As a Critical Care Physician with additional training and certification in Neurocritical Care and Emergency Medicine, I find the care of the sickest patients to be both intellectually challenging and emotionally gratifying. My research, peer-reviewed, and other professional writing and teaching centers on the cardiopulmonary interface – airway management, hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation and their intersection in critically ill patients with medical, surgical, and neurologic problems. In our intensive care unit at New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan Hospital, my colleagues and I strive to provide the finest care I have ever seen in any facility to a culturally diverse mix of patients with undifferentiated critical illnesses. We are proud to serve as guarantors of safety for such patients in our unit and throughout the hospital and work tirelessly to do so. As I have matured and had the privilege of working with conscientious and compassionate colleagues, I have come to better appreciate the impact of serious illness on patients and their families. In addition to addressing the pathophysiology of illness and instability, myself and my colleagues take pains to address the subjective, or “felt” aspects of human suffering. We do this by alleviating any pain, agitation, fear, and delirium that patients experience. We also address the grief, anxiety, and concerns their loved ones bring to the bedside. When it is called for, we blend palliative and intensive care. This is a calling that my colleagues and I value as physicians and as human beings.
