Dr. Jason Kindt, Family Medicine, Medical Director
Rebecca J. Michelson
Although he had a passion for the theater and participated in many high school productions, Dr. Jason Kindt quickly realized that his enthusiasm for musical theater does not make up for his lack of pitch. So, he went to medical school. He graduated from Ursinus College in 1995 and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1999. He is board certified in Family Medicine and worked for the Reading Health System in Hamburg, PA, where he was voted “best family practice” five years in a row. However, he wanted to be closer to Broadway, so in 2013 he moved to New York City and worked in urgent care in Manhattan, leaving him plenty of opportunity to catch all the shows in town. Dr. Kindt is a theater person at heart, and so being the Medical Director of the Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts since it opened in 2017 and providing care to this community is his dream job. He is a loving and devoted family physician who is dedicated to helping his patients thrive in every aspect of their lives. Dr. Kindt is a two-time Cullman Family Award winner, which honors Excellence in Patient Communication.
“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” –John F. Kennedy
Dr. Leila Hagshenas, Family Medicine, HIV Medicine, Co-Medical Director
As a former theater “techie” and very part-time musician, Dr. Leila Hagshenas (she/they) is thrilled to join the Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. Dr. H is a Board-Certified Family Physician (ABFM) and HIV Specialist (AAHIVM). After graduating with a double major in French and Physiology from the University of Illinois, she earned a Master’s in Physiology as well as a Medical Doctorate from the Chicago Medical School in 2006. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan. Her clinical interests include full-spectrum women’s health, HIV care, LGBTQ+ care and minor office-based procedures (colposcopy, joint injections, cryotherapy, lipoma/cyst excisions, etc.). Outside of work, Dr. H enjoys powerlifting, fermentation projects and playing guitar for her very, very understanding wife and dogs.
Dr. Joey C. Fernandez, Internal and Sports Medicine
Joey C. Fernandez, MD, is a primary care physician board-certified in both internal medicine and sports medicine, with a particular focus in dance and performing arts medicine. Dr. Fernandez completed his medical degree at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, his internal medicine residency at University of Michigan, and his fellowship in sports medicine at Cleveland Clinic. He has provided medical services and event coverage for various professional performing arts companies and athletic teams, and he cared for artists at a premier university and dance injury center in NYC for over 10 years. His passion for performing arts medicine stems from his background in the arts. Prior to his medical training, Dr. Fernandez studied voice and earned his BA in music from NYU. He also studied dance and performed with the Joffrey Ballet School. Dr. Fernandez currently volunteers on the board of different dance companies, and he continues to enjoy taking dance and aerial arts classes in NYC. He is inspired by the theater community and aims to help its members meet the vast demands of their craft by optimizing their health. He is an avid proponent of preventative medicine and of balancing physicality, nutrition and recovery. He also believes the resilience and strength of the arts community lies in collaborative support. Dr. Fernandez is thrilled to be part of the care team at The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts.
Dr. Paula Brignoni-Blume, Gynecology
Paula Brignoni-Blume, MD MPH is a board certified gynecologist at Mount Sinai Doctors. She completed her residency at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island. As a chief resident she was the recipient of the AAGL award for her laparoscopy skills. Dr. Brignoni-Blume’s focus is in gynecology and women’s health with a special interest in abnormal pap smears, birth control, vaginal disorders and sexually transmitted diseases.
Dr. Louis C. Galli, DPM FACFAS, Podiatry
Rebecca J. Michelson
Dr. Louis C. Galli has dedicated his career to treating active individuals. These patients include Broadway performers, professional ballet dancers, recreational dancers, professional runners, recreational athletes and anyone who wants to remain healthy. His mission is to “help keep people active.”
Dr. Galli received his undergraduate degree at St John’s University; pursued podiatric medical education at New York College of Podiatric Medicine; and did his surgical residency program at North Lake Community Hospital in North Lake, Illinois.
His certifications include American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (certified in foot and ankle surgery) and he’s a fellow of the American Academy of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine and The American Society of Podiatric Surgeons.
Dr. Galli is or has been the foot and ankle physician for The Radio City Rockettes; a podiatric consultant for the New York City Ballet Company and The School of American Ballet; and a foot and ankle consultant for the Central Park Track Club and Ballet Academy East.
Dr. Galli is an attending at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital.
Dr. Charmaine Young, DO
Dr. Charmaine Young joined the Friedman Health Center in 2023. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Brooklyn College, her medical degree at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013, and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the New York University Lutheran Medical Center, concentrating on the care of the whole patient and family. Dr. Young is a native New Yorker from Brooklyn and is delighted to serve her fellow New Yorkers from all walks of life. She is fluent in English and Cantonese and can also speak conversational Spanish. Her medical interests include adult health and wellness, mental health, preventative care, women’s health and management of chronic conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and asthma. Hailing from a family of artists, she has taken a keen interest in the arts since she was younger, and during her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and urban gardening.
