Tackling Heart Health at the Seema Boesky Heart Center
By Joey Centofanti from North Salem High School
Get to know Dr. Andrew Krumerman, new chair of cardiology at NWH and Phelps.
Andrew Krumerman, MD, a cardiovascular expert with more than two decades of experience, has been appointed Chair of Cardiology at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) and Phelps Hospital, both part of Northwell.
In his role, Dr. Krumerman, who specializes in treating patients with atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias, is helping lead the growth of the Seema Boesky Heart Center at NWH and efforts to advance the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, further enhancing the hospital’s reputation as a leading provider of cardiovascular care in the region.
Q: Can you tell us about your background and what drew you to cardiology?
A: When I was in medical school, I became enamored with the electrocardiogram (ECG) and enjoyed interpreting test results. During my post-graduate training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the field had advanced so rapidly that physicians were able to diagnose and cure heart rhythm abnormalities using minimally invasive approaches. By placing catheters with electrodes through blood vessels and into the heart, one was able to diagnose and eliminate the short circuits that are responsible for causing arrhythmia.
The choice to specialize in cardiac arrhythmia management was very clear. So, I am a cardiologist with specialty training in heart rhythm disorders. That’s my passion and I’ve never really looked back.
Q: What type of conditions does the team most frequently see and treat at the Seema Boesky Heart Center?
A: The Seema Boesky Heart Center is an integral part of Northwell’s Cardiovascular Institute. At NWH, we have a team of leading cardiologists, state-of-the-art medical technology, and access to one of the top cardiac surgery programs in the country.
The most common condition that we see, and treat, is atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. This disease results in plaque buildup in the blood vessels ultimately causing a heart attack. Although we frequently treat patients presenting with a heart attack and immediately open an occluded artery, we also focus on prevention.
We strive to identify cardiac risk before patients develop advanced heart disease. Our Center provides a range of advanced testing and treatments to diagnose early signs of disease including:
- Cardiac imaging, cardiac CT Scan and MRI, which use the latest technology to accurately diagnose and monitor heart conditions and ensure that patients are being screened effectively for coronary and myocardial disease.
- Exercise stress testing to assess heart function and identify potential issues through controlled physical activity.
- A Cardiac Catheterization Lab where we can perform minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat heart disease by opening occluded arteries (angioplasty or coronary intervention). It’s one of the most exciting and rewarding procedures that we perform. We literally stop the heart attack from happening and prevent major damage to somebody’s heart muscle. Our Cardiac Catheterization Lab is open 24/7, 365 days a year and our team of top interventional cardiologists have decades of experience in the field.
- An Electrophysiology Lab, dedicated to the treatment of heart rhythm abnormalities or arrhythmia. A pacemaker can be inserted to treat too-slow heart rhythms or a defibrillator for heart rhythms that are erratic and life-threatening. The Lab also provides ablation procedures that involve removing the heart tissue causing the abnormal heart rhythm.
- Access to leading specialists: we work closely with colleagues in Northwell’s Center for Heart & Lung Failure and have heart transplant specialists on staff in order to offer advanced therapies to patients that need specialized care for advanced heart disease.
- Cardiac rehabilitation: after you have a cardiac event, we have facilities that allow patients to strengthen their hearts and their minds.
Q: What is the Seema Boesky Heart Center doing to combat the growing threat of heart disease?
A: February is heart month, which is a great time to raise awareness about heart health and cardiovascular care. Our practitioners have gone out to the community to give talks; we’ve set up tables and provided heart health education around Westchester; we have also reached out in the community to teach people about careers in medicine and cardiology.
It is important to continually educate the community about the signs and the symptoms of a heart attack. Of course, anyone experiencing such symptoms should go to the nearest Emergency Department. Read more about heart attack symptoms.
The faculty at the Seema Boesky Heart Center focus on prevention of heart disease. Patients are encouraged to embrace a healthy lifestyle: don’t be sedentary – walk, garden, enjoy all the beautiful nature our region has to offer, and eat a diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and low-fat proteins.
