NYACP Presidents Message
January 1, 2026
John Hall, MD, FACP, Chapter Co-President
Todd Simon, MD, FACP, Chapter Co-President
Dear NYACP members,
Hard to believe that this is our first newsletter of 2026! I certainly hope that you all found an opportunity for some rest and relaxation, family time, fun time, food time, or even travel time over the past few weeks. However, as we all know, medicine is a 24/7/365 profession, so we really want to thank all of you who were working or just remaining available to your patients throughout this holiday season. Often it is taken for granted that the Doctor will always “be in” but let us express our deepest appreciation to all of you who put your patients first and make sacrifices in your personal lives to care for and improve the health and wellbeing of others.
In our usual sports update, a big congratulations to Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on winning the championship this season! In case you missed it, this was a really exciting run through the playoffs, where Gotham was the #8 (lowest!) seed, and then won a string of upsets to take the trophy. As of this writing, Buffalo Bills are doing well and are the only NY football team still in it. There is even still some hope that the Bills can overtake the Patriots to win the AFC East division. (The Giants and the Jets are fighting for the last place and the top draft pick!) Amazingly, the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics is only a month away on February 6th, and we’re looking forward to our opportunity to become Curling fans and skeleton fans that come only every 4 years. LOL.
Advocacy Update! On 12/5, Governor Hochul once again Vetoed the Wrongful Death Bill. In her letter to the Senate, Governor Hochul noted “While well-intentioned, these changes would likely have resulted in higher costs to patients and consumers as well as other unintended consequences. For the fourth year in a row, the Legislature has passed a bill that continues to pose significant risks to consumers, without many of the changes I expressed openness to in previous communications.” This Action, among other things, prevented huge increases in medical malpractice premium costs, along with all of the other associated downstream effects. Here at NYACP, we applaud the Governor’s action, and we want to express a major “THANK YOU” to all of you who advocated for this veto, whether by phone calls, emails, or in other ways. This is another great example of how advocacy can work, and how NYACP can help serve you and your patients!
Meet your other NYACP Governors! This month’s spotlight is on Harvir Singh Gambhir, who is the Governor-Elect for the Upstate Region. Here’s a bit about Harvir:
Harvir Singh Gambhir is an Associate Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine within the Department of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. He also serves as the Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency program. Dr. Gambhir is Associate Chief Quality Officer for SUNY Upstate Hospital. He also served as Vice-Chair for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety in Department of Medicine. Dr. Gambhir completed both his residency and chief residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University and pursued a fellowship in Healthcare and Leadership at the University of Colorado. Additionally, he holds a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma from Rutgers University. His interests include improving communication between physicians and patients, as well as leadership and mentorship in medical education. Dr. Gambhir has been recognized by students, staff, and colleagues for his contributions to teaching and clinical care. He received the Gold Standard Award in 2020 and the Laureate Award from the New York Chapter of ACP in 2021. In 2024, he was awarded the Upstate President’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Prior to being Governor-Elect, he served as Chair for the Early Career Physician Committee for NYACP and for the Quality Improvement Special Interest Group for the Society of Hospital Medicine.
Health Care Workers vs Hunger Update! Thank you so much for participating in the Health Care Workers vs Hunger Challenge this year. Your donation to a food bank or other related organization will continue to help in battling food insecurity. Your involvement is needed and appreciated. Due to your generosity “I.M. Generous” raised $20,710 and came in 7th place nationally! Total contributions for 2025 came to an amazing $1,038,289! Thank you again, we look forward to joining you in this important effort around Thanksgiving 2026.
Health Equity task force update! Congratulations to our Health Equity Task Force for an excellent webinar that was recently held on physicians as humanitarians. We had the pleasure of participating in an excellent presentation by Dr Otis Gowdy MD, MACP, Former ACP Governor of Mississippi.
“The Humanitarian’s Journey” is a reflection on the work and passion of Dr. Otis Gowdy, a physician whose commitment to healing extends beyond hospital walls and into the heart of downtown Meridian, Mississippi. This presentation explores Dr. Gowdy’s transformative journey to restore the historic Holbrook Building—an anchor within Meridian’s historic African American business district and now an emerging symbol of revitalization and hope for the community.
Dr. Gowdy shows that healing a community begins with connection, collaboration, and care—the same values that define compassionate medical practice. Community health is inseparable from community history and identity. The physician’s role, therefore, is not confined to the clinic or hospital—it extends into the broader mission of nurturing thriving, connected communities.
To learn more about this inspiring project go to holbrookms.com.
Dad jokes of the month (Holiday edition)!
How did Darth Vader know what Luke Skywalker wanted for Christmas?
He felt his presents.
What do you call a Christmas decoration made entirely of $100 bills?
Aretha Franklins
We wish you all a safe, healthy, prosperous, and happy New Year!
Todd and John