Patrick Ryan Parsell, Nurse Practitioner, Internal Medicine
Mr. Patrick Parsell is a friendly and compassionate Nurse Practitioner in New York, NY. He currently works at The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, where he takes his time to understand symptoms and give correct diagnoses to ensure the continued health of all his patients.
After completing a master’s degree in nursing administration, Mr. Parsell earned a post-master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Pace University.
Mr. Parsell offers services focusing on LGBTQ sexual health and male sexual health, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment and education, sexually transmitted infection screenings and treatment (STI); as well as treating various conditions and symptoms, including coughs, cold and flu symptoms, rash, allergy symptoms and diarrhea.
He is devoted to ensuring the longevity of his patients’ health and developing long-lasting relationships with them.
Affiliate Physicians at The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts
Dr. Shawn G. Anthony, Sports Medicine
Shawn G. Anthony, MD, MBA is the Associate Chief of Sports Medicine for Mount Sinai Health System and Assistant Professor of Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Anthony received his medical and business degrees from Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School and completed his orthopedic surgery training at the Harvard Orthopedic Residency Program. Dr. Anthony completed advanced fellowship training in Sports & Shoulder Surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City where he provided medical coverage for professional teams including the New York Knicks NBA team, New York Red Bulls MLS team, as well as New York PSAL football.
Specializing in the shoulder, hip and knee, Dr. Anthony is committed to caring for the elite athlete to the weekend warrior. Dr. Anthony currently serves as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard team physician and a United States Tennis Association (USTA) orthopedic consultant, providing courtside medical coverage for the world’s top tennis athletes competing at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
Through a close collaboration with The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, Dr. Anthony provides urgent orthopedic evaluation and treatment for the New York City performing arts and entertainment community. Based out of the Orthopedic Center at Mount Sinai West, Dr. Anthony’s practice provides on-site x-ray and advanced imaging including ultrasound and MRI. Regularly caring for performers, professional dancers and stagehands, Dr. Anthony is inspired by the perseverance and resilience of the performing arts community.
A national authority on sports injuries, Dr. Anthony has appeared on numerous news outlets including NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America and The Doctors, and he is consistently selected by his peers as a New York Times Super Doctor and Castle Connolly Top Doctor. Dr. Anthony is committed to providing the latest evidence-based care and minimally invasive techniques to his patients.
Dr. Mark S. Courey, Otolaryngology
Mark S. Courey, MD, is Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Division Chief of Laryngology and Vice Chair of Quality for the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System. He is also Director of the Grabscheid Voice and Swallowing Center at the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Courey is well-regarded nationally and internationally for his skills in the clinical management of patients with airway, voice and swallowing disorders, as well as his multidisciplinary approach to patient care, incorporating speech-language pathologists, vocal trainers, laryngologists, neurologists, radiation oncologists and voice scientists into each patient’s treatment when appropriate. He is also one of few laryngologists in the country focusing on transgender voice care with vast experience performing the tracheal shave and Wendler glottoplasty procedures.
Dr. Courey received his medical degree from SUNY Buffalo in New York, and finished a one-year internship from Beth Israel in Boston, Massachusetts. He completed a general surgery residency at Beth Israel, and an otolaryngology–head and neck surgery residency at SUNY Buffalo, followed by a laryngology fellowship from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
In his early career, after completing his fellowship in Laryngology and Professional/Performance Voice at Vanderbilt in 1993, Dr. Courey remained on the Vanderbilt faculty and helped build the newly opened Vanderbilt Voice Center. He was appointed director of the center in 1994. Over his 12 years at Vanderbilt, Dr. Courey cared for numerous vocal performers in both commercial and classical venues. He was the physician for the Nashville Opera and Adjunct faculty at Belmont School of Music. At Belmont, Dr. Courey studied voice under the direction of Dr. Shirley Zielinski and taught anatomy and physiology of voice to master’s students in vocal performance and vocal pedagogy. He also worked closely with Richard Miller from Oberlin, Ohio on collaborative research in musical performance styles.
Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Dr. Courey was a Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. He also served as the Director of the Division of Laryngology, the Medical Director of the Voice and Swallowing Center and the Medical Director of Speech Language Pathology. Dr. Courey was physician to the San Francisco Opera. His research interests include rehabilitation of the paralyzed larynx, surgical management techniques for cancer of the larynx, management of voice problems in musicians and professional speakers and developing an understanding of the central nervous system regulation of voice production. Along with his clinical research at UCSF, Dr. Courey received federal funding for his study in the timing of neural activity in patients with spasmodic dysphonia.
Dr. Courey sees patients at both The Mount Sinai Hospital and at Mount Sinai West.