Q: What are your goals for the program? What would you like to accomplish in the future?
A: This program will continue to grow to meet the needs of our community. We are in the process of building our Department of Cardiology and expanding our Cardiac Catheterization Lab to offer more advanced procedures, including ablation of more complex arrhythmia. We have teamed up with our colleagues at Northwell’s Cardiovascular Institute to ensure that our patients undergoing valve surgeries and structural heart interventions have local access to the top operators in the country.
We’re dedicated to supporting our community’s heart health and ensuring that every patient receives the highest quality care. We want to work with the community to make heart health a priority, not just in February, but throughout the year.
Q: What does an ideal Sunday look like for you? How do you spend your free time?
A: In my free time, I’m usually exercising with friends and family— either cycling or hiking.
Read more about Dr. Krumerman
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From shadowing to leading: two friends find mentorship and growth at NWH
Students like Sofia Jacobson and Sydney Levy demonstrate how supportive educational
experiences at NWH can serve as a launchpad into the rewarding field of health care.
Sydney Levy vividly remembers the day she received her acceptance e-mail for the selective President’s Junior Leadership Council (PJLC) at Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) in 2019.
Fast forward to today, and the Byram Hills grad is now a junior at Harvard pursuing a career in medicine—a lifelong dream that gained momentum throughout her time with the PJLC and other programs that make up NWH’s growing menu of health care exploration opportunities for high school and college students.
“NWH is where I really started my public health knowledge,” said Sydney. “It's so important and something that I think really strengthened my application.”
Sofia Jacobson is also making strides toward her career goals in public health policy, recently completing a fellowship at the World Bank’s Health and Climate division. Now a Global Health scholar pursuing a five-year MPH degree at Yale, Sofia credits her NWH experiences with giving her the knowledge and skills to take on global health issues.
“PJLC really helped show me that there are so many different paths to pursue in health care beyond becoming a doctor,” said Sofia. “I really do have PJLC to thank for helping me find excitement and love for [public health] and giving me the chance to explore that.”
Exploration is precisely the goal of these programs. “We pride ourselves in offering students a wide variety of volunteer, shadowing and community health programs designed to give them first-hand experience in the world of health care,” said Amy Rosenfeld, MS, RDN, Senior Program Manager of Student Experiences and School Relationships at NWH.
“Our goal is to do our part to reduce healthcare worker shortages and serve as a nurturing ground for aspiring young health professionals.”
PJLC members gain service hours volunteering in the community through
outreach work at schools, food pantries, community gardens, and health fairs.
Cultivating tomorrow’s public health leaders: President’s Junior Leadership Council
With an acceptance rate of less than 15%, the PJLC is among NWH’s most selective and longest running programs. The council engages young minds from eight area high schools in northern Westchester, who work collaboratively on public health and wellness initiatives that target issues impacting their peers—such as anxiety, isolation, and vaping.
“I think it is such a wonderful way to let teens learn about public health and other careers that most don’t learn about until later in their education,” said Sofia, who remains an active alum, mentoring current members and helping to interview new candidates.
PJLC members also learn from clinical and non-clinical healthcare experts in a monthly speaker series, attend workshops that foster leadership skills, and gain service hours volunteering in the community through outreach work at schools, food pantries, community gardens, and health fairs.
“I learned how to create videos and posters to communicate about health and science in a way lay people can understand,” said Sydney, whose PJLC term took place during the onset of the Covid pandemic. “It taught me the importance of being able to convey complex health information in an engaging way.”
Graduates from the PJLC, like Sofia and Sydney, often continue onto healthcare careers with a robust foundation in public health.
The next application cycle for PJLC will open in January 2026. Learn more about PJLC.
Sofia and Sydney helped staff vaccine pods during their time on the PJLC,
a leadership development program for high school students interested in public health.
Creating real world impact: Senior Experience Programs
In her senior year of high school, Sofia participated in the Senior Experience program at NWH, working on the Community Health team.
