Fresh off celebrating the Jewish New Year, full of hope and anticipation for the exciting opportunities that await us this year, and knowing that we were imminently launching our global telemedicine opportunity and growing our remote patient monitoring (RPM), I was excited to share the enthusiasm that we all at MediOrbis are feeling.

Sadly, however, the impending arrival of 9-11 casts a tall shadow, even twenty years after that fateful day.  Those of us in NY at the time, who saw the buildings burning for weeks after the attacks, who took care of first responders in clinic (one is currently my neighbor) and who were privy to the trauma and the healing that the city endured, feel compelled to focus on this seismic event.

I have mentioned in the past that my path to pulmonary medicine was paved, to a large extent, by the pulmonary course director, Dr. David Prezant, who coincidentally was also the chief medical director of the NY Fire Department in 2001.  Dr. Prezant was literally at the foot of 2 WTC as it collapsed, somehow miraculously escaping despite being buried in debris.  While the story of his experience at Ground Zero is fascinating, it is his work subsequently that is truly impressive.  With boundless energy, commitment and fortitude, he has committed his life to providing care to first responders, securing funding for their healthcare, and producing academic studies and literature to better understand their rare health condition.  There is an outstanding, fitting tribute to his work here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPMoRelxKNE

While I always love Dr. Prezant’s fully engaging and self-deprecating teaching style, it was his commitment to his team of first responders that I always found most impressive and inspirational.  It is that passion and sentiment that we try to capture every day at MediOrbis.