The physicians portrayed here would be the first to say that they serve as part of a team and could not do the work they do without the assistance of other health care providers who practice alongside them. One such provider is Jaclyn Funk, a vascular technologist with UBMD Surgery, pictured here on the surgical intensive care unit at Buffalo General Medical Center caring for a COVID-19 patient. Photo courtesy of Kaleida Health/Joe Cascio.

A Photo Tribute to Our Frontline Workers

This Is What We Do

Only history will tell where COVID-19 ultimately ranks in comparison with other pandemics, but for UB faculty physicians and medical residents working on the frontlines of the crisis, the pandemic is an epic challenge, both in its acute and chronic phases.

More than 500 faculty physicians and 700 medical residents from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences provide care to patients in UB’s affiliated teaching hospitals throughout Western New York.

Many of these physicians are treating COVID-19 patients in work conditions unlike any they have experienced before. They are doing this while providing instruction and oversight as professors or while conducting research.

Their expertise and around-the-clock patient care in such large numbers is one of the benefits of having a medical school in a community, says Michael Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School.

“I know I speak for our entire community in expressing deep gratitude to our dedicated health care workers and our UB faculty physicians and medical residents who are providing care to our community’s most vulnerable members during this pandemic,” Cain says.

Despite the many complex and enduring challenges for health care workers on the frontlines, UB’s faculty physicians and medical residents have pressed on.

Time and time again during the COVID-19 crisis, they tell us: “This is what we do.”

On the following pages we feature photographs of some of these UB faculty physicians and medical residents, taken during the height of the pandemic. It is our hope that these portraits will serve as part of a historical record that will acknowledge and honor their service to the community.

—S. A. UNGER, EDITOR

Sam Cloud.

SAMUEL D. CLOUD, DO, assistant clinical professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; UBMD Emergency Medicine, at Erie County Medical Center, a UB teaching affiliate. Photo by Joe Cascio/ECMC.

  • Sanjay Sethi.

    SANJAY SETHI, MD, Professor and Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine; Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences; Division Chief of Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • Alyssa Shon.

    ALYSSA S. SHON, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; Infectious Disease Specialist, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • Tom Russo.

    THOMAS A. RUSSO, MD, Professor and Chief, Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine; Division Chief of Infectious Disease, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • Hema Dodd.

    HEMA D. DODD, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; Infectious Disease Specialist, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • Hema Dodd.

    KARIN PROVOST, DO, PHD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine; Pulmonologist and Intensivist, Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • Lauren Dube and Stephanie Cohen.

    LAUREN DUBE, DO, left, and STEPHANIE COHEN, DO, Chief Residents, Department of Emergency Medicine

JAMES LUKAN.

JAMES LUKAN, MD, left, Clinical Associate Professor, General Surgery Residency Program Director, Department of Surgery; UBMD Surgery, pictured at Erie County Medical Center, a UB teaching affiliate. Photo by Joe Cascio/ECMC.

  • JAMES LUKAN.

    JOSEPH L. IZZO, MD, Professor and Chief, Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine; physician with UBMD Internal Medicine.

  • PRAVEEN CHANDRASEKHARAN.

    PRAVEEN K. CHANDRASEKHARAN, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics; Neonatologist, UBMD Pediatrics

ALBERTO F. MONEGRO, MD.

ALBERTO F. MONEGRO, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, a Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine physician with both UBMD Internal Medicine and UBMD Pediatrics, pictured at Buffalo General Medical Center, Kaleida Health, a UB teaching affiliate. Photo by Joe Cascio/Kaleida.

  • SHEHZAD S. MERCHANT, MD.

    SHEHZAD S. MERCHANT, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; Infectious Disease Specialist

  • Jamie Nadler.

    JAMIE N. NADLER, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine; Pulmonologist and Intensivist, Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • John Sellick.

    JOHN A. SELLICK JR., DO, MS, Professor, Department of Medicine; Infectious Disease Specialist, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • Vandana Pai.

    VANDANA PAI, MD, Co-Chief Pulmonary Critical Fellow, Department of Medicine

  • David Janicke.

    DAVID JANICKE, MD, PHD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

  • Archana Mishra.

    ARCHANA MISHRA, MD, MS, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine

KIRVIA UBRI, DO, MAURICE (MO) HOURIHANE, MD, AARON TAYLOR, MD.

KIRVIA UBRI, DO, vascular neurology fellow, right, speaking to MAURICE (MO) HOURIHANE, MD, clinical assistant professor, neurology. Left is AARON TAYLOR, MD, neurology resident. Taken at Buffalo General Medical Center, Kaleida Health, a UB teaching affiliate. Photo by Joe Cascio/Kaleida.

  • RAJESH KUNADHARAJU.

    RAJESH KUNADHARAJU, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow, Department of Medicine

  • Manoj Mammen.

    MANOJ J. MAMMEN, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine; Pulmonologist and Intensivist, Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, UBMD Internal Medicine

  • FRANCES UWECHUE.

    FRANCES “FRANKIE” UWECHUE, MD, General Surgery Resident, PG1

  • Sarah Ackah.

    SARAH ACKAH, MD, MPH, 2020-2021 Chief Resident; Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Department

  • TUNG-LIN JESSE YUAN.

    TUNG-LIN JESSE YUAN, DO, Emergency Medicine Co-Chief Resident, PGY-3

  • GALE R. BURSTEIN.

    GALE R. BURSTEIN, MD ’90, MPH, Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics; Commissioner, Erie County Department of Health