Open to students from partnering schools, NWH’s Senior Experience programs offer internships that give high school seniors the opportunity to explore different areas of the hospital and learn directly from experienced professionals in both clinical and non-clinical roles.
Programming is customized to align students with their areas of interest. “If I said I was interested in something, Amy would be like, ‘Great! I’m going to set up a meeting for you with the person who runs that department.’ It’s still one of my favorite internships I’ve ever done.”
Sofia found herself not only attending meetings and absorbing knowledge from seasoned professionals but also contributing her own insights—which were met with enthusiasm.
“They loved having a young person’s perspective, which gave me more confidence to share my ideas,” Sofia recalled. But her experience transcended mere participation in meetings—she dove into hands-on projects that helped ignite lasting impact.
One such project was countywide research aimed at uncovering the most pressing health challenges affecting young people in her community. Through painstaking analysis of hundreds of responses, Sofia created a visual representation of the results, highlighting a stark but crucial revelation: over 54% of respondents identified mental health as the most significant health issue affecting them and their peers.
The findings were consistent across schools, underscoring a widespread issue that urgently demanded attention. “It was really exciting," Sofia said, recounting her experience presenting these insights to NWH board members. Her goal was clear: to raise awareness and call for action on the mental health crisis affecting teens.
Sofia’s message was heard, and NWH is now launching a bold, new child and adolescent behavioral health initiative that this year’s class of PJLC students is helping to raise funds for.
The Senior Experience program is accepting applications through Friday, February 28. Learn more about the application and eligibility criteria.
During her Senior Experience at NWH, Sofia conducted countywide
research on adolescent mental health and presented her findings to the board.
One-on-One Mentorship: The Heart of NWH’s Health Care Exploration Programs
This past summer, Sydney returned to NWH to participate in the Pre-med Experience Program, one of several competitive college-level programs that give students one-on-one shadowing and mentorship opportunities with health care professionals in medicine, nursing, physical and occupational therapy (also open to high school seniors), community health, nutrition, and starting this year—health care management.
“It was fantastic to see different fields of medicine up close, and really solidified my desire to be in the OR,” Sydney recounted. “Each doctor I shadowed offered unique perspectives and mentorship. Everyone was so nice and willing to teach me.”
One particularly memorable experience for Sydney was witnessing a surgeon balancing her professional and personal life.
“Right before a surgery, she was texting her kid and planning the rest of her day—and then she went and did this amazing surgery,” Sydney recalled. “Seeing real people in the field balancing home and work life successfully was truly motivational.”
As she looks to the future, Sydney has her sights set on cardiac surgery. Her advice to aspiring healthcare professionals is simple yet powerful:
“Follow what you love and don't forget to thank those who help you along the way,” advised Sydney. “People really make the place, and the people at NWH are amazing.”
Applications for 2025 are currently closed. For more information, visit Student Experiences NWH
Sydney participated in NWH's Pre-med Experience Program, one of several college-level programs that give students shadowing and mentorship opportunities with professionals in medicine, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, community health, nutrition, and health care management.
A program for every passion
With a 400% increase in student volunteers over the last three years and record-breaking attendance at last year’s Annual Medical Expo, NWH continues to see soaring interest in healthcare professions among teens.
Later this year, NWH plans to pilot a new program that opens volunteering to students under age 16 accompanied by a parent or guardian. Currently, students must be at least 16 years old to volunteer, except for musical performers.
As NWH continues to expand its programming, students like Sofia and Sydney demonstrate how supportive educational experiences can serve as a launchpad into the challenging yet rewarding field of health care.
“We’re eager to expand our diverse portfolio of pipeline programs in years to come,” said Amy. “We are also eager to create a robust alumni network so students can continue connecting with our resources and each other—and perhaps even make their way back to NWH in the future.”
Applications for the Summer Volunteering program will open on Monday, March 10, open to students 16 and older. Students 14 and older can volunteer if they are interested in performing music.
