilor. Through her leadership efforts at the local and statewide levels, she has been appointed Vice Chair of the MSSNY Committee on Physician Wellness and Resilience, Co-chair of the MSSNY Committee on Women, and a Vice Chair of the MSSNY Committee on Quality. She is a Past President of the Suffolk County Medical Society.

Dr. Basile lives in East Setauket, NY.

MSSNY Leadership