About | Academy of Medicine of Queens County

The mission of the Academy of Medicine of Queens County is to provide the highest level of quality Continuing Medical Education to the physician community of Queens and to advance public health through education, advocacy, and community engagement. We serve physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and the general public across the most diverse county in the United States.

The Academy of Medicine of Queens County (AMQC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated by the New York State Board of Regents in 1970 and granted an absolute charter in 1975. For over five decades, we have served as Queens' dedicated institution for medical education and community health advancement.

AMQC operates in partnership with the Medical Society of the County of Queens (MSCQ), which represents over 1,600 physicians affiliated with six major hospital systems across the borough. This partnership provides a unique bridge between the medical community and the public.

Our ACCME accreditation through the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) ensures all programming meets the highest standards for balance, transparency, and clinical relevance.

Our People

Leadership

Governed by a diverse board of physicians representing multiple specialties, ethnicities, and the communities we serve.

Amelia M. Soto

Executive Director

Leads operations, program development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic growth into community health and health equity programming.

Erik Blutinger, MD

President (2025-2026)

Provides executive leadership for AMQC's educational mission and organizational strategy.

James E. Satterfield, MD

Chair, Board of Trustees

Strategic governance oversight, bridging academic medicine and community health education across Queens.

Sohayla Rostami, DO

President-Elect

Positioned to lead AMQC's continued evolution as a community-centered health education institution.

Board of Trustees

Physician leaders providing governance and strategic direction.

James E. Satterfield, MDChair

Michael L. Richter, MDMember

David Vilabrera, MDMember

Lorraine M. Giordano, MDMember

David A. Fishman, MDMember

Liana H. Leung, MDMember

Saulius J. Skeivys, MDMember

Penny Stern, MDSecretary

L. Carlos Zapata, MDMember

Officers (2025-2026)

Elected physician officers of the Academy.

Erik Blutinger, MDPresident

Sohayla Rostami, DOPresident-Elect

Ayman Z. Attia-Alla, MDImm. Past-President

Sophia Spadafore, MDSecretary

Paul Aaronson, MDAsst. Secretary

Aime Lufulwabo, MDTreasurer

Faisal Tamimi, MDAsst. Treasurer

Leah S. McCormack, MDHistorian

Allen C. Small, MDArchivist

Our Physician Leaders

Meet the Doctors

The physicians who lead the Academy and MSCQ bring decades of clinical excellence and community commitment.

Lorraine Maria Giordano, MD, F.A.C.E.P.

Board of Trustees | Hero of Emergency Medicine, ACEP | AMA Medal of Valor

Past President of the Queens County Medical Society and first woman Chair of the Board of Trustees. ACEP Hero of Emergency Medicine. AMA Medal of Valor recipient. Currently FDNY EMS Medical Control Physician and Medical Director of LaGuardia College's Prehospital Program.

Emergency MedicineDisaster MedicineFDNY EMS

David A. Fishman, MD

Board of Trustees | Professor of OB/GYN | Cancer Center Director, NYP Queens

Internationally recognized gynecologic oncologist. Established The National Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program with an NCI grant. Over 230 scientific papers. Texas Tech, Yale fellowship. President elect, Queens Medical Society.

Gynecologic OncologyCancer ResearchNYP Queens

Penny Stern, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACOEM, DiplABLM

Secretary | Chief, Preventive & Lifestyle Medicine, Northwell Health

Chief at the Katz Institute for Women's Health, Northwell. Co-Chair of Northwell's CME/IPCE Committee. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia MPH. Past President of QCMS.

Preventive MedicineLifestyle MedicineNorthwell Health

Michael Richter, MD

Board of Trustees | Internal Medicine & Addiction Medicine | Rego Park

Over 31 years in private practice in Rego Park. Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. Med/Ped residency at Brookdale Hospital. Board certified in Addiction Medicine.

Internal MedicineAddiction MedicinePediatrics

Sophia Spadafore, MD

Secretary | Chief Resident, Mount Sinai/Elmhurst Emergency Medicine

Chief Resident at Mount Sinai/Elmhurst. Establishing Health and Public Policy fellowship at Mount Sinai. AMA Council on Legislation.

Emergency MedicineHealth PolicyMount Sinai

Charles Lopresto, DO

Immediate Past-President (MSCQ) | Hospitalist, NYP Queens

Internal Medicine Hospitalist at NYP Queens. Columbia University BA, Touro College DO, Jamaica Hospital residency. Evidence-based medicine and legislative advocacy.

Internal MedicineHospital MedicineNYP Queens

Sohayla Rostami, DO

President-Elect | General Surgery Resident | Johns Hopkins Fellow

Penn State biochemistry. Rocky Vista COM. St John's Episcopal Hospital, Queens. Johns Hopkins fellowship in burn/reconstructive surgery and surgical critical care.

General SurgeryBurn & ReconstructiveGlobal Health

David Vilabrera, MD

Board of Trustees | Past President (2021-2022)

Over 40 years practicing medicine in New York. Lehman College, NYU School of Medicine. QCMS member since 1982.

Emergency MedicineCommunity Health

Who We Are

NY Board of Regents Charter

ACCME Accreditation

501(c)(3) Public Charity

Hospital Affiliations

Leadership

Amelia M. Soto

Erik Blutinger, MD

James E. Satterfield, MD

Sohayla Rostami, DO

Meet the Doctors

Lorraine Maria Giordano, MD, F.A.C.E.P.

David A. Fishman, MD

Penny Stern, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACOEM, DiplABLM

Michael Richter, MD

Sophia Spadafore, MD

Charles Lopresto, DO

Sohayla Rostami, DO

David Vilabrera, MD

Legal Information

Incorporation

Accreditation