Dr. Wertheim leads Stony Brook Medicine’s integrated academic health system, which comprises four hospitals, five health sciences schools including the Renaissance School of Medicine, more than 1,400 physicians across nearly 150 specialties, and over 200 community ambulatory locations. In his first year, he helped catalyze a 27% increase in National Institutes of Health awards to more than $61 million, fueling advances in areas such as AI–enabled cancer diagnostics, tick-borne disease mitigation and neurodegenerative disorders. He continues to practice as a primary care physician, grounding system decisions in real-world clinical experience and patient needs. Dr. Wertheim’s crisis management during the Covid-19 pandemic, including accelerating medical student graduation to bolster the workforce, earned wide praise, and has earned honors such as the “Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award” from The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. He also advances statewide and national priorities through service on boards and committees spanning the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, the Healthcare Association of New York State, America’s Essential Hospitals and Vizient. Under his guidance, Stony Brook Medicine has earned broad recognition for equity, sustainability, cardiovascular and stroke care, and consistent top rankings by U.S. News & World Report and Healthgrades.
