NYU Winthrop Hospital is pleased to announce the creation of its Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine as the latest component of NYU Winthrop Hospital’s Department of Medicine. Marc Wilkenfeld, MD, a recognized expert in environmental medicine and the impact of 9/11 on victims, first responders, and people nearby the attacks, will lead the division as chief of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
“As Winthrop extends its services to meet the growing needs of our community, we recognize the importance of understanding how exposure to substances in our environment can influence health and wellbeing,” said Michael Niederman, MD, chairman of the Department of Medicine at NYU Winthrop. “With the development of an occupational and environmental medicine division, under the experienced leadership of Dr. Wilkenfeld, we will help members of the community get expert advice about how to work productively and safely, and will provide employers with a wide range of services to enhance the wellbeing of their employees.”
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Dr. Wilkenfeld served as an expert review panel member on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Technical Advisory Task Force and acted as a consultant to a number of corporations, community groups, and other government agencies on the environmental health impact of the disaster. He also assisted in the development of protocols for screening individuals with exposure at the World Trade Center site and moderated and participated in community forums designed to answer the health questions of New York residents and workers. Dr. Wilkenfeld has evaluated hundreds of patients with various illnesses related to the disaster and continues to treat patients who were impacted by the disaster.
Board certified in occupational medicine, Dr. Wilkenfeld brings over 20 years of clinical and teaching experience to NYU Winthrop. In addition to acting as an occupational medicine consultant to corporations, government agencies and other organizations in the United States and Europe, Dr. Wilkenfeld served as medical advisor to New York City Councilmember Alan Gerson, whose district included Lower Manhattan.
“With increasing concerns regarding occupational and environmental exposures, I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer my expertise in the field to the Long Island community and beyond,” said Dr. Wilkenfeld. Committed to excellence in education and fostering the active learning of medical students and residents, Dr. Wilkenfeld’s plans for the division also include the training of medical students and residents in occupational and environmental medicine and conducting research.
After graduating from McGill University with a bachelor of science degree in physiology, Dr. Wilkenfeld completed his medical degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. His postgraduate training included a residency in occupational and environmental medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Wilkenfeld is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone and an assistant professor of clinical medicine and environmental sciences at Columbia University Medical Center. The author of several articles and book chapters, Dr. Wilkenfeld has lectured extensively throughout America, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. Dr. Wilkenfeld resides in lower Manhattan.