Learn more about student programming at NWH
“Don't forget to thank those who help you along the way,” advised Sydney. “People really make the place, and the people at NWH are amazing!”
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This Twig Has Deep Roots and Bountiful Fruit
Like most twigs in nature, the Twigs Thriftree Thrift Shop in Mount Kisco, New York is unassuming. Located on Lexington Avenue just a few blocks from Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), its white clapboard building can easily go unnoticed. But unlike its natural namesake, the Twigs Thrift Shop is making a powerful and highly visible impact on NWH and its community.
The Twigs organization was founded in 1887 by a group of women who volunteered at a hospital in Rochester, New York. Deciding that they weren’t big enough to be called a branch, they called themselves a “twig.” A Twigs group started at Northern Westchester Hospital in 1945, and the Thrift Shop opened in 1964.
Judy McGrath of Armonk, a former Twigs President and currently a member of the NWH Community Foundation Board, started her affiliation with NWH as a volunteer at the Thrift Shop. “NWH is a fantastic hospital, so I try to do everything to support it including being an active Twigs volunteer. People are always coming into the shop. It’s a good resource – you never know what you might find. And you meet a lot of different people in the community.”
In addition to being a valued community resource, the Thrift Shop is one of NWH’s longest-term major donors. Every dollar the store nets goes to NWH. Jane Fulton, current Twigs President said, “Every year we give the hospital a large gift from Thrift Shop net proceeds. Last year (2024) was our sixtieth anniversary of the shop. Our donation made total funds donated over the last six decades to more than $4 million.”
Funds raised by the Thrift Shop have supported at NWH the Yablon Cancer Health and Wellness Program, the Emergency Department, the Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health, and the Hayworth Family Maternity Center, which will soon have a transformational modernization.
Jane added, “The Twigs Thrift Shop is a singular volunteer opportunity that most people can fit into their schedule. Some of us work every week and some one or two days a month.” If you’re interested in volunteering, please email twigsthrift@yahoo.com.
To see the latest offerings, stop by the shop at 449 Lexington Avenue in Mount Kisco and bookmark their Facebook page.
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Muffin Tin Pecan & Raisin Bread Puddings
Courtesy of Andrew Cain
Regional Executive Chef, Food & Dining Services
Northern Westchester & Phelps Hospitals
Enjoy a guilt-free treat! At only 217 calories per serving, they’re packed with heart-healthy pecans, sweet raisins, and plenty of nutrients.
Pecans are rich in flavonoids and other antioxidants which may help to reduce chronic disease risk.
Nutrition Facts
217 Calories, 8g Total Fat (2g Saturated Fat), 269mg Sodium, 32g Carbs (2g Fiber, 8g Total Sugar), 5g Protein
Micronutrients
Raisins: Fiber, Potassium, Iron
Pecans: Thiamin, Magnesium, Zinc
Ingredients
• 4 Tbsp Smart Balance
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups low fat 1% milk
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp apple cider
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of nutmeg
• ½ cup raisins
• 5 cups whole wheat bread, cubed
• ¼ cup pecans, chopped
• ½ cup fat free half & half
Instructions (yields 12 servings)
- Preheat oven to 325°. Position rack in center of oven. Coat muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Melt 2 Tbsp. Smart Balance in a small microwave safe bowl. Whisk eggs, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp. cider, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg in large bowl.
- Whisk in melted Smart Balance and raisins. Gently stir in bread. Let stand stirring occasionally to let the bread absorb the liquid, about 15 minutes.
- Divide mixture evenly among the muffin cups then top each with about 1 tsp pecans.
- Bake in the center rack until muffin tops start to brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Gently loosen and remove.
- Combine 2 Tbsp. Smart Balance, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. cider in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking until bubbling and sugar is mostly dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in half & half and continue cooking, whisking vigorously and constantly, about 1 minute more until thickened.
- Remove from heat and whisk slowly for 1 more minute. Let the sauce stand until ready to serve. Drizzle sauce on top of each muffin.