Blavatnik Family Foundation Provides $10 Million Gift to Mount Sinai to Support Mission of Advancing Women’s Health
Emily and Len Blavatnik, whose significant philanthropic giving through the Blavatnik Family Foundation focuses on scientific research, higher education, and the arts, have made a $10 million gift to the Mount Sinai Health System. The gift establishes The Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Blavatnik Family – Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai, located at 325 West 15th Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City.
“Len and Emily are long-time advocates for women’s health whose generous philanthropic commitment will significantly strengthen Mount Sinai’s research program while positioning us as a leader in the field,” said Michael L. Brodman, MD, Professor and Chair, Ellen and Howard C. Katz Chairman’s Chair, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Mount Sinai Health System.
Elizabeth Howell, MD, MPP, will be the founding Director of The Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute. Dr. Howell, who is also Vice Chair of Research and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science and of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine, said the Institute’s first areas of focus will be ovarian and endometrial cancers, postpartum depression, pregnancy-related deaths, and severe maternal complications—health conditions affecting one out of every three to four women in the United States.
“This is a critical time for women’s health research,” said Dr. Howell. “While a number of clinical centers exist for women’s health, few centers are aimed at advancing science in women’s health. We will aim to find solutions to common women’s health problems, close gaps in quality of care that exist for underserved populations, and improve the health and well-being of women in New York City and beyond.”
The Blavatnik Family – Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai serves as the clinical bridge to The Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute by offering a full range of health services with the comfort and intimacy of a neighborhood doctor’s office located in the heart of Chelsea. Through the Women’s Cancer Program, also located in The Blavatnik Family – Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai, patients are offered a highly specialized medical team with individualized and compassionate care. Patients are also able to receive onsite tests, procedures, imaging, radiation, and infusion treatments such as chemotherapy, as well as wellness and support services that includes working individually with social workers and nutritionists.
“Len and I are proud to support this new and innovative initiative,” said Mrs. Blavatnik. “We look forward to following the ever-increasing synergy between the new Research Institute and the expanded Medical Center, bringing scientific discoveries in women’s health directly to patients who will benefit most.”
"We are deeply grateful for the Blavatniks’ immense generosity, which will help to enhance Mount Sinai’s reputation as one of the world's leaders in women’s health and train the next generation of scientific leaders,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and CEO of the Mount Sinai Health System.
About the Blavatnik Family Foundation
The Blavatnik Family Foundation is an active supporter of leading educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable institutions in the United States, Europe, and throughout the world. The Foundation is headed by Len Blavatnik, an American industrialist and philanthropist. Mr. Blavatnik is the founder and Chairman of Access Industries, a privately-held U.S. industrial group with global interests in natural resources and chemicals, media and telecommunications, venture capital, and real estate. For more detailed information, please visit http://www.accessindustries.com.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. The Health System includes approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, a school of nursing, and schools of medicine and graduate school of biomedical sciences.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York and recognized as one of the world’s top Smart Hospital by Newsweek. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
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